Intuitive Astrology: Venus Retrograde July-September 2023

Venus dives into the underworld on July 22/23, 2023, traveling retrograde until September 3/4, 2023. Venus will spend the entire length of her retrograde journey in the sign of Leo, traveling from 28 degrees back to 12 degrees.

In fact, Venus will station direct at exactly 12 degrees and 12 seconds of Leo (1212), which is a master number that indicates a shift to a higher state of consciousness. It seems that whatever transpires under this retrograde, we are going to find ourselves moving up in our awareness, or perhaps looking at things from a completely new perspective. One thing is for sure- we will be changed by this retrograde.

Venus rules over themes relating to our relationships, values, money, beauty, and love, so we can expect all these areas to be highlighted during this time.

Venus Retrograde typically gets us thinking about our past actions and how they are influencing our decisions when it comes to love, relationships, and money.

Venus Retrograde is typically not considered a good time to start a new relationship, change your appearance or redesign your space. The idea is that your views are shifting and transforming, and whatever changes or relationships you enter will be part of the “old you” and not the “new you” that is waiting to be birthed.

Venus only retrogrades every 18 months, making this energy rare. But another special thing Venus does during retrograde is shift from an evening star to a morning star. At the start of this retrograde, Venus will be visible in the night sky, but by August 13, Venus will disappear from the evening sky and eventually rise up to be a morning star.

Part of this rebirth of Venus from evening to morning star is mirrored in our own being during the Venus Retrograde journey, and signifies the rebirth of our heart energy from a more internal/unconscious state (evening star Venus) to a more external/realized state (morning star Venus).

Let’s now dive deeper into the 2023 Venus Retrograde in Leo and what you can expect-

Venus in Leo June-October 2023

Venus moves into Leo on June 5, where it will remain until October 10. This is a long time for Venus to spend in one sign of the zodiac, so this placement will be a focus for all of us.

As mentioned earlier, Venus is the planet of love, beauty, relationships, and what we value. It is also connected to our relationship with money.

Leo is a very passionate sign that is driven by the heart. Its energy can be bold and dramatic. It loves to shine and is a very forward energetic expression.

With Venus in Leo, we may feel more energetic, passionate, and creative. We may feel a desire to put our creations out into the world and to follow our hearts. This energy can be very favorable for creative projects, boosting our self-worth, and for finding the confidence to put ourselves out there.

Venus in Leo is a very proud, self-assured energy that is not afraid of the spotlight or attention. It wants to be recognized and adored by others.

When out of balance, Venus in Leo can be self-serving, attention-seeking, and overly dramatic. It can be materialistic or shallow, and can sometimes attach feelings of self-worth to fame, money, and possessions.

Overall, Venus in Leo is a very fun, lively, and bright energy to work with. While it can be a little dramatic and pretentious, it is also highly magnetic and loving.

Venus Retrograde in Leo

As Venus travels retrograde in Leo, it can activate all the Venus in Leo themes, but also dull them too. We can feel our creativity stifled, and perhaps we can lose a little self-confidence when it comes to putting ourselves out there.

We may feel the need to follow our heart more, but we may first need to figure out exactly what our heart is trying to tell us. What we thought was true to us may no longer be the case. We may have to dig a little deeper to uncover a new heart-led truth, and that can make things feel confusing for a while.

Venus Retrograde in Leo can also get us questioning the relationships in our lives and what we truly value. We may feel like certain relationships are no longer speaking to us on a heart level. We may also find our ideas around what love is changing and evolving.

The things we value may also be up for a change, and it’s possible we could find ourselves questioning what is truly important to us.

Venus Retrograde is also a deep time of heart healing, and can guide us to look over past relationship dynamics or issues around love to see what needs to be cleared.

Money matters can also come to the surface, getting us to question our spending habits and if we are spending to just “keep up with appearances” or out of insecurity.

Our egos and how they show up in our relationships and with money may also be challenged.

To summarize, Venus Retrograde in Leo can bring:

• Questioning around our creativity or passions
• A desire to really listen to where our heart is guiding us
• A deeper understanding of our heart’s desire
• Questioning around the relationships in our lives
• Relationship endings
• Past relationship wounds resurfacing
• Heart healing
• Ego death
• Lessons with money

Venus Retrograde Aspects 2023

While Venus travels Retrograde, it will make a few important aspects to other planets and asteroids. Let’s break it down:

Yod to Venus (Most Active: July 22-August 1)

As Venus begins its retrograde journey, it forms a Yod with Pluto and Neptune. A Yod is sometimes referred to as the “Finger of God” as it’s like the finger of God coming down and pointing to a crisis or situation in our lives that we need to deal with. As the Yod is active right as Venus stations retrograde, it seems something may come to our attention quickly, or a crisis may arise, guiding us to focus our attention on a particular direction. We may find the start of the retrograde intense because of this.

Square Uranus (July 27-August 19)

Venus will square Uranus during its retrograde journey, which indicates some sudden changes. We may find that endings occur in a particular relationship, or sudden or even shocking information is presented to us that changes how we feel about someone or something. This alignment can also trigger news events relating to sexuality, women’s health, and the LGBTQ+ community.

Trine Chrion (August 6- August 25)

This is one of the most beautiful alignments we will get to experience as Venus travels retrograde. It promises healing, a softness, and a deepening of consciousness. Venus trine to Chiron shows us that there is real potential here to work through some deep core wounds, and we may find ourselves coming into a greater love because of it.

Venus Star Point (August 13)

On this day, Venus aligns with the Sun signifying the rebirth of Venus and her transformation from evening to morning star. It is also at this point in the retrograde journey that we begin to get some clarity and insight into what Venus Retrograde is trying to teach us.

Venus and Mercury Retrograde (August 23-September 3)

Venus and Mercury will be retrograde at the same time, along with Saturn, Neptune, and Pluto. This will be a strong time of retrograde energy, which can bring a slow-down effect. With the energy of the cosmic skies slow, we may feel a bit sluggish and lethargic, or find ourselves needing to revisit the past. Mercury and Venus retrograde together may also stir difficult conversations or miscommunications.

Square Jupiter (August 25-September 30)

This alignment can bring some money issues to the surface, guiding us to question our relationship with abundance and how we are choosing to spend our money. Are we buying things because we really need them or because society tells us that we need to have them? On a wider level, this alignment can also shine a spotlight on issues around consumer spending and money issues for a country as a whole.

Conjunct Juno (September 3-October 8)

As Venus ends its retrograde, it is in almost perfect alignment with the Goddess asteroid Juno. Juno represents marriage, love, and creation. Juno shares a similar vibrational quality to Venus, making the two a powerful and lovely match. Venus ending her retrograde so close to Juno seems to be a message that we are being asked to think carefully about whom we wish to “marry,” not just romantically, but whom we wish to partner with in our lives. We may find ourselves questioning the people we want to keep around us and the types of people we are choosing to partner with in all areas.

Questions to Ponder While Venus is in Retrograde

• Who do you want to partner with in life?
• What do I feel passionate about in life?
• What are my top 10 values?
• What relationships are no longer serving me?
• What is truly motivating my spending or desire to make money?

Venus Retrograde Dates to Remember

• June 6- Venus enters Leo
• June 20- Venus enters Shadow Phase
• July 22/23- Venus stations retrograde
• September 3/4- Venus stations direct
• October 7 – Venus leaves shadow phase
• October 10- Venus leaves Leo

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