What you can expect from 2023 Venus Retrograde in Leo

Including: HOROSCOPES!

 Hold onto your crowns and prepare for a cosmic spectacle, stargazers! Venus, the planet of love, beauty, and luxury, is about to take a fabulous retrograde spin through the fiery realm of Leo. From July 22 to Sept. 3, get ready for a cosmic rollercoaster ride filled with drama, self-reflection, and a touch of glittering glamor. 

Venus Retrograde Meaning and Significance 

     If you’re unfamiliar with the love planet, let me introduce you. Venus is an important planet in astrology, representing love, beauty, relationships, harmony, money and pleasure. It’s the planet of your love style and love language. When Venus turns retrograde, it appears to move backward in the sky, creating a unique energetic influence. (Don’t worry, though, the planet isn’t actually turning backwards, because that would be a mind- f*ck.) Venus retrogrades are significant because they provide an opportunity for introspection, reevaluation, and growth in matters of the heart and self-worth. 

     The last Venus retrograde occurred from May 13 to June 25, 2020, during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. Culturally, it encouraged a reexamination of societal beauty standards and promoted self-acceptance. It also brought about changes in relationships, emphasizing the need for deeper connections and more authentic love. Economically, Venus retrograde had an impact on consumer spending, with people reassessing their values and financial priorities. 

Venus Retrograde Themes   

  Now, when Venus goes retrograde in Leo on July 22 (just hours after the Sun enters the sign, btw), the fiery energy of Leo combines with the introspective nature of the retrograde, creating a unique set of themes and dynamics. Leo is a passionate and expressive sign, associated with creativity, self-expression, and romance. During this retrograde, there may be a focus on matters of the heart, relationships, and self-love. (You can read about my personal Venus journey of self-love, here.) It's a time to reassess how we express ourselves in relationships and whether we are truly honoring our authentic desires and needs. 

     Because Leo is a fixed zodiac sign, there may be a burning and unyielding need for attention and validation during this Venus Retrograde, but this fiery desire for external acceptance serves as an opportunity to develop a healthier sense of self-worth and cultivate self-love. In fact, all planetary transits involving Leo always bring lessons that help teach us how to authentically and unshakably love ourselves, and courageously accept ourselves just as we are. 

     This Venus Retrograde transit will emphasize those themes and teach us—by way of (potentially painful and dramatic) reexaminations of our relationships to ourselves, our passions, and our partners—how to love ourselves more proudly and with more ferocity. (I say potentially painful and dramatic because Leo is nothing if not melodramatic about discomfort; the astro-Lion also hates when it is forced to do something it doesn’t want to do—like look inward—and will roar. Loudly.) 

     What Venus Retrograde impacts

     Leo is–as mentioned–a sign of passion. As ruler of the astrological 5th House–which is the “house of Creativity, Joy, Pleasure, and Passion” and represents our individuality, personal passions, and the joy we find in self-expression–Leo acts from a place of creativity, love, and self-confidence. The sign then emphasizes embracing one's unique talents, exploring creative outlets, and finding joy in self-expression. This house governs all forms of creative expression, including art, music, theater, writing, and any activity that allows individuals to express themselves authentically. It also governs romance, dating, and the pursuit of pleasure and joy in relationships.