After much anticipation in my writings and teachings, the Venus Retrograde phase (23 Jul) starts by the end of the week. I really encourage you to tune into my 2023 Venus Retrograde lecture presented at Ishtarfest as this will give you a deeper understanding of this significant event that only happens every 18 months.

Venus Retrograde are times of internal seeking where difficult emotions about yourself will surface. For those that are conscious of this process, you’ll understand that the actions and behaviours of others around you are most likely projections of your own unwanted traits and desires. They seek out the mirrors of your relationships to show you what you might not be able to see from your own perspective. It’s much easier to see across the room than in your blind spot next to you.

This blind spot happens to be deeply entrenched in your psyche. Traumas from your past, unresolved relationship matters, unfinished business and anything in your emotional ‘too-hard-basket’ will revolt against their unduly confinement by the part of you that likes to maintain more dignity, grace and composure. Keeping up appearances becomes harder during a Venus Retrograde because there’s no room for fake during this 42-day period. When the wave of truth starts breaking in your environment, you can thank that other wretched half of Venus. After all, she was the Goddess born in the sea foam dosed with the semen from the castrated testicals of Uranus. She was the by-product of the revengeful rage of Gaia who, after quarrelling with her husband Uranus, created a stone sickle for her son Cronus to castrate Uranus in her vengeance.

So, while the beautiful Venus emerged gracefully from the sea after the foam of residual truth had subsumed back into the waters, she carries the pain of never being born of ideal love which controls her desire for relationships, sex and connection in what may often look like the fine line between commitment and codependency. In all of us, this hidden side of Venus is the powerful force that pulls us towards people in order to find true love – the kind of love a mother has for a child she has just birthed. As Venus never received this love at birth, she puts all her efforts into her beauty, aesthetics, talents, charm and adornments in order to attract the love she craves through relationships and social endeavours. And as a by-product of conflict herself, it’s no surprise that Venus ultimately had an illegitimate affair with Ares, the God of War – this treacherous relationship a symbol of her sovereign tale.

What does this story ignite in you? Do you feel the painful lust to recreate a more ideal birth story? Or perhaps you might recognise pivotal moments in your past where you realised how much love was robbed from your experience. Maybe it’s the bitterness of your personal journey caused by circumstances outside your control that continually grate on your self-worth. These are the deep insights that will come to you during the Venus Retrograde if you can peel back the layers of conflicts, triggers and annoyances from others around you during this period. It’s actually not about them; it’s an invitation to make it about you.

For seven percent of the population (not sure where this stat came from but it has stuck in my mind!), the Venus Retrograde phase is not so out of the realm of conscious experience. Those born with the Venus Retrograde at birth are acutely aware of this painful castration of life from a young age. Often, life experiences will rob them of the innocence, rainbows and unicorns too early and consequently their life becomes a process of rebuilding worth, seeking truth and being the psychopomp to perilous places through their life’s work. (…it takes one to know one!).  If you are one of the seven-percenters, this Venus Retrograde doesn’t mean it will be a walk in the park for you. It will simply put you in familiar territory. For the rest of the population, you may look to the Venus-Retrograde-at-birth people for some inspiration in their regenerative ability and resourcefulness amidst adversities. You too will survive the Venus Retrograde and every 18 months from here, and each badge of honour you come out with symbolises the richness, wisdom and experience that you embody more of each time.

Now, coming back to the smaller transits for this week, we see a strong emphasis on the fixed angles (in order of Leo, Taurus, Aquarius and Scorpio) so these are the areas that will be most impacted in the current skies. Venus and Mercury are already in the Lion’s den, and the Sun will move into Leo on the day Venus Retrogrades (23 July) to make its imminent union with the Goddess for the new Venus cycle (read more about this in mid-August). In this process of changing signs, the Sun aptly opposes Pluto (22 July), the planet of Hades, who opens the gates to the Underworld by offering glimpses of past wounds, controlling dynamics, power struggles and other entrées into your box of hidden treasures.

Similarly, Mercury squares Jupiter (17 July) from within the Underworld zone, sending reconnaissance about what’s to come. This aspect might put you in the zone for learning and growth, though you might also realise just how much work there is ahead of you. It may also illustrate the difficulty of manifesting some of your big ideas into life as you press ahead to resolve these challenges and design issues. Jupiter’s overcoming square to all of the Leo planets in the upcoming Underworld region actually provides solidarity and support for the challenging few months ahead. As this planet of beneficence and success overlooks the whole situation, you can expect good to come from any adversities you may encounter. Least, these encounters will likely form important truth-seeking and life-learning opportunities for you.

Just prior to the Venus Retrograde, Mars opposes Saturn (20 July) which might cause some tensions and difficulties that seem to be unrelated to the Retrograde shenanigans. This aspect seems to tell a story of struggle, discomfort and hard work that’s happening more externally in our world. You may recall that last week, I wrote about Venus and Mars parting ways – Venus moving inwards and Mars heading outwards on an adventure. This opposition to Saturn might be one of the first blockages that Mars faces on his path. It feels like a resistance, limitation or roadblock, possibly caused by disorganisation, chaos, uncertainty, unstable foundations and a lack of clarity. This aspect looks argumentative too, especially with the combative Mars in the nit-picky sign of Virgo, ready to call out every imperfection.  It may be helpful to clear up your diaries and uncommit from whatever engagements you have as soon as possible to leave space to work through some issues.

If you’d like to touch base with a brief consultation to assist with processing some of these heavy transits, I now have an Express Reading available for returning clients. If you’ve not had a consultation before but need help with a specific issue, you can try my Horary Service or perhaps invest in an in-depth Foreast Session to set you on the right path for the year ahead.

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See you next Sunday for the next installment of planetary news.

Shu xx