Retrograde Venus

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Retrograde Venus

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Have been intending to write some comments about it for some time, but this particular retrograde Venus has been affecting me personally so my attempts have all been rather too... subjective (and may still be so, but will attempt to be 'impartial...oh well, Venus does rule Libra, which has the capacity to be impartial. :) ).

This Venus R, which began on the 6th March 09 in the 16th deg. of Aries is, as you are probably aware, a sign in which Venus is not particularly 'comfortable'. Her need for harmony meets the Mars drive of Aries to just 'get ahead'/go - at any cost. Not at face value: a 'happy marrriage'.

The significance of Venus' connection with relationships (Libra), and with finances (Taurus) (and that's only the nutshell of course) is certainly clearly relevant to the current world socio-economic situation. So much activity and parlaying. 'Material possessions' (Venus) are being challenged on every front, as new ways and directions (Aries)are demanded and being forged ahead with. So far, stating the obvious.

Dane Rudhyar's description of the 16th Aries suggests that this is a time for 'repotentialisation' - or 'becoming again like a little child'. And of course, this particular retrograde follows through and coincides with many significant 'outer' planetary configurations, such as for eg. the long and ongoing Saturn opp. Uranus - and more to go on that one. And also the Pluto ingress into Capricorn. (Too much to go into here).

So...onto another way of looking at it: Erin Sullivan (in her book "Retrograde Planets - Traversing the Inner Landscape" - Arkana), equates Venus with the 5th Harmonic...the Quintile. That aspect that has to do with
'creative inspiration put to skilled use'
, which I have to agree with, tho' hadn't thought of it being relevant to Venus. And further she says:
"...It may be why...love, values, creative issues and diplomacy occurs both globally and individually when Venus stations, turns retrograde and remains so for forty days, communing with the immutable forces which guard the mysterious knowledge. The knowledge that Venus imparts upon its return to the upper world is not the information that Mercury brings to the surface...It is an aesthetic, visceral knowing, which can only be enacted or portrayed through the subtlety of relationships with others or in abstract imagery."


Ahh...'40' days. A powerful number in history. She says further:
"...The lessons learned in the course of the forty-day retrograde period are relative only to the individual experiencing them...",
and,
"Of all the retrograde cycles, Venus' appears to be the most unconscious in its immediate effects, but in the long view the most rational."
(? You work that one out!).
"Therefore it would serve to look back eight years ... for there will be echoes of the past in the present situation."
Well, I'm still working on that one.

Venus turns direct on the 17th April in the 30th Deg. of Pisces. The Sabian deg. symbol is: "A seer's dream now lives: a face carved into huge rocks". Part of the interpretation of this by Helene & Willem Koppejan in their "The Zodiac Image Handbook - The Mutable Signs", is:
"...a microcosmos...of the macrocosmos... ... ... we are constructed to meet the contingencies of our situation..."
and:
"(this symbol/image) tells the tale of humanity's long climb...to perfected consciousness".
(Obviously, we're not 'there' yet, but bear in mind that this is the last degree of the Zodiac, so at least it holds the promise of perhaps a 'new' way?)

I have been receiving endless 'New Age' and 'New World' e-mails about all of this. And to be honest, am just a tad tired of hearing this (and for the last 20 years): "The World Consciousness is Changing!". Well, yes, it seems obvious that it is. And clearly we have no option but to ...recognise the worst of homo sapien's 'use and abuse' of our little world, especially as it affects each of us personally more and more.

So, this particular Venus Retrograde does bring each and every one of us in a very personal way, into this world view. Basically, and stating the obvious again, it is hitting us hard in the proverbial where it hurts most: our values, both materially/financially, and the way in which we 'relate' to the rest of the world.

Once again I recommend Philip Sedgwick's 'Galactic News'. He talks about and describes the essence and meaning of so many of the way-outer 'bodies' recently discovered and belonging to our Solar System, and about how their emergence mirrors the changing 'consciousness' of we homo sapiens. ( http://www.philipsedgwick.com and go to "The Galactic Times). Tis a tad hard to digest, (at least, I found it so..for while...), but...stick with it. It starts to unfold so beautifully.

Hope someone will comment on this and give some personal experiences and/or views. Thanks.
"Don't let the illusions of your past or future rob you of the infiniteness of your present." [Unknown]
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Re: Retrograde Venus

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I had forgotten about the myth of Inanna and her sister Ereshkigal until I read Philip Sedgwick's latest 'Galactic Times' entry, wherein he says:
"Symbolically, Venus (and ala the Inana mythology) recently descended into the underworld. Aligned with the symbolism of the cave retreat in the Makemake myth, go within and down deep where the level of consciousness passes subconscious and unconscious into a state of alacrity and consciousness known as preconsciousness - the innocent primal state of awareness that sees things soulfully sans the contamination of life conditioning, prohibitive philosophies and fears that have become embedded by less than ideal experiences or collective media saturation.""
And more on Venus Retrograde and Inanna/Ishtar (who in ancient Sumerian myth was ‘Queen of Heaven’, and who became later Aphrodite or Venus), and her descent into the ‘Underworld’.
The following extract is from http://www.halexandria.org/dward385.htm and is very much worth reading in full ! (The bold italics are my emphases).
“ ... Inanna’s descent (into the Underworld) is, in fact, a description of her spiritual initiation. In the myth… She literally abandons heaven and earth, giving up her earthly possessions and everything that might be considered of value in ordinary life This willingness to voluntarily let go of the mundane values of the world is an essential requirement of any soul undertaking such a journey, and for anyone who expects to follow such a path of initiation.
At the same time, she recognizes the need to protect herself, to not “go quietly into that dark night” without preparing herself first. She adorns herself with those attributes of civilization that will serve her best. And when they are taken from her at the seven gates of the underworld …their removal is all the more significant…
Her “faithful servant”, Ninshubur, is a critical component in the myth. She was considered as handmaid or vizier to Inanna...Ninshubur comes to the rescue of Inanna, warding off the fierce emissaries sent to prevent Inanna from bringing the attributes of civilization to humanity…
…Ninshubur seems to have no life of her own, no specificity beyond her capacity to serve. No ego, she simply carries out precisely and competently whatever Inanna asks of her.
…She is described by one author (Perera) “…as a ‘model of woman’s deepest reflective-of-the-Self, priestess function, one which operates as simple executrix of the Self’s commands, often when the soul is most threatened.’ ‘She seems to embody that small part of us that stays above ground while the soul descends, the still conscious and functioning aspect of the psyche which can witness the events below and above and feel concern for the fate of the soul.'
…Ninshubur, as advisor and warrior, as one whose hands and feet have not been touched by water (symbolically, emotion)…takes on all the characteristics of Inanna’s Higher Self. And from Inanna’s viewpoint, what better protection on an initiation’s ordeal, the descent into the underworld, than one’s Higher Self!...
…Ereshkigal, the Queen of the Underworld, can be thought of as the neglected, dark side of Inanna, that part of the Queen of Heaven that was unloving, unloved, abandoned, instinctual, and full of rage, greed, and desperate loneliness. Ereshkigal’s one great craving was for her own sexual satisfaction, a craving which was not being fulfilled...
Ereshkigal’s reaction to Inanna is understandable inasmuch as Inanna’s light, glory, and movement have been, to some extent, achieved at Ereshkigal’s expense… Initially, her reaction is the chaotic defensive of the unconsciousness reacting to an unwelcome visitation. In many respects, Ereshkigal is the black aspect of Lilith, ruthlessly destroying “all that is not our true individuality or appropriate life path.”
The seven stages of Inanna’s descent, the seven gates of the underworld, can be thought of as an early “Dance of the Seven Veils”, wherein we give up our fundamental illusions about life. In Inanna’s case, the removal of each of her royal garments constitutes a symbolic loss, and each represents, in order, the kundalini chakras… … …
…Inanna had initially prepared for her descent by giving up her worldly possessions and status, but this was not enough. Making the descent into Hades requires evenmore.
Upon entering the underworld, judgment is passed against Inanna (the inevitable judgment of the external world against each of us), wrath and guilt are hurled at her, and she is physically struck by her dark side…
…After three days (the time traditionally viewed as the “Dark of the Moon” period… Ninshubur sets up a public lament, beating the drum, circling the temples, tearing at her eyes, mouth, and thighs, and dressing in sackcloth (a symbol of mourning). …(and pleads to)...Enki, Inanna’s maternal grandfather and God of Wisdom…(who) understands the value of the journey Inanna has undertaken, has compassion for her difficulty, and does not forget that she is vital to humanity… (He empathises) with Inanna, and (improvises) to create what the moment needs.
Enki has understood that complaining is one voice of the dark goddess, a way of expressing life -- valid and deep in the feminine soul. Such complaining does not seek alleviation as much as it is to simply state the existence of things as they are felt to a sensitive and vulnerable being…(which) should be viewed as autonomous fact -- “that's the way it is.” Suffering is seen as part of reverencing.”

…In ascending from the underworld, a dilemma is encountered. The Anunna (aka the Anunnaki) must maintain the rules of the underworld, but they must also deal with the fact that Inanna has been reborn in the underworld, an original event… … …Inanna cannot be allowed to again forget her neglected, abandoned “sister”, that part of herself that is Ereshkigal. …Wolkstein views this aspect as a passageway which has been created from the Great Above, the conscious, to the Great Below, the unconscious -- which must be kept open. …
… Reasons for Making the Descent
…the implication is that she was seeking wisdom and understanding…According to Perera… Inanna's descent “is a story of an initiation process into the mysteries.” “Inanna shows us the way, and she is first to sacrifice herself for a deep feminine wisdom and for atonement. She descends, submits and dies. This openness to being acted upon is the essence of the experience of the human soul faced with the transpersonal. It is not based upon passivity, but upon an active willingness to receive.”
...Inanna is also descending into the underworld “because...(she) had perhaps heard the pain and anguish of her denied and dark side, and was willing to acknowledge the feelings of abandonment and guilt. It is also a form of approaching the dark forces of earthly reality and the unconscious; a slow process of peeling away ego-identifications and defenses -- particularly after “the conscious ideal of the personality has been wounded by being cut off from its roots by the devaluation of matter and the feminine.” … … …
The Descent into Hades as a Psychological Tool…”
(You’ll have to go to the site to read on as I may already have quoted too much therefrom).
As I mentioned at the start, Philip Sedgwick, in his usual amazingly insightful way (‘The Galactic Times’ http://www.philipsedgwick.com ) describes the relationship of this myth with Venus retrograde, along with its significance with another matter – the recently discovered planet ‘Makemake’ (which has a 309 orbital period) – named after an Easter Island god. (I’ll leave that part up to you to check out). However, what I will mention more of re his description of this is that the Makemake tale results in a sojourn in a CAVE (as mentioned above), from which (whomever enters therein…long story – go read it!) emerges with ‘much wisdom’. And Philip made mention of an ‘intense dream’ he had in which he was given ‘an insight of great significance’, and about which he found it difficult to ‘bring back’ into consciousness on awaking. (And another reason I’m mentioning this is because I too have had 2 ‘cave’ dreams in the last few weeks. One in which there was a very old woman who told me much – and, no – I couldn’t remember what it was when I awoke! And the other, a cave full of gold – and I didn’t have…a pick axe! :( )
Anyway…I found this all really fascinating and significant. Do hope others will too, and will post any thoughts.
"Don't let the illusions of your past or future rob you of the infiniteness of your present." [Unknown]
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Re: Retrograde Venus

Post by scorpio »

Well, I am ready to have a good 'complain' about Venus Retrograde. As she crossed my Aries midheaven my cat had to be put down because of kidney troubles, my tumble dryer broke down, my computer broke down and had to be replaced and I contracted a very nasty urinary tract infection! Now, of course, not all of these are Venus related and, yes, I did have other nasty transits at the time. Nonetheless, I still associate the cat and her kidneys, the urinary tract and all the money I had to spend to replace my laptop and tumble dryer with Venus. So to compensate, like Inana I took a trip to the underworld (the local shopping centre) and went on a shopping spree (Venus and retail therapy) and felt much better for doing so!
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Re: Retrograde Venus

Post by janeflorez »

I was born with Venus Retrograde and each time this planet goes retrograde, I feel resonance from my original natal experience. This current retrograde spell is no exception.

My natal Venus Retrograde (on my MC) did not turn direct until I was 21 years old. The myth of the descent into the underworld is only too familiar to me. As the retrograde natal Venus falls behind the Sun, someone (probably a family member) will play out the role of the Sun as other enters the underworld and becomes a creature of it.

Just think of the functions that Venus develops for us as we grow up. All of these will be internalised and remain quite undeveloped. Think of autism, and you will not be too far away from the truth. Relating is difficult. One may feel beautiful words, music or paintings going on underground, but they will not be externalised as the function to do this, is absent.

If any of you have been touched by the current Venus retrograde period, you may recognise some of your difficulties in the above description.
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