Venus will come to a complete stop at 2:22 am PDT tonight (in the early hours of July 25th), around 6°42′ sidereal Leo, from our perspective here on Earth. Venus and Earth both orbit the Sun at different rates. Venus’ orbit takes only about 225 days compared to the Earth’s 365-day year. As we view the backdrop of stars in the zodiac behind Venus, it will soon appear to change directions, making it look like Venus is moving the other way. This is its retrograde motion. It will move backwards for a time before coming to a stop again and beginning its forward motion on September 6th. Venus retrograde only happens about once every two years.
We will feel the energetic results in our lives here on Earth, as Venus themes (relationships and desire pursuits) seem to slow down, causing us to reflect back on them. When planets go retrograde, it is a time to review the things they rule in our lives. Think of it like looking at the negative of a photo, where you can see the skeleton outline of how everything is laid out, viewing it all from a different perspective. It’s a chance to look at the blueprint, so you can see in more detail where you may need to make some adjustments.
Venus governs our relationships, especially romantic partnerships. He also rules our pursuit of sensual pleasure, art and beauty. During Venus retrograde, we’ll likely feel a slowing down of our forward thrust towards these things, as we turn our attention inward and reflect on how we follow desire in our lives. Inward-turning is another result of retrograde motion. Instead of focusing on gratifying the senses, we can lessen our attachment to them for a moment and examine how to better nourish our heart and spirit. Venus’ highest potential is to grace us with the desire for devotion and service, when we realize that our happiness is ultimately connected to the overall amount of happiness and peace on earth.
During this retrograde cycle, we can take time to look at the ways we have been seeking pleasure and compromise through relationships. Have we been over-compromising, or not generous enough? We might recognize ways that we have been pursuing pleasure without regard for the other sides of life, like our values, health, or long-term goals. Wherever your tendency to indulge lies — whether in relationships, partying, sex, alcohol, food — it is likely that this time will help you to look at that and back up a few steps, before recalibrating your Venusian side with more balance. Outward embellishment my change to inward beautifying this month. As Venus can relate to food and diet (as well as other physical and energetic consumption), it can be good time to review and allow changes in what you intake and imbibe.
Venus begins his retrograde motion in Leo, a position where his energy feels amplified by the ruling power of the mighty Sun. Leo may have been making Venus a little extra aggressive in seeking sense-satisfaction for the last couple of weeks, leaving us frustrated with anything less than letting the senses take power. This retrograde motion will give us a new opportunity, where we can harness the Sun’s light for its purifying capacity, letting it illuminate the blissful and generous light of the spirit that is our true essence.
Venus will pass over Jupiter again on August 3rd (first conjunction was on June 30th). When these two bright beauties are conjunct, Venus energy can be amplified, and can also struggle against Jupiter’s energy (our principles, values, and beliefs). This time, however, with Venus retrograde, we have a strong chance of applying those Jupiterian principles to our lives and relationships, and better seeing how the two can complement each other. This is a great opportunity for strengthening our devotion. Since Venus seeks happiness, its conjunction with Jupiter, our higher teacher, can help guide us to seek happiness in that which brings lasting, spiritual bliss, rather than just temporary pleasure.
On August 13th Venus backs up into Cancer (ruled by the Moon), which can compel us to be a little over-nurturing. Because of the retrograde motion, however, we can step back and look at that tendency. Venus then joins Mars on the 31st, which lets us see our Venus energy in contrast to Mars’ assertive, warrior-like quality. Mars is debilitated here in Cancer, so we may see Venusian impulses win out during the few days of conjunction when these two struggle through a war for dominance.
By the time Venus stations and then starts slowly moving forward again on September 6th, we will have had many opportunities to look at how his energy creates desire impetus within us, and how that affects our lives. The transits through Leo and Cancer puts Venus under Sun and Moon rulership, the archetypes of masculine and feminine energy. This cycle also brings planetary wars with Jupiter and Mars. Under so many extreme conditions, we could actually count this as a very favorable retrograde opportunity… Because when we are reflective upon our energy in such extremes, we can gain a lot of insight as to how we can grow. We want to learn how to work with desires that arise, rather than be ruled by them.
Look for ways that your desire-pursuits fall short of lasting happiness, and consider changes that will leave you feeling more balanced, and not depleted. It’s also important to note that each Vedic rising sign will experience this retrograde cycle differently, because Venus rules two distinct houses for each of us, and is transiting two more. The themes of these houses will be areas to pay particular attention during the next six weeks. Give thanks for Venus, which allows us to experience beauty, romantic love, and devotion, and step back from sense-attachment for a minute to consider how these things can best be integrated into your happy, healthy lives and relationships.