The Essence of Success

Venus is the planet of love and money and she’s decided to turn around a retreat for awhile (starting October 8th for about 6 weeks or so).At 07:06 UT (Universal Time) on Friday, October 8, 2010, Venus reaches her retrograde station at 13° Scorpio 14′, in preparation for a period of retrograde motion that will last until November 18, 2010, when she reaches her direct station at 27° Libra 40′. At this time she halts and begins her return to direct motion through the zodiac.

Sensual Venus, the planetary ruler of Libra and Taurus, turns retrograde only once every eighteen months, but this year she turns just short of the conjunction with macho Mars in his Scorpion lair! This sexy mixture occurs not long after the New Moon as the Sun and Moon are rising in Libra, while Mercury and Saturn form a powerful and cerebral conjunction (also in Libra). Venus will be visible just after sunset, shining brightly as the Evening Star.

It’s a massively powerful phase, activating important planetary aspects and awakening an unusual number of double stars as detailed later in the article. The effects of this retrograde period will continue to be felt until Dec 20, when Venus returns to the 14th degree of Scorpio, where she first made her station (this is called the “Shadow Period”, which can be as intense as the actual retro phase!).
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Venus rules money so the retrograde Venus is a good time to get back on a budget, to think before you shop, and to examine your investments to make sure they are performing the way you want. It is unlucky to buy furniture or jewelry on Venus retrograde and if you buy clothes make sure they are returnable because in a short while you may find you aren’t as happy with them as before. But probably the most important thing that Venus retrograde gives us is an opportunity to examine what we want. Our desires move us and motivates us into many actions. If we don’t stop occasionally to examine our desires we may be acting on impulses that were put into our heads by others. If our desire is to be financially independent then do we really need another gadget? If our desire is to be healthy do we really want to bring home a tub of ice cream? If our desire is to be in a great relationship then should we really be sitting in front of the TV again tonight? During this Venus retrograde sit for a moment and review what you want. Picture it and feel it. And for this period of retrograde motion try to act on your real desires not your whims and not the whims of whatever advertiser is in front of you at the moment.

Over these weeks even the most casual interactions tend to become fraught with seriousness, intended or not. Female relationships, partnership and other alliance, and joint ventures of any kind fit this pattern. Older or more mature people seem especially interesting. More structure and seriousness imposed on relationships can mean more stability and commitment. Relationships from the past may reappear. Artistic endeavours should become more focused and organized, though originality and imagination can suffer from the tendency to stick to tradition or whatever methods or patterns you know best. This is not the best time for beauty treatments, cosmetic surgery, or redecorating projects. Social gestures and diplomacy are likely to be self-serving.

A planet is described as retrograde when it appears to be moving backwards through the zodiac. This traditional concept arises in the illusory planetary motion created by the orbital rotation of the earth, with relation to other planets in our solar system. Planets are never actually retrograde or stationary, they just seem that way, due to this optical illusion. It’s a bit like travelling on the road watching another car beside you: when the other car slows down, or you speed up, it looks as though the other car is moving backwards.

Venus does turn retrograde only once every eighteen months, but the effects of each period differ, according to the sign in which it happens Retrograde periods, although often problematic for us earthlings, are not particularly uncommon. Each planet retrogrades, except the Sun and Moon.

What does Venus affect?
In general, Venus, the goddess of love, rules feelings and emotion, aesthetics and tastes, relationships, fashions and all forms of desire, money and wealth. Venus rules social attitudes and behaviour, along with aesthetic tastes and inclinations. She symbolises female relationships and social interactions at every level—and her placement also indicates our values. She governs romance, marriage and other partnerships, capacity for humour, and the pursuit of pleasure.

During a retrograde period the things Venus influences will be less apparent, or be of less concern to the world. Visual sensibilities are reduced. People dress with less flair and our colour sense tends to be muted. This is not the time to purchase clothes or jewellery, change one’s make-up or hairstyle. Redecorating or refurbishing homes or business should also be avoided, though there is no reason why decisions that have been made earlier should not be allowed to come to fruition during this period.

With Venus retrograde, the pace of relationships slows down, so this is not the best time to get married or give big parties. Since Venus rules diplomacy, slowdowns in all sorts of negotiations can be expected, including industrial disputes, legal issues and diplomatic endeavours. Unresolved issues from the past will come forward and demand resolution.

It is a time when we are called upon to go back and take care of unfinished business, particularly to do with relationships, emotional and financial. Often we are forced to deal with deep feelings that have their origins in past events. They are activated on an inner level but are often difficult to express to ourselves or others while Venus is retrograde.