Consciously working with the cycles of the Venus retrograde can enable you to connect more with your feelings, affirm esteem for yourself in the choices that you make, make empowered choices in how you relate to others, and connect consciously to what values in you are changing or awakening.
What is Venus Retrograde
A Venus Retrograde occurs when the planet Venus appears to move backward as it passes by Earth. It isn’t actually traveling backward, but that is our perception as we are viewing it from Earth. Venus goes retrograde about every 564 days, which is about every year and a half. During this period it stays in retrograde for approximately forty days. It is not as common as a Mercury Retrograde which occurs three times a year, yet happens more frequently than the retrograde cycles of the social or outer planets.
Venus is in one sign for approximately 23-60 days (depending on the motion whether direct or in retrograde). During this Retrograde cycle, Venus will be moving from the sign Pisces to Aries, and in part two we will be looking at the Archetypal themes of these signs. With the Retrograde happening in the 12th and final sign of the zodiac, Pisces and the first sign, Aries, this signifies a larger cycle of endings and new beginnings.
Even though Venus retrogrades about every 18 months, the retrogrades themselves connect over 8 year cycles. The last time Venus was in Aries was in March/April of 2009. This signifies a great cycle completion that begin in 2009. What new beginning was awakening then that has now come to completion?
Any Venus retrograde can arouse old love and relationship themes. However, it is important to look at the sign Venus is in and where Venus is transiting in your birth chart. For example if Venus is conjunct the ascendant and in your first house, it may be a revaluation of your identity and a new perception of how you are seen by others. If Venus’ signs rules the MC or 10th house then Venus’ retrograde cycle brings, for you, themes of review regarding your purpose, calling or career. To see specific themes look at the degrees and location of where Venus is in your birth chart.
Venus Retrograde Cycle for 2017
The Set Up Phase: January 30th, 2017 at 27 degrees Pisces and extends to 13 degrees Aries
Venus Stations Retrograde: March 4th, 2017 at 13 degrees Aries
The Midpoint of this cycle: March 25th, 2017 at 5 degrees Aries
Venus Stations Direct: April 15th, at 27 degrees Pisces
Integration Phase: April 15th – May 18th, 2017 27 Degrees Pisces – 13 degrees Aries
(Venus will shift from Pisces to Aries on April 28th, 2017)
Venus Retrograde through the signs
Gemini – May/June 2004 + May/June 2012
Capricorn/early Aquarius – December 2005/January 2006 + December 2013/January 2014
Leo/early Virgo –July to September 2007 + July to September 2015
Aries – March/April 2009 + Aries/Pisces March/April 2017
Late Libra/Scorpio – October/November 2010 + October/November 2018
What is Awakening in you to become Conscious
A Retrograde cycle signifies a time to pause and reflect on how this past cycle (in Venus’ case a year and half). The previous Venus retrograde period began in July of 2015 and went to September 2015. At that time it was retrograding in the signs of Virgo and Leo. What has changed since then?
What has been unconscious in you that is now starting to awaken? Now, tune into your intuition hunches, current themes and life circumstances that have been coming into your awareness since Jan 30, 2017. What has been shifting or changing in your relationships, esteem, values? Are you making choices in your life that feel affirming and loving to yourself? Do you feel worthy of attaining the things you desire? Is what you are desiring truly what you need? We live in a culture of desire, wanting, goal setting, achieving….this can be good things but if they are not connected with our values and are not really what meets the needs of the highest self, then this is an important time to reflect and get back into alignment.
Given that a retrograde is about deep reflection over the past, Venus retrograde can mean going back and reviewing your relationships and your past love. Reflecting on this now and letting go of past patterns, attachments can help us move forward with more connection to ourselves and make choices that affirm our worth and reflect our current values.
Venus also shows us the mirror of what we don’t want. Living consciously shows us both sides of Venus. Where in you have you been feeling lack, longing for love that you need to surrender and trust things will fall into place? What have you been pursuing with your time that isn’t really working? For example we may be holding onto things, relationships and putting a lot of value with our time and energy, but as we step back and reflect, we see and feel something isn’t right or this really isn’t our truth. Where can you practice letting go? Where are you not trusting the universe has your back? Where have you not been compassionate or loving to yourself? What has become out of balance in your life that needs to be brought back into alignment? Sometimes things need to get out of balance to get into our awareness and consciously brought back into balance.
Connecting with what we value
Venus is connected to what we value and our esteem. We see what it is we value reflected in the choices that we make. Where in your life are your values now changing? Where have you been conditioned to value something by your culture, family, religion or society that isn’t true for you? Are the choices and values you support authentic to you? How do you know? You learn by doing a deep self inventory, tuning into your own intuitive hunches and following them, and sitting with decision in your heart and feeling what is true for you.
Our value systems are meant to grow and shift as we evolve and grow. New discoveries in science and technology change our value systems as a culture. Life circumstances and our own growth and development greatly change what we value in our personal lives. Often people start out in their adult life making choices that are more learned or adapted from what their family valued or what the culture has taught them to value. As we grow and mature, those who live a life that is more conscious and connected unlearn and unravel these perceptions of what we value and replace them with their own.
Want more info about Venus?
Check out these previous posts on the Archetype of Venus…
https://stacyquast.com/connecting-with-venus-part-one/
https://stacyquast.com/connecting-with-venus-venus-in-a-world-of-patriarchy/
such an interesting read! I love it! Sometimes you really don’t think about what we value most. Great read!
Thanks for this. I love stuff like this and truly believe in, so it’s nice to read and set intention about it!
Alex J Brown
http://www.ajbrowncreative.com