Venus in Leo (for a Suspiciously Long Time?)

6.17.07


When Venus is in Leo (as she's been since Jun 5), we aren't usually too shy about advertising our likings, lovings, longings and lustings-after.

She likes to put her heart on display, this Leonine Venus, because she's generous and demonstrative… because she's proud of her affections, and wants the world to know… because it makes for a good show, and she certainly doesn't mind the attention.

This transit of Venus through Leo, following up on an especially fiery couple months of dynamic activity and rapid movement, now invites us to flaunt the advancements we've made (and the interpersonal wooings we've nursed)… or, if need be, to theatrically lament that which recently brought fast, furious disappointment.

The usual 3-to-4-week period of Venus in Leo is a time for expressively enjoying the dramatic stories of life—the gallant loves, the daring heroisms, the artistic virtuosities and, yes, even the epic tragedies, which, in their retellings, take on a grandeur that's majestic if not quite 'enjoyable'. Extravagant (or exaggerated?) enthusiasm over modest underplaying, every step of the way.

But what, pray tell, do we make of the disclosure that Venus will be in Leo all the way through the middle of July… and then again for two more months in August and September?

Well, it must mean that Venus will be going retrograde soon—from Jul 28 through Sep 8, to be exact. (And yes, I'm well aware that Mercury is already retrograde as I write this.) So while it's still a bit early to delve into all the specifics of what Venus retrograde means, we're close enough for its approach to be relevant. (For an early start on understanding Venus retrograde, check out what I wrote at the last one, back in Dec 05.)

Though we're still over a month away from the 'official' retrograde period, we're about to enter what's known as the pre-retrograde shadow… which means that Venus will be moving into the segment of the zodiac that, once she retrogrades, she'll be retracing and retracing again as part of her process.

In this case, Venus hits the shadow on Saturday (Jun 23) in the middle degrees of Leo. And once within this zone, we can expect all the Venus-related areas and activities—most simply put: love and relationships, money and possessions, and appreciation and expression of beauty—to begin to fall under the influence of retrograde madness. Perspectives shift. Values get reevaluated. Fondness is redistributed according to who we're really fond of, whether longtime companions or the latest flavors-of-the-month. Old becomes new again, new leads us to reaffirm or trash the old… and, as a result, our allegiances get jacked around.

Of course, without knowing about the upcoming retrograde, we might totally miss that this is what's really going on.

Perhaps we'd be rather ignorant of the overriding tentativeness to all those goodies we're drawing to us between now and the end of July. We'd be too busy indiscriminately delighting in the dramas of everyday Venus business to imagine we might be missing a crucial part of the story—one that might not be revealed for another few months—and, consequently, overlooking the potential consequences for too much haphazard enjoyment, indulgence or sensationalism.

See, as part of this whole retrograde shebang, Venus will be forming three conjunctions with Saturn (the first occurs on Jul 1)… signifying that themes of authenticity, self-restraint, and responsible loving are considerable concerns during the coming months. Venus's conjunction to Saturn, right as he prepares to leave Leo after two years, obviously means that Saturn-in-Leo issues come straight to the forefront. And Saturn making his final opposition to Neptune within the same week implies Venus's involvement in capping off our Saturn-Neptune lessons.

Thus, in a certain sense, it's fair to say that the time-span between next week and Sep/Oct will represent a rather dramatic 'changing of the guard'… epitomized by Saturn moving into Virgo, leaving behind an opposition to Neptune, in approach of a different opposition to Uranus in Pisces.

And Venus in Leo from now through early October (excepting a brief stint in Virgo from Jul 15 to Aug 8) is our bridge from here to there.

As such, she will lure us into situations that offer glaring shots at pleasure and satisfaction… some of which are well-suited to our legitimate selves, and some that merely tempt our egos into stretching past what's honestly appropriate or right.

Who's to know one from the other? Venus retrograde makes sure to jumble the picture… just so, if we want to take the Saturnian call-to-responsibility seriously, we must pause to reflect on that very question: What (or who) is of most value to me, and what (or who) is merely an ego distraction?

To get a reliable answer, however, we must open our hearts and expose ourselves to the myriad choices—options which, thanks to Leo effect, offer plenty of promise for a good time. The fun is in the fieldwork. But that's not to say real damage (or a lot of little messes) might not also be left in its wake…