Stellar Insights: October 1 - 7, 2018

This week feels like it may have a heavy bass note. There’s a rich undercurrent that resides below, a sense that not only do things have foundation, but their bedrock extends to a deeper place than we may have previously considered.

We start the week in the shadows of the Pluto station, as the planet of the underworld—and the treasures that reside below—just shifted direct on Sunday (September 30). And given that Mercury, the planet of communication, makes an alignment with Pluto this week, turning our minds and curiosity to seeing what’s below the surface of our thoughts and feelings seems quite resonant.

I love the question “What’s the worst that can happen?” and find it especially instrumental to help us as we navigate times when Pluto is strong in the zeitgeist, such as now.

Turn to your fear, anxiousness and/or disquietude, reflecting upon what may be encouraging it, and ask “What’s the worst that can happen?” Listen for the answer with gentleness and compassion.

For some situations reflected upon, you may find that bringing it to light uncovers no ‘there’ there, that what you thought you were afraid of doesn’t truly hold weight. And with that, you may emerge lighter and freer, with a sense of release and relief.

For other things that trigger perceived disquietude, you may connect with a true well of fear, and yet in doing so, see strategies that you can use to allay that. For example, if you’re anxious of there being an earthquake near you, that feeling could have you more motivated to construct an emergency preparedness kit/plan; and while doing so won’t curb the potential event from happening, it would leave you more prepared SHOULD it happen, which can allay some fear and inspire greater empowerment.

We usually have limited capacity for BS in strong Pluto times, and I can’t help but think that this may especially be the case this week because of another astro factor: Venus in Scorpio, stationing, to turn retrograde on Friday. When a planet—whether Venus or Pluto or another—appears to change its direction of motion in the sky, that which it is associated with it may feel more alive and potent in our consciousness.

And with that we may sense an enlivened presence of Venus this week, feeling that no matter where we turn, we are met with reflections related to love, relationships, beauty, femininity, the embodiment of sexuality, money and/or the value of things.

And given that Venus is currently in Scorpio, the themes evoked may seem like they take on a deeper and richer feeling tone. For example, when we consider relationships, we may turn our attention to those that are sticky, those that are repositories for our shadow projections, ones that invite us to plunge into vulnerability, friendships that ask of us to be indelibly honest, and the unsaid and/or unseen that whispers itself through our partnership/s.

On the one hand, things may seem heavy. And yet, there are many buried riches that we can uncover if we orient—gently, compassionately, and consciously—towards these rich terrains. Asking ourselves not just “What has value to me?” but “What really and truly has value to me?” is a way to align with the opportunities with which the week is rife.

Let’s shift our attention to the Venus Retrograde itself. Beginning on Friday, October 4, and through November 16, Venus will be retrograde. Venus will retrace its steps in Scorpio through October 31, at which time it will shift into Libra, the sign in which it will reside through the remainder of its backward motion. Whereas Mercury generally experiences its retrograde cycle three times each year, Venus does so only every 18 months.

As a planet, such as Venus, retraces its steps in the sky during its retrograde cycle, so should we. It’s a period where turning back around to see any skips we stepped in the Venus realms of our life—relationships, finances, beauty, etc.—allows us to find previously undiscovered treasures. As we turn around, we can look to the past, where we may find sources of insights that reveal greater awareness.

Go back over this Venus terrain. Look to see whether there are conversations you overlooked that can help bolster a relationship, talents previously denied you can reclaim that will help you feel a greater sense of self-value, approaches to money management that will have you feel richer and/or insights you can connect to that will allow you to more gracefully flow with your desire to express yourself more intimately. This is the landscape of learning that Venus Retrograde offers us.

I find that a powerful way to navigate retrograde periods is to add “Re” (the first two letters of retrograde) to words associated with the planet that is doing its backwards dance. And with Venus emblematic of our values, the opportunity for “Re-Evaluation” is what I feel is one of the riches of Venus Retrograde times.

So, throughout these six weeks, if experiences feel frustrating to you, see if you can—in addition to feeling annoyance or upset or whatever else is arising in you—perceive situations as offering you an opportunity to re-evaluate just how much value something truly has for you. Is it really worth it? Does it make your life richer? Does it contribute to your self-worth? What you discover during these Venus Retrograde weeks will allow you to reclaim a new way to orient in your life that invites in that which has true value to you and steer away from that which doesn’t.

The last months were replete with retrogrades. We had Mars Retrograde spanning June 26 to August 27, with a Mercury Retrograde occurring in the midst of that. From late August to this week, with no personal planets (Mercury, Venus, or Mars) retrograde, you may have found that you made some progress, some forward movement, notably related to realms that felt stuck or on hold the past few months.

With Venus now set to move backwards (and Mercury slated to do right after Venus Retrograde is complete), we are re-entering another two-month period where the direction of our momentum may not be fast and forward-focused. And with that, the pace at which we felt we finally gained territory may possibly seem to slow. It’s a time now of being reflective and thoughtful and going back over past terrain. We’re building things in our lives that are foundational, that are rich investments in who we are and how we will live our lives moving forward. And yet, these things may need a bit more time on the proverbial stove: to stew, to simmer, to concentrate their flavors, to offer us the opportunity to adjust some of the ingredients, before we can truly enjoy them.

Think of this cooking analogy through the next couple of months, as it may help to alleviate some frustration, notably if you feel that you aren’t making progress as you would like. Instead of seeing progress as a straight line forward, consider that now is a time where going slow and re-evaluating things themselves are essential factors of advancement, opportunities to gain new insights and assets, ones that will allow you the resources and awareness to move something forward in an incredibly integral way, in the near future. As such, consider how pausing, retracing terrain, and looking at things you may have skipped over doesn’t necessarily equal going backwards and isn’t necessarily a mark of failure or stagnation, but actually the work that’s required to be able to consciously move forward, to make progress, in a deep and rich way.

There’s much more we can explore about Venus Retrograde, and something I will write more about over the coming weeks. Until then, may your life be filled with experiences of rich beauty.

All my best,

Stephanie

Astrological Highlights

October 2

Mercury/Pluto Square

October 5

Venus Stations Retrograde

Dates noted reflect Eastern Daylight Time

Stephanie GailingOctober 1, 2018