A Different Kind of Relationship
Venus also goes retrograde, though less often than Mercury. It appears to turn backward in its path through the sky about five times in eight years, for a period of about six weeks at a time. Traditional astrology recommends against choosing Venus retrograde for a wedding date, since Venus is the planet of love. Its energies can be weaker, its power lessened, or its influence more passive than it ordinarily might be. Some astrologers feel that the Venusian energies are internalized or turned inward, making it tougher to connect or share emotions. This placement can also add complexity to the emotional tenor of the marriage.
Despite many astrologers admonishing against this placement, just consider: could all of the 350,000 couples married in a six-week period in the U.S. have problems? Decidedly not. Venus retrograde is just another astrology influence to consider. If you’ve already set a date with Venus retrograde, it’s important to stay in touch with your feelings and make an extra effort to share them with your spouse. This can take some time and patience, so be willing to exercise both.
Venus relates to pleasure, enjoyment, and harmonious social relations. Interactions become more complex with Venus retrograde. Legal affairs might be complicated. Or the self-indulgent side of Venus could be exaggerated, resulting in overeating, drinking too much, or overspending.
Venus also relates to beauty, money, and possessions. Major purchases, investments or home decorating should always be carefully considered with this placement in a wedding chart. A couple’s sense of beauty is apt to be unusual, or they could disagree about home design, for example, though Venus retrograde does favor redecorating.
Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony were married on June 6, 2004 with Venus retrograde. This was Jennifer’s third marriage, and she’d been engaged to Ben Affleck less than six months before. Marc’s divorce from his first wife came through only four days before the wedding! We can see some of the emotional complexity created by Venus retrograde in this example. Yet against the odds, this couple seems to be happy so far. They’ve enjoyed artistic work together, are an extraordinarily attractive couple, and welcomed twins in February of 2008. And JLo can certainly afford to spend money more freely than most of us! Perhaps the indulgent side of Venus has come out in their connection. But Jennifer has her Sun in Leo and Marc has Mars in this sign, both of which are very emotionally expressive. This helps to offset any potential for difficulty in sharing their feelings that Venus retrograde in their wedding chart might suggest.
Lisa Marie Presley married guitarist Michael Lockwood on January 22, 2006, with Venus retrograde. Once again, there seems to be emotional complexity to this marriage. It was Lisa Marie’s fourth, and her first husband introduced the new couple and even served as best man! The wedding took place in Kyoto, Japan, in a traditional Japanese ceremony, with the bride and attendants dressed in kimonos – quite an unusual fashion choice for Americans!