Venus Retrograde in Gemini
Venus Retrograde: May 13 - June 24
Fine-tuning our relationships
Early in the morning on Wednesday, May 13, Venus begins its retrograde “backwards” through Gemini, halting at 22° Gemini and retracing its steps to earlier degrees, maintaining a square with Neptune throughout a greater part of this transit. Here’s what you need to know.
Venus is the planet of many wonderful things, but what it all boils down to is value, beauty, and pleasure. It speaks to who we love and cherish, what we value the most in ourselves and others (our love language!), and the type of art we enjoy, clothes we wear, and pleasures we seek! ANYTIME there is a retrograde, it is an opportunity to review the themes of what that planet represents. During a Venus retrograde, it is a time to review our relationships - both with the self and with others. With Venus in Gemini, this reminds me of the Lovers card in the tarot and its lesson of duality and reciprocity. This card holds the idea that our relationships reflect how we personally show up. It speaks to the relationship we have with ourselves, and our relationship with relationship in general, and how it sets the stage for the way our one-on-one relationships play out. Typically speaking, those with healthy constructs around the value of self have happier relationships, because a positive self-image shows up as healthy boundaries and a certain set of expectations of what they will and will not accept in their partnerships. Contrarily, those with poor self-image are more likely to find themselves in relationships (or even short interactions) where they are disrespected, taken advantage of, and perhaps even abused. Basically, the way you allow others to treat you is rooted in the way you treat yourself . YOU are the one who sets that bar based on how much you think you are worth.
As mentioned, as Venus retrogrades in mutable Gemini, it forms a square to Neptune in Pisces. When Venus and Neptune square each other, it can cause us to have a very warped and idealistic view on our relationships. We may find it difficult to see other people’s true colors. We may not notice a wolf in sheep’s clothing and struggle to uphold healthy boundaries, and perhaps we may find ourselves getting lost in someone else. This transit can show the negative sides of hopeless romanticism - you may put someone on a pedestal as you try to fulfill an ideal version of the other person you’ve created in your head but in no way reflects the way in which this person is actually showing up. It is important that we see the relationship for that it is based on the actions of the other person and the way they consistently treat us. If you can remember that this transit can give us rose-colored glasses to other people’s bullshit, you will have a better opportunity to see your relationships for what they truly are, and not what you would like them to be.
So, let’s take a look at your relationships. Are you happy with the company you keep? As you reflect on your relationships, is there anything that you are dissatisfied with? Perhaps you can find a common theme with the areas of dissatisfaction, or uncover information about how you show up in relationships and how that is attributing to the quality of the relationships you keep. Under the retrograde, relationship issues may come to the surface, and past relationships may re-emerge (it is important to remind yourself why the past was left in the past). And while our relationships with other people may be our biggest priority, we are not encouraged to make any permanent decisions while the retrograde is active. It is a time for review. Take stock of what you have going on platonically and romantically, and how you would like that to look different. Retrogrades highlight things that are not working, so relationships that need mending (or ENDING) may become abundantly clear. Do your part to figure out how YOU are showing up in these relationships, and how your part may be affecting the relationship as a whole. If you are dissatisfied with your relationships, what is needed to fix them? Have the issues even been brought to the attention of the partnership and has a solution been effectively communicated? (this should be a first step!) Look at these relationships and ask yourself if the issues are asking you to compromise your values and boundaries (does this person really RESPECT you??). Does this person put in the same effort as you do and are they willing to compromise and put in effort to fix any issue that arise? Is this relationship really worth holding on to? ← That is what Venus retrograde asks us to look at.
Another angle is to ask yourself this: What is your relationship with relationships itself? Why do you like being in relationships in the first place and how does being in a relationship enhance your life? Why do you personally need human connection and what do you get from your relationships that you cannot give to yourself? What is the most important thing for you to have within relationships and are you getting that from the relationships you keep? (Hint: look at your Venus placement - this will tell you what you value the most!).
I want to ask you one last thing: Do the relationships you keep bring out the best in you / do they uplift you? If you answer NO - this is a clear sign that this relationship isn’t serving you, and its purpose is to teach you a difficult but valuable life lesson and nothing more. Figure out what this relationship is trying to teach you and work on integrating the lesson as you choose to go your separate ways. Life is too short to hang onto shitty relationships. Use this retrograde to get clear on which relationships feed you and keep you healthy, and which relationships use you, suck you dry, and fail to serve your overall growth.
Xoxo,
Maple Eastwood
Maple offers personalized astrology and tarot readings at a variety of price points and time frames.
If you are looking for guidance, readings with Maple will get you there.
