Here’s how the upcoming Venus retrograde might affect you

Venus retrograde asks us to evaluate our relationship with money, or love, or whatever aspect of life we have been focussing or working on

‘Retrogrades’ is a word that might strike terror today. Thanks to Tik Tok and Reels, we are more aware of planetary retrogrades, and like every such trend, woefully ignorant of what they mean. When layoffs and breakups are de rigueur, the woo-woo way of figuring out life feels a bit more comforting. Who wouldn’t want to know what lies ahead? But like all esoteric means of trying to figure out life, little or half-baked knowledge is a dangerous thing. Retrogrades are an opportunity to slow down, re-evaluate, re-assess and re-align. The planet of Venus is associated with love, beauty and luxury, and when it goes retrograde, it asks us to re-look at relationships—romantic, familial, those with ourselves, and those with material luxury—and decide what’s working and discard what’s not. 

What is the Venus retrograde?

The planet retrogrades every 18 months. “Retrogrades are very powerful, especially of those planets that are closer to Earth—Mercury and Venus for example. Those retrogrades really affect us. But they don’t necessarily mean a bad thing. Just that it’s ‘opposite day or week’ for the planet itself,” says Zorian Cross, astrologer, numerologist, spiritual healer, theatre professional and author of Yogi Witch: Bloodlines and Legacies. From 22 July to 3 September this year, Venus ‘seemingly travels backward’ (it’s all about perspective isn’t it, since how would you define ‘backwards’ in space anyway?). “Relationships might take a very toxic turn, because a lot of repressed stuff is going to come out. Venus loves to be dramatic. So, let's just say fights can take a dramatic turn altogether,” adds Cross.  

How do you manage this retrograde? 

“I’ve always associated Venus with beauty, luxury and love,” says soul coach Sneha Khanna. “We’re talking external and internal notions of beauty, and luxury would mean resources like money or careers. We need resources to sustain ourselves. I think Venus retrograde asks us to evaluate our relationship with money, or love, or whatever aspect of life we have been focussing or working on. Whatever we are trying to manifest, it asks us to look within and see in what way we are contradicting ourselves. It brings to light a lot of emotions that we may not be addressing, or pushing on the backburner,” she adds.

Manage your money

Cross prescribes to Vedic astrology rather than its Western counterpart. Both use different zodiac systems, with the former involving a system that acknowledges the changing physical positions of the constellations in the sky—the changes that occur because of the slightly shaky tilt of the Earth’s axis resulting in the change in the position of a star by one degree every 70 years approximately. “Venus is connected to the goddess Lakshmi. And there's an old story that before she was with Vishnu, Lord Indra fell in love with Lakshmi; he took her to his heavenly abode and made her his queen. He was supposedly very egotistical and someone who did not understand what to do with a woman. You know, when you get something that’s precious and you don't know what to do with it? The retrograde highlights that factor in a relationship—the insecurities, and the fact that you have to love yourself before you love someone else,” adds Cross.

“Similarly, when it comes to finances, if you don't value money, you don't know how to invest it properly, or spend wisely, it’s going to backfire.” Khanna thinks along the same lines, “People think about manifesting a million dollars, but do they know what they’re going to do with it? There are stories of how almost all lottery winners just go broke. During the Venus retrograde, if you're working on abundance—financial or love—actually state ‘I am already financially and spiritually abundant,’ not just on the superficial level, but when you're seeing the tiny ways in which you're already blessed.” 

Practise gratitude 

On our mission to be able to ace hot girl summer, ironically or not, or manifest the Wes Anderson home of your dreams, you might forget that you’ve already worked towards so many things that you wanted. “Find gratitude, so that it amplifies and brings you more of what you really want. And it's very contradictory because we are taught to believe that contentment and growth are two different things, but they are actually very interwoven. I think a retrograde helps us lay foundations of that energy a little strongly,” explains Khanna. 

Be the DIYer you always wanted to be

Khanna also feels a lot of people might be aiming for a better work-life balance and the retrograde is a good time to propel that thought forward. “You may want to start something that's hard, or you may realise that maybe you've been chasing something, but your values and perceptions are different. It’s a time to understand where your heart is, the strings that your heart is tugging at right now, and vocalising and expressing it. Whether that means taking up a home DIY project, or pottery because that might be something that fulfils you,” she adds.

Dump the fuckboi, face your demons

Most people are wary of self-awareness. No one wants to examine their relationships too closely. But retrogrades invite people to look a little inward, and perhaps that is they’re considered a little scary. But this invitation is actually more empowering. “So many people are even afraid of looking into a mirror to see what they’ve become,” says Cross. “Looking back at the past or reflecting upon it takes a lot of courage. Reflection is an act of bravery, it helps you become powerful, but people tend to disassociate. Venus is called ‘shukra’ in Sanskrit, which also symbolises the sage Shukracharya, the Brahmin who taught the demons or Asuras. So this is a time when people also have to face their inner demons. What better way of doing so than through the guise of relationships? If you’re able to be mindful of your interactions with partners, finances, infrastructure and promises, there is a chance of rebirth, no matter how chaotic things get. Venus also rules demons; so if you’re brave, you’re really going to see your dark side, go through the whole trial by fire, exorcise those demons, and heal,” he adds. 

Face your demons in your own way, because there is no one-size-fits-all formula here, no matter how many religions create rituals to try and push that agenda. If you subscribe to astrology, you’ll understand how it works on the basic premise that everyone is unique with a unique connection to the universe. But human beings like compartments. “What is compartmentalisation?” asks Cross. “That's Vishnu. And what's pure chaos? That's Kali. How many people are brave enough to live in Kali’s domain?” Maybe the retrograde will help you pick a side. 

Own your sexuality 

Yes Pride Month is over and corporates have forgotten about the queer community for another 11 months. But Venus retrograde invites you to be comfortable with your sexuality. “Feel confident about your desires,” says Cross. “Especially if you're part of the LGBTQ community. If you feel harassed by someone, do something about it. The more you take ownership and pride in your sexuality, the more you're able to actually learn to be comfortable. Furthermore, it’s a very powerful time for people who have a history of sexual abuse in their lives or have gone through sexual-related trauma. This is a beautiful time for them to seek healing for therapy, whether it's through alternative paths like Reiki or pranic healing or any kind of energy healing. That’s also part of owning our sexuality, right?” 

Fall in love with yourself

If you’re playing the waiting game, waiting to ride out the retrograde, do it lightheartedly, says Khanna. “Make your life a little fun. If you’re a little apprehensive of this time, remember it’s not like you have no power in this situation. Just deciding to show up every day is half the battle won. Slowing down is also about falling in love with yourself. Yes it’s a time to consciously look at how you have contributed towards relationships in the past, which may or may not be there in your life today. Something not working out is not always about the other person. Slow down and see where you contributed, but not beating yourself up. Come from a space of ‘I want to grow and I want to learn how to deal with this better’.”

We expect growth and healing to happen quickly and easily, once we figure a direction and way out of a quagmire of anxiety and confusion. But we forget these are processes that take practice and time. Perhaps retrogrades are the reminders that we need patience. And if the Venus retrograde focuses on relationships, luxury and beauty, and rebirth too—should we be brave enough to question it—patience seems to be a small price to pay.

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