Hold on to your gonads, folks, it’s gonna be a wild ride.

I sort of have this image of Venus showing up to retrograde like the girl whose dad didn’t let her go to prom, was overbearing, and ridiculous for most of her adolescent life; so when she finally left home there was a LOT of wild oats to be sewn.

So here we are, going about our business when Venus shows up and you can tell that she is just here to fuck. shit. up. Like she’s probably wearing combat boots and fishnets – it’s THAT serious, guys.  Or at least she wants you to believe it is.

First thing, we need to have a handle on the facts before we go getting crazy and digging a hibernation den until mid-November. (The thought has crossed my mind.) So here’s some valuable information to get us started:

1. Venus goes into retrograde today, October 5, 2018.
2. Venus goes direct on November 15, 2018.
3. Venus is the ruling planet of love, relationships, morality, sexuality, and money.
4. If we relinquish our personal power to the planets this has the potential to make a lot of things blow up in our faces.

But there is good news my friends! We have personal power! Not only do we have personal power, but Venus in Retrograde (ViR) is the perfect time to work on our individual expression of personal power – and getting comfortable with it, instead of fearing it – or blaming it on retrograde.

As an empath I do understand being sensitive to the energies around us. It would be a little ignorant to say that even though we are made of “star stuff,” the stuff of stars (and planets) has no effect on us. My truth is that we are all connected, to everything – whether it’s a stranger on the bus or Venus expressing her wild side, we all have the ability to affect and influence another.

Venus can come in like a banshee in the night if you let her – or don’t understand her. But if you do understand what her energy can represent – apply that to your unique circumstances – you can use this time to evaluate what your own energies are around love, relationships, sex, and money and use her energy as a catalyst to transform those emotions and thoughts into things that serve you, rather than stunt your growth.

So here are my survival tips for Venus Retrograde 2018:

1. Get grounded. Sex, relationships, and money are the ROOT OF DRAMA!! If drama is going to happen around you, make sure you are firmly rooted and that Mulhadara Chakra is open and flowing, allowing that drama to pass right through you. (To learn more about chakras and how to balance them, like my Facebook page, I’m starting a short video series on Chakras this week.)
2. Expect people to be a little dramatic. In 2011 I had a terrible Multiple Sclerosis relapse, it wasn’t something I was able to recover from on my own. I had to have 3 days of intensive IV steroids and it was crazy. I imagine unconscious energy during Venus in retrograde is going to look a lot like I did during those three days:
   1. Hungry
   2. Angry
   3. Horny
   4. HUNG-ANG-ORNY
   5. REPEAT REPEAT REPEAT
3. Resist the urge to react. When people are being dramatic, and up in our faces, it’s really hard not to go ape shit. I get it – I still struggle with this – daily (and I’m Zen AF, guys). Give them a little wiggle room (see tip 2) and maybe DO blame their drama a little bit on our Queen Venus because they don’t yet know how to work with her instead of letting her ruin the party.
4. Spend sometime with yourself. In the spirit of the retrograde, allow yourself some “hiding out” time to look at your own beliefs and blocks about love, money, relationships, and sex. Is your relationship with any of those things unhealthy?
5. While Venus is said to rule our Heart Chakra, spend some time with your Sacral Chakra, too. The Sacral Chakra (or Svadhisthana) is where your sexuality and relationship with money lives, if you’ve got some wonk going on down there – it could translate to extra confusion and intensity during ViR. (Again, if you want to work on opening and aligning your Chakras, like my Facebook page so you can get the deets during my Chakraducation next week.)
6. Be kind to yourself, and others. (As Jerry Springer would say)

I know the word “retrograde” has become a scary word for us in recent times, but I really try to look at the energies of these times as a call to examine inward and release all that is not serving us in those areas. Sexuality, relationships, and money are big scary things to tackle head on, and that’s why this Venus retrograde can feel a little heavier than others.

Don’t be afraid of what Venus may inspire you to uncover this season.

All my love and stardust,

Lindsay