Venus Retrograde in Scorpio/Libra Fall 2026
I have said this before and it bears repeating - when a planet is retrograde, it means that from the point of view of humans here on Earth, it is moving backwards. The celestial bodies in our solar system do not, in fact, reverse direction. They only appear to be, based on where we are standing and looking. It's all a matter of perspective.
When we look at astrology as an energy system comprised of planetary currents that ebb and flow to their own rhythm, and remember that we are also energy systems, also with "currents" that ebb and flow, we can get a sense of the vastness of potential interactions and outcomes that are available to be realized. We are not neutral observers nor are we victims of forces beyond our control. Our perspective informs our perception of events, and our perception informs how we experience life. When we are in a plane, we perceive a lot more landscape than when we are in a car and how we experience the trip changes. The beauty is we can choose different perspectives. Think about how different life feels after a nourishing meal or a night of restorative sleep. There are many tools that help us shift perspective. Astrology is one.
Back to retrograde energy. When a planet appears to be moving backwards, it affects how we interact with that planet's energy. It is redirected inwards allowing us to review how we experience that planet's energy. All celestial bodies will appear to be retrograde from the point of Earth. The two exceptions are the Sun and Moon - our outer expression of who we came here to be and experience ourselves as, and our way of navigating our inner emotional landscapes, parts of which we usually are not fully aware of. The outer planets, Jupiter through Pluto, each spend months retrograde. That is why it takes them so long to move through a sign. They move forward, then retrace their steps, allowing for review and revision of whatever part of the longer term changes were put in motion. They tend to influence the larger currents we all swim in collectively.
The personal planets, Mercury, Venus and Mars, are more strongly felt when they retrograde because they are "personal" planets. Their energy is expressed more individually by us. And because they move faster than the outer planets, they are retrograde for shorter periods of time.
Recap: retrograde motion is a function of the perspective we have from our place on Earth. Energetically, it shifts the way a planet's energy is received and perceived by humans. Retrograde energy is meant to be introspective. The regular retrograde cycles of personal planets are meant to create pauses that allow us to review, revise, reflect on, reimagine, redefine, realize (see all those "re" words) what we have done in our lives around the themes of that planet during its forward movement. Fun fact - the midpoint of every retrograde cycle is when the Sun and the retrograding planet meet up, sometimes called the cazimi of that planet. Cazimi means "in the heart of the Sun". Energetically, they merge for a brief period. That is when the planet shares what it has learned from its retrograde cycle thus far with the Sun so it can be brought into our awareness and be incorporated into how we shine our light.
So, back to Venus retrograding through Scorpio and Libra, which started October 3 and continues for 40 days. By the way, Mercury will be going retrograde on October 24, but more on that later. Venus goes retrograde roughly every 18 months. The last Venus retrograde was in March 2025 in Aries and Pisces. Venus themes are relationships, values, and resources. Venus in your chart shows what you find attractive, i.e., what attracts your attention and focus. It is what you are willing to invest your resources in. Not just money, but time, mental energy, efforts and any other resource at your disposal.
Scorpio, the sign where Venus starts this retrograde, is the fixed water sign. That tells you we are dealing with deep emotions here. Scorpio is where the relationships started in Libra become intimate. Libra is how we connect in relationship so that both entities benefit or are served. Scorpio is how we merge with another; how we show up and allow ourselves to be seen, warts and all. It is how we take the resources we have at our disposal and join them with those of our important other to create something unique from that blending. Scorpio is also about obligation. In the context of close relationships, what is legitimately owed to another? Additionally, Scorpio deals with what comes to us from another, as in inheritance and lineage. All of these themes are up for review as Venus starts her retrograde.
What patterns of intimacy are you noticing in your relationships? Are you willing to risk the discomfort of being truly honest with your dear ones in order to reach a level of being fully seen, and open the door to the intimacy that creates? What do you need in order to feel empowered enough to do this? This is not about them, by the way. "If only they were different..." Scorpio Venus is brutally honest but you have to be willing to let your defenses drop so you can see what is being shown. Remember this is energy turned inward. It's all about you.
Libra is an air sign. It is where "you", "me", and "us" find balance. There is space in the relationship, willingness to discuss and negotiate, to establish harmony and graciousness that serve each partner. Scorpio is water. It feels into the currents under the surface. It discerns what is unexpressed. It looks for deep, soul level connection. And it instinctively understands that this requires a level of commitment to its own growth that no other sign can reach. Scorpio energy is transformative energy. Its higher expression is willing to release that which it has outgrown in order to evolve to its next highest version. This requires the willingness to expose oneself and be vulnerable. Cultivating this leads to an empowered expression of self that can connect with another fearlessly, or perhaps, more accurately, that chooses to connect despite the fear of rejection.
That is what the first part of this retrograde is meant to show you. How have you resisted showing yourself to others? What trappings or touchpoints do you think you need to show up as yourself? In other words, are you depending on something external like a look, a bank balance, or a title, to help you feel comfortable in your skin and be seen a certain way? Scorpio Venus asks us to be honest about those parts of ourselves we hide from view. That is why the old lover shows up in some way - either memories or actual contact. Not because it was "meant to be" (maybe it was/is, but Venus retrograde is not the time to go there) but because there is information there that was not received by the version of you that had the experience the first time. That is not the version of you that is experiencing this retrograde, nor (hopefully) will it be the version of you that comes out of the retrograde on November 13.
So we spend 20 days exploring what needs to happen in order to show up as a fully empowered person in our relationships and be intimately present without props or deflections. We also get to explore what we owe our important others, and what they owe us. What do we want to carry forward from our lineage? What are the things we have inherited that we don't want to keep because they are not aligned to our values? What obligations did we acquire without actually agreeing because of another's expectation or assumption or because it never occurred to us to refuse?
On October 23, Venus takes all the information and realizations she gathered and shares them with the Sun when she meets it at 0 degrees of Scorpio, right before she moves into Libra, where she will review, reevaluate and revise relationships and values from a Libra perspective. Libra is the cardinal air sign, so the perspective shifts to how we think about, discuss, and negotiate in relationships. This includes how we demonstrate our values with our important others also. For Libra, balance and harmony are priorities. During the retrograde, we will have opportunities to review if the costs are commensurate with the benefits and if we are compromising our values in order to maintain peace or outward appearances.
Venus will return to direct motion on November 13.
Venus will be making a few connections to other planets which will affect the caliber of her retrograde. She will square Mars in Leo around October 10-11, right at the New Moon. Mars is the yang principle, how we take action to get our needs met. In Leo, Mars can be motivated by ego (lower expression) or inspired leadership (higher expression). Either way, Venus in Scorpio will challenge Mars to consider how its actions will affect others. She will call out any tendency towards self aggrandizement. Because these are fixed signs, they will dig in when they are challenged by each other. Notice where your actions might be undermining what you say you want or what you declare is important to you. Squares bring tension as competing goals conflict. This is the time to review what truly matters to you and redesign your approach.
Around October 20, Venus will square Pluto at 3 degrees of Aquarius. This is the second of three squares she makes to Pluto. The first was September 13-14; the final one will be December 9. Pluto is about personal power and empowerment. Pluto often shows us where we have been denying our power or giving it away. Again, because this is a square, there will be some type of conflict between Pluto's goal of self empowerment and Venus's goal of intimate connection. The two are not mutually exclusive but the square may make it feel that way. Consider how the first square landed for you in mid-September. The same theme will be coming up again.
Mercury will be going retrograde in Scorpio on October 24, just as Venus is moving into Libra. After spending 20 days reviewing relationships and values through a Scorpio lens, Venus passes the baton to Mercury. Mercury's retrograde will then reevaluate how it communicates and uses information through that lens. There will be a separate post on that. For now, use this time to prepare for the retrograde by backing up your data and attending to any tech or vehicle issues befor the retrograde.
Venus was last retrograde in Scorpio and Libra in October - November 2018. Thinking about what was being activated for you then can offer a clue to what is likely to be coming up for you this time. This retrograde is meant to be a pause that brings each of us to greater clarity about what we want and how to best create the conditions to bring it into our lives. Are you willing to explore a different perspective and see what is being offered to you?
"To look backward for a while is to refresh the eye, to restore it, and to render it the more fit for its prime function of looking forward." ~ Margaret Barber
