Andromeda DavisWith Valentine’s Day coming up, we think about Venus, the planet of love. Many people worry that Venus going retrograde can have detrimental effects on their romantic life, and while that’s true, sometimes it also brings benefits through a time of reflection. In this article, we’ll cover what Venus in retrograde means for your horoscope.
Venus belongs to a grouping of planets in astrology called the “inner planets.” The inner planets consist of planets that orbit the sun more quickly. The three inner planets are; Mercury, Mars, and Venus. Because of their shorter orbits around the sun, the effect inner planets have on your life is more of a day-to-day, as compared to the “outer planets” (those with longer orbits around the sun) which affect your life over the long term.
Venus takes approximately 225 days to orbit the sun and also has a tendency to stay in close proximity to it. In terms of when Venus goes retrograde, it only tends to do so once per year, and it doesn’t always go retrograde every year.
What Venus affects in astrology
to gain a better understanding of how Venus and retrograde differs, it’s good to start with a review of the influence of Venus in astrology.
In astrology, Venus is known as the “love goddess” and is named after the goddess of love in Roman mythology.
Venus is associated with feminine energy. It has an effect on love, beauty, marriage, sexual pleasures, luxuries and finances.
Venus is associated with bringing positive benefits, and as such, it is referred to as the “lesser benefic” planet, second to Jupiter which is the “greater benefic” planet. The term “benefic” is from a Greek term meaning “good-doer.” In short, both planets bring positive energy, with Jupiter bringing the most and Venus second.
How Venus and retrograde affects your horoscope
Planets going retrograde, like the backward motion associated with them, can bring things back into your life. You can liken it to the idea of “taking a step back,” which means a time of reflection or time to deal with unfinished business.
During Venus in retrograde, an old lover may come back into your life, presenting the opportunity for closure or healing.
A stir in relationships
Venus in retrograde can have a cooling effect on relationships. If a relationship is already shaky, it could just become shaken loose, crumbling to the ground.
Passion can decline. The gloves can come off over issues that love and patience kept at bay. However, the latter isn’t all bad, as Venus in retrograde can offer a good opportunity to reflect over your relationship problems and hash them out, even coming out better in the end.
A reversal
Retrograde can also reverse the positive effects of Venus. Instead of a loving atmosphere, kindness can dissipate, and an impolite or rude atmosphere can develop. Tempers can flare and patience can shorten. There may be a lack of compassion. Where there was previously positivity, you may find negativity.
Money
Because Venus also rules over luxuries and money, when Venus is in retrograde – it’s a time to use caution in these areas. Probably not the best time to go splurge on a luxury item. Financially, it’s a time to be very cautious with not only spending but with things that look like opportunities such as investments or even a new job.
Shea Lee
