Venus retrogrades in the sign of Leo from 23 July to 4 September, 2023 and the eclipses moved to the Aries-Libra axis.
Venus Retrograde: reassessing relationships, values, joy, and pleasure
Venus retrogrades in the sign of Leo from July 23 to September 4. However, it is good to note the things that happened already from June 19, 2023, because Venus will go over the things that happened since, yet again, by October 6.
Venus is famous for her role as the goddess of love, and no wonder, since she symbolizes bringing people and things together. In the same way that the function of Mars is to separate, the function of Venus is, in contrast, to unite. This can mean, for example, all kinds of relationships, beauty and art - everything that brings us real joy and pleasure. Venus in an astrology chart tells us both how we love and how we want to be loved. In our astrology chart, we can also note the Taurus and Libra houses because Venus rules them.
During Venus retrograde, intimate relationships and everything related to Venus, i.e. things that bring us joy and pleasure, seem to be upside down. Although Venus normally wants to bring people together, during retrograde we may change our minds. We may suddenly like people or things we didn't like before, or alternatively we may no longer like people or things we used to like.
Venus makes us question whether we really like a situation, thing or person. Many have experienced surprising disappointments since June; (Saturn retrograde that started on June 18th, didn't help matters either) a matter or a relationship seemed to get off to a great start or a situation seemed to improve, but then the situation slowed down first and at the end of July, turned into a completely opposite direction. Yet others may have encountered new relationships and experienced completely the opposite feelings: they have found a new source of joy and pleasure. Often, however, completely new people met during Venus retrograde are temporary, but teach us a lot about ourselves and show us new dimensions and possibilities.
Superficial Beauty
In the same way that Venus symbolizes unity in relationships, the Sun symbolizes authenticity and self-expression. When Venus is the sign of Leo, we may be proud of somewhat superficial things, like our own appearance, status in society, or how our relationship looks externally to other people. During the retrograde, our own inner voice or outside people may question things that make us proud. It forces us to check if we are being genuine and honest with ourselves.
Since Venus also rules physical beauty, now is not a good time to try a completely new hairstyle or any other new beauty-related experiment until mid-September. But you can still go to a familiar hairdresser to get your familiar, sure-to-be-loved style.
The Calling of the Heart
Venus retrograde can also be about things to which we feel a real strong attraction and calling to, i.e. things that bring us joy and that we feel deep in our hearts (the Sun, which rules the sign of Leo, rules both the physical and the philosophical heart). During a retrograde, it may be that suddenly we are no longer so sure of our calling. Or we find a completely new calling.
Retrograde times are for our own good in the long run: re-evaluating relationships, things and vocation is important and necessary so that we stay true to ourselves and make the right decisions. Things and people that don't stand up to questioning are probably not meant to last.
As I already mentioned above, if this summer, until mid-September, a completely new relationship appears in our lives, or we are offered a new job, we probably won't see the full truth about it at the moment. It would be good to delay any final decision-making on a big issue until after mid-September - only then will we see what is really at stake. If it is an old acquaintance or an employer, the situation is different; it could really be that this time we get a new, good opportunity with or through an old acquaintance.
Old Salt Can Make One Thirsty
During Venus retrograde, it is typical that an old friend, thing or especially an old love comes back into our lives. We are given a new opportunity to look at a situation or a person from a new perspective. It is still a good idea remind yourself why the relationship or matter ended the last time, and to assess whether there is any reason why things would end in a completely different way than the last time. However, it is entirely possible that we ourselves or the other party has matured as a person and we now see things in a different way. Venus will now ask us if we have really learned something new about ourselves or if we are just always making the same mistakes, over and over again.
Occasionally, a retrograde of really brings back an old thing or relationship that is right for us this time. After many experiences, changes and internal maturation, we might see a situation or human relationship in a completely different way and we know how to appreciate it this time. In Japanese culture, "kintsugi" means mending a broken object with gold. The item is repaired, but this time the alchemy of the experience turns it into gold and becomes more valuable than the original item.
Venus retrogrades every year and a half, but in the same sign only every 8 years, so now you can remember what happened in the summer of 2015, 2007, 1999 and 1991. However, other planets have their own schedule, so we can't expect to experience exactly the same situations. But you will definitely recognize a familiar theme that happened during those summers and make decisions about this summer based on that.
The Mystery of Love
Many ancient cultures have noted the regular, symmetrical, beautiful and incredibly mystical cycles of Venus, which looks like a flower, or the points when the Sun and Venus meet, also called Venus Star Point, forming a perfect pentagram, a star-like pattern formed by five segments.
Venus also retrogrades every time for the famous and incredibly symbolic 40 nights and 40 days. That's why it forms a flower-like "mandala" or pattern as it travels around the sun. Although astronomy gives us an explanation of what causes Venus to move exactly like this, science can only observe and report cause and effect, not answer the ultimate mystery: why?
The ancients considered the orbits of the planets to be part of the sacred geometry of the universe. Perhaps we are meant to simply admire these harmonious patterns and let them teach us until their mystery unfolds for us personally. A real mystery cannot be learned from books. It can only be understood typically under the guidance of a wise teacher, and even then, only through one's own experience.
Uncertain Times for Our Values
Our world of values may have been turned upside down as Venus retrogrades. It may seem like a confusing and difficult time and may be related to issues concerning women, justice and fairness, especially on a societal level, as well as all kinds of agreements. Consensus becomes particularly difficult or delayed. On the other hand, things that have not been agreed upon until now may become clear, at least temporarily.
The best advice when Venus is retrograde is to try to get used to the uncertainty and make your peace with it. Modern people have gotten used to thinking that there is an immediate explanation and solution for things. It is difficult for us to adapt to unclear and uncertain situations anymore. However, there are times when we shouldn't be sure about everything or the future. Temporarily questioning things is healthy and makes us stronger. In the midst of life's changes, we often don't know for sure what we want or what we really need. Uncertainty makes us reevaluate our life situation, which is almost always in a state of flux. We're not the same people we were a year ago, and we're certainly not the same people we were 10 years ago. It may be that our needs have changed and our opinions on things have completely changed imperceptibly. Venus retrograde thus gives us an opportunity to explore who we are now.
As a result of this self-examination, we may feel conflicted with the demands of the outside world. When we realize that we are no longer the same person as before, our loved ones may not immediately understand or be ready for it.
The Sign of Leo Symbolizes our Uniqueness
The Sun moved into Leo for four weeks on July 23rd, the same day Venus began her retrograde. This happens only five days after the lunar nodes changed their axis to the Aries-Libra axis, i.e. the axis ruled by Mars-Venus. This combination only underlines the dramatic interpersonal and social changes in the next year and a half. April 20, 2023 and the upcoming October 14, 2023 will start the first series of eclipses in Aries and Libra, which will also affect Cancer and Capricorn to experience both good and challenging, and definitely dramatic changes.
The sun rules the sign of Leo, so August is still a good time to re-examine our self-esteem, especially when during the same process we reevaluate the people and things we enjoy. Leo sometimes has a reputation for being egotistical, but that's a misconception. Above all, the sign of Leo symbolizes our unique personality, creativity and how we show and express ourselves in the world. At best, Leo is a natural, good leader who wants everyone to be comfortable and encourages others to express themselves as proudly as he does. Leo enjoys performing or showing off his own skills, and assumes that everyone appreciates his talent, which in itself is healthy (as long as it doesn't veer into excessive pride or selfishness). Leo's gift to us is to understand that we all deserve to enjoy a healthy ego to navigate the world. We all have a room in our astrological chart ruled by the sign of Leo. It gives us an understanding of our own self-expression and creativity.
When we express ourselves with the same pride and authenticity as a Leo, we are fulfilling our life's calling and our own personal purpose in this life. If, on the other hand, we always stay fearfully figuratively or literally behind the scenes, it may be that we take away from others and also from ourselves what we were meant to come here to fulfill. But it doesn't necessarily have to be a big deal. Almost everyone has had an experience of how just one encouraging word heard by a stranger in passing from another person at the right time, in the right place stays in the memory and may change the whole life. Even a small act of self-expression can have a huge impact on the world. Our birth as humans is a miracle, so we all have the privilege to express and help others, in our own unique way.
Venus retrograde in Leo is a good time to do something opposite to what feels comfortable to us. Our world of values is already stirred up and being tested, so now is a good time to experiment and take small, playful risks. Especially those who normally don't want to make a fuzz about themselves can now practice coming forward or expressing themselves, because the situation is only temporary. On the other hand, those who perform and express themselves often in front of others on a regular basis, can now internally and externally check if they are still doing so from the heart, i.e. from an authentic place.
Leo rising, Taurus and Libra will experience this Venus retrograde particularly strongly.
Venus Retrograde in Leo in Brief
So during Venus retrograde it is advisable:
1) good to give yourself a lot of time and space to reevaluate what brings us real joy and pleasure. We may be surprised by who we want and who we don't want in our lives, and in general, how much our tastes have changed.
2) Our public visibility may also bring surprises. It is now worth playfully trying out different forms of self-expression, especially for those who don't normally enjoy expressing themselves or being in the public eye. Now you can try out temporarily what it feels like to be the center of positive attention, because the situation is always changing and temporary. No worries - the fast-moving social media world will soon forget us. At its best, our astrological map is like 12 different stages where we can act different roles and try out how they feel.
3) Old friendships and old loves may return to our lives: however, it is good to investigate why. Good, old employers or work offered through them may be a successful choice. But completely new people and situations that enter our lives during this period (from June to the beginning of September) are not necessarily here to stay, but teach us a lot about ourselves.
In addition, it is good to keep in mind that in the middle of September at the latest, things will become much clearer when Venus turns direct. The same people or issues that came up since June may appear in our lives yet again, but by October 6 we will have an answer to our questions.
Venus retrograde in different signs
Please read both your sun and rising sign (if you know it) for more accurate understanding. Please note, however, that only a personal astrology reading based on the time of your birth gives a personal, accurate picture of your life situation.
ARIES - Venus retrograde in your 5th house brings up a disappointment related to the areas of romance, creative work or children. This is not new news to you at this point, except that now it somehow becomes public knowledge when the sun arrives in the same house. But you're an Aries, after all, and you don't have endless patience, especially for self-pity - from mid-September on you will start feeling like yourself again.
TAURUS - Venus retrograde in the 4th house brings delays and frustration in matters related to your home. But no worries - you have Jupiter in the 1st house to bring you luck and success until May next year. Simply lean fully into your big dreams and don't let Venus retrograde rain on your victory parade.
GEMINI - Venus retrograde in the 3rd house indicates challenges, especially in sibling relationships, the surrounding environment or communication in general. Still, take note of what happens on July 27th, when Venus meets Mercury and you might get some kind of lucky break or at least a big tip on how to solve the current communication problems.
CANCER - Venus retrograde in the 2nd house has been a downer both to your core values, as well as your money matters. You may feel betrayed in some way. Pluto also retrograding has not helped matters, bringing back the power struggles that you thought you had already passed, and which felt all too familiar. This may be the time to ask: are you really going to the right direction?
LEO - Venus retrograde in the 1st, i.e. your identity house is undeniably stressful. July was promising at first, but then slowed down and actually became quite difficult. Intimate relationships have really been on the front page of your life all spring, and even though they are currently seemingly under a cover, you know qutie well that a dramatic confrontation is only a matter of time. But on the other hand, your ruling planet the Sun, just moved into your 1st house and is giving you the happy boost you really need right now.
VIRGO - Venus retrograde in the 12th house of introspection and hidden things, may bring a surprising opportunity to bring your skills to the front, for everybody to see. It may not feel natural to you, but a playful, temporary experiment in this new role will be good for you, and will broaden your understanding of yourself.
LIBRA - Venus retrograde in the 11th, i.e. the house of friends and networks, means a reassessment of who you want to spend time with. Ask yourself, above all: do you still enjoy the company of these people and are they still good for you?
SCORPIO - Venus retrograde in the 10th house indicates frustrating delays or possibly uncomfortable, anti-social atmosphere at work or your public sphere. Now is not the time to take things too personally - everybody is having a hard time. Take note of what happens on July 27 - it should be an eye-opening day that will give you a whole new perspective and a possible solution to your current career dilemma.
SAGITTARIUS - Venus retrograde in the 9th house brings some degree of philosophical crisis for which you were not prepared. Travel plans or things related to home don't go exactly as planned, or take longer than you thought. But this gives you a chance to improvise. You, if anyone, will find a clever solution and you will soon see the optimistic side of things again. The solution will be present itself by September or October at the latest.
CAPRICORN - Venus retrograde in the 8th house means a slowdown in projects that require cooperation with others. Signing contracts or some kind of karmic debt that you expect to be paid to you is especially slow and difficult now, but only until the end of September.
AQUARIUS - Venus retrograde in the 7th house means a bit of a setback in your relationship area, possibly in client relationships, but especially in intimate relationships. Simple daily interaction now feels either slow or awkward. In the middle of September, things open up and start to make sense again. In addition, Jupiter will bring joy and happiness to your 4th house of home and will compensate for some of the relationship issues.
PISCES - Venus retrograde in the 6th house brings changes especially to work or, in general, to the daily routine. But Saturn's simultaneous retrograde in the house of identity, body and health, i.e. in your first house, is stressful and frustrating. It is worth repeating the advice from my last blog; now is the time to be extra selective, setting boundaries both for yourself and for others, and learning to say no to things that tire you out or you do just to please others.
Namaste,
Ursula
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