Update: Venus Retrograde - 2017

See End of Article for the Update to Venus Retrograde.

As I sat down to write this article, an astrology friend called and shared some of her thoughts about the coming Venus retrograde. She has heard my frequent, mantra-like reminders to students that the use of astrology demands that we understand that at any given moment, there are always many cycles operating at the same time. Another way to say it is that there are always cycles within cycles, so that while our minds find it necessary to focus on just one cycle at a time, it is equally important to recognize that any interpretation that only focuses on just one thing must be incomplete. This article focuses on Venus retrograde but there are several other cycles that are affecting each of us all at the same time. This is important to remember so we are able to maintain a balanced understanding.

I have observed retrograde cycles for many years and one thing I notice is that there are two planetary retrograde cycles that are, in some respects, more significant than the others. I refer to the cycles of Venus and Mars. Some might ask why I left out Mercury. It is because Venus and Mars retrograde much less frequently that Mercury, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus Neptune and Pluto. Mars goes retrograde only once every two years while Venus does so every 19 months or so. On the other hand, Mercury goes retrograde in a fairly regular 4 month cycle. It is, so to speak, a kind of built-in adjuster of how we think about aspects of our lives.

The more infrequent a planetary cycle is the more long-term significance it is likely to have. My use of the term ‘significance’ does not mean that one is dealing only with the outer events that happen to us. Astrology illuminates both the nature of external events and also our internal processes. It regards a change caused by events as being just as important as a change of attitude or of mind. Sometimes both occur at the same time, but not always.

Venus Retrograde Basics

 When Venus is retrograde one is motivated to assess one’s values and priorities, and to discover what matters to us most. This assessment process is mostly operating in our relationships and economic life, but that covers a lot of territory. We will tend to turn inward and ask new kinds of questions that run the range of “Do I really need that new car I would like to buy”, to deeper questions such as “What is love?” or “Why do I care for a particular person?” It is also likely to lead to looking at boundaries we have with friends, family and loved ones to determine if the nature of those relationships is allowing us to be who we are and to be free to pursue what we feel we need. In other words, Venus retrograde brings up many questions regarding our needs, wants and desires in just about every aspect of our lives as we try to discover what is truly important.

The Retrograde Cycle

Venus goes retrograde every 19 months or so. Its cycle starts on Saturday, March 4^th, 2017 at 1:08am PST at 13° Aries 8’. The cycle lasts about 6 weeks and ends on Saturday, April 15^th, 2017 at 3:17am PDST at 26°Pisces 54’. Most of the Venus retrograde cycle is in the sign of Aries, but does back into Pisces for the last portion of the cycle.

Venus Retrograde in Aries:

Aries needs to forge its own path in life and is motivated to find ways to overcome obstacles and impediments that might block it from living this path. I do not regard Aries as being selfish per se. To me it is more that Aries must validate its path no matter what others think about it. It doesn’t ask for permission or agreement. To do so would undermine the need that Aries feels to exist under its own rules. It is the archetype of self-determination.

While Venus is retrograde in Aries, we are all challenged to value this Arian need I have just described. We will be contemplating on our true inner values and needs and unwilling to compromise those needs for someone else’s views of how we should be or what we should value. Our awareness is likely to be acutely attuned to this, so much so that we might find that when someone expresses their opinion about something we value that is not right for us, we may resent it more than usual and even become a bit more willing to let them know they need to keep their opinions to themselves. Some of us might become pretty aggressive about it, if we perceive that someone is threatening our right to be who we are.

Generally, though, this is a time for discovery. We need to be open to questioning our values and priorities and focus on placing our own needs first. It doesn’t need to ignore others, but right now that should be secondary. At the same time, it’s wise to remember that others are going through the same things we are. Perhaps, we ought to allow others to find out what their needs are and not try to influence them unless asked. Respect for our own processes goes right along with respecting others process as well.

Aries – Libra pair

It is my view that one cannot fully understand any Sign by itself. All 12 are part of a Whole, meaning that they are all connected in some broader way. But the Sign opposite to whatever Sign we are looking at reveals something important to us. Libra is the opposite Sign to Aries. So, while Venus retrograde in Aries asks us to focus on our own needs and values, it is equally important to do the same for others (Libra). This will prevent arguments and resolve conflicts. Let’s let Other be Other and not feel the need to change that person. It won’t work anyway.

Example of one possible issue one might look at during this period: if a person often feels the need to be right, they will check in with other people to find out if they are right. They are not comfortable working issues out for themselves. Thus, they will constantly seek validation and if they don’t get it, they are likely to get angry, disappointed or both. The Venus retrograde period is a perfect time to see this pattern for what it is. The act of looking for validation from another person is a violation of the Aries need to find out what is best for oneself. Needing validation undermines that. This is an example of how a Venus retrograde can be more important internally than externally. It is a time to ask fundamental questions about how we relate to others and whether or not we know what we need and can express it freely. If we can’t, then we have some choices to make. We can let go of that relationship or we can change our expectations we have about them and cease to look to someone else for what we need to discover in ourselves.

It’s not possible to know all of the things that might come up for us during the next six weeks, but perhaps knowing that there is a Venus retrograde cycle occurring, we will have a sense of what to look for and for how to interpret what is emerging in our lives.

I encourage readers to write about their experiences here.

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Update to Venus Retrograde – March 16th

As of this writing, it has been 12 days that Venus has been in retrograde motion and already I have received very intriguing feedback about how this period is affecting some people. I will list the issues that 6 people are dealing with right now and show how they are connected to the Venus archetype.

• A person’s car (possessions) was vandalized overnight as the windows were totally broken to pieces. Venus rules possessions.
• A health service worker has seen his client base increase, but was called to jury duty postponing his ability to see his new clients. Venus rules money.
• A woman had a feminine procedure and there have been difficulties that are not problematic but inconvenient. Venus rules ‘feminine’ procedures.
• A man with long-term digestive issues is now getting tests to determine the cause.
• A woman has entered a new relationship and is experiencing several kinds of delays preventing her from being with her new friend. Venus rules relationships.
• A woman is confronting issues in her relationship with her father where she is confronting the need to be her own person. Venus in Aries.

Frankly, the number of sudden Venus-ruled events that have created both issues do to be dealt with and delays in having them corrected is quite unusual. My sense is that with Venus in Aries, a cardinal fire sign, events can happen quickly. Oftentimes, though, they can be handled quickly as well when one takes whatever steps are needed. We’ll have to see about that idea.

Please remember that we are all unique and the way Venus retrograde can affect us is highly variable. I do urge my readers not to approach astrology with fear. All that is happening in the above events are part of life. Venus retrograde does not cause events. Astrology is a code that illuminates the timing of both events and issues one must find ways to deal with.