DESIRING TO BE SEEN: VENUS IN LEO

Photo by Timothy Eberly on Unsplash

Venus enters Leo on June 5th and will stay there until October 8th, roughly 4 months! That’s a long time for Venus to be in one sign when it’s usually in a sign for about a month. This means that this Venus in Leo period is significant and will be calling for your attention all summer or winter long (depending on your hemisphere).

Venus is in the Sun’s sign as the Sun rules Leo. This is where the stereotype that Leo’s love to be in the spotlight or the center of attention comes from. The Sun and Leo rule the heart and Venus represents love, so this is a heart-centered and romantic time. But, it’s also present with Mars until July 10th so there could be some relationship issues that arise, more arguments or fights. It could also be a passionate and sexy time combined with tension.

Venus is also desire, unity, harmony, friendship, art, beauty and creativity, so this is a time where these themes will be more front and center. Ancient astrologers associated the Sun with the soul, the mind, light, kings/queens, leading a crowd, notable people, crowns, honor, and vitality among other things. Venus in Leo gives me Cleopatra vibes as she was thought of as an honorable, intellectual, beautiful Queen who tried to unite as the Pharaoh of Egypt.

This summer/winter is a time for you to be seen, recognized, and honored in ways that you’ve been desiring.

Since the Sun shines, your need to be seen will be front and center. If you haven’t felt seen in your relationships, at work or in your career, or in your life in general, then this is the time to ask for the spotlight, attention, recognition and the honor that you deserve.

With Mars in Leo as well, you might feel more irritation around not being seen. Use the Venus energy to bring balance and harmony to your needs and desires. Ask for what you want. Receive the love and attention that you need. Turn to friends and loved ones for support. Although Mars in Leo can have a tendency to strike out on its own, you’ll want to lean into Venus as much as possible and connect, let others really see and hear you.

Venus in Leo wants you to embrace your whole self, to celebrate all of who you are, to take courage and be yourself, and express yourself in creative and bright ways.

At the beginning of the year when I wrote my Saturn In Pisces post, I designated this year a creative one and this Venus in Leo transit is another big part of that. 2023 is the time to begin to create new things, new relationships, new experiences, and systems in our life. It is a transitional year. What we do this year will lead to what shows up next year. The seeds we plant now and the creations we take the time and courage to birth will sprout more next year.

Because Leo is the sign of the Sun and they both rule the heart, we have a theme of courage. It’s a wonderful time to tap into your courage to forage a new path for yourself, to try new things, take creative actions towards your goals and desires.

Because Venus is relationships, romantic and friendship, this transit is a good time to take your relationship to the next level, express your love for your partner(s) and friends more, be more affectionate, and feel gratitude for your connections.

The part of your chart where you have Leo will have the spotlight.

Venus Retrograde

Take advantage of the romantic, creative, expressive energy of Venus in Leo from June 5th to July 22nd because on July 22, Venus will go retrograde until September 3rd. Some astrologers will say that creativity will dry up during this Venus retrograde, but I don’t think it will dry up, I simply think that it will be calling our attention to resolve Venus issues from the past so we can move forward in our lives.

Retrograde periods are a time of re-visiting the past, reviewing and re-working what hasn’t been and isn’t working in regards to what the planet that is retrograde signifies. So, with Venus, we are talking about love, relationships, art and creativity.

Ex friends and lovers might come back to say hello or want to re-connect. This is an opportunity for you to decide whether you want them back in your life or not, or whether you have moved on from your relationship with them and want to keep it that way. Venus retrograde might stir up more thoughts and feelings of past relationships where you’re thinking a lot more of your past lovers, partners and friends. You could be feeling more regret or relief depending on how the relationship went. If there is any unfinished business between you and someone else, this might be an opportunity for you to get clarity or closure, however you want that to look.

This is also an opportunity to reflect on what you’ve learned about love and relationships over the years, particularly since 2015, the last time Venus was retrograde in Leo.

What has love and relating to others taught you over the last decade?

What do you want to change about how you love and are intimate in relationships? What kind of love do you need now and going forward? You’ve probably been learning more about your own needs around love and being in relationship with others that will be highlighted for you during this time.

While I don’t think your creativity will dry up, I think it is a great time to reflect on what creative projects and ideas you’ve been engaging with, reviewing them, and seeing what is still aligned with you and what isn’t.

If there are any creative or artistic projects you started in the past and want to continue with, then this is a great time to tend to them.

During the retrograde period, be gentle with your heart. You could be reminded of more of the ways you were hurt in past friendships and romantic relationships. Remember that if someone from your past whom you still want nothing to do with appears, you still don’t have to communicate with them. Venus retrograde will be asking you if you still have the same boundaries.

Write these dates down. Prepare now for your summer/winter of feeling seen, what you’re going to do when the romantic ghosts want to haunt you, and reserve the non-retrograde periods (beginning and end) for taking new creative actions and sharing your art and creativity with the world.