Like the year’s most anticipated feature film, 2023’s summer blockbuster is about to hit the celestial screen. It is of course Venus’s retrograde. Making this retrograde all the more intriguing is the fact that Venus is transiting dramatic Leo, a setup that includes several exciting encounters with Jupiter and Uranus. Previewing those, Venus first squared Jupiter back on June 11th and Uranus on July 2nd. The friction from that pair in Taurus promises to drive the plot and keep it interesting. Venus will square exuberant Jupiter next on August 22nd, during the retrograde, and again on September 17th, post retrograde. In the case of wild Uranus, it too has two more squares with Venus, on August 9th and September 29th. The retrograde itself will take place from July 22nd through September 3rd. But its shadow exit point, of 28° Leo 36′, will extend its presence to October 7th. Giving moviegoers another reason to stay riveted to their seats and maybe to dig into their popcorn, the Sun will enter Leo on July 22nd (as Venus begins her retrograde) and square Jupiter on August 6th and Uranus on the 15th. Playing cosmic opening act, Mercury will enter theatrical Leo on Monday, July 10th, for a limited engagement that will run until July 28th. Being that silver tongued, nimble and slightly mischievous planet, Mercury will make a captivating narrator as the larger tale begins unfolding. Its squares, to Jupiter on July 17th and Uranus on the 23rd, are likely to add dimension and helpful insight to its storytelling. Next, heightening expectations prior to curtain call, the Moon will travel through Leo from July 18th-20th, conjoining Mercury on the 19th and Venus on the 20th. Lastly, Mercury will conjoin Venus on July 27th, before heading to his Virgo home on the 28th. Translation, during the next couple of weeks, some sneak peaks of the influential patterns lasting through early October will be available.
While the Venus Rx with its Jupiter and Uranus squares takes center stage, other planets have been superbly cast into supporting roles. The most impactful of these will likely end up being Mars in Virgo. If the planet of war and conquest remained in fiery Leo, the entire Venus retrograde would take on a contentious and combustable character. But on July 10th the red, hot planet will amble into measured, Mercury-ruled Virgo. This alone may prevent the uproarious nature of the Jupiter Uranus action from getting out of control. Saturn too is in a much less rigid place these days, retrograde and in the mutable waters of mellow, empathetic Pisces. On July 20th, shortly after the Moon enters thoughtful Virgo, Mars will oppose Saturn. In other signs, this face-off can be a flashpoint. But, in flexible mutable signs, there’s plenty of room for consideration and adaptation. Add that day’s Cancer Sun trine to ethereal Neptune, and any fires ignited under the preceding days’ Leo Moon can be integrated into a broader vision. Keeping those chill Neptune vibes flowing right up to showtime on the 22nd is recommended. Because on the 21st, ruthless Pluto will oppose that late Cancer Sun. Could the stage possibly be set any better for the Sun’s entrance into regal, playful and charismatic Leo and the start of Venus’s retrograde?
