Astrologers, Venus,

[jrthin]

when did it go retrograde? Thanks.

[stellanoir]

1. Venus went retrograde

on December 24th at 4:36 am EST at 1 degree of Aquarius.

Venus went direct this morning at 4:19 am EST at 16 degrees of Capricorn.

Now we enter what some astrologers consider the "shadow of the retrograde" during which Venus goes forward. This period lasts until Venus arrives at the degree at which it had previously gone retro which will happen on March 7th. The key to the so called "shadow period" is a matter of integration and progress made regarding all the lessons gleaned from the retrogradation.

[davsand]

2. How does a retrograde impact a sextile?

I have never really been sure about this...

I currently have a Venus and Jupiter sextile going--should be going for another couple of weeks, actually. How does that retrograde impact on that? Generally, this combo is a pretty happy one--but does that retrograde Venus moderate it somehow?

Thanks!



Laura

[stellanoir]

3. ya know

I understand this is a really sincere question but I'm a little exasperated with people posting questions regarding specific isolated transits and expecting in depth explanations.

A chart is the whole sum of it's parts. It is as vast as a life. Without knowledge of the house placements, challenging and complementing aspects and other planetary placements, an interpretation of that aspect alone is nothing less than spurious and fairly superficial.

Once at a national astrology conference a really astute student of mine approached an older masterful friend. I left them alone. They talked for a while. I approached the older guy later and said, so what did you think of my friend." He said, "Well he's very bright but he's still at the stage of astrological learning where he's positing questions like , "does the hang nail go this way or that way ?" when the only real issue of importance is that one has a hang nail and it's uncomfortable."

I'm not meaning to minimize this stage of learning by quoting him. Yes you have to dissect the chart for a while. But to expect real transformational insight from a singular aspect is sort of silly. That's what "cookbook" astrology texts and sites are for.

I've been looking at my chart for decades and still have new revelations about it all the time. Hope you will as well.

PM me if you want to understand this transits application to you , but I'll need your chart data.

[jrthin]

4. Thanks everyone. Stellanoir,

thanks, also. My question, however, was general in nature and totally unrelated to my personal chart.

[davsand]

5. Stella, I apologize if I upset you.

I certainly was not looking for a freebie or even much more than a general thought on how retrogrades impact on chart placements and conjunctions.

I am sorry if my question offended. It won't happen again.


Laura

[stellanoir]

6. Oh honey

Don't take it personally. Was in truth more in response to a plethora of recent inquiries. And a snarky response that I got earlier today that I got for giviing a freeby.

Sorry 'bout that.

[jbnow]

7. I"ll throw out a few ideas

Retrogrades do make a difference in transits. But first a couple other things related to the specific question. A sextile is a major aspect in a chart but a sextile by transit has less of an impact and especially with a transit of an inner planet like Venus to a more outer planet like Jupiter.

(I don't know what you know of astrology so I don't know how much to say, don't want to tell you basics you already know)

But a transit involving a retrograde is definitely different. When inner planets go rx they spend a lot more time in one sign then they normally do. An aspect, especially a conjunction or opposition when a planet stations rx or direct (it just stationed direct) is especially powerful. The effects of their stations are very tangible.

That's true even without an aspect. You'll feel it most in the area of life of the house that it's going through and perhaps in the houses of your chart ruled by Venus

Retrograde periods aren't always hard but are usually not a time to start new things related to that planet. Venus is about love, values, finances, beauty, aesthetics, what draws us. It generally isn't a time to start big things in those areas.
Astrologers would try to avoid Venus rx in a wedding chart. It might not be a great time for major financial ventures or things like getting a whole new wardrobe or a new hair color and cut, whatever.

It's more a time reassess who and what we value, to review our budget, our relationships, to take notice of what falls short in the aesthetics of our surroundings...to plan but not take the major actions. But we might come out of the period more aware of what we want and ready to take action.

Venus issues from our past might arise again, past friends and lovers, past wounds in those areas, fear of rejection or insecurity about our worth or looks. I partly add that last part because the retrograde started with a long conjunction to Chiron, so carries that flavor with it back into Capricorn and as it goes direct again to that point it can bring a new level of healing.

But again that is a blessing of retrograde, a chance for deeper healings, a chance to shift to our truer values.

I went into what you didn't even ask about and don't know that I answered what you did ask about and this is all of this is very general.
Some people might not even notice the time, some are more sensitive. There aren't hard and fast rules.

Add to that it is early for me and my groggy mind isn't putting words out clearly, but I am leaving soon and wanted to try to answer. Hope something there helped.

[davsand]

8. Thank you!

That info is a help. Astrology is something fairly "new" to me. Frankly, it is something I've been interested in but never really spent a lot of energy on or time with until the last year or so.

What I'm coming to--having been a Tarot reader for many years--is a point where I realize that not only do I know very little about Astrology (I hit that same point with Tarot about 20 years ago--so don't think I'm giving up on Astrology--ok?)

You guys on here are WAY out of my league.

Literally, I had grasped the idea of retrogrades as a time of "review" or possibly reversals. That image just makes sense. Similarly, in Tarot, a reversed card can sometimes mean almost the opposite or it can mean a lessening or a negative aspect of the same card.

If you visualize the two of coins (Pentacles) it is typically portrayed as some kind of juggler with two coins. If it is upright it can be seen as successfully juggling competing interests. If that card is reversed it can maybe be seen as a total loss of personal or life balance.

My initial question was an attempt to figure out if a retrograde has that same kind of impact. Your information helped a great deal with that question.

Thanks!


Laura