Venus Retrograde, Book II: Pisces Redux

3.31.17


Though Venus's current retrograde continues for another couple weeks (through Apr 15), we should expect a noticeable vibe-shift in how we're experiencing its relationship-, finance-, and aesthetics-related mischief over the coming days.

As I mentioned in my last Venus-rx writeup, Venus has been retrograding through early Aries and will wind up back in Pisces as of this coming Sunday (Apr 2). Venus will remain in Pisces until after it goes direct, returning to Aries late in April and staying there more than a month longer.

This retrograde sign-change will take Venus out of a sign where it's uncomfortably in its detriment (Aries), more restless, self-serving, and hot-tempered than innately favors its relational role… and into the sign of its esteemed exaltation (Pisces), a sympathetic and sensitizing influence which better promotes the kind of soul-to-soul understanding that bridges differences and brings folks closer together. This particular sign-border between Pisces and Aries also happens to be the critical point at which the whole zodiac-wheel's cycle ends and begins again.

Venus-in-Pisces's trademark relational compassion is rooted in an awareness (largely unspoken but nonetheless felt) that we each are cumulative sum-totals of everything lived before us (our own life-choices and those of everyone who impacted us)… and to interact with one another with the utmost kind-and-open-heartedness is to carry that consideration into every moment's exchange. Every moment is, in this sense, an 'end-point' to all that's come before: 'How should we relate based on everything that already happened?'

Representing more of a 'starting-point', Venus in Aries is decidedly forward-focused and action-oriented. Rather than unduly invest in attachments to 'what's already happened', this Venus evaluates the moment on its own immediate terms: 'How should we relate based on my interests right now?' If such self-interest doesn't appear apt to be swiftly quenched, this Venus is courageously willing to set its sights on another new beginning.

Applying this symbolism to the current retrograde's unfolding, then, we should plan on a certain rewinding of any Venusian shenanigans (i.e., in the realm of relationships, finances, and/or aesthetics)—from their most-recent Aries phase of individuating, self-centering, and boundary-asserting; back to Pisces-style reflecting on the past with mercy, tapping into others' hurt and sorrow, and lowering dividing walls to (re)unite souls in togetherness.

Be especially on the lookout for any 'rewinds' of activity which initially occurred during the span of Jan 30-Feb 3, when Venus had entered its pre-retrograde shadow but not yet made it to Aries. Venus will be retracing those same late-Pisces steps throughout nearly the entire month of April, first by retrograde (Apr 2-15) and then again once direct (Apr 15-28).

In any still-active situation which recently left us at odds with someone, defending our free self-determination, and/or raring to cut-and-run or move-onto-the-next, we may soon experience second thoughts, regret for our hasty actions or attitudes, and/or a general softening in stance. We might become more interested in 'trying to working it out' than issuing ultimatums or crackdowns. We could feel our guard coming down, our inability to see the circumstance from any perspective other than our own opening up into a broader desire for 'the whole truth' or 'what's fairest to all sides'. We recall the fond memories, the sweet sentiments, the best parts this involvement's had to offer. We yearn. We dream. We hope.

The potential advantages of this astrological shift should be pretty obvious. If any recently-kicked-up dust in Venus-related matters has rallied us to more fiercely defend our self-serving stake, but nonetheless caused collateral friction in a relationship or dealing that's still valuable or dear to us, we will have an ideal chance to smooth it over and/or get back on track over the weeks to come. If we've lately struggled to find a receptive ear or welcoming heart (among others or within ourselves), we may start getting better results once Venus is back in Pisces.

But let's be clear, not all Venusian friction or upset is meant to be smoothed over or gotten past. If Venus's retrograde has in fact drawn starker attention to problems previously unexamined or downplayed, if it's reminded us of what we've been missing or emboldened us to stand up more loudly for ourselves… well, this retreat back into Pisces could weaken our recent individuating resolve, drawing us into familiar rhythms of self-sacrifice or codependency and/or making it harder to disrupt those emotional connections or considerations which hinder us from putting ourselves first.

This potential is further underscored by Venus-in-Pisces's mutual reception with Jupiter in Libra, an energetic affinity that champions 'rising above' squabbles in order to attain peaceful win-win agreements—but which, at its most solicitous or forgiving, merely endorses whatever cursory solution or superficial fix will put the disagreeability to bed as quickly as possible and return everything to a familiar (if not wishy-washy) equilibrium.

Another possibility: Once Venus is back in Pisces and playing off of Jupiter, we may become clouded in focus, convoluting the relatively straightforward impulse which initially triggered our retrograde reassessments beneath a fog of old wounds, wistful remembrances, unfinished fights, and other such extenuating conditions. We find we're sucked back into this same old dynamic, a vortex of incessantly relational thinking that spins us round and round, throwing off our sense of direction and tempting us to forget what we'd been seeking from our initiating self-assertion or -defense in the first place: no personal purpose or payoff, all interpersonal process and exchange.

Venus-in-Pisces's square to Saturn in Sagittarius—which will be exact twice, once while Venus is still retrograde (Apr 8) and again after returning to direct motion (Apr 21)—warns against adopting too excessively lenient or wishful an outlook, particularly if it'll slow our self-driven advances toward that more meaningful or exciting life and/or cause us an ethical dilemma. As Saturn in Sagittarius might tell you, life is both too short and too full of eye-popping opportunities to lose yourself in a discontenting blur of boundless relational immersion. On the other hand, this same Venus-Saturn square highlights the lamentable losses we endure when making short-sighted decisions based on impatience, ideology, or oversimplified logic… a grim cost of undervaluing or ignoring our interpersonal connections.

Photos taken at Meow Wolf's House of Eternal Return, an amazing art complex in Santa Fe, NM. Highly recommended.