The Fascinating Pattern of Venus Retrogrades

One of the best ways to work with time is to understand cycles and seasons — both in nature and in your personal life.

The real magic happens when you can tie the two types together and see the recurring patterns in your life that are tied to certain seasons or planetary cycles.

Once you have been through a particular cycle or season, you gain greater understanding of its nature. This understanding allows you to plan for the next iteration of that cycle.

For example, if you know that every spring you get allergies, you can plan for that, and you won’t be worried or caught off guard when your allergies strike.

When it comes to the planetary cycles, Venus has a fascinating cycle that is repetitive, predictable, and makes a beautiful pattern when we map its journey through the sky — befitting the planet associated with art and beauty.

Venus will station retrograde in Aries on March 1. In anticipation of this Venus retrograde, here’s a primer on the Venus retrograde cycle so you know what to look for.

5 Things to Know About the Venus Retrograde Cycle

Venus retrogrades happen on a specific and predictable schedule that is the epitome of “cosmic clockwork.”

Here are 5 things to know about the Venus Retrograde cycle:

(1) Length of Retrograde

Venus goes retrograde every 18 months. This means that from our perspective on Earth, Venus appears to move backward during this time.

Each time it stations retrograde it is retrograde for about 42 days.

(2) The Pivot Point

Depending on where it is in its cycle with the Sun, Venus plays one of two roles: as a morning star or an evening star.

Each Venus retrograde is a pivot point in which Venus changes its role.

Venus enters each retrograde as an evening star. Midway through the retrograde, it gets very close to the Sun and disappears from the sky for about a week. During this time, it has a direct meet-up with the Sun, which is called a “cazimi.”

When Venus emerges from under the Sun’s beams, it pivots to its new role as a morning star.

Approximately 9 months later, Venus will again meet up with the Sun, this time while it is moving direct. It will enter that meeting as a morning star and emerge as an evening star.

(3) The 5-Point Star

Over the span of 8 years, Venus will station retrograde in 5 different signs: Aries, Gemini, Leo, Scorpio, or Capricorn. In some of these retrogrades, it will also move back into the preceding sign.

It does not retrograde through the signs in zodiacal order. When you plot the retrogrades onto a map of the zodiac, it makes a shape of a 5-pointed star.

(4) The 8-Year Cycle

Every 8 years, Venus retrogrades in the same sign as it did 8 years prior, in approximately the same part of that sign. For example, Venus will be retrograde in Aries in 2025. It previously retrograded through Aries in March 2017, March 2009, March 2001, and so on.

This means that every 8 years we get a Venus retrograde that asks us to review the same part of our lives at the same time of year.

(5) Recurring Themes

Each Venus retrograde cycle has a distinct “flavor” and tone depending on the sign, with different significations and impacts for us personally and collectively.

For example, over the span of history, the topics that arise during Venus’ retrogrades in Leo are distinct from topics that arise when Venus is retrograde in Aries

In our personal lives we might also see distinct themes arise. Once you know what themes tend to arise for you, it can help you work with the retrograde more intelligently.

On a practical level, this cycle can show us patterns of experiences, events, and themes that have played out in our personal lives.

Venus Retrograde in Aries

As Venus stations retrograde in Aries, it’s a good time to review your past calendars and journals to see what themes you were navigating in your life in March of 2017, 2009, 2001, and previous years.

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