It’s been 18 months, so you know what that means… Venus is going retrograde. Although retrogrades get a bad reputation, fear not! Venus retrogrades are useful for reflecting on our relationships, emotions, and how we are moving towards things that bring us joy. Venus will turn retrograde tonight in Leo, a sign known for its fiery passion, creativity, and ability to command attention. She will strut backward through the Sun’s domicile until September 3rd, and become a morning star once more. The combination of the Venusian, Solar, and Leonine energies have made quite the statement already, but let’s take a closer look at core themes of the transit.
Venus in Leo: The Golden Child
Venus is a powerful celestial body that represents the objects of our desire, abundance, relationships and love. I discussed how Venus represents the highest values of the nocturnal sect, which is characterized by ambiguity, and a lack of definition, and is composed of disparate and divisible parts in my blog post, Venus, Jupiter, & Abundance. The influence of Venus can be incredibly powerful, stirring up deep feelings of love and longing within us. With its positive energy, Venus encourages us to fulfill our desires and manifest our dreams in the physical realm. Venus teaches us how to create peaceful and harmonious relationships, in spite of differences with others.
Leo is a fixed fire sign ruled by the Sun, symbolizing a constant motion that projects the more stable facets of the self, reflecting our true essence or highest ideals. The Sun, which rules Leo, represents the inner divinity that resides within each of us and motivates us to project something into the world. In my blog post, Sun, Jupiter, & Divinity, I discussed how just as the Sun's photons are transferred from organism to organism, planets in Leo radiate energy outwards, making an impact on those around them. Due to these qualities of the Sun and Leo’s status as a fixed fire sign, important transits here can represent developments in personal growth, self-discovery, and embracing one's core identity.
Blending the Solar energy of Leo with Venus emphasizes the concept of commanding attention and praise. The Sun provides the light that allows us to live and commands our attention by virtue of existing. Venus is the brightest object in the night sky (besides the Full Moon). There is a showstopping quality to both planets, hinting at general attractiveness and a performative quality to each of them. Despite being visual spectacles to behold, the two are very contradictory in their natures – Venus and the Sun are actually enemies in jyotish. Venus performs for the purpose of appealing to others and building connections, while the Sun is more focused on projecting its essence. This tension between appealing to others and honoring self expression is a core struggle of this transit.
Scandals, Selfishness, & Sexism
During Venus retrograde, we are encouraged to reflect on and reevaluate our relationships, both romantic and non-romantic. It’s possible that connections from your past may be brought back to the present, prompting us to reassess our feelings and desires. It's important to be aware of the 30-day shadow period before the retrograde, since the themes of the retrograde were set in motion then. As Venus retrograde takes hold, consensus will be challenged, allowing for a new social dynamic to emerge.
During the shadow period, Venus pursued Mars, but was left behind when he entered Virgo. The conjunction between them that never perfected adds a layer of intensity to this retrograde cycle. In relationships, Venus in Leo can create a requirement for dramatic displays of passion, often in ways that prioritize the self and defeat the purpose of maintaining relationships. Mars typically harms Venus through his aggressive pursuit of her as a prize to be won or an object to be acquired. Venus and Mars’ near collision in a very Mars-influenced segment of Leo brought very public instances of female celebrities being humbled or humiliated by their partners. The dynamic of being controlled or punished for the very qualities that made them attractive in the first place planted an important seed to be explored during this retrograde.
This is an especially challenging time for women and people who identify with the concept of femininity, who Venus also represents. Venus in fire signs can have the effect of performing beauty or femininity in a more self-focused way. It’s fascinating that the Barbie movie was released a couple of days before this retrograde. Early commentary on the film positions it as a bold display of femininity. However, this has drawn criticism from those who have views of femininity as something that should always be in service to others (specifically, men).
To make things more complicated, Venus stations retrograde to a conjunction with Black Moon Lilith and Mercury. The associations that Lilith and Mercury have with childlessness are interesting, since some elements of society are resisting agency over reproductive health. Mercury also gets associated with queerness, which contradicts conservative expectations around sexuality serving the purpose of reproduction. So both fight against reproductive rights and the right to perform femininity are heavily intertwined. Even on a personal level, this can reflect challenges in relationships about whether a couple wants children or not. Seeing Sofia Vergara and Joe Manganiello end their relationship over this matter was literal!
The Pursuit of Happiness
The most important feature of Venus’s transit through Leo is that she will be squaring Jupiter in Taurus three times. I have already explored the differences between the benefics in my article Venus, Jupiter, & Abundance, but both planets represent the different forms of good we can experience in life. In my article on Jupiter in Taurus, I discussed how that transit reflects the collective desire to maximize the amount of material security achievable. Since Jupiter is answering to a more self-involved Venus, both planets are reinforcing the idea of getting a slice of the good life that one feels entitled to.
Jupiter in Taurus is teaching us that while money doesn't buy happiness, fair distribution of resources so people can be comfortable makes us happier as a whole. Venus retrograde in Leo therefore offers us an opportunity to boldly advocate for the enjoyment we deserve. With Venus ruling artisans, it makes sense that virtually all of Hollywood is on strike now that the SAG-AFTRA union is also striking with the writers for fair compensation. When Venus turns direct on September 3rd, Jupiter actually turns retrograde within 24 hours! Venus will clarify the personal sense of pleasure worth seeking, while Jupiter allows us to delve deeper into social systems that maximize collective comfort.
Despite the challenges Venus retrograde brings for relationships this summer, this is a great opportunity to ask ourselves important questions. Who are we and what do we enjoy? How can we reclaim a more personal sense of pleasure? Are we in relationships that support our authentic pleasures? What can we learn from this? This retrograde period can offer opportunities for growth and reflection that allow us to be more intentional with our relationships and how they honor our genuine pleasures.
I hope this transit motivates you to take up space so that you can connect with your most authentic desires. If you are interested in learning more about how this retrograde will affect you and your birth chart, book a consultation with me at the link below. A friendly reminder that a 30% discount on one reading of choice for those with Saturn in Pisces is still available. Please email me for access to the code!
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