Menu
  • Home
        • Scorpio Full Moon: Answered Prayers

          Scorpio Full Moon: Answered Prayers

          The Scorpio Full Moon invites us to feel and pray deeply. As the passionate Scorpio Moon opposes the powerhouse Taurus …Read More »
        • Scorpio Full Moon: Be a Beautiful Godzilla

          Scorpio Full Moon: Be a Beautiful Godzilla

          Before performing whatever ritual you have planned at this Scorpio Full Moon, activate your most magnetic qualities. If you were …Read More »
        • Scorpio Full Moon: Stories of Magic

          Scorpio Full Moon: Stories of Magic

          I am weirdly (among my astrologer friends, anyway) skeptical about magic, which is perhaps why my forays into ritual so …Read More »
    • Close
  • Free Astrology
    Chart
  • Your Birth
    Moon Phase
  • Dana’s Moon
    Workshop
  • The Astrology
    of Bliss
  • Astrology
    Reports
  • Sessions
    with Dana
          • Astrology Readings With Dana

            Astrology Readings With Dana

            I believe in life, in the archetypes, and the capacity of people to write better and better stories for themselves. …Read More »
          • Astrology Mentoring

            Astrology Mentoring

            Are you an astrology student who’d like to turn pro? Hoping to read charts with greater insight and accuracy? Desiring a boost in confidence? …Read More »
          • Boundaries & Emotional Mastery Sessions

            Boundaries & Emotional Mastery Sessions

            From the beginning, my 12th House Moon has attracted plenty of likeminded spirits I call “energy sensitives,” whose intuitively gifted natures benefit …Read More »
    • Close
  • Books
    • [Widget Area]
          • Dana's eBooks

            Dana's eBooks

            Dana’s writing… brings the meaning of the planets to life like no other writer in this field. She’s the Meryl Streep of astrological writers: …” Jeff Jawer, The Mountain Astrologer …Read More »
          • Free eBooks

            Free eBooks

            “It took me years to learn each of these simple principles, and with each one, my Moon practice deepened. May they do the same for you!” …Read More »
          • Books We Love

            Books We Love

            Looking for a good read? Mooncircles authors share a few of the great books on their shelves. Read More »
    • Close
  • Store

Mooncircles

Moon Astrology

Current Moon Ritual
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
  • View Cart
  • Facebook
  • Instagram

Getting Venus Retro Right and Wrong

By Dana Gerhardt

The Divine Feminine reinvents herself during the six weeks of her retrograde and so do we. Recently my college-senior son called to say he’d gotten a nose ring. This is a Libra Moon who’s had a quiet, scrupulous sense of style ever since he was five—piercings and tattoos were never part of his look. “I just had to do it,” he said. But every day since, he looks in the mirror and wonders if he did the right thing. That’s the trouble with Venus retrograde. Our sudden reinventions may or may not look so good once we get out of the underworld.

This was illustrated brilliantly by two viral Venus sensations in recent weeks—one of them good, the other not so good.

“Fearless Girl” is one of those bright viral eruptions that perfectly captures the spirit of the time. It started as a publicity stunt by a financial firm in honor of International Women’s Day. They planted a lively statue of a small bronze girl, hands on her hips, pony tail waving, in front of the iconic Wall Street Bull. The defiant energy of this scene was an instant hit—so much so, that New York Mayor Bill de Blasio extended the statue’s permit for another year. Fearless Girl is perfectly posed for a Venus remaking herself in confident, combative Aries.

Said de Blasio, the statue took on special power after the Trump Inauguration and the Women’s March. “Right after that, this miraculous girl appears and creates such a powerful sensation because she spoke to the moment,” the mayor said. “That sense that women were not going to live in fear, that women were going to teach their daughters and all the women in their lives to believe in themselves.” Blasio called the statue a symbol of “standing up to fear, standing up to power, being able to find in yourself the strength to do what’s right.”

Contrast this with Kendall Jenner’s recently released ad for Pepsi, in which we see Kendall as a beautiful model (sigh), who decides to leave her expensive shoot and join the happy crowd of upwardly mobile, mostly white protesters in the street outside. Their cause is unknown, but there are lots of peace signs—and a line of police—which somehow prompts Jenner to cross the street and hand a cop a Pepsi, which is somehow supposed to be a symbol of … well, it’s hard to say.

No doubt this was an expensive commercial to produce. There were probably teams of people, lots of meetings, and hours of market research involved. But Venus was retrograde … everyone bought the nose ring. There was lots of embarrassment to go around.

During one Venus retrograde my hairdresser asked if I wanted a streak of color. “Yes!” I said. Something new sounded wonderful. I don’t know how we settled on the color green—but honestly, with a green streak, I looked like the proverbial wicked witch. Even so, it was something I had to do. And I’ve worn a colored streak in my hair ever since. I just found a color better than green. I suspect my son will eventually settle into a tasteful gold stud—but we’ll see.

In the meantime, may all your retrograde style changes be good ones!

Just a few more days to take advantage of my Venus retrograde special!  Order a Venus report now and you’ll receive a free copy of my new personalized ebook, “Your Bliss: The Heavenly Recipe” after Venus goes direct (April 15).  Click here for more info!

Filed under:

About Dana Gerhardt

A popular columnist with The Mountain Astrologer since 1991, Dana Gerhardt is an internationally respected astrologer. She has lectured extensively and written for astrology publications on several continents. Her ongoing passions are the moon and living the intuitive life. Dana worked for many years in the corporate sector, where she observed the undeniable influence of natural cycles. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa, Magna Cum Laude from Occidental College in Los Angeles and did graduate work in literature at Columbia University and CSULA. Dana can be contacted by email.

Comments

  1. Sam says

    Apr 9, 2017 at 9:39 am

    I debated for almost a year on getting a haircut and finally got one yesterday during all of these retrogrades. Let’s hope I don’t regret it.
    Even if I do, it’s a huge weight off my shoulders literally.
    🙂 Thanks so much for this article.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Subscribe

The Moon is in its
Full Phase

in the
Sign of Scorpio


Today's Lunar Aspects (Greenwich Mean Time)
(subtract: PST -8 hours, PDT -7 hours, EST -5 hours, EDT -4 hours)

  • Moon opposite Uranus, 2:35am  May 13 2025
  • Moon trine Saturn, 6:37am  May 13 2025
  • Moon trine Neptune, 11:29am  May 13 2025
  • Moon sextile Pluto, 4:11pm  May 13 2025

Venus is currently
The Morning Star

in the sign of Aries


Enroll in Dana Gerhardt’s Moon Workshop!
Your Venus Unleashed!
Moonshadow Eclipse Report
Moonprints Lunar Report
Steven Forrest’s Transit/Progression report
Mary Shea’s Solar Return report
John Townley’s Lunar Return report

© 2000 - 2025 Mooncircles.com

Astrologers use a variety of house systems, or methods of dividing up the sky into twelve sections. I use the Porphyry house system; another popular house system is Placidus (this is the default on https://astro.com). If the chart I send you looks different from what you are used to seeing, then likely a system other than Porphyry was used. Whole signs, Equal House, Regiomantus, and Campanus are examples of other systems. If you find all of this confusing, do not worry. It is likely not critical to your report.

m  Conjunction:  Like peas in a pod, planets in conjunction tend to come from the same place. They act together, but it’s also hard to tell them apart. This aspect can increase talent, focus, and intensity (“two are better than one”). Or one planet can disappear as the other dominates. Their connection feels so natural, it’s easy to think everyone blends these planetary energies just as you do—but mostly, they don’t!.

p  Sextile:  Planets in sextile are compatible, though without any fireworks. This aspect doesn’t demand your attention. It quietly presents an opportunity. You can join these archetypal forces. Donna Cunningham has called this the “Oh, that!” aspect, because that’s generally what her clients say when she describes their benefits.  To get the most from sextiles you need to actively work them.

q  Square:  Squares are wild and wonderful—but difficult too. The power struggle between these planets was likely defined in your youth, when they were impossibly challenging. People are usually aware of their squares. They force the issues that make you to grow. And that’s their gift. They ensure you learn your lessons. When you rise to the occasion, they bless you with energy, action, and success.

r  Trine:  Michael Munkasey has dubbed this the “goddess aspect” because it’s so lovely. Identifying talents you may have perfected in a previous life, trines can bring you joy. There’s a nice flow of energy between planets in trine. They support and reinforce each another. But without any struggle, you might take them for granted—neither using nor developing their gifts. An unattended trine can sometimes trick you into negative behaviors.

t  Inconjunct/Quincunx:  Your quincunx planets are innately incompatible. Bringing them into harmonious expression requires constant adjustments. This can be stressful, also motivating. You’ve got to keep changing your process, opinions or attitude—which promotes highly creative solutions.

u  Opposition:  They say opposites attract—and planets in opposition are never far from each other, though they’re constantly bickering. You may be triggered into awareness of this aspect by other people who seem to resist or undermine you.  An opposition can make you feel uncertain, insecure, or discontent, until you can accept and see yourself in both energies. Typically people find it easier to identify with one side and project the other onto unsuspecting others in the outer world.

First House: Personality, physical body, beginnings. Includes the Ascendant and rules physical appearance, the image you project to others, your general outlook on life, how you start things; may describe your role in your family system, often guides your first impression of immediate environment.

Second House: Money and personal finances, sense of self-worth and basic values, personal possessions, talents.

Third House: Communication, thoughts, language skills like writing and speaking, early schooling, siblings and neighbors, short trips, coming and going around town.

Fourth House: Your home, psychological foundations and roots, family, parents, domestic life, instinctive behavior, ancestry, your connection with the past, sense of security, domestic life, real estate. conditions at the end of life.

Fifth House: Children, creativity, romance; pleasure, entertainment, self-expression; all forms of “play”, speculation, gambling, and attitude towards taking risks; hobbies, attitude towards romance, lovers as opposed to partners, attitude towards having fun.

Sixth House: Work and job (as opposed to career), daily life, attitude towards service and coworkers, helpfulness, pets, attitude towards routine and organization, how you refine and perfect your skills.

Seventh House: Partnerships, one-to-one relationships, marriage, the first marriage, the “significant other”, business partnerships, competitors, open enemies, lawyers, mediators, counselors, contracts, negotiations, agreements. clients/the public.

Eighth House: Transformations and crisis, your ability to meet and rebound from crisis and change, sexuality; sex, death and rebirth, rituals and personal growth, your partner’s resources, addictions, psychology, other people’s money, taxes, divorce/alimony, inheritance.

Ninth House: Attitude toward expanding horizons, religious beliefs and personal philosophy, higher education, long-distance travel, morals, foreign languages and cultures, personal truths, publishing, commerce, advertising, your sense of adventure.

Tenth House: Career and profession, your contribution to society, social status, public reputation, material success, how you carve out a public identity for yourself; attitude toward authority figures, parents, caregivers, bosses, governments, attitude towards responsibility, desire for achievement.

Eleventh House: Friends, groups, organizations; hopes, wishes, aspirations, personal goals; your philanthropic attitude, concern for the collective, humanity; like tenth, can bring recognition and honors for fulfilling hopes and dreams.

Twelfth House: What’s hidden beneath the surface, karmic dustbin, limiting childhood/past-life messages, self-undoing, hidden enemies, hidden weaknesses, dreams, secret affairs, lost items, hospitals and prisons, hidden strengths, spiritual studies and soul growth.

A  Sun: Our vitality and magnetism; self-identity, ego.
Roles: The Self, the Hero, the Performer, the King.

B  Moon: Intuition, emotion, nurture.
Roles: The Mother, the High Priestess, the Child.

C  Mercury: Mind; physical dexterity and mental agility.
Roles: The Thinker, the Communicator, the Student, the Trickster, the Merchant, the Thief.

D  Venus: Our capacity for pleasure, receptivity, creativity, and social connection. Also indicates our relationships, self esteem, and financial abundance.
Roles: The Lover, the Seductress, the Artist.

E  Mars: Desire, initiative, anger.
Roles: The Protector, the Athlete, the Warrior.

F  Jupiter: Luck, opportunity, expansion, higher learning, religion.
Roles: The Scholar, the Gypsy, the Traveler, the Monk, the Professor.

G  Saturn: Hard work, commitment, focus, inadequacy, leadership, suffering, loss.
Roles: The Task Master, the Grim Reaper, the Wise Old Man, the Builder, the Cynic, the Boss.

H  Uranus: Change, breakthroughs, upsets, discoveries.
Roles: The Revolutionary, the Humanitarian, the Visionary, the Snob.

I  Neptune: Imagination, spirituality, idealism, addictions, deception, compassion.
Roles: The Artist, the Romantic, the Guru, the Addict, the Martyr, the Victim.

J  Pluto: Transformation, power, psychological dynamics, helplessness.
Roles: The Terrorist, the Detective, the Psychotherapist, the Dictator, shady people.

a  Aries: Pioneering, competitive, selfish, impatient, courageous, reckless, independent, dynamic, domineering, “Me first!”

b  Taurus: Patient, stable, lazy, dependable, practical, sensual, stubborn, artistic, possessive, greedy, gentle, loyal.

c  Gemini: Intelligent, curious, adaptable, quick-witted, restless, clever, scatterbrained, lacking follow-through.

d  Cancer: Nourishing, intuitive, protective, moody, sensitive, maternal, domestic, childish, cautious, creative.

e  Leo: Proud, dignified, vain, expressive, romantic, generous, childish, overbearing, self-assured, creative.

f  Virgo: Perfection-seeking, practical, methodical, petty, critical, studious, discriminating, cautious, never satisfied.

g  Libra: Charming, sociable, peace-loving, refined, diplomatic, artistic, indecisive, apathetic, easily deterred.

h  Scorpio: Passionate, secretive, penetrating, resourceful, suspicious, manipulative, jealous, sarcastic, intolerant, determined, aware.

i  Sagittarius: Freedom-loving, philosophical, optimistic, enthusiastic, careless, impatient, talkative, a know-it-all, broadminded, athletic, honest.

j  Capricorn: Serious, responsible, practical, hardworking, stubborn, brooding, inhibited, status-conscious, domineering, unforgiving.

k  Aquarius: Progressive, individualistic, unpredictable, cold, intellectual, artistic, eccentric, shy, impersonal, scientific.

l  Pisces: Compassionate, intuitive, ungrounded, romantic, impractical, self-sacrificing, seductive, musical, artistic.