Venus retrogrades May 16th

April 28, 2012 By

Venus turns retrograde 2012Please note that the URL of this blog has changed and update your bookmarks.

In a summer with lots of astrological news (most notably the upcoming square of Uranus and Pluto), we normally wouldn’t pay much attention to the planet Venus which as one of the more benign planets generally has rather a soft astrological effect. In addition, because it moves so quickly even these soft effects last no longer than a day or so.

However, every 18 months or so Venus turns retrograde and forces us to sit up and take notice to our connections with others, our style of relating, and the ways in which our relationships enrich or destroy our lives. When a planet turns retrograde it appears to move backwards from our perspective, but astrologically it retraces earlier steps and turns our attention back to the past. When Venus is retrograde we may find ourselves thinking of past loves, or hearing from an old friend. We may decide that our relationship patterns are no longer working for us and make changes.

Venus also deals with matters of beauty and aesthetics so we may decide to change our look under this influence. Our values and ability to attract prosperity also falls under the domain of Venus, so Venus retrograde periods (like other retrogrades) often indicate a shift in the financial markets.

Venus is in Gemini right now, and with Gemini highlighting communication and learning this is likely to be a retrograde period full of conversation and the desire to share our experiences and understanding with others. This is a great time for writers and anyone in the field of communication – our plans may not unfold according to our timeline because of the retrograde, but there will be opportunities to revisit areas of communication that perhaps need enhancement or perfecting.

A transit of Venus is a very rare occurrence – we will see only one pair in our lifetime. The first of the pair this time around occurred in June 2004 and the second occurs in June this year (the 6th in the Western hemisphere and the 5th in the Eastern hemisphere where it will be most visible).

(this article will be continued tomorrow)

 

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Libra Full Moon

April 5, 2012 By

Full Moon in LibraThe Libra Full Moon on April 6th balances the individuality and self-motivation of the Aries Sun with the Libran urge for peace and balance. At the Full Moon the conscious solar influence (Aries) is opposite the instinctive lunar and more personal needs (Libra), and like any opposition a balance between the two is required.

The lunar ruler here is Venus, and with Venus in chatty Gemini you can be sure that a conversation will be required. Venus is still in range of the square to Neptune, so things may not be exactly as they seem, and Venus is approaching a square to irritating Mars which suggests that personal conflicts could occur. Mars is the solar ruler in this Full Moon since Mars rules the sign of Aries, and when the lunar ruler is in a hard aspect to the solar ruler in the chart of a Full Moon we know that this is going to be very significant.

The urge of Venus and Libra to find balance and harmony in interpersonal relationships sometimes comes at the cost of our individual needs as represented by Mars and Aries. The urge of Mars and Aries to assert ourselves independently of others often comes at the cost of personal relationships as represented by Venus and Libra. Balancing our own needs (Mars/Aries) with the needs of others (Venus/Libra) is the key to any healthy relationship and this is the theme of this Full Moon.

There is the potential for self-delusion here, not only with the Venus/Neptune square but also with Mercury in Pisces which prefers to take the high road and avoid any kind of confrontation, even when necessary. And Mars is moving into an opposition to Neptune where its aggression can become more passive and more difficult to express directly.

All of these factors will need to be seamlessly integrated in order to be effective during the Full Moon. Observe your relationships to see where personal needs are out of balance with relationship needs. See where you might be blind to the reality of a situation, and where you need to step up to the plate and assert yourself more clearly. Or if you are more the Arien type, perhaps you are the one who is ignoring the needs of others. This is the time to find that balance and improve all relationships.

 

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