Venus retrograde has always been my favourite retrograde period by far. Unlike many of the other planets, Venus only turns retrograde every 18 months and for a shortish period of six weeks, hence forty days and forty nights, which makes it such a big deal.
This Venus retrograde commenced with Mercury, planet of communication, (also in the sign of Leo) being conjunct Venus – hence what we love, who we love, how we love and how we communicate were automatically in alignment.
Along with our creativity, sense of fairness and justice, and our finances.
What a beautiful time then!
Pluto, Neptune and Saturn were also retrograde at the start of Venus retrograde. As Pluto, the planet which symbolises death and surrender, abuse of power, and all sorts of endings and beginnings, is now doing its last final sweep in Capricorn, the rest of 2023 promises to be a cleaning up of our personal lives and collective society like never before. Think of it as – you have built the foundations and internal structure of a new home and are about to move in, but then discover a pile of old rubble out the back you did not know was there, and that pile of rubble has to be fully cleared before you can move forward.
Right down to every last stone and pan of dust. For if you don’t do that with the deepest thoroughness, then your own personal foundations for the new world we are entering will crumble along the way. For sure.
At the start of the Venus retrograde period, Mars, planet of action, drive and passion, currently in the practical mutable earth sign of Virgo, was opposing Saturn retrograde in Pisces. Hence there has been a higher emphasis than usual around taking structured focused action while holding the higher vision of what you wish to invoke for the coming two or three years.
In Ireland for example, the famous hotel duo, the Brennan brothers, announced their intention to sell the world famous five star Park Hotel in Kenmare. It will be interesting to see who buys it. Francis Brennan is Saturn Neptune in his natal birth chart, so the likelihood is that they will want to sell the hotel to someone who will hold their initial vision for the hotel for as long as possible after the purchase goes through.
Venus, as I have written before, is far from merely being the planet of love and seduction, but also symbolises our sense of –
Beauty, truth, justice, our value system, our creativity, our finances.
With Neptune being retrograde in Pisces since June 30th where it stays retrograde until the end of the year, you may have also found that your dreams have been more intense recently. For the coming six months, it is a good idea to keep a dream journal, in addition to your ordinary journal. Or keep it simple, and write your dreams in a separate block in your daily journal.
During the six week cycle of Venus retrograde in Leo, it may be time to take internal fixed action around just one aspect of what Venus symbolises for you – for some of us it will mean re-evaluating our approach to our creativity. For others, (especially with Pluto retrograde in Capricorn looking on!), it will be a time of letting go of outdated ways of looking after your finances. The Leo energy is fixed fire remember, so there is an inner flame being invoked within your soul.
During this heartfelt and deeply healing retrograde period, Venus moves from our night sky to then being reborn 40 days and nights later as a morning star, a process that is often frustratingly difficult to follow here in cloudy, rainy Ireland! I often long for the nights and early mornings when Venus was always so sparkly and twinkly in the skies of Lucca. Like a pulsing diamond jewel, always there to guide us all.
So do use this Venus retrograde period to go deep inside your own true self and access your creativity, sense of fairness, who you love, how you love, and what you love like never before.
Venus demands nothing less.
To see where Venus retrograde is being triggered in your natal chart, you can book a transit session by visiting the link below.
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