Retrograde Venus 

According to the original definition of a Blue Moon, the second full moon of July 2015 is not, in fact, a Blue Moon but I shan’t go into the details of the original definition as there is the important matter of Retrograde Venus  to discuss. What I will say is that some 70 years ago, the second Full Moon in a month was erroneously reported as a Blue Moon and people ran with it. However, two Full Moons in a month is fairly rare, occurring every 2½ years, giving the saying ‘once in a Blue Moon’ credibility.

When I drew up the chart for the Aquarian Full Moon at 10h44(GMT) on 31^st July 2015, I was surprised to see that its dramatically unpredictable, exciting and radically over-the-top influences were dwarfed by the striking features of the Venus Retrograde period. A short paragraph would simply not do so the entire blog is dedicated to Venus’s apparent backward movement, apparent because it is an illusion of backward movement. The planets only ever move forward in their orbit around the Sun.

The retrograde phase is between 25^th July 2015 and 6^th September 2015 but some Venus-related matters (relationship, finances, self-esteem, values) will have made themselves known at about the time of the June Solstice on the 21^st June 2015. These concerns are to be unpacked, examined and dealt with during the retrograde period.

I have chosen to concentrate on one Venus theme – relationships. The purpose of any retrograde phase is to retrace our steps to locate a point in time where we went wrong, made a poor decision, did something ineffectively, made a hasty choice or proceeded without sufficient information. With Venus, we travel back through relationship experiences mostly probing unsuitable behaviour as well as the health of our personal relationships.

The Goddess of Love is not without problems as she embarks on her retrograde journey. I shall look at how relationships are affected by each of the following points:

·       Venus turns retrograde on the zero degree of Virgo

·       Venus square Saturn

·       Venus conjunct Jupiter

 Venus Retrograde on the zero degree of Virgo

She could have chosen a better degree of the zodiacal belt upon which to turn on her symbolical heels. This degree of Virgo promotes harshly critical assessment, naturally for the purpose of improvement but for those of us who are overly sensitive (especially to criticism), or hate to be told we are wrong, or worse, in denial of our faults, this is going to be a rough retrograde ride. It is sure to throw problematic relationships into crises.
    You know how some people only see what is wrong with a situation or the faults of a partner, well they will come into their own under this influence.
    All the little problems within relationships that have been hidden under the carpet, because we didn’t have a clue how to resolve them, are going to be swept out during the thorough spring-cleaning of all personal relationships that Venus has in store for us.
    Fortunately whilst in the middle of the big clean-up we shall make astute observations (without unkind judgement) of attitudes that are dismissive, of a tone that hurts unnecessarily and of the self-sacrificing acts of the martyr. We comprehend the results of ineffectual behaviour.
    Then with some ease, a plan is constructed to heal the damaged parts of our important relationships. These are the positive features of Venus backtracking through relationship territory – going as far back as the end of 2013 or further in some cases.
    As you can see this is not the most romantic of Venus retrograde phases, it is all hard work, sorting out, cleaning up and fixing the broken bits. At all times we ought to strive to avoid being over-critical or harshly judgemental and most importantly to not cling desperately to one tiny detail, obsessing over it. We need to recognise it is just one small element of a bigger situation. The good news is that by the middle of November, we should all have squeaky-clean relationships.

Venus Square Saturn

This square is going to provoke a whole lot of tension in the relationships that are in bad shape. Saturn is not altogether a bad guy and is not being cruel when he looks down upon the agony caused by the difficulties he orchestrated. He is clear in his intentions; identify weakness, then get on with the restructuring work and keep at it until the relationship is strong again. He knows emphatically that Love deepens when supported by a true and stable framework. But if the partnership is impossible to save, it is his recommendation to call in the demolition crew.
    Good relationships built with integrity and honesty survive the challenges of the Square, growing more solid This is not to say those relationship are perfect, just that right from the start they were mostly built with good moral fibre. Relationships that have always been on shaky ground, the ones where secrets, barriers, mistrust and dishonesty featured during the forming of the relationships, may not survive this square.

Venus Conjunct Jupiter
Oh what joy to discover fun amidst all this hard work! Jupiter is sure to lift the mood. He brings warmth to the seemingly cold-hearted, fault-finding relationship assessment process. He reminds us of the power of love showered upon us by the exquisite Goddess of Love & Beauty. He helps us to see what is good and right in our relationships. He highlights the worth of the partner. He reminds us to avoid getting locked in the small details and to always keep one eye on the reason for being in the relationship in the first place. Also, to always appreciate its immense value. These two remind us that on occasion, we are able to achieve more in a partnership than slogging it out alone.
    One warning though, Jupiter’s job is to expand and enlarge, so yes, we feel the love filling our chests and catch our breath at the sheer loveliness of a single flower. But remember that every difficulty thrown at us by the Venus/Saturn Square will be amplified. The problems are specifically exaggerated for those of us in denial, or for those of us missing the point. Jupiter ensures we do not miss this special opportunity to strengthen our self-esteem, attract income and wealth, find love and build better relationships.

With love for spring-cleaning,

Sharron.