The meaning of Venus retrograde in Leo 2023: July 22-September 3

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Venus transits are typically fleeting and we are barely touched by them. Come and gone in under a day, even the harder transits are not that difficult except for their propensity for indulgence and lack of self-awareness. When Venus appears to change direction and turns retrograde, though, her movement becomes slower and instead of just a day we might experience here whispers for a week or more, depending on how our own chart is affected. Venus will be in Leo the entire time of the retrograde, a nice long time to enjoy the beneficial light of Venus, planet of love, in the sign of the Sun! Prepare for a more active social life and generally a fair amount of happiness.

Venus is typically thought of as the planet of relationships, and that is certainly true. But Venus is also associated with the power of attraction and the accumulation of wealth, and retrograde passages of Venus are sometimes associated with major shifts in the global economic sector. This may also extend to our own assets and values to one extent or another. We may find ourselves experiencing changes in the things and ideals that we value, and we may be tempted to engage in excessive indulgences, especially since Venus is in Leo throughout this entire period. Under the influence of Leo we seek to expand our influence and our personal opportunities, and because Venus is relatively lucky we may encounter plenty of ways to improve our circumstances. But sometimes the happy planetary cycles can be more dangerous than the difficult ones because we may become complacent and miss danger signs.

While Venus is retrograde in Leo it will bump up against both Jupiter and Uranus (see important dates below). These will be times to watch for as Jupiter’s confidence aspecting Venus’s love of comfort needs to be modulated with some Saturnian discipline and sharp eyes, and Uranus can be somewhat reckless and encourage Venus in Leo to ignore signs of caution and go for the gusto. But these strong aspects can also encourage exciting new aspects of life to emerge! During this time harmonious interactions from Venus to Chiron and Ceres can help smooth out any bumps and facilitate growth, both personally and in our connections with others.

Venus remains retrograde for 40 days, and I have always been fascinated by the correlation of these 40 days with important religious stories. Jesus was tempted in the wilderness for 40 days. Rain fell on Noah for 40 days and 40 nights. Moses fasted for 40 days and 40 nights before he was given the Commandments. Jesus remained on the earth for 40 days and 40 nights after the crucifixion. Buddha is said to have fasted and meditated for 40 days and 40 nights before reaching Samadhi. Islamic customs call for a memorial service on the 40th day after death.

Venus makes this retrograde shift approximately every 18 months. Like any retrograde cycle, these are good times to look back into the past – to reassess our relationships, or reconnect with friends or loved ones from the past, or repair relationships which may have been damaged. Because our focus tends to be towards the past it can be difficult to get new relationships going but it’s important not to get stuck in ideas and concepts about Venus retrograde and shy away from social events or meeting new people during these times. When Venus is retrograde we can learn a great deal about ourselves through our interactions with others because of the introspection that the retrograde provides.

Important dates (watch for more details in my weekly forecasts):