Venus Retrograde: Love Under Review
Venus retrograde occurs approximately every 18 months when Venus, the planet of love, beauty, money, and values, appears to move backward from Earth's perspective. Lasting about 40 days, this transit prompts a deep internal reassessment of everything Venus governs — your relationships, your self-worth, what you find beautiful, and what you truly value. Unlike Mercury retrograde's external chaos, Venus retrograde is more deeply personal and introspective.
Effects on Relationships
Venus retrograde is famous for bringing past loves back — not always to rekindle, but often to resolve unfinished business, gain closure, or understand a relationship pattern more deeply. New relationships begun during Venus retrograde often have an unusual quality: sometimes they're destined to be revisited relationships from past lives, and sometimes they simply don't develop as expected until the retrograde ends. If you meet someone significant during retrograde, don't rush the relationship — allow it to unfold slowly and reassess after the retrograde.
The Self-Worth Invitation
At a deeper level, Venus retrograde is an invitation to examine your self-worth — because how you value yourself directly determines what you attract in relationships and what you accept in terms of treatment. Questions that become urgent during Venus retrograde: Am I receiving as much as I give in relationships? Do I accept treatment that doesn't honor my worth? What beliefs about love and deserving am I carrying from childhood?
Financial and Aesthetic Changes
Venus also governs money and aesthetics. During retrograde, major financial investments (especially in luxury items), significant aesthetic changes (major haircuts, cosmetic procedures), and new business ventures in creative fields are best avoided or approached with extra caution. The retrograde is more about internal reassessment than external expression.
What to Do During Venus Retrograde
Rather than fighting the energy, work with it: journal about your deepest relationship patterns; have honest conversations with significant people in your life; reconnect with creative projects you've set aside; review your financial values; practice genuine self-care (not performance of self-care). The insights that emerge during Venus retrograde, particularly about your relationship with yourself, are among the most valuable of any astrological transit.