VENUS RETROGRADE MARCH 4TH - APRIL 15TH

For those who are familiar with astrology, “mercury retrograde” is frequently mentioned. The conventional thinking is that all of your conversations with others will go awry, your technology will go haywire and your travels will be somehow interrupted.   While those things can happen during a mercury retrograde transit, it is helpful to understand that every planet (except the sun and the moon) goes retrograde at least once every 1-2 years, and we do not have only negative experiences every time. Retrograde transits hold benefits for us as well.

We are about to experience a Venus retrograde period beginning March 4^th. Venus only retrogrades once every 18 months (the last time was July 25 – September 6, 2015), and therefore it is more noteworthy than when Mercury retrogrades (three or four times per year).   Despite popular belief, this does not necessarily mean that your relationships will fall apart or that your finances will be strained. Astrology is not so black and white.

Retrograde transits give us the opportunity to look at something from a different angle, to gain more clarity around that part of ourselves and to release the things that are no longer working for us. It is a time to look more closely, perhaps move more slowly, and be sure of what we want to move forward with in our lives.

The planet Venus represents how we go about our relationships, what we value and how we find balance in our lives. When it is retrograde, its energy turns inward. What are our hidden desires in relationships? What do we truly value deep down, and is that being reflected in how we go about our lives? Are there relationship patterns that need to be reworked? Do we have ways of handling our finances that could be improved? Retrograde motion switches the way we are used to receiving this energy and helps to shed light on what is out of alignment within us. Particularly with Venus, we become aware of disharmony within ourselves and our environment, and with that awareness, we can take steps to shift back into harmony.

Each transit is unique to each person- how this will affect us individually depends on where it transits our natal chart. If you know your chart, you can find the houses that Aries and Pisces rule, particularly between 13° Aries and 26° Pisces (Venus will backtrack through these degrees). The house the transit occurs in will tell you which area of your life you will most strongly feel the energy of this transit. It could be relationships, family, work, philosophy, finances etc.   This indicates the areas that are up for review for us right now, and where we have potential to make positive changes.

On March 4th Venus stations retrograde at 13° degrees of Aries. Venus will station direct (meaning it is no longer retrograde) at 26° of Pisces on April 15th. The most intense point of the transit will be a few days before and the day it goes direct (April 15th). At that time, Venus will be conjunct Chiron and square Saturn, making the lessons of the transit quite prominent.

Chiron shows us how we are uniquely different, which can be uncomfortable and lead us to as though we are separate. It teaches us to use our differences as our strengths. Saturn challenges us to build strong foundations and doesn’t leave any room for flakiness or half-hearted commitments. Getting clear on core values, looking at patterns of unworthiness, and reworking any shaky foundations in our lives are the key themes at play here. 

Knowing which transits are happenings allows us to fine tune where we place our attention, and to surrender to the process. Transits are opportunities; they do not predict specific events because we may choose to remain unconscious to them. What happens depends on how we decide to work with the energy. Our power lies in knowing what energies are at play and capitalizing on the opportunities that are available to us.

With Venus retrograde, we are given the chance to assess our relationships (with ourselves, with others, with our life) and determine what is no longer working. It may bring new depths to our relationships, it may release that which needs to be released, it may bring us closer to our core values. Pay attention to what comes up for you during this time period to capitalize on your potential for growth.

By Emily Todd.

For more insight into astrology and your natal chart sign up for our upcoming Astrology Fundamentals CERTIFICATION Course or book a personal natal chart reading here! Call 416 516 2191 or email emily@therockstore.ca