“The easiest kind of relationship for me is with ten thousand people. The hardest is with one.” -Joan Baez
Many of us have heard of “Mercury retrograde” and tend to view it as a time to expect certain mishaps- lost keys, missing mail, and miscommunication in general. But are you aware that Venus and the rest of the planets also go retrograde from time to time?
In astrology when a planet goes “retrograde” we consider it time to turn our attention inward and examine how we’re use the energy represented by that planet. In Mercury’s case it’s a time for us to slow down and be more mindful (as Mercury is the planet of the mind) – and in doing so we can avoid mistakes, losses, and misunderstandings.
All the planets go retrograde during the year for different periods of time. Today (March 6, 2009) Venus stationed retrograde. Venus only goes retrograde about once every eighteen months and stays retrograde for about 40 days. Venus stations direct on April 17, 2009 (interesting that this roughly coincides with Lent and Easter).
Venus is the planet that represents love, relationships, and values. Right now Venus is in the sign of Aries (creativity, leadership, and action)- could it be that we’re moving ahead without really being comfortable with ourselves or the values that are driving us? Over the next forty days she’ll change from being the evening star (called lucifer by the ancients) visible in the western sky after sunset to rising before the Sun as the bright morning star.
This is when Venus makes the journey behind the Sun, like the mythological Persephone who journeyed into the underworld in order to experience transformation. Venus will emerge from this retrograde period back at 29 degrees of Pisces (spiritual union, dissolution, and egoless being), where it was at the beginning of February. Could it be time to “back up” and remember the deeper spiritual reason for our relationships? Do our values really reflect who we are and what we truly believe?
It’s time to look inward to find healing and union with ourselves. I offer these three suggestions to consider over the next forty days :
- Fall in love with yourself again. Treat your inner self as though it were your best friend or lover. Listen to what it needs and respond accordingly. Our ability to related to others is directly proportional to how we relate to ourselves (remember that whole “love your neighbor as yourself” thing).
- Re-evaluate your values. Our values drive our actions, which in turn create our reality. Are you working towards goals that align with your inner values? What’s important to you?
- Renew your relationships. Is there someone with whom you’ve grown distant? Use this retrograde period to re-examine the relationship and find ways to heal and renewal it. Our relationships are like mirrors (another Venusian artifact) that help us see ourselves better. It may be time to take an honest look at ourselves through the lens of someone else.
Retrograde periods can also be thought of as times of “detoxing” from the unseemly aspects of the energy represented by the planet. In the case of Venus replace toxic vanity with the tonic of self-acceptance. Purge toxic materialism with the tonic of appropriate ownership.
I encourage you to become a co-conspirator with the universe and use these special periods for self-growth and spiritual development. May we all harness the spirit of Venus in order to develop more meaningful relationships, life affirming values, and a healthy sense of self. So be it.
