VENUS RETROGRADES IN CAPRICORN:
On Sunday December 19th at 5:36 A.M. EST until January 29th at 3:46 A.M. EST we will be under the influence of a retrograde Venus. This occurs about every 18 months and it’s a time when we are called upon to examine our most intimate relationships and make sure that we are clear about what we need from them. Because this will take place entirely in the sign of Capricorn this will be an extended period of limitations in how we relate to each other. Capricorn and its ruler, Saturn is known to restrict whatever it contacts. But it isn’t doing so just for fun or to hurt you in any way. Its purpose is to slow you down and force you to examine the situation to ensure that you are on solid footing and aren’t moving too quickly or being delusional. It also implies a time of financial restraint, usually for the same reasons. This doesn’t mean a stock market crash as some astrologers assume. We have had crashes while Venus is in Capricorn, or because it is in retrograde, but since the retrograde occurs every year and a half you would be hard pressed to find a consistent pattern of market malaise just because Venus is going backwards. There will be some slowdown in growth. We are already seeing that in the markets and some indicators in the economy. Generally we are on a rather fast recovery and the economic numbers are quite good. But because we have been in a very long bull market a correction is long overdue, and this aspect may coincide with a bear market for a bit. Remember, there is a big difference between a stock market crash and a correction or sideways market. But it is on a personal level that this retrograde will have its greatest effect. Any issues that haven’t been discussed or viewed honestly within a relationship will give you some difficulty over the next 6 weeks. Don’t be afraid to look at things with an open mind. The only real problems will come from ignoring the obvious or pretending that all is well. You would be wise to make some changes now. This is a chance to secure the underbelly and repair what is broken. Once Venus begins its forward motion in January it will be harder to fix the foundation, and any troubles within the relationship will only decay more rapidly.