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On Friday (aka Freyja's Day), October 5, Venus begins her retrograde through November 16. For 40 days and forty nights the planet of love, connection, intimacy, and beauty moves seemingly backwards in the sky. Her movements with the Earth creating the rose image above with the center being the Sun. Symbolically the planet of love dances around the Sun as an image of self. While this retrograde occurs in Scorpio it is a reminder of connection to ourselves as the inward, alchemical journey of intimacy with self and mythologically a descent into personal power.
The number 40 is specifically important in the Bible as 40 days Moses was on the mountaintop and the Jewish bible as 40 days in the wilderness. In both cases wilderness a representation of connection to self and nature.
Nothing quite sums up Venus in Scorpio to me, quite like "love happens in the messy." A mantra I saw when I was a OneTaste practitioner. Though this Venus retrograde relates to 8 years ago in 2010. Takes the time to remember what was going on relationally at that time as this phrase may mark a major releasing of those patterns. Below are some other reminders for this sacred time:
Release relationships that no longer serve your soul's greater growth.
Reconnect and make right with old flames, friends, or family.
Rewire attachments towards love.
Reread favorite love stories.
Re-write myths about your value or worth.
While personal planetary retrogrades tend to get the most attention, the subtle energies of the asteroid retrogrades can be equally transformative. Juno is an important asteroid to take note of both in the natal chart, in relational astrology, as well as by retrograde, though because it moves so quickly the transits aren't often as impactful. It begins retrograde cycle Oct. 11 around 9 p.m. PST/12:00 a.m. EST on Oct. 12. From now until December 23 patterns of partnership and the stretching between independence and co-dependence may be more present. While Venus Retrograde brings connection and relationships to the forefront, Juno’s domain focuses more on romantic and business partnerships.
Juno in our natal charts speaks to our needs and what motivates us the most to be in partnership (business or romantic). However, Juno’s shadow side is often leaning so far into dependency that it doesn’t honor individual needs…while this may sound similar to Libra, Juno’s ideas of partnership usually aren’t so idealized. In her myth, she stayed married even when it didn’t serve her and hurt her own reputation. (Hillary Clinton could be a modern version of this archetype in many ways, though obviously it is much more complex than that.)
This asteroid isn’t into casual flings, so this may be more of a time where past boyfriends/girlfriends or committed relationships come back into view. Perhaps the ones that got away, versus with Venus the lovers or crushes.
If you were born with Juno in retrograde, this indicates you may not feel partnership comes naturally to you. To work with this retrograde, be sure to notice which planets in your natal chart are in relationship to Juno as well as the sign and house. Below is more info from my The Numinous article:
:: JUNO :: Roman Goddess of Marriage and the Queen of the Gods
Juno presides over marriage and business partnerships, and often indicates the type of person we marry or find it easy to commit to. She helps us differentiate between being attracted to someone versus what is a good long-term fit for us.
Illuminated Expressions: Balanced partnership that honors both individual purpose and connection through commitment, equality, and loyalty
Shadow Expressions: Attachment patterns, power struggles and jealousy in relationships, fears and manipulation, controlling expressions of the feminine that detach us from personal needs and selfhood
Placement by Sign: Understanding what motivates us to be in partnership, and how we can create both togetherness and individuality
Juno in Fire Signs: Relationships with excitement that also involve independence (Aries), admiration (Leo), and unified vision (Sagittarius) are all main motivators for partnerships. Keep an eye on passion that leads too far into drama or becomes destructive. *Look for potential partners at the gym or places where you can expand your horizons.
Juno in Earth Signs: Keeps an eye out for stability in relationship and looks for physical security (Taurus), day-to-day support (Virgo), and dependability (Capricorn). *Ideal long-term partners could include people you meet at work, or in more traditional ways such as friends of friends, or even a matchmaker.
Juno in Air Signs: Seeks mental stimulation (Gemini), equality (Libra), or freedom (Aquarius) in partnership. Honor the air element by honing communication skills in relationships and staying open to something more non-traditional. *Locations for cosmic connections could include school or community events.
Juno in Water Signs: Juno appreciates nurturing (Cancer), intimate bonding (Scorpio), and spiritual connection (Pisces). Juno here may also be prone to not see things clearly, so keep away from manipulation, power struggles, or fantasy. *Karmic partnerships may form at church, through family friends, or even at intense bastions of sexuality like strip clubs!