We all know about Mercury retrograde. But what can we expect when Venus, planet of love and beauty, turns her back on us?
Fortunately, Venus only goes retrograde every couple of years like her partner Mars, instead of three times a year like Mercury or once a year like the rest of the gang. However, this time around she’ll be in Aries, not her happy place, for most of the retrograde period, March 6-April 17.
The impact of any given Venus retrograde varies widely from individual to individual. I’m betting if this retrograde is taking place in your first house, you will notice it! Those of us with a strong Venusian element in our charts — for example, Sun, Moon, Venus or Ascendant in Libra or Taurus — are more likely to catch the downdraft of Venus moving in reverse.
The two most important factors to consider in determining how Venus retrograde in Aries will affect you are where Aries falls in your chart and whether Venus is conjunct, square, or opposite any natal planets. For example, Venus will turn retrograde in my fifth house, exactly opposite my Libra Moon in my eleventh house. Since I’m a very married person, it will be creative projects that will need lots of “do overs” — such as dyeing some wool yarn to match color samples for a very particular client. Groan. You factor in the opposition to the Moon and, yes, my client is a woman!
Some general rules for the time Venus is retrograde: avoid impulse buying, be prepared to take a second or third look at any new lovers, don’t schedule cosmetic procedures, and stay away from the Easter candy aisle ‘cause all that chocolate is sure to look extra delicious right now.
What is a Venus retrograde good for? In this instance, it may tone down the Aries desire to burn bridges as fast as they are crossed and allow more time to evaluate a person or situation. As with all retrograde periods, we can use the time to finish up projects, particularly artistic and creative endeavors under Venus’s aegis. This is a great time to go on retreat to someplace calm and beautiful to restore one’s inner being and get back in touch with what is truly valuable to us. Most of us live in a fast-paced world and need the occasional reminder to slow down and breathe; Venus moving slowly in reverse offers this opportunity.
What about you? Got any big plans for Venus retrograde? Tell us about it!
posted by Neith . . .
Image: Psyche at the Throne of Venus, by Matthew Edward Hale, 1883. I selected this image because Venus looks so wonderfully bitchy — a perfect expression of Venus retrograde in Aries.
RealAstrologers 
This is a great time to go on retreat to someplace calm and beautiful to restore one’s inner being and get back in touch with what is truly valuable to us.
A colleague and I were talking today about needing exactly that. Unfortunately, not gonna be for either of us.
Will have to create “a semblance of” at home.
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I have Venus opposite my Libra ascendant right now.
And I have a first date scheduled for tomorrow evening, with an Aries, right before the retrograde.
He and I met, though, a few weeks ago at a party. Does that fulfill the retrograde, I hope?
Or should I be prepared for this to not to have solid potential?
N (Leo)
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I am currently experiencing a deep yearning to see the night sky in all its spangled glory, far from the lights of the city in which I live.
With this in mind and a desire to see and do something completely different, I plan to visit the Grand Canyon, Sedona, and the red rocks of southern Utah for a couple weeks at the end of March and beginning of April.
I will be travelling with my husband, who has FIVE planets in Libra. Venus will be in conjunction to his Chiron in Aries during this time.
This Venus retrograde begins conjunct my Aries Ascendant at 15 degrees.
Next week it will be conjunct my North Node at 14 degrees.
Finally, at the beginning of April, it will conjunct my Chiron at 3 degrees Aries in my twelfth house, which is already squared by a transiting Pluto.
Add this to my current midlife Neptune and Uranus transits and I’m pretty sure that we have the makings of a transformational trip.
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My friend was born with Venus retrograde and has had bad luck with love his whole life. He always does better when venus goes retrograde though. Myself, I have moon in aries, so I’m sure it will stir some things up. But I am looking forward to it as a chance to clean out unhealthy emotional attachments and to help others to do so as well.
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As a Libra, I’m enjoying a re-connection with people I value immensely. My relationship with my father, for example, is taking a wonderful turn for the better. And, in addition, I feel as though I am expanding on a professional level.
Last Venus-Retro (in Virgo/Leo) was pretty bad– brought people into my life that shouldn’t have come back. But on the bright side, I met an especially lovely friend at the time, so I shouldn’t complain.
Awareness is key. Let’s loosen up and get ready for some crude commentary here and there– opinions won’t be as beautiful and radiant as Venus on her good day.
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P.S. I have Aries in the 4th house. And while I have just planned some nature trips beginning in May :), I’m allowing myself to enjoy my town as well.
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Postscript to my comment above:
The date was great. He kept suggesting more and more activities and we enjoyed each other immensely.
However, after a polite exchange of thank-you texts, nada! He has dropped off the map. Zero further communications.
And this is a guy who actively sought out my info after we met a month ago at a friend’s party.
Venus, I hope you have a good master plan in store for me! For now, I feel like it’s a pesky review of “He’s Just Not That Into You.” Ugh.
At least my antennae were up to this transit. Thanks Neith and Pat.
n
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He might come back to you after Venus Rx, NNYc. Sometimes we forget that there are other things in a person’s life that s/he has to legitimately deal with before s/he can embark on a relationship. I remember years and years ago, I met a really cute guy who seemed totally into me and asked for my number. Then I never heard from him. Two months later, after I’d moved to another city, he’d tracked me down and asked me out. When I asked him what happened, he told me that he was still in the middle of completing his army service and then he had to take college entrance exams. So that took up a lot of his time until he could could actually ask me out. All perfectly legitimate reasons. Sometimes life gets in the way. Get on with your life and if he’s into you, he’ll resurface. And if he doesn’t, someone else will.
This Venus Rx has hit me hard. First off, almost four weeks ago, my bf and I had a heart to heart that left us not knowing where to take the relationship. We haven’t seen each other since but I don’t know if it’s really over. In the meantime, I developed a crush on this guy at work. The thing is, it’s the kind of crush I’ve never had before in my life. We basically pass by each other’s cubicle and smile at each other. If we happen to meet in the lunchroom, we are both totally quiet and shy. I get all nervous and jittery, like a 12 y.o. It feels so innocent! I feel like this is the kind of experience I should’ve had as a young adult but didn’t bc I developed early and became sexually active way too soon. Anyway, it’s really nice and I have 0 interest in it going anywhere. That’s something else that’s entirely different from my usual m.o.: with Mars in Sag in the 5th, I usually am pretty aggressive when I like a guy–maybe too much so? I sure as hell don’t feel shy and demure. So I’m enjoying it for what it’s worth, especially since his smile has helped me tolerate some really tough days at work.
Of course, as soon as I think about my crush, I begin to think about my bf and how much I love him. Then I think about what’s lacking in our relationship and can it survive long-term if he doesn’t get what he wants from me and I can’t get certain things from him? It’s been a very confusing time but also, oddly, enjoyable. I feel liberated, though.
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