Venus Retrograde 2010: The Sticky Wicked?

Venus going retrograde on October 8th (at 14:46 UT) puts all of us on notice that the things which have been slowly taking shape on the outside for the past few weeks are now going to begin affecting us more personally and to our core.

Because Venus is symbolizes our ability to realize things or bring them into our life as a 'tangible reality,' for Venus to go retrograde means two things. One, that our concepts of tangible reality and what things are worth are going to come up for review. Maybe even get challenged. For instance, during retrograde would be a likely moment for you to 'get' something you've really been wanting, only to realize you don't like it (or want it) all that much.

This 'the excitement is in the chase' thing is likely to be all the more pronounced (and apply in many more areas) since this retrograde is happening in Scorpio, sign of all interactive desires. And though we think of such (interactive desires) greatly in the intimate relationship arena, it's really far more basic than that. If there's you in your world and there's something you want to bring into your world, find an outlet for, acquire, manage, parlay into more, even repair or get rid of, that's interactive. If you don't have it and you want to achieve or secure it, that's interactive.

If you're want to work on or repair some factor of your life, you're wanting to do so for a reason - that's interactive. In fact, that's literally inter-active, considering you're choosing to act in the cause of fixing, growing, changing, or eliminating some portion of your Self.

In all of this (or any of these) the fact that there is a motivating urge is the key to why Scorpio is said to be first ruled by Mars. The changes which come out of what you choose and how well you choose - that's the Pluto-as-'outcome'-ruler part of Scorpio. And considering that the orbit of Pluto (the celestial object) is governed by Neptune, that gives us a clue as to why 'Pluto moments' (and periods) are filled with reveling in success, wallowing in disillusionment, feeling idyllically fulfilled or haplessly, helplessly crunched.

Neptune (source: NASA/JPL)

Bearing all this in mind we come to the degree at which Venus will go retrograde - which would be 13 Scorpio, a degree which has a reputation for 'loneliness' coupled to 'stubbornness' and 'willfullness.' 

The 'up' side of this combination is its ability to 'create' safety or a 'safe zone' in which to operate. Does this make the Venus station possibly a good time for negotiations? On one hand yes - the days surrounding the station of October 8th (stations having a 2-day leeway in either direction) may find 'opposing factions' finally sitting down to converse in a more-or-less direct manner.

 Venus Station/Retrograde

October 8, 2010 - 7:06 (UT/+0)

With this station occurring as Venus stands in exact conjunction with TNO Huya (link to article on Huya) gives an additional parameter here...namely that those who carry on (stubbornly) doing for the greater good (Huya) will eventually make the greatest gains (Venus as reaping rewards + Huya in its 'rainmaker' function).

But all is not peaches and cream here. In the picture of this station, Venus is conjunct Mars, with Mars positioned at 15 Scorpio. Known rather broadly as a 'lesser developed' Scorpio degree which seems doomed to merely 'do' but never achieve, the probable secret to using 15 Scorpio on the plus side involves recognizing that this is one of the zodiac's 'cross quarter' degrees.

  Cross-quarter points occur at 15 degrees of each

fixed sign. Because fixed signs are the 'middle'

signs in each quadrant of the 'natural' zodiac wheel,

that means cross quarter points bisect each of the

zodiac's 'natrual' quarters.

Fixed signs being notoriously...sticky when it comes to matters of moving on (which can be as good as bad and everywhere between depending on how its used!), the cross-quarter degrees thus become demarcation points. At these points, or as symbols move past these points, we meet the division between 'controlling/managing/gathering facts' and 'releasing, acting on and making  forward thinking decisions' become important. Even vital.

So Venus is at 13 in this picture. And given that we are talking here about it's station/retrograde point, Venus it isn't moving towards release or decision or even really acting on anything. Quite the contrary...with 13 Scorpio being the position of a Black Hole, it is at this point that there is a perception of that Venusian 'wanting it, working on making it real' in life...the it could be true, or I was hoping I would be well received which gets to this point then backs away.

Part of the question thus is...what are we backing away from? The real truth? That which we had hoped for which we now see isn't workable or isn't really what we wanted to begin with? Are we backing away from some sort of effort required to get into some sort of interactive situation? What is being asked of us in that situation?

It being Mars which is standing at the cross-quarter point, the question is plainly how or if to move ahead. Conjunct desirous Eros, the question is whether we 'want it enough' to be willing to do (Mars) whatever is needed so that we are prepared (Venus) to be successful (Venus) as we go (Mars) through the metaphysical 'education-by-interactive application' (Mars moving through the balance of Scorpio and the whole of Sagittarius) in the effort to get where we want to go and emerge lusciously and victoriously satisfied (Mars/Venus).

All while (oh yes...) remembering that for us to 'win' what we want, we have to harness the Huya lesson: to be the rainmaker is to use who and what we are (and know how to do) to help others raise themselves up, producing the abundance of harvest which then spills over in abundance into our own lives. 

Whenever we talk Huya, I suggest thinking of people like Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey and assembly-line maestro Henry Ford. These are people who took what they understand to give others the tools to have a better and more productive life. And though we often think only in monetary terms, Huya can operate through any means or medium. So here seen in conjunction with Venus, the medium could be money. Then again, it could be love. Or satisfaction. Or security - whatever that means to you personally.

With the Mars of this moment conjunct a pulsar, we should all not only expect moments of brilliance, but moments when we have no idea...when we wonder what we're doing or why on earth we're doing it. Given this chart as the 'picturing' of the entire Venus retrograde period, we should expect that theme to carry through - and for progress (such as it will be) to be sporadic. Or spotty. Or achieved by anything except the most direct route.

And that may be where the Venusian stubbornness - aka determination - shown by Venus taking station at 13 Scorpio really comes in.

But with that said, don't think you're waiting entirely on others. It may be tempting to do just that, but that certainly isn't the point of this - or any retrograde cycle. Particularly this one, as Venus' present turn to retrograde is happening just as this year's Orionid meteor shower is beginning.

The Temptress - by Raile

Planets in direct motion are about growth which we experience through the people around us and things which go on in and around our world. Planets in retrograde are about internal growth. So with this one coinciding with a moment in which we are being 'showered with points of light' (meteors as momentary illuminations) recognitions, realizations and gettings of 'the point' are evidently on the menu.

So! Depending on what you've been doing and how much you've already done, this may be a period of  consolidation - when you 'solidify' gains made and really get straight on what you have achieved so far. This is a common concept in military campaigns - you can only extend your supply lines so far before they become so strung out as to be vulnerable.

Where we have 'overstretched' ourselves, life will now make that evident - and from that we will have to consider how to proceed. At the very least we have to hold on for a moment to pull our proverbial pants up. And at the other end of the spectrum, maybe we have simply 'gone too far' in one sense or another: financially, physically, emotionally, in terms of any basic ability to keep up with things. A lot of people will probably come into this station period feeling vengeful, hassled, marginalized,  overwhelmed, bogged down, critical/criticized, hurt (sad, remorseful, insulted, etc.)...or simply boggled.

OR....or they may have been avoiding feeling all those very things.

Whatever is on your plate now, as you go into this Venus retrograde which will take us all the way to mid November, there will be a sense of waiting. But the person you are waiting for first and last is you. This time is about internal growth. It's about getting straight with you about who you are, what you are capable of, what you need to learn how to do - and it's all about how you operate in the world, in the company of (or with) others. That we know because this is all taking place in a  zodiacal 3rd quadrant sign - Scorpio.

We also know that the highs and lows of Scorpio, from elation to despair, from anger and frustration to rejection, denial and bliss born of ignorance...the whole cavalcade of hopes, dreams, demands, disgusts will be on display. If you're someone who doesn't what to 'see' or feel that, that's your call for sure, but then you're just choosing the Scorpio denial/ignorance/abandonment route - which is no better than anything else and often more harmful than most.

In the end, this cycle is about allowing ourselves to learn more about ourselves. It may be prompted by things which will happen now and going forward, or it may be a mixture of that and what has happened up until now. That when Venus goes direct it will go direct in tandem with Jupiter moving back into forward motion is a distinct signal that we have much to gain by being realistic and everything to lose by living in our own world, our own fantasy, our own closed mind, walled off heart or narrowness of spirit.

Where Scorpio is concerned, we serve to filter the good out - we accept all and from that make something good; we are the filter...we are the process of transmutation and metamorphic transformation. That the underlying rule for handling all things Scorpionic is to acknowledge the emotions or feelings at hand then proceed and choose based on facts and the basic Mars/Aries understanding that what you undertake you need to have the courage to see though...that is very much the key to the next six weeks or so.

One more note here: with the Moon of this image at 22 Libra conjunct Child and Spica/Tantalus yet opposition Eris/Edisonia is all about knowing yourself and knowing others. There is a temptation to foist one's childish, tantrum 'I want it!' sort of craving onto others - and where that isn't present, you're likely to have others act out on you.

Twenty-two Libra being all about the choice between careless self-indulgence and the truth of knowing, the primary separation here seems to be one between childish and childlike - and after that between true innocence of conviction/truth-of-innocence and plain immaturity, lack of ability/capacity and those various kinds of ego/self priority of focus which will not play well interactively going forward.

Planet Venus  (source: NASA/JPL)

.