Posted on March 4, 2017 by Henry Seltzer of ASTROGRAPH.COM
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For as long as humans have walked the earth we have looked fondly toward the heavens to gaze upon one of the brightest points in our sky— the lovely lady Venus. Astrologically she represents love, beauty, connection, values, and the material earthly realm. Venus will station retrograde on March 4th, 2017 in Aries, appearing to travel backwards in the sky through Aries and into the last degrees of Pisces, dipping under the horizon as she makes her journey from her current place as the evening star to rising once again as the morning star.
Venus retrograde tends to be a time when our energy turns more inward, and the ways that we connect others can take on a different feeling tone. Current relationships may come under the microscope for re-evaluation, and people from the past may be more in your mind and heart than usual. You may even feel called to contact those loved ones from your past with whom you've lost connection; alternatively ex-lovers and friends could be coming out of the woodwork for a surprise hello! Venus retrograde is also very much about self-love, and any areas where we may be struggling with issues of believing in oneself will likely come to the fore. During this time, where we lack self-worth could be reflected to us or brought into our awareness, maybe even with a harsh and unflinching tone. Our relationships— not just romantic, but all types of connections— tend to reveal to us where we have not learned to love ourselves fully, and this may appear to us in the form of judgment or criticism of others. What we find intolerable in others shows us what we have not learned to love or accept within ourselves. Because of the overtones of the masculine and forward driving energy of Venus in Aries, during this potent time we may need to become doubly aware of whether we are being gentle with ourselves and others, in a process of deepening and nourishing self-love, or not. If we are throwing our weight around, projecting onto others, or being reckless or heavy handed with our actions and agendas, it might be time to acknowledge this behavior and perhaps rein it in.
The transition from evening star to morning star is another very important part of the Venus cycle for the month of March. In the last half of March, Venus gradually gets closer to the horizon at sunset until swallowed up by the Sun. This is her time in the symbolic underground, when things go a little more wildly on earth. The period of time when she is out of sight beneath the horizon is deeply symbolic— as told by the ancient myths of Inanna and Persephone. It is seen as an archetypal journey of the feminine through the underworld, a death and a rite of passage, only to rise to life again as a different face of the feminine for a new cycle. When she comes back into view, rising as the morning star just before dawn, this is known as her 'Heliacal Rise.' This significant moment takes place this year on March 31st, at 1° Aries, beginning her Aries cycle. Since August of 2015, we've been in a Venus cycle that is colored by the radiance and expression of the sign of Leo, connecting brightly and exuberantly outwards. With this retrograde and the heliacal rise of Venus, she is transitioning into the next 584 day cycle, this time colored by the driven and masculine archetype of Aries.
This Aries-Venus energy could also be experienced as quite refreshing like the first green of spring. It can help us shift stagnation, renew our passions, and find the 'UMPH' to go after what we truly value and want. Venus Retrograde helps us get in touch with what and whom we truly value and cherish.
The time between March 18th and the 31st when Venus is not visible in the sky may be quite intense, especially for those who have a prominently placed Venus in their natal chart (i.e., she rules your Sun, Moon, or Ascendant, or she is strongly aspected by other planets.) Perhaps this period of time can feel like a rite of passage for you, personally, one that is analogous to Queen Inanna's journey as she descended from the heavens to meet the Queen of the Underworld. This descent is symbolic of meeting one's own 'shadow,' and it may helpful to frame things in this way for yourself. This is especially so if it begins to feel extra challenging or painful. Visiting the underworld, after all, is not for the faint of heart. Staring squarely in the eye your own shadow material requires tremendous wisdom, acceptance, and compassion. Perhaps the most poetic turn of events in this journey is reflected in the fact that she travels willingly into the darkness. It is there that she meets the Source of all Earthly life— the Sun— and in receiving the nurturance and support of Source, may rise again, reborn. This journey is about accepting our own shadow, opening ourselves up to divine love and compassion, as we are able to heal and transform.
Important Dates:
March 4th 1:08am PST - Venus Stations Retrograde 13° Aries
March 18th - Venus conjuncts Mercury AND disappears from the evening sky
March 25th - Venus Conjunct the Sun 5° Aries. In the underworld.
March 31st - Venus emerges in the morning sky, at 1°Aries
April 2nd - Venus moves backward into the last few degrees of Pisces
Apr 15th - Venus Stations Direct, at 26° Pisces (conjunct Chiron). This is another powerful moment in the entire retrograde cycle, especially with Chiron involved. Old patterns of relationship come up for reexamination and renewal.
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