posted August 01, 2007 11:26 AM         

And either we'll be proud and content with the choice we make, or we'll feel the grumbles of resentment, like we're missing out because we're 'trapped'. These feelings are a gift from Venus retrograde, letting us check in with our current relationship status, to remind us how lucky we are… or to reveal how it isn't quite what we'd like.

No outside party's presence is required, however, for Venus retrograde to turn us reflective about our interpersonal allegiances. In fact, the very knowledge that we astro-watchers are privy to—that Venus is retrograde, and that it's thus a good time to reflect on our relationships—can help us consciously choose to do this. Even the reemergence of friends we haven't seen much lately, and the resultant conversations we share to explain what's going on with us and to hear feedback from unbiased ears, can shed new light. Making sure we're opening our hearts in the right way to the right people is a noble goal of Venus retrograde.

With Venus currently in Virgo (a placement I described at length here), we may be prone to noticing the intricate patterns on one leaf of one tree… and miss the whole forest entirely. In other words, Venus in Virgo tends to focus our eyes on little details about the people or relationships currently in question—and lead us to overlook the larger picture, or to forget that emotional connection is often something that cannot be analyzed.

When Venus goes retrograde in Virgo, we could fixate on one isolated quality about somebody that we adore or detest, only to ignore so many other relevant factors that will reemerge as significant later. We may also be unnecessarily critical of the ones we love, outsmarting our own good by nitpicking the beauty away.

Yet, a couple weeks from now (Aug 8), Venus will slip back into Leo… to deliver us a message about generosity of spirit that Virgo, with magnifying glass perpetually affixed to its eye in search of flaws, is liable to miss. Venus in Leo loves her epic love gestures, so eager for a winning story that paints her as romantic heroine that she'll don whatever garb is necessary for the happily-ever-after. However, the lingering question that hangs over a retrograde Venus in Leo (especially when we factor in her conjunctions with Saturn): Is this relationship an authentic expression of my love, or am I simply playing a part with all the convincing gusto of an Oscar-winning actor?

Only the heart knows—and Venus retrograde is a time to listen to it.