JUDY JOYCE ASTROLOGY

Venus Retrograde and the Venus Transit in 2012

Venus Retrograde

Venus is the morning or evening star and is the brightest light in the sky. Venus and has always played a major role for mankind as we searched the heavens for meaning and guidance. The Maya connected Venus to Quetzalcoatl, the feathered serpent god, the Sumerians called her Inanna, the Babylonians called her Ishtar, the Greeks called her Aphrodite and the Romans called her Venus. In western astrology Venus rules both Taurus and Libra and represents love, beauty, inter-personal relationships, women, the power of attraction, the ability to get what one desires on both the material and emotional levels, intimacy, social graces, enjoyment, romance, creativity, art, harmony, attractiveness and happiness.

Venus spreads her charm through all 12 signs of the zodiac every 224 days. Every 18 months Venus enters a “retrograde” phase in which the planet appears, as viewed from earth, to stop and move backwards (retrogrades) in the sky for about 40-43 days. Then it stops and resumes forward motion (“goes Direct”). All the planets (Mercury through Pluto) have a retrograde phase of varying lengths. They do not actually move backwards, it just looks that way from Earth, where they appear to retrace their path in the sky.

Venus will be retrograde from May15 to June 27, 2012. That is the official retrograde period, but we most likely began to feel something coming about April 7 and will still be “processing” until July 31. Astrologically speaking, the retrograde motion of a planet represents a period of time for inner contemplation of those things represented by the retrograding planet.

Venus represents relationships, love, money, possessions, enjoyment and the ability to attract what we desire. While Venus is retrograde from May 15 to June 27, 2012, it will be a time to re-evaluate the following:

Relationships of all kinds: love, friendship, business, professional
Finances and possessions
Resources, talents and skills
Values – material and spiritual
Current quality of life
Artistic and creative expression
Personal appearance

We can complete, revise, reconsider or refresh the areas listed above. Look at the areas listed above and ask yourself these questions: Is my life going well in these areas? Am I having fun yet? Am I enjoying my life? If the answer is No, ask yourself -Why not and what can I do about it?

Venus retrograde is also a time to get our financial situation in order. It is time to think about what is really valuable in our lives. We may rediscover our talents and skills and realize that they are also “resources” we can use.

Sometimes old relationships, both romances and friendships, re-enter our life so that we can either rekindle or finish our connection. Some of our current relationships, friendships, or our general social circle may be redefined, refreshed or re-energized. We may also find it is time to end some associations.

The Venus retrograde period is best used to pause and realign yourself and your relationships and clear up any unfinished business. Therefore, it is not usually the best time to start a brand new relationship or get married.

For those of you familiar with your chart: Venus will be retrograding over the area of 7 to 24 degrees of Gemini. The house in your chart that holds those degrees shows where you will be doing your re-evaluation. Pay particular attention to any aspects to your natal planets that transiting Venus makes. The planets that are aspected by transiting Venus will be part of the re-evaluation. Conjunctions will be the most immediate and powerful. Squares and oppositions indicate that change and action are needed. Sextiles and trines indicate supportive and flowing energy is available.

Venus Transit

On June 5, 2012 small black dot will move across the face of the Sun. That black dot will be the shadow of Venus as it passes between the Earth and the Sun. This rare celestial event is called a Venus Transit.

There is also much excitement because the Venus Transit ties in with the Mayan Calendar end date of 2012 when it is said we will enter a new world. Some see the eight year period from June 2004 to June 2012 as a doorway and a time of great change as we prepare to enter a new reality.

In the Mountain Time Zone, the Venus Transit will be underway at sunset on June 5. DO NOT LOOK DIRECTLY AT THE SUN!! You can watch it online. A great deal of information on the Venus Transit can be found online and no doubt the media will have quite a bit of coverage. There are many websites about the Mayan Calendar connection, too. Just type in Venus transit Mayan calendar in your search engine.

Past and Future Venus Transits

This is the last time you will be able to see a Venus Transit in your lifetime, because the next one doesn’t occur until 2117! Venus transits occur on an alternating cycle of 121 years or 105 years and come in pairs, which are 8 years apart. We just had a Venus Transit on June 8, 2004. The Venus Transit on June 5, 2012 will be the last one until the next pair, which will occur in December 2117 and December 2125.

Venus Transits over the past 500 years and the next ones coming up in 105 years:

1518 and 1526

1631 and 1639

1761 and 1769

1874 and 1882

2004 and 2012 – You are here!

2117 and 2125

There is much scientific information on this and also great speculation as to what it means on an astrological/spiritual level. Scientifically, we are excited to be able to see it and record it, etc. Astrologically and spiritually, we are interested in the way it may reflect events on earth and the development of humankind. Looking back over the last 500 years, Venus Transits seem to coincide with certain recurring themes. However, that is conjecture at this point. Here are a few of the themes: