I’m sure you’ve heard right now that we have Venus stationed retrograde in the sign of Aries.
So, what does that mean?
And how does it relate to the whole synodic cycle of Venus?
I know all of this sounds like a lot of words and labels but when broken down it is truly so empowering and easy to follow. So, hang in with me as I do so below:
It usually takes Venus 23-60 days to make its way through each sign of the Zodiac, taking about 19 months to complete one Venus return. Though the full cycle of the dance Venus does with the Sun, making a beautiful rose flower shape, called the ‘Venus Rose Cycle’ or ‘Petals of Venus’ takes about 8 years to reach completion. This is also known as your synodic Venus return marking in your astrological timeline- the ages 8, 16, 24, 32, 40, 48, 56, 64, 72, 80, 88 etc. as a “rebirth” of your feminine or Yin energy and/or your self-worth and values. These things directly correlate to money and love so your relationship with them can transform during these times as well.
The beginning of this cycle starts with an inferior conjunction or cazimi between Venus and the Sun (meaning when they come together) birthing a new Venus and it ends 8 years later with another inferior conjunction in the same sign, which is what we are having now on March 23, 2025 with Venus in Aries.
Each of us has Aries somewhere in our chart and where we have it in our birth chart will reveal enough info to tell the tale of the journey we just went on with Venus in Aries around self-worth, what we value and our interaction with the feminine folks in our lives regarding that area.
For those who have their Venus in Aries this is their synodic Venus return. The journey started back on March 25, 2017 when the 8 year cycle started with Venus in Aries as a morning star and now it ends with Venus in Aries reborn as a morning star on March 23, 2025 starting a new cycle, not to be completed for another 8 years.
So, when does Venus retrograde?
Venus retrogrades about every 18 months for about 40 days, making it the planet that retrogrades the least often. Venus retrograde is a time where we can reflect and reconnect to our desires, values and self-worth. It is a time where we focus on our healing around these themes.
It does not mean that if we date, try to fall in love or start a new relationship during this time we will fail, though you may hear this buzzing around as click bait on the internet.
Looking at Venus we have to understand that it is more than just a planet who has one function with two settings like other planets that retrograde, hence Mercury moving communication along when direct and hindering it or giving way to reflection around what is on our minds when retrograde.
Venus is ‘that star’ in the sky
I love seeing the Moon’s ‘the beauty mark’ as I lovingly call it, as Venus sits besides the Moon both as a morning star and then an evening star in its cycle.
With Venus it not only has the settings of direct and retrograde but also it functions as two “stars”, the morning star when it sits beside the Sun and the evening star when is resides with the Moon.
These time periods signify different things astrologically. Venus as the morning star represents a time of traveling toward the underworld, where we gain our experiences in love and desire and value and self-worth. This is the part of the Venus cycle before we descent into the underworld during the period where Venus disappears from sight in the sky and then turns up as an evening star. During this time of darkness, we de-armor and release what we no longer need or value. Venus as the evening star represents a time when we ascend from the underworld and reclaim what we desire to heal and love. When Venus transitions from evening star to morning star she retrogrades, during this time she is being “reborn” with a new outlook and a new way of interacting with the themes of love, desire, self-worth and what we value.
Venus’ descent into the underworld
So, the period of time when Venus transforms from morning star to evening star is considered her descent into the underworld- not the retrograde period. Retrograde comes after Venus returns from the underworld, de-armored and re-building towards the desires she has renewed pull towards. It is a time to review one last time what she has learned about receiving, love, self-worth and what she values before rebirthing once more. We are currently in a period of retrograde which started March 2nd-April 12th, 2025. It is important to note that Venus will move back into Pisces up to 24 degrees during this retrograde as well, so looking to where you have Pisces can show you where you are reviewing the above mentioned themes as well.
The archetype of Venus
We cannot talk about Venus without mentioning her descent into the underworld. In mythology across the globe Venus archetypes and the story of her journey all have the commonality of her descent into the underworld.
For example, in the myth of Inanna and Ereshkigal a version of the heroine’s journey and a myth linked to the archetype of Venus, the Sumerian goddess Inanna hears a call. It is her older “sister” Ereshkigal calling her from the underworld. Ereshkigal isn’t necessarily a sister but another side of Inanna calling her forward. Inanna was just married and settling into her new life when she receives this call. In order to answer the call of the shadows she needs to descent into the underworld and on every lower level down she has to give up something that she was using as a shield or protection in her life above ground, until she arrives naked and unarmed into the underworld. Ereshkigal kills her out of grief and rage. Before Inanna’s descent she told her handmaid to send for her if she isn’t back in three days and so she did having her retrieved by two magical flies. They feed and care for her dead body and she is reborn after facing death with new perspective. Inanna didn’t know what she was getting herself into when she went to answer the call all she knew was that she had to, she couldn’t deny herself that, just as Venus asks you to never deny your self-worth and values.
During the times when Venus is out of sight transitioning from morning star she is, like the myths, facing her shadow, de-armoring herself from anything she no longer needs to use as protection, finding that some things she didn’t know she was even using as a shield will also need to be released before returning to her position in the sky.
All this to say, retrograde is an important part of the Venus cycle AND so are these other transitional parts as well, tying together a very significant personal planetary cycle.
Following Venus’ cycles can help you stay aligned with who you are and what you want and if your life, your relationships and your surroundings will reflect that back to you.
TAKE AWAYS:
Where do you have Aries? This area of life is where you are completing an 8-year cycle (that started in 2017) regarding self-worth and aligning with your values. What is coming up there?
This Venus retrograde lasts about 40 days and is the last re-view of this cycle over the last 8 years, urging you to check in with the Aries area of your chart and see if you’re current desires and your reality are aligned. Look at your birth chart to see where you have the Aries symbol ♈ and the Pisces symbol ♓
During this Venus retrograde Venus will move from evening star to morning star, shifting into a time of gathering new experiences in love, self-worth, relationships, money and your values.
Your Venus sign can be found in your birth chart, its symbol looks like a mirror ♀ Whatever sign it is in- is your Venus and when Venus is in that sign at that exact degree you are experiencing your synodic Venus return, happening about every 8 years.
Venus transitions from evening star to morning star during its retrograde period.
The transition from morning star to evening star is when Venus is considered to go into the underworld. The next time this will happen will take place around 9 months from now on November 26th-February 16th 2026.
image credit: Keplerstern.com
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