by Robert Wilkinson
On May 16 around 4 am PDT, Venus leaves its “Shadow Zone” and moves into unknown zones. What does this mean?
As you’ve read before, a planet’s “Shadow Zone” is the span of degrees between the point it goes stationary retrograde back to where it goes stationary direct. When a planet which was retrograde goes direct, it moves across the same span of degrees it did when retrograde. That is the Shadow Zone.
Venus went SRX at 11 Aries on March 1. It retrograded back to 25 Pisces, where it went direct April 12. It’s now in forward motion and on May 16 will leave the boundary of its shadow zone at 11 Aries. The past 15 weeks have given us all three looks at the house where we have that late Pisces and early Aries span.
Also remember that due to Venus’ cycles with the Sun, this Venus retrograde brought us echoes of the Venus retrograde period in March-April 2017, when Venus went retrograde at 14 Aries and direct at 27 Pisces. So in some way this gave us a review of the events of 2017, as well as 2009. I discuss the 8 year Venus cycles in my book The Magic of Venus: Friendships, Soul Mates, and Twin Flames, as well as why we attract who we do and how to create more satisfying relationships in the future. You will understand the foundations of long term healthy relationships and friendships, why Soul Mates come into our lives, and how to dance with your inner Beloved and mirror that to your world. So if you haven’t gotten your copy, please do so!
Because Venus, what we like and what we value, is now moving faster, all things related to Venus to quicken in coming weeks. From here, Venus will speed up until it catches up to the Sun at the next Superior Conjunction at 17 Capricorn on January 6, 2026. After that Superior Conjunction, we’ll begin to move into a time of getting over our inhibitions wherever we have 17 Capricorn.
And now, Venus moves into new areas of your chart! We have explored late Pisces and early Aries through a Venus experiential lens, and know more about our Pisces and Aries likes, dislikes, relationships, and interactions. We now move forward knowing what we like and why we like it.
We’ve all learned to appreciate a new life order, or the emergence of a new leadership impulse. We’ve found new ways to release old insecurities, motives, and ghosts, and seen the value of allowing our Soul to purge our personality of impurities.
So enjoy the Venus quickening! If you want to know more about this past Venus retrograde in Aries and Pisces period, please take a new look at Astrology of the Future in January-February 2025 - Venus in the Shadow Zone. You may also want to take a new look at the articles explaining the Venus Inferior Conjunction with the Sun at 3 Aries, since that’s important to our on-going reflections allowing us to identify “the avatar within” so we can prepare to participate in the larger “Avatar Summer” on the way with Neptune at 3 Aries.
The first one, Venus Approaching Her 2025 Inferior Conjunction With the Sun at 3 Aries, explains how the retrograde process works, and the many different ways we could experience the recent retrograde. As Venus represents our like and relationships, here’s something published in the past about potential Venus lessons which could be turned to good effects:
Venus retrograde may bring memories of old hurts and misunderstandings. However, we can use these “echoes of memories of perceptions” to re-experience old wounds and free ourselves of subconscious patterns which seduce us into suffering. Venus retrograde is a good time to take a look back and superimpose our current Self’s more mature values over old hurts or misunderstandings, short circuiting 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 these higher values within me, I can transcend the outer conditions, and 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.
Here’s the article which elaborates on how the Venus inferior conjunction on a degree of the appearance of avatars is playing out in all our lives even now. Venus Retrograde Conjunct the Sun at 3 Aries on March 22, 2025 – What Does This Rare Event Mean?
All this and more is in my book, which opens up the world of Venus in ways no other book has. I discuss countless facets of Venus’ “department of labor,” offering ways to elevate our Venus function to attract the best possible relationships in our lives. There are chapters explaining what we like and why we like it, the traits of the archetypal mate for each sign, Venus retrograde, and how to recognize help mates, Soul Mates, and our Twin Flame! If you don’t have a copy, consider getting one, as it will explain why people have come and gone in your life.
Enjoy!
Copyright © 2025 Robert Wilkinson
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