Venus Goes Retrograde in Capricorn
As we close 2021, we get a fairly rare Venus event. Starting on December 19th, the planet will stop her movement forward, and about-face. You see, Mercury isn’t the only planet to move retrograde! Every 18 months, Venus moves in a retrograde motion for 40 straight days. Astronomically, this looks like Venus moving closer to the Sun each day (when normally, she is moving away). From our perspective on Earth, Venus is moving backwards.
Astrology teaches us when we cover the same spot in the sky, we get another chance to inhabit that energy. And because we have already done it once before, we have a chance to view it through a new lens. After we experience an event, we take time to process it. Examining an event, feeling, or relationship after the fact, is typically helpful. It allows for a longer processing time than just processing in the moment. Ideally, when we revisit these things, we are wiser to what occurred, what it meant to us, how it happened, and if the outcome was right for us.
With a Venus retrograde, the subjects we end up visiting fall under the umbrella of value. What is valuable to us? One rib of the umbrella is the value of money, finance and resources. That is certainly something of value for us, as money and resources let us live and participate in society. They also give us freedom to do the things we want. Money can act as a road or thread to more enjoyable things. Who doesn’t want a hot tub? Or a fireplace in their house? Let alone food, shelter and clothes for our backs.
Therefore, this Venus retrograde has us review our relationship with money.
How are you getting money? What are you doing with it? Is it giving you enough value? Can you buy the things you want and need?
The next rib of the value umbrella is Self-Value. This ties into money and finances. Being financially independent (or not) connects us to how valuable we feel. If a close friend refuses to pay much money for a wedding gift, even though we know they have the money, it may make us feel like we aren’t “worth it”. Or if you are financially independent, not relying on someone for food, money may make you feel like you are an asset that can help other people pay for their meals. This may make you feel good about yourself.
Venus is about what worth you assign yourself.
How much love are you assigning yourself? Do you let people walk all over you? Are you standing up for the things you value? Are you standing up for yourself?
We find the last rib of the value umbrella is relationships. These are places where we have a mirror for our self-value. This is the classic idea behind a Venus Retrograde. When we relate to others, we have to work out what we need and what we can give. If we can’t give much to ourselves, are we really treating ourselves properly? And with relationships, there is the classic saying: other people will treat you as you treat yourself. Venus wants us to review relationships. People may come back into your life, with whom you’ve had a relationship with. People you’ve had in a different phase of your life. When they do this, we can see them and ourselves in a new light.
In addition, this Venus retrograde has a special caveat, making a conjunction with Pluto and its deeper dimension. Pluto is associated with transformation, death and rebirth, and intensity. Pluto is not a sentimental planet. It asks us to dig deep and face the shadows. We are asked to reveal and deal with all that is our deepest selves.
Therefore, this Venus Retrograde may be intense and require much focus and strength. The very likely outcome is a feeling of our deepest selves gaining more value. By exploring how we relate to others, how we want to be related too, and what it is exactly that we find valuable, we get a chance to get closer to our true core. Our deepest selves can get some love too. Our self-value can grow. All we have to do is follow the path that this energy illuminates for us. All we have to do is bravely follow our hearts.
Written By: Kristina Martin @ Los Angeles Astrology School