Venus Retrograde In Scorpio 2010

This week, during the new moon in the Venus ruled sign of Libra, Venus was coming to a grinding halt in the skies, ready to change direction on the 8th October and move back on itself, reversing its forward motion. It wasn't really of course, it just looks that way to us because of orbits and things - it makes a sort of optical illusion from where we stand. It will continue this way till November 18th, when it appears to stop and turnaround again, to resume it's forward motion.

Optical illusion or not, it's significant in astrology, and what with last weeks Mars/Venus conjunction, and with that Venus ruled new moon (new moon = new emotional phase), it makes for a particularly amplified Venus vibe right now, which turns up the volume, and no doubt the heat (Scorpio is an emotionally intense sign at the best of times), on all Venus ruled matters... relationships - especially relationships with women - also money, property, self worth and self esteem; those issues are all making their presence felt more keenly through circumstances right now.

There's also a particular emphasis on any unfinished business... this is Scorpio territory anyway, but also because retrogrades are noted for things cropping up again - places and faces from the past re-emerge into consciousness for whatever reason, and Venus retro in particular is into reconnections of relationships. And thanks to the Scorpio flavour, re-emergence is a key theme; what was hidden comes to light, and what was lost is found.

This retrograde cycle also links back to 8 years ago, which was the last time Venus retrograded at this spot. Think back to 2002 and you might see echoes or reminders from then working through current events. Not necessarily literally, it's usually emotionally; how you felt back then as result of significant situations connects in some way to where you stand now; you can trace your emotional evolution from back then to now.

So what did last weeks events throw up emotionally for you, as there's a clue there in how this cycle might be playing out at deep levels. Scorpio is always deep, and is also about the process of moving within unknown or unknowable territory, and also about getting comfortable with the uncontrollable (pretty much everything outside yourself), and this is why so much of that sign revolves around trust and learning to trust your own instincts, intuition and your emotional resources. When you are left not knowing what is round the corner, or left feeling in the dark, it's all you've got to go on.

Venus deals with what you value and appreciate, in yourself and therefore in relation to others and the physical world itself. The Scorpio process is an emotionally focused one, that requires the willingness to let go of what you have known to be true about yourself in the past, in favour of deciding what might be more true now, given who you feel you are now. It's a healing, renewing, transforming process, while the retrograde phase is a period of review... always a review of the self, no matter how much it seems to be about others, they are just the excuse to feel the way you do... whether positively or negatively, situations and relationships with others call attention to your relationship with yourself; as what you say about them, how you see them, how you view them, reflects how you are really feeling about you. So Venus retrograde says if you don't like what you see it's time to re-view it - look again by looking at yourself differently in a situation - re-value your place within it... you're worth it :)