What Is Venus Retrograde in Aries and Pisces Good For?

by Robert Wilkinson

All retrogrades give us a chance to do a review, taking a look back at recent developments ruled by the retrograde planets. Mercury RX gives a review of ideas and perceptions, while Venus RX gives us a chance to find a new value or appreciation in what we've experienced regarding things and people.

When Venus is retrograde it's a great time to reflect on values, relationships, and why we like or don't like whatever or whoever. This includes our relationship to money, wealth, and things in general, as well as why we value what we do in our relationships.

Venus retrograde shows us whether we're working off of old tapes, old hurts, old attachments, and old aversions in relationships that bear no resemblance to what we're living with today. Things not addressed in the past in these areas often come to the fore during Venus retrograde.

Venus retrograde in Aries and Pisces offers us the opportunity to take a look back at our Aries and Pisces experience with people and things, in terms of new beginnings and the endings required by those new beginnings. If we've put off something involving Venus or the houses it rules in our charts, this is the time to review and make adjustments accordingly.

If we cannot be our natural self, if we are troubled by old ghosts, memories, or unfinished business around a person, thing, or value, this is the time to take a deeper look at why we are attracted or not to that. What are we holding on to and why? What does this symbolize from our past that must move forward?

If we are not free to move forward into new ways of relating to people, even those from our past, then this is the time to get closure on old business. This will free us by the time this period ends to move into new ways that are already upon us. That way we won't be dealing with this old business in the future.

This particular Venus RX will make conjunctions with Sun, Mercury, and eventually Mars, where it will move forward conjunct that planet through early July. This will fuse our Aries, Taurus, Libra, and Scorpio areas and planets first in the lens of 30 Pisces, then proceed through Aries and Taurus.

When Venus and the Sun and Mercury conjunct in late March, it blends our Taurus, Gemini, Leo, Virgo, and Libra areas and planets. The Sun is the strongest of these 3, showing that a new life/light predominates these fusions. Still, this is a gathering of life, mind, and social emotions, which should offer us new insights and power around the old issues still being addressed in late March.

By April 11, Venus will re-enter Pisces and immediately begin its 13-week long conjunction with Mars. Venus is stronger in Pisces than Mars, since Pisces is the sign of Venus' exaltation, or grounds of greatest development and highest expression. Thus Venus is the stronger of the two energies from April 11-22 when they occupy late Pisces together. The Pisces conjunction lasts through April 22, at which time Mars slips into Aries, one of the signs it rules.

The first time Venus and Mars conjunct is April 21, 4:19 pm PDT, at 30 Pisces. This is a degree of archetypes, and we are told that through precise visualization we can shape our future and what we will become in the next cycle. During April 11-24 when Venus is on this degree, we can get clear about what we want to see made manifest in all areas influenced by Venus.

It will certainly mark a time of endings and a vast perspective. The future archetype will be activated when Mars transits 30 Pisces and makes its conjunction with Venus. Since Mars is moving faster than Venus at that time, it enters Aries first.

Though Mars leaves Pisces, the conjunction is still very strong since these two planets are never very far apart during this 13 week period. The 2 days when Venus is in Pisces and Mars is in Aries is an extremely dynamic period of fusing compassion and power, closures and openings, vast feelings with the urgency of immediate action.

Venus enters Aries, the sign of its "exile," on April 24 about 20 hours before the New Moon at 6 Taurus at 8:23 pm PDT. This immediately makes Mars the stronger of the two planets, so those energies will predominate beginning then. Since Mars is still faster in motion than Venus at that time, it will continue to make a wider conjunction until Venus again achieves its naturally faster speed of motion.

Mars enters Taurus May 31 at 2:18 pm PDT while Venus is still in the last degrees of Aries. Since Mars is in a Venus-ruled sign, and Venus is in a Mars-ruled sign, we call this Mutual Reception, which reinforces the "closed loop power" this phenomenon generates. Neither planet is strong when they occupy these signs, since both are in "exile" from the sign they rule.

This changes when Venus enters Taurus on June 6 at 2:07 am PDT. Since Venus rules Taurus, at that point it again becomes the dominant force between these two planets. Venus finally catches up to Mars in the next conjunction on June 21, 6:10 am PDT, at 15 Taurus (the "Ox point" in the Wisdom Tradition) just before they both trine Saturn. I suspect since this is the year of the Earth Ox, and Venus conjuncts Mars on "the Ox Point" in the Earth sign of Taurus, we will see clearly at least some of the dominant qualities of this year.

In general, many times Venus retrograde can bring memories of old hurts and misunderstandings, past relationships that went in directions we didn't expect or where there was confusion about the nature of the interactive dance. That said, Venus retrograde can help us re-experience old wounds so we can free ourselves of subconscious patterns that seduce us into suffering.

During this time we can superimpose our mature self's values and short circuit the echoes of memories of perceptions based in prior ignorance or victimization. That some people hurt others is a reality in this impermanent world. Still, we do not have to suffer needlessly based in old emotional habits that do not serve our need for love, wisdom, veneration, compassion, and self-respect.

I have found that even when these are absent, and hurtfulness is all around, by maintaining the higher values within me I can transcend the outer conditions. Then I no longer struggle with those who want to suffer, or dish it out to others. A very wise man once said words to the effect that life is painful, but we do not have to suffer.

It does take courage, strength, and good will to transcend the tendency to suffer, but in releasing the habit of suffering, we take control of our magnificent eternal consciousness and are able to find a tremendous compassion and power. Using these, we are able to enter into the pain and suffering wherever we find it, and break the link between the two.

So as you move through these times, whether they are cheerful or painful for you and those you are with, try to remember that regardless of what's going on around you, we have the choice to BE however we need to be in that moment to bring forth the highest self we are able. It is that which is beyond the fluctuations of personality, and the means by which we can be the light in the darkness of this impermanent existence.

For more info on this Venus Retrograde period, here are two articles elaborating on specifics:

Venus Retrograde in Aries and Pisces in March and April 2009 Pt 1 - Dancing On the Border of the Future with Nature Spirits.

What the March-April 2009 Venus Retrograde in Aries and Pisces Means for Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces

To learn more about the all-important 30 Pisces degree, please check out Pisces 30 - Archetypes, Thoughtforms, Dreaming the Future, and our Power to Make it Real

© Copyright 2009 Robert Wilkinson

Comments

[stephanielmt]

Hi Robert:)

I was hoping you could give me some insight! I was wondering if a person has done a lot of letting go, realigning, and finds themselves contently connected and on their souls path will the astrological cycles not have as strong of an impact? I know there is still guidance, but Im wondering if things will no longer seem as turbulent or "out of the blue". I feel like Im waiting for monumental changes, but nothing is really happening. Any insight would be helpful
Thank you for your time
Steph

[Yeshe (Josie)]

Once again Robert, absolutely beautiful!

[Marie]

I see your point too Steph..I still think tho, even when we are somewhat clear, others around us still have to go through this cycle so we are stl inevitably waiting for the "Climax" but does it ever come...indeed maybe our lessin IS to not keep track of the time so much and let them do their work. I also wonder what Robert will have to say about it...

X M

[stephanielmt]

Thanks Marie!! it is soo great to hear someone feels exactly the same as I do about these things! It absolutely is the feeling of waiting for others to "awaken" and experience the cycle. I get very excited with the thought of FINALLY they are going to get with this next phase and make some positive changes, then it just seems to pass on by. I am a "time keeper" and am learing the fine art of letting go of that anticipation of others journeys and trying to focus on the calm feeling of being where im at in the NOW. Thanks again :) Steph

[Isabel]

Hi Robert,

These three posts on Venus retrograde have been very enlightening about the ways and structure of these "review periods" in our lives. I shared your hints and even some of the comments with friends and relatives, and for most it became clear that, at some level of their lives, this review process is right now in action - whether at the level of "who we love/like" or at the level of "what do we value" or hold dear.

Thank you so much!

Namasté to you and all,

Isabel

[mary]

Hi Robert,
Just had to say that this is a fantastic article. I have just read it slowly and enjoyed it to the full. Thankyou for tracking this special Venus Retro and long VenusMars conjunction so meticulously and so fruitfully for us all to experience
from
Mary

[Robert]

Hi stephanielmt - Astrological aspects will still work in powerful ways, and since we are not all knowing, of course there will be times when we are taken by surprise, whether we're integrated or not. It's just that we'll handle it differently than if we are not aware of key antidotes to suffering. We do not live on an island, and once we get our own responses together, then we have the joyous task of helping others who are going through the same stuff we once did. Perhaps the changes are occurring, but you're just too close in to the experience. Wait for some time to pass. Something ALWAYS results from our experience of a transit, whether we see it initially or not.

Hi Josie - Thanks for your kind words.

Hi Marie - Though we are clear or not, things still happen, just perhaps in different ways than it used to. But it's still happening. For example, many will not understand what this was about until May, when Mars and Venus transit the span again. The first pass of a planet may or may not show dramatically, nor even the second, but by the third pass we'll definitely have moved beyond our old position. As for points that have been raised, it's definitely not wise to judge whether another has or has not gotten something, or experienced something. We cannot know what's in another's process, since we don't live inside their skin. And remember these are generic things I describe here, since it's impossible to describe EVERYTHING that a being could be experiencing.

Hi Isabel - You're very welcome. Glad you could share some things that others could use as markers for their process.

Hi Mary - You're most welcome. Thanks for the vote of confidence.

[Leslie]

Hi Robert,

I have Venus retro at 17 degs Aries in my natal chart. This year, Venus turned retro conjunct my natal Venus. Is there any significance in this? Any significance in my Venus being retro and this being a Venus retro time?

I think I saw the results of Venus retro, as my lover moved back to europe on Mar. 1 ... for purely practical reasons. Nothing to do w/ me. Seems like Venus retro to me!

Thanks!

[Robert]

Hi Leslie - Yes. You should be getting insights into what has shaped your Venus RX function, and able to undo whatever it was that created that tendency to begin with. You'll find you're no longer expressing some of your natal tendencies by May, after Venus crosses your Venus again. Almost like a rebirth of sorts.

[Leslie]

Thanks, Robert. That is helpful. And true!