Venus Retrograde: Sun/Venus Conjunction

Big Picture

As the Venus Retrograde unfolds, we now reach the Sun/Venus Inferior Conjunction: a time to invest in a "new seed" of Venus-related matters, similar to a New Moon. Our focus has been on reviewing concerns such as finances, relationships, and values, including self-worth. As we reflect on the issues that have emerged over the past few weeks, a clearer understanding begins to take shape. This begins a phase where we can start integrating our accumulated insights so they may grow steadily within us.

Here is the breakdown of the Venus Retrograde timeline:

June 20th: Venus entered the shadow at 12° Leo
July 22nd: Venus went Retrograde at 28° Leo
August 13th: Sun/Venus Inferior Conjunction arrives at 20° Leo
September 3rd: Venus goes direct at 12° Leo
October 6th: Venus exits the shadow at 28° Leo

Why it Matters

This Sun/Venus Inferior Conjunction offers us a chance to become more self-aware around personal values. As we integrate these new revelations into our consciousness, we become empowered to grow, learn, and navigate these aspects of life more effectively.

This process will unfold further over the next 9-10 months until the Sun/Venus Superior Conjunction on June 4th, 2024. By that time, the work we will be doing will reach a more mature development (a "Full Venus") where we are able to experience a new and higher sense of openness in our relationships while being more authentically who we are.

Go Deeper

Venus Retrograde began on July 22nd, marking a review of all Venus matters. Venus symbolizes how we gauge our value, encompassing finances and relationships. It also shapes our appreciation of beauty and art, and is linked with feelings of love and affection. Essentially, it represents both what we're attracted to and what we push away.

We often hear about the shadow side of Venus, which includes narcissism, selfishness, jealousy, and possessiveness. During Venus Retrograde, however, these aspects come under intensified examination. Venus is the archetypal Goddess of Love and Beauty, representing sensuality, radiance, and refinement. These qualities have a self-assured, Queen-like demeanor, offering a stark contrast to its shadow side. To truly grasp this, we must delve into where our personal value originates.

Apart from emerging movements advocating for change, our culture hasn't truly recognized an individual's innate sense of value. This can largely be attributed to personal upbringings where individuals might have felt diminished by the very people who should've cherished them most. Culturally, this mindset can be traced back to the Feudal Systems, where an individual's worth was largely determined by their birthright. In today's age, markers of value have shifted to career achievements, physical beauty, and social popularity—metrics that many lean on to validate their importance.

Embracing the beauty of life, appreciating aesthetics and elegance, maintaining a vibrant social circle, and celebrating personal achievements are indeed valuable and fulfilling parts of life. However, when these external elements are lost or diminished, many individuals report feelings of being adrift, disconnected, and filled with insecurity. It's from this compromised position that people might find it challenging to attract what they truly desire while feeling separated from their own value. This can lead to the manifestation of the shadow side of Venus, where feelings of envy, selfishness, or possessiveness emerge.

If an individual has nurtured a relationship with themselves, deeply understanding their own value, they can recognize their worth, confidently voice their needs, and attract their desires not through force, but with openness and clarity.

True self-worth occurs when we more closely align with our deepest needs and aspirations.

Additionally, it enables us to discern external elements that genuinely resonate with us and the kinds of relationships we wish to wholeheartedly pursue.

Exploring the Sun/Venus Inferior Conjunction

We are now experiencing the Sun/Venus Inferior Conjunction in Leo. The Sun represents our vitality and life force, while Leo exudes charisma, boldness, leadership, and a deep desire for creative expression. This reinforces the theme of needing to become attuned to the deeper parts of ourselves in order to know what we really want to express. Leo inspires with generosity and warmth, support and affection. It expresses creativity through various artistic pursuits and shows determination and courage, making it a natural pioneer. With its loyalty and protective nature, Leo provides unwavering support for those it cares about.

As we reassess our values and consider what we want to draw closer or distance ourselves from, there may be moments of agitation if we can't fully harness our vitality or express our creativity as desired. This might lead to impatience or even the urge to forcefully obtain what we want. Matters tied to Venus, especially those related to relationships, are poised to come to the forefront. It's wise to address these relationships and value challenges with a sensitive touch instead of a rigid stance.

Sabian Symbol

A MERMAID EMERGES FROM THE OCEAN WAVES READY FOR REBIRTH IN HUMAN FORM.
-Dane Rudhyar [Mindfire.ca]

The Sabian Symbol for 29° Leo represents the phase where an intense intuition is on the cusp of manifesting as a conscious awareness.

The mermaid symbolizes a stage between the elusive unconscious and emerging clarity or realization. Every artist and thinker is familiar with this tension, caught between the 'elation and anxiety', of intuition on the brink of expression, the drive to give it concrete form, and the knowing it can just fade away. The pull is a universal one: a deep-seated desire to translate the intangible into tangible expression. This reflects the broader theme of the universe's own progression towards clear and steady consciousness, much like the mermaid's yearning for human form and solidity.

Note: This symbol corresponds to 28° Leo, a point where Venus goes retrograde and returns three times.

Finding Support

Venus will be in Leo until October 2023, aiding us in refining our perspective on values and self-expression. If the essence is moving into our vitality, the primary choice should be to support ourselves. By focusing on what we genuinely need, we can amass creative energy that's used and replenished easily.

However, embodying the solar principle means facing our inner shadows with clarity and simplicity. Authenticity is achieved when solar energy operates without ego, driven by pure need and the desire to express without attachment to results. When we adopt this mindset, it nurtures peace and contentment, aligning us with our true essence. Concentrating on the genuine needs and desires behind our actions allows us to tap into Leo's energy, bridging the gap between self-expression and simplicity.

Astrological interpretations are by Jim Sher of the Sher Institute of Astrology & Metaphysics.