Venus Retrograde

Venus, the Mystic Rectangle and the Yod. What's in store for this retrograde season.

The Venus Retrograde Chart has a very interesting shape inside of it.

We can see the Mystic Rectangle formed between The Lights, (Sun and Moon) along with Neptune and Pluto.

Inside of the Mystic Rectangle is a Yod. (The green triangle) With Venus at the Apex.

A Mystic Rectangle represents a potentially tension filled, closed aspect pattern. With two sets of oppositions, whose ends both trine and sextile each other. Because of the conflicting nature of the aspects involved; Enclosed oppositions, (tension) along with trines and sextiles (flowing and supportive), it said that the mystic rectangle is related to alchemy.

We begin with a challenge, or set of tensions, followed by revelation, and then some sort of resolution. Given that the aspect pattern is part of the Venus Retrograde chart, it causes us to ask ourselves, what tension is Venus Revealing to me throughout the beginning of her retrograde period, and how am I being supported to resolve it by the mystical realms? It will be something that we must continuously bring to the dashboard of our awareness, considering the resolution will not come through the force of our own will.

The Mystic Rectangle involves the following chart points:

Pluto-Depth Psychology, Existential Fears, Revelation from the deep or unknown. It symbolizes human evolution. Some keywords for Pluto are; power, intensity, crisis, desire, elimination, death, rejuvenation, rebirth, and metamorphosis. Pluto is the destroyer and the creator. It holds sway over birth, death, fear of death, disasters, the subconscious, and significant psychological changes.

Neptune is the planet of inspiration, it rules dreams, psychic receptivity, spirituality, and all things subtle. Neptune has an association with the Hindu concept of Maya, denoting a place where we may encounter illusion, delusion, and confusion. Neptune also rules addiction and escapism. The way in which we might use fantasy and distraction as a way to mitigate exposure to reality.

The Moon and Neptune have a similar function of veiling reality. The Moon relates to our psyche, and our subconscious world. The Moon itself can be seen as a pattern generating machine. Often cluing us into what lives in the deepest, most vulnerable, interior parts of ourselves. The Moon is thought to meditate the realm between the conscious and the unconscious, helping us move between the known and the unknown. Just as She goes from dark, to light to dark once again, so do we bring knowledge from the unconscious, into the conscious realm.

The Sun is related to the consciousness that bears the mystery of all of creation. It is the original and sustaining spark of life. The Sun is the emergent focal point of all life. And is related to life-force itself. It represents truth with a capital T, the present, the illuminated, and known.

Given the energetics of the Mystic Rectangle we can expect to be confronted with a reality that was previously veiled to us. One that may be exposed through a tension finally giving way.

We may view the Mystic Rectangle like an envelope. We must work to open its sticky flap, only to have a secret message inside that holds the resolution to our dilemma.

As we can see the Mystic Rectangle feeds the Yod, (finger of God) with Venus at the Apex.

Yod’s are not a normal occurrence. So when a Yod appears in a chart, it is asking us to bring our attention to the Planet at the Apex, as something fated is on the horizon. In this case, the Planet at the Apex is Venus, and she is CLOSELY conjunct Black Moon Lilith at the Anaretic Degree of Leo, who happens to be in the Seventh House of the Retrograde Chart.

What may Black Moon Lilith conjunct Venus in the seventh house denote? A straightforward reading might see this as the Dark Feminine causing trouble in relationships. Woman feeling the need to be more free. Feeling stifled, with their expression suppressed. There may be a strong impulse to break free and assert our sovereignty. A knee jerk reaction to “leave the Garden” for the wilderness.

But given that Pluto and Neptune are the energies feeding the Yod, I urge a second look.

Pluto relates to existential fears. What fear may be feeding the dynamic? Are we afraid we might die never living our out deepest expression? That we are unable to show up and be fully seen in our current relationship? And that is somehow affecting our life force?

With Neptune’s involvement, I would want to really be sure that I wasn’t fooling myself, or creating a narrative that somehow supports my feelings. We often have free floating sensations or fears, (Pluto) and it’s human nature to want to understand them, so we pin a story to the feeling. Be sure before making any life changing moves, that you are not clouded by your own delusion.

I know I felt these same feelings of repression. I’ve felt unseen, and unmet in my own relationships. Given the nodes lay across the natural relationship axis, it may be prudent to note here upon deeper inspection, a lot of the feelings I had arose because I projected archetypal purity onto my relationships and onto myself.

I cast myself in a specific role, with very rigid expectations. Because I did that myself, I also projected that outwards. I held an archetypal view of relationships. I expected my partner to show up in his role as “husband” rather than meeting him in the human space. Everytime he didn’t match the role I casted him in, I felt hurt and let down by the relationship. I constantly questioned whether or not I had made a bad choice. In reality, it was my own incapacity to open that meant I wasn’t being seen. It was my own distorted relationship to reception which meant I wasn’t being met in a fulfilling way.

We can learn so much about ourselves when we remove the screen of archetypal projection, and start to meet people in their humanity. In their essence.

I urge deep introspection as we move through this portal.

On the flipside, anyone who truly is in a repressed dynamic may feel especially supported in breaking free of it. And that is a wonderful thing.

I recently wrote an essay about Mary Magdalene. On a collective level, I believe meeting the archetypal possession that exists inside of the feminine, and woman’s issues will also be on Venus' evolutionary curriculum during this upcoming retrograde and Venus Cycle. Please see that essay for more on my thoughts about the collective influence of the energies of the moments. (link in the comments)

With the Sun as Ruler of the Upcoming Venus Cycle, it promises to be revelatory, emergent, dynamic, creative and potent. I literally cannot wait for all of the ways she is going to transform us in the coming months.