This week’s question comes from Jennifer in Los Angeles:

My natal Venus happens to be both retrograde and in Scorpio. I have heard that when a person has a retrograde planet in a particular sign, that the inverted energies of the planet will reverse themselves, or “go direct,” when that planet goes retrograde in the same sign again. Sort of like two wrongs making a right.

Natal Venus retrograde in Scorpio is INTENSE, to say the least. I would love your insight into this awkward astrological predicament, especially how it relates to re-visiting past-life relationships. In the last year, I have felt more stuck and helpless than at any other time. If you have any words of encouragement for this Venus in Scorpio retrograde time, I’d love to hear them.

Great question, Jennifer. I’ve heard that theory, too, and it makes sense on a certain level. However, I just haven’t been able to verify it in action.

In my observation, each retrograde is different, depending on the sign of the retrograde planet, the house it’s transiting in your natal chart, the aspects it makes with your natal planets, and aspects it’s making with transiting planets. This is also true of Mercury retrograde.

The most I can say with any confidence is that people with a retrograde planet or with a challenging aspect in their natal chart – for example, a fixed T-square – seem to do better than the general population during periods when that planet is retrograde or when there’s a similar configuration in the sky. The logical explanation for this is that they were born with that particular challenge and so learned early on to compensate for it. You’re in your own element in a way, while others are totally disoriented and running around unsure of what to do.

I’ve seen more evidence of difficulty when a person’s chart ruler is retrograde. That means Rising Taurus and Rising Libra may be experiencing a lot of obstacles and frustrations right now.

Beyond that, I’d say that the intensity you feel isn’t all from your natal Venus. You have Venus, the Sun, and Uranus all closely conjunct in your twelfth house, and you’re a Rising Scorpio, too! Now that is intense, and it also means that you’ve got so many things going on at once that trying to pin down what transit is behind which circumstances in your life can be nearly impossible.

That said, it’s a given that Venus going retrograde a degree shy of your natal retrograde Venus is going to have some noticeable effect, and I’d expect it to have something to do with revisiting your relationships or, even more importantly, taking a good, hard look at your general approach to love and intimacy. I have a feeling that you’re not attracting the kind of relationship that fulfills your needs, and this is a perfect time for getting to the bottom of it. If you know a good therapist, I would use these last few weeks of Venus retrograde to have a session or two and at least start exploring the possible ways you may be holding yourself back or even sabotaging yourself when it comes to love. This would be the most valuable gift you could give to yourself while Venus is retrograde.

I could also see how Venus retrograde in your twelfth house would trigger dreams and memories of past-life relationships, and I wouldn’t be surprised at all if you encountered someone you knew in a past-life (or, as I prefer to call them, “other lives”). I’m seeing a lot of this these days, though, and I can’t say that it’s all due to Venus retrograde. The cardinal T-square, with Pluto at the apex, seems to be awakening these memories in many people. Venus retrograde in Scorpio simply reinforces this trend.

I would advise you to get a complete transit reading as soon as you’re able. There’s a lot going on in your chart, and I simply don’t have the space here to address it all.

Keep your chin up. Things are the way they are for a reason. See if you can accept the change in your life and let it takes its course. If you fight it, you’ll only dig yourself in deeper.

Thanks for writing, Jennifer. I wish you lots of love, courage, and abundance.

Pat

Got a quick question? Click here to contact Ask Real Astrologers. You must use this form to contact me, or I won’t get your question. I do read all of your questions, although I am sorry that I can’t answer them all. If you need immediate guidance or in-depth advice, please contact me for a private consultation. THANKS!