VENUS RETROGRADE IN LEO: Reviving the heart

Venus stations retrograde on July 22nd at 28 degrees of Leo and will station direct on August 3rd. Evening star to Morning star cycle.

After an intense past couple of weeks, a super deep Cancer season, the two malefic planets in opposition (Mars in Virgo opposing Saturn retrograde in Pisces), the Lunar nodes shifting into Aries and Libra creating an anaretic Cardinal cross (Grand Square) as the Sun and Pluto oppose each other at 29° and square the nodes of fate, and the kickoff of Leo season...the astrology lightens up a bit (comparatively speaking) the week of July 23rd.

As the Goddess of love begins her underworld journey and prepares to revisit matters of the heart in the fixed Fire sign of Leo, she finds herself at the pinnacle of a YOD (finger of fate) with Neptune sextile Pluto as the supportive sextile base. This becomes exact on the 23rd. An indication of a personal transformation of values that will ripple out into the collective. In the regal sign of Leo. we are divinely supported in the process of burning off the layers of gunk that block the power of our hearts. Have I been valuing myself and have others been valuing me?

Venus retrogrades approximately every 18 months for 40 days. The last Venus retrograde that dipped into Leo was eight summers ago. What themes are resurfacing and how have your values changed since then? This alchemical process allows us to examine such issues and reemerge at the end of this underworld journey (baptism of fire), in greater alignment with our own sovereignty.

The purpose of a Venus retrograde is to begin one of two cycles, Lady Luck, appearing as a morning star in our sky, or out of sight as an evening star. The disappearance from our sky will occur on August 13th in the middle of this retrograde cycle. A new expression of passion, pleasure, and power. On her re-emergence, Venus will be conjunct the Sun (and Leo's ruler) sign at 20° of Leo, kickstarting a new 584-day cycle of heart opening and a new embodied presentation of YOU! Remember, the archetypal energy of Leo is one of Authentic joy! Where is that hidden in your heart? What creative endeavors light you up? Do that again!