VENUS IN ASTROLOGY EXPLAINED - Direct and Retrograde | What Venus Represents in your Chart
Venus… the brightest star in the sky. It may conjure up images of the goddess of beauty, or you may think of the old saying, “men are from Mars, women are from Venus.”
Venus in astrology tells us how we love others, and how we want to be loved in return. It represents who and what we value in our life. It is the planet of attraction. So, knowing more about where Venus is placed in our unique astrological charts will help us to receive all that we want in life.
So, get yourself a cuppa—or perhaps a glass of wine, truly channelling that Venus energy, and let’s get started!
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Hey everyone! Welcome back, or if you’re here for the first time, nice to meet you! My name is Ebonie and this blog (and the YouTube channel) is here to help you manifest in the real world! If you’re interested in all things spirituality, astrology, self-development, and mindset, I hope you’ll enjoy today’s blog post (and/or watch the video), and consider subscribing to my YouTube channel linked above!
In Roman mythology, Venus is the goddess of beauty, love, desire, fertility, prosperity, and victory. She is the Roman counterpart to the Greek goddess Aphrodite. The planet Venus carries this feminine energy and maintains this association with love, relationships, possessions and values. Therefore, where the planet Venus was in the sky when you were born influences these aspects of your life and who you are.
As I did in my last post on Mercury, I’ll also cover what Venus retrograde means today too.
If you’re curious to learn more, there will be a list of resources for you below. As always, please let me know if you have any questions in the comments or find me over on Instagram @eboniehyland.
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How do you know your Venus Placement?
Just like Mercury, the planet we talked about in my last video, Venus is never more than 2 signs from the sun. It stays in a sign for about 30 days.
To know where Venus was at the time of your birth, you will need to do your chart, using your exact time and location of your birth to calculate your own personal map of the stars at the time you came into this world. If you haven’t already done yours, I recommend astro.com for the most accurate chart. I have an Astrology Resources blog post and video that can help you work it out too, click here to check that out if you’re curious!
As with everything on your chart, what sign Venus was in when you were born influences who you are – along with how all the other aspects of your chart relate. After we’ve worked through each of the planets, I’ll delve into so much more in future videos to help you understand your chart better too, but in the meantime, comment any questions you have below!
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What does Venus represent?
Venus is associated with feminine beauty and considered the planet of harmony and balance. It is driven by the heart, in charge of how we feel about our relationships with others and ourselves, our social lives and our possessions. It also influences our creativity, expression and self-esteem.
Venus is the ruler of Taurus and Libra, and so embodies both an Earth nature and Air nature. Considering both of these signs allows us to understand how Venus influences us.
“Venus’s Earth Nature is represented by her rulership of Taurus, where she manifests herself as a connection to resources and inherent gifts. In Taurus, Venus is sensuous and devoted to comfort and pleasure. Your possessions and your self-esteem are closely connected; without good self-esteem, you might not be able to attract the resources you need. And both of these are tied through Venus.
Venus’s Air nature can be found in her rulership of Libra, which concerns itself with the social graces and marriage. This is where you’ll find the Venus of romance and partnerships.” (Gerwick)
So, while Taurus represents what we value, in the physical, material world, Libra represents who we value, our relationships and how we give and receive love. This combination of both Taurus and Libra traits defines what Venus represents, and how its placement influences us.
Knowing what sign Venus is in on your chart will help you to understand your love nature, your ability to attract money and possessions, and how you act within your relationships.
To use my own chart as an example, Venus was in the sign of Leo when I was born. Leo is considered to be a very passionate, generous, and romantic sign for Venus to be in. Those with Venus in Leo often love to be adored and to express themselves fully in their relationships, and in how they present themselves to others. As my friends know I’m a hopeless romantic, so Venus in Leo definitely makes sense to me!
It’s also believed that your Venus sign can give you some idea about who you are attracted to. This makes sense when you consider that your Venus sign informs how you show love to others, and therefore how you would like to receive love in return.
For example, if your Venus sign is Taurus, you are likely to think before you act in love, to take your time to build a strong foundation before committing. To feel secure in a relationship is often what a Taurus Venus yearns for, while a Leo Venus is just waiting to be swept off their feet! So, knowing your Venus sign will help you to communicate what you want from your relationships.
Every individual has feminine and masculine aspects to their nature, so your Venus sign may also indicate how you embody your feminine side. It may also give you an idea of what you find aesthetically beautiful, too.
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What does Venus Retrograde mean?
Unlike the Sun and Moon, planets can go retrograde, and given the impact that can have, I think it’s worth talking what that means in today’s video on Venus!
In my last post on Mercury, I explained what retrogrades are, and how there are two kinds – personal and transiting. In summary, a transiting retrograde affects everyone on Earth at the same time. To have a personal retrograde means that there was a transiting retrograde at the time of your birth.
To help me explain what Venus retrograde is, I’ll refer to Madeline Gerwick’s book here – you can find it linked below if you’re curious about it!
“Venus’s energies are focused on all things bright and beautiful, and that includes everything from your social life to your love life. This means that during retrograde Venus, you will reconsider and reevaluate everything from who and what you love to who loves you.
During a transiting Venus retrograde, old lovers and friends may resurface, relationship issues come to the forefront, and all types of contracts and partnerships get reconsidered, especially if they are difficult. … This is also when values get reconsidered to see whether they still make sense or need adjusting. … So, it’s important to get in touch with your present values, wants, and needs and become clear about what you want to attract.
Transiting Venus retrograde can pull to the surface talents and abilities you’ve set aside or didn’t know you had. … Transiting Venus retrograde also can support you in attaining former wishes or desires. … In business, transiting Venus retrograde tracks the bottom line. It may be difficult to start a new venture now, access to credit may not be sufficient, or important relationships with vendors and suppliers may not be adequate.
During Venus retrograde, rethink finances, relationships, and all questions of value to be sure your ventures—personal and professional—are on track.
Venus is retrograde the least amount of time of all the planets: Out of its 584-day cycle, its retrograde is not quite 6 weeks long.” (Gerwick. Pg. 171-12)
So that explains a little about what to expect from a Transiting Venus Retrograde, during which we are all affected. But what does it mean if Venus was Retrograde when you were born?
“People with a personal Venus retrograde will reconsider relationships and values, especially in terms of societal norms. … Because their values are outside the cultural mainstream, these people also must learn to please and approve of themselves instead of seeking approval from others that may never come. Once they learn this, the social pressure to conform lessens. … Personal Venus retrograde people may find themselves activists for great love and understanding and other social causes that improve and expand relationships.
If you have Venus in a personal retrograde, it can lead to feelings of awkwardness, missed connections, and doubts about one’s worth as a lover or partner. At the same time, though, this retrograde can free you to pursue new or different social values because Venus’s energies are turned inward. You will learn that there are many ways to consume and to give love, aside from those modelled by mainstream media and target marketed to our smartphones.” (Gerwick. Pg. 131)
Whether Venus was direct or retrograde when you were born, simply the sign it was in when you born will influence your relationships and values. There’s so much more to Venus that we could talk about, but I hope that you enjoyed this short overview of what it represents, when direct and in retrograde, and how it can influence you in your life!
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So, now I’d love to know – what sign is Venus in on your chart? Do you feel like it helps explain how you connect with other people and yourself, who and what you value, and how you love to love?
If you’d like to learn more, you’ll find everything I mentioned linked below, along with more info, resources, and recommendations — simply scroll to the bottom of this page!
As always, please let me know in the comments, if you have any questions or requests, or find me over on Instagram @eboniehyland, I’d love to see you there too!
I truly hope that you’ve enjoyed today’s blog post and video. Thank you so much for reading this blog and supporting my YouTube channel, it really means the absolute world to me!
I create spiritual and self-development videos and blog posts here, every Thursday. So, if you’re curious, please consider subscribing to the channel, and be sure to ring the little bell to turn on notifications, so you never miss a video!
I hope you’re having a wonderful day, wherever you are in the world, and I can’t wait to see you here again next week!
So much love,
Ebonie xx
Resources and Recommendations
Astrology Resources:
✧ 'Astrology: An Enlightening Primer for Starry-Eyed Beginners' by Madeline Gerwick — Available from Amazon: https://amzn.to/3fc59BP
✧ Websites & Apps I Recommend — https://www.eboniehyland.com/blog/astrologyresources
*Disclaimer: Please note that any recommended products from Amazon may be affiliate links. If any purchases are made through these links, I may receive a small commission - at no extra cost to you. Thank you so much for your support!