How Scared Should We Be of Venus Retrograde?

We’ve suffered through countless rounds of Mercury retrograde, clogging up all lines of clear thinking and communication, but how nervous should we be about this upcoming Venus retrograde (May 13 to June 25, 2020)? Here, I’ll explain.

What does it mean?
Venus retrograde, like all retrogrades, means that the power of the planet in question will be diminished. In this case, Venus rules over love, beauty and material possessions—all of our favorite things! Does that mean we won’t fall in love or acquire nice things during this period?

No, we’ll be fine. What Venus retrograde is really all about is taking stock of what we already love and have and making sure it’s working for us and reflecting our values. Are we in the right relationships? Are we giving them appropriate weight in our lives? Do we have too much stuff? (Yes, always…) These are the kinds of questions Venus in retrograde asks us to consider.

What should we do?
During Venus retrograde, it’s a good idea to do the following:

• Purge your closet (if you’re the only one who hasn’t yet Marie Kondo-ed your life, now is the time). Think about selling stuff that doesn’t make the cut. Basically, look for opportunities to wring wealth out of what you already own. 

• Brainstorm a new aesthetic for fall/winter. If you’ve been thinking about redecorating, or if you know you’re getting bored with the paint on your walls or your bedroom setup, this is a great time to start thinking about it (but don’t act yet!).

• Monitor your investments. Though this is not the time to switch strategies, it’s a great time to look over the broad performance curve and make sure it’s trending upward over time. If you’re not invested, this is the time to do your research and think about opening a 401(k) or Roth IRA (but don’t start yet!).

• Recycle a Halloween costume that served you well in years past. You have plenty of new friends who haven’t seen it yet!

• Reconnect with old friends or—selectively!—with exes if they were ultimately good people, and you feel like your relationship was unresolved.

• Read more and reconsider your fundamental thoughts and opinions. Whether or not you change your mind, be open to other points of view.

What shouldn’t we do?
Venus retrograde, of course, comes with some cautions, and you may want to avoid the following:

• Experiment with a new look. You can dream it, but now is not the time to press play on peplum or an expensive coat with bell sleeves.

• Get bangs or drastically change your haircut (trims are welcome!).

• Invest large sums of money in anything. Or just spend a lot in general. Good time to impose some good, old-fashioned wallet discipline (your Amazon Prime account will still be there for you after Venus stations direct…).

• Talk to exes who did you wrong. They will text you, and you must ignore! (Or respond with incomprehensible gifs…)

• Force any kind of peacemaking or reconciliation. This one is tough, because you want to be on good terms with everyone you love—and you want them to be on good terms with each other. But this is the time to accept divisions and let them stand if they must. It doesn’t mean it’s over forever, but sometimes space truly is the cure for a rocky relationship. After the retrograde, you can renew talks with a fresh perspective.

Kiki O’Keeffe is an astrology writer in Brooklyn, New York. You can sign up for her newsletter, I don't believe in astrology, or follow her Twitter @alexkiki.