Venus In Retrograde: A Vedic Astrologer's Take
Thanks to recent popular culture, we’ve been conditioned to think associate astrological retrogrades with complete and utter chaotic destruction.
Mercury retrograde hits? Might as well set your computer on fire, because when Mercury, the planet that rules communication and technology goes into retro, it’s not going to work anyways. And good luck communicating with the people around you, your tongue is basically gonna fall out because #mercretro. Mars retrograde means you’re gonna pick a fight with every single person you come into contact with, so check yourself. And Venus retrograde … oh, lawd only knows what kinda mess that’ll bring to your love life.
But. You know better than that, right? We’ve talked before about how Mercury retrograde isn’t necessarily a death sentence for your electronic devices, or your healthy lines of communication. Rather, retrogrades are a time to re-visit, re-assess, re-evaluate. Depending on the planet in retrograde, the aspects that you’re regarding will change.
Which leads us to Venus retrograde.
Listen. I’m a Pisces Sun. With a Pisces in Venus. I’m not gonna lie to you, when I heard my ruling planet was going retro, I got a little nervous. Especially because Venus is, duh, the ruler of love, romance, and friendships—and I have no interested in being a loner who doesn’t get laid for the next three months. So what’s an earth-bound entity who’s influenced by the planetary aspects above to do?
Thankfully, Vedic astrologer Tulsi Bagnoli knows what to do, and was happy to guide us through how to survive (dare we say, thrive!?) the next few months of Venus retrograde. Keep scrolling to learn more Vedic astrology, key dates to pay attention to during Venus retro, and a ritual you can perform during this auspicious time.
First, what's the biggest difference between Vedic astrology and more Western-centric astrology?
The biggest fundamental difference between Eastern and Western astrology is the calculation of the position of the planets. Tropical astrology, the system that most of us are familiar with in the west, is based on the Spring equinox in the northern hemisphere and sidereal astrology or Jyotish (sister science to yoga) is based on observational astrology or the actual fixed positions of the stars as they sit in front of the ecliptic. Due to the procession of the equinoxes, the two systems move one degree away from each other every 72 years and currently have a 24 degree difference.
What is the significance of Venus Retrograde in Vedic Astrology?
Venus retrograde is currently happening in the sign of Libra and within the system of Vedic astrology this time is all about deep diving into the self and re-evaluating the parts of your lives and relationships that are seeking attention.
Reflecting on what’s working and what’s not. It is a time to take a pause, slow down, reflect, speak kindly to each other, be patient and remember that we’re in this together.
What needs to move or change to bring about more balance and harmony around these areas of your life? Especially in the field of relationships and creativity.
Are there any key dates, situations, or people we should be wary of during Venus Retrograde
The transit of Venus retrograde falls from October 6th until November 16th. People and situations may not be what they appear to be. Take your time and don’t be impulsive. Be forgiving to your various loved ones, friends and relations. On October 14/15 be mindful of how you’re communicating with your partner as there can be miscommunications. This retrogression can create a positive influence for whatever matters Libra signifies in your personal horoscope. To reveal more about how this transit directly relates to you, we would need to take a deeper look into your Vedic chart.
If you had to give us a mantra for this retrograde, what would it be?
The best mantra for this time is the Shukra (Venus) mantra: Aum Shukraya Namaha
This mantra can also be chanted throughout Venus’s stay in Libra (Until January 1st).
How do you roll with the retrograde? Any rituals or traditions that you would like to implement during this time?
This time is all about embodying the qualities of the divine feminine and awakening your creativity. Learn about and meditate on the qualities of Saraswati and Lakshmi, the Goddesses associated with this transit and Venus. You can also chant Lakshmi mantras on Fridays or even wear Lotus essential oil. It is a time to be generous and give unconditionally, especially towards women in your life. Be creative and choose to move through the world from your heart verses your mind.
Posted by Holisticism: https://holisticism.com/journal/2018/10/10/venus-in-retrograde-a-vedic-astrologers-take
SURYA NAMASKAR: Tending the fire within
By Tulsi Bagnoli M.A. - Caribbean Body & Soul Magazine
Like our ancestors who walked across continents, hunted for food, built their own shelters and made their own medicine, since the beginning of time, we have honored the cycles and seasons that remind us of the ever-changing flow of life that we are intricately a part of. Among our fast paced lives in the 21st century, how can we realign ourselves with the healing rhythms of Nature?
One beautiful practice, is to wake up with the sun and harness the life giving energies that are ever present to us with Surya Namaskar, a potent ritual of movement and breath.
To read the full article, please visit here.
RETURNING TO BALANCE: A Yoga Asana practice
By Tulsi Bagnoli M.A.- Caribbean Body & Soul Magazine
The practice of yoga invites us to arrive and acknowledge where we are and work from there to grow and deepen our experience. Through our intention, awareness, movements, and breath we cultivate our experience of life. Whatever you put your attention on grows stronger in your life. When our only reference point is the ever-changing world around us, rising and falling like the ocean tide, that is all that we know: diversity. Many ancient texts whispered the teaching, ‘look beyond the every changing world around us and turn within to know your true nature.’ Thankfully those that came before us have passed down techniques to help us tune into the rhythms and cycles in nature to aid in guiding us back to balance, to our true Self. Inside of us all is the inherent ability to heal ourselves completely, sometimes we need the reminder of how to take that inner journey and return to balance.