On March 2nd, 2025, Venus turned retrograde at 10° Aries.
Venus resumes her direct motion on April 13th, at 24° Pisces.
We have 40 days to go deep inside ourselves. We have 40 days to walk the path of the heroine’s journey – facing our desires, confronting our fears, and reclaiming our fire.
There’s no coincidence that Venus is retrograde for exactly 40 days. The number 40 is sacred in nearly every tradition and is usually associated with the fulfillment of promises – but ONLY after a period of testing, trial, and reflection.
The purpose of the “trial”, or the retrograde period, is to guide us back to our heart – to help us reconnect with our truest desires and help us discover what really matters.
Venus, our sister planet, is the 3rd brightest object in the sky (after the Sun and the Moon). She affects us deeply, and when she changes direction, our lives are impacted in profound ways.
Venus retrograde periods are especially important because they bring changes of heart and shifts in priorities. This is when we realign with what we truly want and finally make up our mind (or rather, our heart) on important matters.
The Dance Of Venus And The Venus 8-Year Cycle
Venus cycles are unlike any other planetary cycles in the sense that they repeat in the exact same areas of the sky (within about 1 degree).
In any given century, Venus only goes retrograde in 5 signs: Aries, Gemini, Leo, Scorpio, and Capricorn.
Venus retrograde cycles repeat every 8 years (or after 5 Venus retrogrades). Every 8 years, Venus returns to the same part of the sky, activating the same area of your natal chart.
This means each Venus retrograde echoes the Venus retrogrades from 8 years ago, 16 years ago, 24 years ago, and so on.
This particular Venus retrograde connects back to the cycles of March – April 2017 and March – April 2009. Venus revisits the same area of the zodiac every 8 years, stirring up familiar themes.
Some people – especially those with planets or angles in late Pisces and early Aries – may notice repeating patterns or significant life themes resurfacing.
If this is you, it’s a powerful time to reflect on what was happening during those previous Venus retrograde periods and notice any parallels.
If something difficult happened during one of the previous Venus retrogrades in Aries or Pisces, that doesn’t mean this particular Venus retrograde will play out the same way. There are always other factors at work, plus we all grow, evolve, and gain wisdom with age.
Reflecting on your past Venus retrograde experiences in Aries is a very useful exercise regardless – it can help you spot relevant themes you may want to pay attention to this time around.
Venus Retrograde in Aries and Pisces – Key Dates And Aspects
Every Venus retrograde cycle is defined by the Venus–Sun conjunction, which is the turning point when Venus transforms from an evening star into a morning star. This is the key date of the cycle.
What makes this particular Venus retrograde cycle special is the transition from Aries back into Pisces. While in Pisces, Venus conjuncts Neptune, the North Node, and Saturn, pointing to a re-awakened dream that once felt lost.
This is an invitation to rekindle something worth exploring. To remember a whisper your soul once heard, but also – most importantly – to honor the commitment it takes to walk the long road required to bring that dream to life.
One promising feature of this Venus retrograde cycle is that it begins with Venus in sextile orb with Jupiter in Gemini. This suggests that the internal work we do now will help us grow and expand in meaningful ways.
Venus ends her retrograde journey in a conjunction orb to Saturn, reminding us of an important commitment:
To fully grow into the bold, independent expression of Venus in Aries, we must also root ourselves in something greater than personal desire – a deep commitment to the soul’s truth (Venus in Pisces conjunct Saturn).
It’s very interesting that Venus starts her retrograde flirting with Jupiter and ends it holding hands with Saturn. If we were to reduce this entire retrograde to one line, it would be:
“All this could be yours – IF you commit to your soul’s path and are willing to do the work.”
Here are the most important dates of the Venus Retrograde in Aries-Pisces:
- March 2nd, 2025 – Venus goes retrograde at 10° Aries
- March 10th, 2025 (plus minus a few days) – Venus becomes invisible
- March 23rd, 2025 – Venus conjunct Sun at 2° Aries – Venus in the heart of the Sun
- March 27th, 2025 – Venus (re)enters Pisces
- March 28th, 2025 – Venus conjunct Neptune at 29° Pisces
- April 1st, 2025 – Venus conjunct North Node at 27° Pisces
- April 3rd, 2025 (plus minus a few days) – Venus becomes visible in the morning sky
- April 7th, 2025 – Venus conjunct Saturn at 25° Pisces
- April 13th, 2025 – Venus goes direct at 24° Pisces
Venus retrograde brings the focus to the 24° Pisces – 10° Aries area of your chart. If you have planets or angles in this region, you’ll feel the impact more strongly.
However, everyone will experience the influence to some degree, especially when Venus forms key aspects with other planets – as shown on the highlighted transit dates.
Venus Retrograde in Aries – The Heroine’s Journey
All Venus retrogrades are an initiatory journey into the underworld – but when Venus retrogrades in the first sign of the zodiac, with Aries being the sign of the hero, we know we’re really stepping into the heart of the heroine’s journey.
Venus retrograde is often compared to a descent into the underworld: a part of us must die so that a new version of ourselves can emerge.
One of the most significant myths connected to Venus retrograde is the Sumerian story of Inanna’s descent into the underworld.
Inanna, the Sumerian counterpart of Venus, was the Goddess of fertility and abundance.
The myth of Inanna’s descent into the underworld is an allegory of Venus’ retrograde cycle:
- The story begins with Inanna deciding to descend into the underworld to visit her sister Ereshkigal, the Goddess of the Underworld. For the Sumerians, Venus disappearing beneath the horizon symbolized Venus entering the underworld.
- As Inanna passes through 7 gates, she removes a piece of clothing or jewelry at each one – representing the process of stripping away old identities and releasing attachments.
- When she finally arrives in the underworld, her sister kills her – this symbolizes the phase when Venus is conjunct the Sun, marking the start of a new Venus cycle. To be reborn, a part of us must first die.
- Ereshkigal, the goddess of the underworld, represents our shadow side, which must be acknowledged and integrated.
- Eventually, emissaries from Earth rescue Inanna and bring her back to life. She is resurrected and returns to Earth – this reflects the moment when Venus reappears in the sky, now transformed into a morning star.
Inanna’s myth is the story of Venus retrograde, when Venus shapeshifts from Evening Star to Morning Star. Just as Venus is reborn, this time rising in the morning sky, a new version of you will emerge.
If we compare Joseph Campbell’s hero’s journey to Inanna’s heroine’s journey, we notice clear similarities. The Venus cycle, too, is about a descent into the underworld, followed by a return. But unlike the hero, Inanna doesn’t venture out into the open world.
She journeys into the metaphorical underworld. When Venus goes retrograde, it’s not the outside world we’re called to conquer – it’s ourselves.
Inanna, the queen of heaven and earth, and Ereshkigal, the queen of the dark underworld, represent the two aspects of the feminine psyche. The journey to reintegration is not fought on the outside – but within ourselves.
There’s no dragon to slay. It’s our own shadow we must integrate. It’s our own dark side we are asked to meet with compassion. It’s our unexpressed feelings and desires that we’re invited to honor.
Venus retrograde is a journey to our heart. But how do we find the way there?
Venus Retrograde In Aries – 40 Days Of Heart Searching
We do what Inanna has done – we look inside. Inanna spent 40 days on her journey to the underworld and back. Jesus spent 40 days in the desert to overcome his doubt. Buddha fasted and meditated for 40 days before reaching Samadhi.
All these journeys have one thing in common: deep reflection and introspection. When Venus is retrograde, we’re invited to pause and look within – What truly matters to you? What do you really want?
And then, go one layer deeper. Listen to your Aries inner warrior and heroine:
- Where have you been feeling unworthy, or not enough?
- Where have you been told your emotions are too much? Your fire too intense?
- Where do you draw the line? What is non-negotiable?
- In what ways do you need to rise up and show the world who you really are?
Aries is our instinctual knowledge of who we are beneath the noise. Aries is deeply attuned to oneself – the true self, without the mask. Your Aries inner goddess is not the Barbie doll. She’s not the devoted partner. She’s not the version of you the world told you to be.
Venus retrograde in Aries will remind you of the raw, unapologetic beauty of your true self.
THAT is what matters. THAT is your blueprint. Everything else can be built from this authentic, owned, and fully embraced foundation.
And as Venus moves through the second half of its cycle – conjuncting Neptune, the North Node, and Saturn – you’ll find that the longing of your heart doesn’t just drift into the clouds. It becomes the compass that leads you exactly where you’re meant to go.
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