Venus. The planetary goddess of love. The symbolic guardian of partnerships, finances, and all things delicious. Every 18 months, Venus takes center stage in our cosmic story by appearing to come to a complete standstill and then start moving backwards for 40 days. The symbolism of this apparent motion invites us to explore our relationships, personal style, and finances. Love. Looks. Money. Oh, but there’s so much more to Venus and deeper themes within this archetype we can explore. In this article, I am going to share some insights into astrological Venus and how you can use this retrograde period to magnetize (and manifest) more of what you want!
Venus
In astrology Venus symbolically represents love, beauty, physical attraction, personal resources, values, and finances. It’s one of our relationship planets and indicates what we’re attracted to in a partner as well as what we do to attract others. If you want to know about your personal style, look at where Venus falls in your natal chart.
During a retrograde, these Venus themes are up for us all. You might have a sudden urge for a makeover, experience changes in your relationship status, or take a closer look at your personal spending. It’s a time of reflection, when you might want to revisit choices you made in the past and ask, “Am I attracting the kind of relationships and wealth I really want?” It can be a time of course-correction if the answer is no.
This particular time, Venus is going to be in fiery Aries, a sign all about the self. So, for you, this is going to get very personal. You will likely get a chance to take a hard look into the mirror and realize that many of your core relationship and financial challenges have to do with how well you have been valuing yourself and making your needs top priority.
What to do during Venus retrograde:
Make your self-care needs a top priority, including time for journaling, meditation, and relaxation. Don’t just squeeze it in- intentionally make the time.
Forgive minor upsets to avoid major blow ups.
In your closest relationships, discuss challenges openly and honestly. The more truth you can bring up to the surface, the more you can heal past regrets or resentments.
Consider a couples’ retreat or getaway to reconnect with your partner.
Review your monthly budget and set aside more money for a rainy day.
Forgive yourself for past mistakes. You might even try the Ho’oponopono prayer once a day.
Shift your money paradigm by reading “Money and the Law of Attraction” by Esther and Jerry Hicks.
Boost your confidence and self-esteem with affirmations.
Spend time with people who make you feel genuinely loved and good about yourself.
Venus Retrograde for Each Sign:
Aries: On a purely material level, this is a time to be thinking about a makeover! You may feel more interested in your appearance and reflective of how you present yourself to the world. You might feel the urge to reinvent yourself. It’s not the time to do anything completely out of the ordinary, as the retrograde period might influence you to make changes that you could regret once Venus stations direct and you are back on track. However, your urge for a personal reinvention is coming from deeper changes happening within. You’re growing in confidence, and that’s a good thing. For now, keep a Pinterest board of styles you might like to try. Then, play wth new looks and ideas, making bigger changes after April 15.
It’s a time when you want to avoid conflict so that you appear peaceful and harmonious. Because of this, you might be confronted with a conflict that causes you to mediate a situation. This element of communication is intensified by the retrograde influence. You have the opportunity to bring peace and harmony to your environment and attract new people into your life.
Resist the urge to judge yourself or others based on appearances alone. Focus on the positive.
Taurus: This is a time of complete compassion and understanding of others. You get to work through your past fears, like abandonment or betrayal. Because of this, expect big healing! You will feel like a new person at the end of this time. You may feel a little foggy regarding your wants and needs, cravings and desires. When you open your closet, you might wonder what to wear- like nothing fits anymore.
Try not to cling too tightly to anything, and meditation or spa-type activities are the best ways to help you let go, allowing your life to unfold with more magic and possibility.
It would be great to use this energy for volunteer work and service- particularly working with those in shelters or institutions like hospitals or nursing homes. Your sense of love is so strong. This is a very spiritual time, so it would be wonderful to join a faith community or meditation group. Connecting with others for a higher good, while keeping your ego in check, would be the best use of this transit.
Gemini: The focus for your retrograde period is on friendships and social gatherings. You embark on a 40-day cycle to explore which friends belong in your life and which relationships you may need to reevaluate. Friends you haven’t seen in a long time resurface so you get to revisit those connections. This might be to gain closure for past challenges or issues. It is important not to feel obligated to engage in any relationships that aren’t going to be a part of your goals and identity into the future. Sometimes, past relationships resurface to show us how much we’ve grown – and as a test from the Universe to see if we will cave under pressure and regress.
You will want to really narrow down your social obligations- particularly if you are involved in a number of groups or organizations. Figure out what’s really important to you.
You may also have opportunities to meet new friends and build your social network.
Cancer: This transit affects your reputation and your projected identity. How do others see you? This is what you want to refine during this retrograde. Primarily, you will want to project an image of success – financially and professionally. This is a great time for working on your professional mission statement- or personal elevator pitch. You might actually have situations that challenge your reputation or cause others to question you. Prepare for this by really honing in on your skills, talents, and abilities. So that at any moment, you can promote yourself.
You may be interested in redecorating your resume, head shots, or resume, as well as your office space. This is part of a bigger redo of your overall professional appearance.
You might attract a mentor or a guide at this time, too, who can help you refine your image. This is a great time to change your artistic expression or try something new. Take a class to find out more about yourself from a creative point of view.
Leo: This placement causes some exploration about what in life limits you. You may have dreams and visions of long-distance travel or creative projects, but you just don’t have the resources. Your vision may seem greater than the reality at this time, but is it really? Are your limits self-imposed? Ask yourself these questions honestly, and look for possible solutions.
Also, there is a sense of wanting to share your ideas and philosophy with others but you might find it difficult to connect with others about these things. Or there is a sense of judgment from them about how far you are going.
The best way to make the most of this placement is to embody enthusiasm. Dream big – write it all down and then you will be able to focus once Venus goes direct. You’ll figure out what works and what doesn’t. The key is not to get taken over by disappointment – but remain open to major movements in your life.
You may also meet people who are very different to help broaden your perspective. Create opportunities to engage with others with differing world views. This will help you expand your horizons.
Virgo: Venus in retrograde offers you the opportunity to look deeply into your psychology in terms of how you express intimacy. This is a time to really dig deeper in your primary relationship – to maybe take a tantric workshop or find ways to build connection. It can be quite profound in bringing you and your partner together. If you are single, you might want to try a Kundalini Yoga class or something to access that powerful energy.
Issues in your relationships, particularly with past painful experiences, even sexual abuse or other types of abuse, can rise to the surface for you to look at. This may bring into your consciousness people from your past or even situations that mirror those past experiences. The key here is not to get stuck in victimization but to really go into the fire, so to speak, and heal those experiences so that your present relationships can be transformed.
This is also a time when you might look at any shared resources, like trust funds, investment portfolios, property, mortgages, etc. Any investments you share with others could be revisited. The key in any reevaluation is for you to feel more supported. This is just a time for evaluation- not a time for speculation or change.
Libra: During this retrograde, you could be evaluating your needs and wants in relationships. As a Libra, you seek harmony. But because you are striving for peace, you often have to learn the lessons of what sacrifices need to be made in order to achieve peace in those relationships. Any complacency you experience in your primary relationship will be shaken up so that you have to reinvigorate that partnership and move towards having it grow deeper.
If you are single, this is a great time to really journal and come to terms with what you want. You might also want to do a series like, “Calling in the One” or reading “Return to Love” by Marianne Williamson, so that you can use this time to clear out attachments you still hang onto.
And heal deep relationship wounds. This is also a time to express your affection and love, and not withhold. Don’t stand in your own way or sabotage really great relationships.
This could also bring up legal matters, too. Try to finish any old business.
Scorpio: I think this is probably one of the more growth-promoting influences of your year. You might experience extremes – wanting to control your diet followed by excessive eating. Same with exercise, work, or anything else that feels out of control. The key to surviving this retrograde is let go of control, surrender. Look for the motivation behind some of the things you want to indulge in. If you’re constantly hungry, is there some spiritual aspect of yourself starving? If you’re too busy at work, maybe you are avoiding feeling some suppressed emotions.
Start the retrograde with a cleanse – and set the intention to love your body and nourish it with goodness. You may even try a raw food diet or some sort of plan that helps you clear your head as well as your gut.
You might also want to really focus on the Taurus qualities of Venus- practicality in terms of relationships and work. If you are having issues romanticizing a love interest or past love who is unavailable or ultimately not healthy for you, this is a time to surrender the fantasy and really look carefully at your needs in relationships. This is part of that purification process.
Sagittarius: I actually see this retrograde period as being fun. You are engaged in a number of different creative projects. You also feel like entertaining and enjoying romantic times. I think the risk is that you are so focused on socializing and having fun that it is difficult to really focus your energy on one thing at a time.
In that sense, this can be frustrating. You don’t want to end the retrograde period feeling as if you haven’t had the opportunity to take full advantage of its influence.
This is a time of real creative inspiration. So, with this in mind, set a schedule for yourself. Plan out your social activities and also your times of dedicated creative work. Make sure if you have children that you balance their needs with yours and plan fun activities for you to do together.
You might want to get a book like the Artist’s Way to spark some inspiration.
Capricorn: This retrograde will shine light on your home and family, but also your inner life. This is a time to really look deeply at your early childhood influences and relationships. You may encounter changes like a move.
This is a great time to figure out what kinds of changes you might want to make to your home environment, so maybe making plans for redecorating, though I would advise against initiating major renovations because your aesthetic sensibilities are going through a metamorphosis and will definitely change by the time it stations direct.
During the retrograde period, you may desire to stay at home but not be able to because of a hectic schedule. So, make time for YOU. Also, your digestion may be a bit disturbed because of a tendency toward excess. Remember moderation in your diet to stay healthy.
Aquarius: At this time, find ways to communicate more effectively. You may feel the need to be a bit selfish with your time because your creative energy is high right now. This is introspective, and your mental energy is focused. A great time to finish projects that have been on the back burner, particularly creative projects.
In relationships, the Venus in retrograde influence brings up nostalgia and feelings of love and compassion. This is a great time of healing in relationships with siblings. You might want to journal about those relationships, particularly if there has been strain. And maybe even share your feelings of love with them. It can open the door for transformation in those relationships.
Pisces: You are going to confront situations that challenge your beliefs about money and values. During this time, you will have a tendency toward extravagance. You may find yourself wanting to spend more at this time- particularly on food, clothing, and some of the finer things in life. This will naturally cause you to review your budget and seek ways of increasing your income.
One way to positively handle this situation is to really spell out your values and priorities. Then, I would recommend starting a savings plan of some sort – even if it is just putting pennies into an account each day or week. That will allow you to have some focus and make you feel like you are doing something practical. Also, it will give you a sort of sense of accomplishment at the end of the retrograde cycle.
Rachel Lang is a professionally certified astrologer and consultant with an international client base of individuals, small businesses, and corporations. She hosts a regular video podcast/Internet radio show called Blissen Up about astrology and spirituality. An internationally recognized speaker, her workshops, classes, retreats and meditation groups connect a diverse group of like-minded individuals. Rachel helps her clients access spiritual and astrological insights to live more successful, purposeful lives. She empowers them in decision-making processes by identifying challenging influences or blocks. Then, she maps out astrological trends and forecasts to help clients see a clearer vision of the future. In client sessions, she focuses on event planning and timing, making and timing major decisions, navigating love life challenges, helping achieve career goals, timing of legal issues, planning travel and tours using astrocartography, making financial adjustments, and more.
