Venus, the love planet, turns retrograde at 13º Aries on March 4, 1:09am California time. Rather than the fear and confusion this news usually invokes, it can actually inspire you into a period of self-reflection about the kind of relationships you want and the way in which you want to be loved.
The journey Venus makes through the heavens astronomically is a particularly fascinating one to me, as well as Venus' association with the mythic story of Inanna. I have written and taught about Venus and Inanna for years and continue to have insights when studying and experiencing these energies, as they are both valuable and potent archetypes. Venus makes what can be considered eight year loops, and turns retrograde every year and a half. She begins her retrograde in Aries but will move back to Pisces on April 2 until direct motion on April 15, at 27º. When Venus turns retrograde she is an Evening Star but will emerge as a Morning Star next month after her time in her Underworld. This parallels the mythology of Inanna, Queen of Heaven and Earth, who leaves all the she has and all that she is behind and is initiated into the Realm of the Underworld by her sister Ereshkigal, the Dark Goddess. After her trials and death to her old self she is reborn, she ascends from the Realm of the Dead and rises as Morning Star and Queen once more.
While Venus is in her Underworld, she is not functioning normally, as she enters a numinous and intense space. Her work will be felt internally and deeply, and may not manifest at first externally. This is a time when we have the option of doing great work on ourselves, to deal with outdated self-imposed limitations when it comes to love and vulnerability, we can clear out heart wounds, and we can revision what we want in our relationships and in love. During this next month, we will begin to unearth the frozen and petrified parts of our hearts and let go of much pain and patterning that doesn't serve us, do important work on self-love, and clarify and invoke the highest love available to us in this life in all our relationships.
Venus rules all things related to love, money, abundance, beauty, adornment, pleasure, beautification, the arts, music, writing, sex appeal, romance, friendship, allure, love affairs, finance, emotions, grace… so when she moves we may need to pay attention. Look at your horoscopes to see where Venus will turn retrograde and where your work will start. Relationships, like anything of value in life, requires our investment and our work. Think of this Venus retrograde as the chrysalis stage of your transformational metamorphosis … emerging with updated and activated visions and insights about love, relationships and harmonious existence.
Dowse yourselves with rose oil and surround yourselves with rose quartz. Drink or soak in magnesium before bed and if you're adept at herbs, make a dream tea with hops, lavender and valerian to assist deep sleep. If you don't have a love altar in your home and feel like you want or need one, create it. Need ideas? Send me a pm.
May your hearts let go and release the baggage and heal, grow and glow in this time of contemplation and revelation.
Blessed be.
