VENUS RETROGRADE
Get ready to reflect on relationships, finances, creativity and emotional regulation! Tomorrow, we’ll begin our first Venus retrograde in a year and a half.
Venus will station retrograde on Saturday March 1st at 4:36pm Pacific time, at about 10 degrees of Aries. It’ll move back through the beginning of Aries into Pisces, and then station direct again at 24 degrees of Pisces on April 12th.
As it backpedals in the sky, Venus will meet up with Mercury, Neptune, and the north node of the moon, which will all bring up topics for reflection. Because that’s what retrogrades are about: reflecting, revising, recuperating and reminiscing. And since Venus is a planet associated with balance, I think an important word to keep in mind here is recalibrating.
Venus is the planet of relationships, whereas Aries is the sign of the self. So this is an invitation to think about the balance of self-care and care for others and community care. It’s a time to reflect on relationships (hence the popular idea that exes tend to come back around during Venus retrogrades).
Venus is also about our internal balance, our inner peace and calm, about serenity and emotional regulation. So the next six weeks are a great time to consider that area of your life, to check in with the tools you’re using to cope and self-regulate, and see if they need some attention or revamping.
Venus and Aries both have a lot to do with the body, so this is a good chance to become more embodied and empowered, more grounded and centered, to reflect on your relationship to your body and pleasure and the earth and life itself. This is the fiery aspect of the goddess of love and beauty, a very Queen of Wands type of energy.
Venus is also the planet of art and creativity. Now that some energizing spring vibes are rolling in, think about what creativity looks like for you these days. Feel into how you’re being called to express yourself, to make the world more beautiful, to communicate what is meaningful to you. This could be a lovely opportunity to pick up old creative projects or ideas that have fallen by the wayside. You might also feel like giving yourself a makeover or redecorating your space.
Finally, Venus is a planet associated with money and material resources. So a Venus retrograde is a reminder to review your finances, cancel unneeded subscriptions and so on. Venus is stationing the day after a big boycott, and the fiery warrior archetype of Aries reminds us that we can use money as a weapon and a tool to live our values, and to fight for the transformation of an oppressive economic system. And whatever progress we can make on that now will be hugely helpful when we move into the Neptune and Saturn in Aries era later this spring.
We haven’t had a Venus retrograde since July to September of 2023, when Venus was in Leo. Now we’re getting a Venus retrograde in Aries, another fire sign. Fire is the element of energy, passion and courage, so we’re being encouraged to embrace bravery in our relationships and around all these Venusian topics.
Venus retrogrades operate in a special rhythm. They go through a cycle of 8 years, and during that time, Venus makes 6 conjunctions with the Sun, which map out a perfect pentagram in the sky. The pentacle is a symbol associated with magick and witchcraft, and which also resembles the cross-section of an apple core, with apples being a classic symbol of Venus.
It’s helpful to know that the last Venus retrograde in Aries was 8 years ago, in the spring of 2017. So think back to what was going on in your life at the time, and see what themes are coming back up. For example, I did a big solo backpacking trip through Europe that spring, a very bold Aries kind of activity - and now I’m considering moving to Sweden to be closer to my family there, so things are potentially coming full circle.
To see what area of your life is most up for reflection right now, take a look at what house or houses of your birth chart fall into early Aries and late Pisces. If you have planets in or aspecting that part of your chart, they’ll give you more information about how this will affect you. To unpack your specific insights and lessons of this retrograde more deeply, you can always book a 1-on-1 astrology reading with me.
Remember that planetary stations always give us a powerful hit of energy, as that planet slows to a stop and draws attention to itself in the sky. So this weekend is a very influential Venusian time, kicking off a six-week revision period (which will overlap with an upcoming Mercury retrograde and pair of eclipses). I hope that this Venus retrograde will be a fruitful chance for you to reflect and recalibrate!
