Caveat: The reason for this protracted Venus in Leo transit is the dreaded “r” word. From July 22 to September 3, Venus will be retrograde, a cycle that comes around every 18 months. (Better renew those vows Jen and Ben…) During this backspin, Venus changes from evening star (visible at dusk) to morning star (visible right before dawn). The ancients thought Venus was two separate planets and thus has two Greek names: Phosphorus, “the bringer of light” for her morning star cycle, and Hesperus, “the star of the evening,” for her evening phase. Passion or provocation? This six-week phase will be quite the storied one. Venus retrogrades are not always easy. They can exhume ghosts of relationships past…or provoke sudden ghostings just when connections are heating up. Long-lost lovers may reunite but struggle to find their footing when it’s time to produce an actual “sequel.” Our advice? Enjoy the dopamine rush of attraction, but wait until Venus corrects course on September 3 before doing any future planning. And if you’re already otherwise engaged when that old flame hits you up on Snapchat? Keep lines as clear as possible and just remember that it will all shake out by autumn. Remember that “new love energy” can be intoxicating—but with Venus in reverse, it can also screen out someone’s toxic traits. In the middle of the retrograde, Venus disappears from view as it makes an inferior conjunction to the Sun. This year, the rebirth of Venus happens on August 18, which might bring a major perspective shift around love! If you’ve been perpetually single, you may be inspired to put yourself out on the apps again. In fashion-forward Leo, beauty-queen Venus can inspire you to revamp your style or set up a sexy photo shoot. Start with mood boards, then shop for ‘fits and hire your snapper after the retrograde. (Or get it all going in early June!) What’s absolutely verboten during Venus retrograde? (Or should be…) Cosmetic surgeries, drastic makeovers, tattoos, or any changes to your look that are hard to undo. Everyone loves a fringe of bangs…until it’s time to grow them out. Adapted with permission from The AstroTwins 2023 Yearly Horoscope.
