Transiting Venus in Leo
June 5 – October 8, 2023 • Retrograde July 22 – September 3
As the zodiac’s appointed ruler of the 5th house, Leo is creative, expressive, confident and playful, so it should come as no surprise that while Venus is here she’s enthusiastic about having fun.
And since Venus is the goddess of love, her version of fun includes romance, which is why whenever she’s draped in Leo’s royal robes, she feels bold, beautiful and ready for love.
Of course, not just anyone will do. To live happily-ever-after, she needs a partner who not only sets her heart on fire, but is loyal, loving, passionate, attentive, confident and willing to occasionally stand in her shadow.
While it’s true Venus in Leo can be a high-maintenance partner, when she’s in love, she gives as good as she gets. In fact, she can be generous to a fault, because whoever wins her heart also wins her wallet.
Unfortunately, her strong susceptibility to flattery makes her an easy target for smooth talkers, which is why the trail of broken hearts she leaves behind are often her own.
During this time, some of you could be swept off your feet by a new romance that makes you feel like you’re 16 again. If so, it’s fine to embrace the excitement but take it slow because on July 22, Venus will station retrograde and begin to scrutinize the relationship to assess its long-term potential.
In fact, she will reevaluate all of your relationships and that includes professional, platonic and familial ones. And so will you, because every Venus retrograde cycle is a karmic one that raises any issues that need to be addressed at the time.
And that’s not all that’s up for scrutiny.
Since Venus rules money, while she’s in Leo many of you could be tempted to indulge yourself with extravagant purchases, spend freely on entertainment and recreational activities, children and hobbies. If you enjoy gambling, you might find yourself at a casino, a racetrack or buying scratch-offs. If so, you might want to exercise restraint to ensure you don’t come down with a bad case of gambling fever.
When Venus stations retrograde on July 22, she’ll review her balance sheets, reassess her financial health and if need be, revise her financial strategy in time to implement it after she goes direct on September 3.
And she’ll insist you do the same.
Besides relationships and money, Venus rules our self-worth and personal values and while during her visit to the Lion’s den she focuses on the activities and relationships that give her pleasure and allow her to express her true nature.
Likewise, during this time many of you will feel more inclined to focus on the interests and relatioships that bring you the most happiness.
Comes July 22, Venus will look deeply within as she reconsiders who and what matters the most to her, so that by the time she goes direct on September 3, she will have a clear vision of where her priorities lie.
And yes, she’ll insist you do this as well.
Whenever Venus is in Leo, there’s a spotlight somewhere that is shining brightly on her. If not, then she’s standing in the wings waiting for her big break, because deep down in her soul, she knows that it’s simply a question of when, not if, the limelight will find her.
The same is true for you. In most cases, recognition doesn’t come in the form of worldwide fame, national distinction or any type of public attention.
Instead, it comes as a simple sentence, a gesture or a tail wag that recognizes you as the light in someone’s else’s life.
