Venus as the Ultimate Astrological Alchemist

While we often think of Scorpio or Pluto as astrological transformers — Venus has an alchemy all of their own.

And Venus retrograde cycles can be particularly transformative. Similar to other phases of backward-moving planets, we often get a redo or revisit from the past. However, with Venus, this may take the form of people or facing parts of ourselves that invite us into deeper self-intimacy. Sometimes it reflects to us that we haven’t valued ourselves or put earning love from others above our own needs.

And around every 18 months for 40 days, these themes can come up in full force as Venus asks us to birth something whether it be an insight or a way of seeing ourselves in relationship to others.

Just as the alchemists believed that by performing physical transformations of substances, they could achieve spiritual enlightenment and gold…Venus reveals instead astrologically through a retrograde, synodic cycle, astrological chart comparisons, or alchemically anytime we find ourselves being changed by another.

As a Taurus — ruled by Venus — and someone whose natal Venus touches almost every planet in my chart, Venus retrograde usually proves to be a potent time for me. And this cycle was no different. One of the trickiest things about being an astrologer for me is how to write about what’s…