Venus Retrograde Horoscope for July 20, 2023. August Monthly Part One

Share This Horoscope with a Friend

You are likely to be challenging some childhood repression of your talents, abilities or curiosity.

Aries (March 20-April 19) — Your solar chart is exploding with the kind of creativity that is so concentrated and so meaningful that it requires patience to bring out. So if you focus on making some time and space for yourself, and slowing down enough to focus inwardly, you can do something beautiful that you’ve wanted to do for a long time. There is an element of retrieving something that you left behind or unfinished in the past, even if that is just a starting point. There is also a necessary element of trusting yourself enough to think your ideas are worth developing. You are likely to be challenging some childhood repression of your talents, abilities or curiosity. It’s difficult to understand why adults are jealous of the children they care for, though the result is too often intimidation. Kids hide their abilities and their curiosities and the parents reward them for being more “manageable.” So in taking your creative journey inward, there is an element of soul retrieval, and also of rebellion. And as you find your way into and through your personal labyrinth, you will confront a deeply private mystery that will be your reward for daring to enter your creative core.

Venus stations retrograde in Leo, the 5th solar house for Aries. This is a significant creative gift, so meaningful that you might overlook it or take it for granted. Venus rules the 2nd (Taurus), 7th (Libra), and the 12th (exalted in Pisces). I offer many more details in your Inner Space readings.

Aries Astrology Studio is Now Available for Instant Access

This reading is included with a Backstage Pass


If you’re aware of any ways you didn’t fit into your family of origin, you will have a basic set of principles to work with.

Taurus (April 19-May 20) — Even though you’re one of the best at feathering your own nest, and what could generally be called “making home,” it’s still not easy for you to feel comfortable on the planet. Perhaps this is behind your drive to improve your spaces and fill your home with art and artifacts that you personally value. (Not everyone does.) Yet the adjustment described by Venus retrograde is about aligning with yourself emotionally. You are past the point where feeling accepted by your family is especially relevant. If you’re aware of any ways you didn’t fit into your family of origin, you will have a basic set of principles to work with. Their idea of the comfort of home was not the same as yours, and you may still be hesitant to assert yourself within your own space even when you’re the only one who has the keys. Yet this is all about how you feel, and your ability to take care of yourself, and knowing that your space is welcoming of the people you care about. What is valuable to you is not what costs a lot, but rather what you think is beautiful and what makes you feel good. Start in the bedroom and work your way out.

Venus will be retrograde in Leo, the 4th solar house for Taurus, emphasizing the importance of home, and also the conditions of your early childhood environment. Venus rules your 1st (Taurus), 6th (Libra), and the 11th (exalted in Pisces). I have much more to say about this in your Inner Space written and audio readings.

Taurus Astrology Studio is Now Available for Instant Access

33% off with this coupon:  TaurusStudio33

This reading is included with a Backstage Pass


Though you may not want to be known as a writer, you have a rare opportunity to do something potentially valuable and vital for yourself and the world.

Gemini (May 20-June 21) — Finding a new kind of success is on your mind these days. Saturn’s presence at the top of your solar chart is encouraging you to take charge of whatever you’re involved with. You may or may not have professional aspirations, though your charts suggest that you be impeccable in all that you do. You have a rare gift for words (which means ideas), though you may not understand the extent of your distinctive talent. Though you may not want to be known as a writer, you have a rare opportunity to do something potentially valuable and vital for yourself and the world. Have you been contemplating an idea for a while, thinking now might be the time? Then for sure it is. The length does not matter; whether you write an essay or a book amounts to the same thing: the quality you invest is all you need to focus on. There is also a pleasure factor involved, which will be enhanced by doing something worthwhile. By that I mean useful and engaging. There’s something you know, or a story you want to tell, and nobody else can do it. Find a room of your own, leave your cellphone in the car, and get busy. You cannot buy this kind of fun.

Venus will be retrograde Leo, which is the 3rd solar house for Gemini. This fact is a clue to understanding the power of the solar chart generally, and also your personal gift for communication. Leo in this placement for Gemini is a clue to your talent with language. Venus rules the 12th (Taurus), 5th (Libra), and the 10th (exalted in Pisces).

Gemini Astrology Studio is Now Available for Instant Access

33% off with this coupon:  GeminiStudio33

This reading is included with a Backstage Pass


The false lesson is that you don’t have a choice, which is another way of saying your resources are not your own.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — You are in a period of financial rearrangement, and it’s crucial that you take this rare opportunity to go the whole way. There are at least two layers here. One involves the basics of consolidating your financial power: knowing where you stand with yourself, how much you have, and how much you owe. The more important exercise is aligning your spending and investing with what you personally hold to be valuable. Such an inquiry into values is a rare activity on Earth, and an important point of maturity for you. Most people go through life spending their money where they are forced to do so. The false lesson is that you don’t have a choice, which is another way of saying your resources are not your own. Yet they must be, and that includes everything of value: particularly your time and your knowledge. Venus retrograde is urging you to take possession of yourself and all that you have. The purpose is not to cling, but rather to be an effective steward of all that you have. Do everything you can to eliminate waste, and then allocate the liberated energy toward a calling that will not be going silent any time soon. Yes this may involve facing some old fears and going deep into unfamiliar territory. The journey will be worth it.

Leo is the 2nd solar house for Cancer, associated with finances and self-worth. The water signs all have fire signs on their financial house, though Cancer’s emphasis via Leo is one of the greatest gifts in all of astrology. Venus rules the 11th (Taurus), the 4th (Libra) and the 9th (exalted in Pisces).

Cancer Astrology Studio is available for instant access!

33% off with this coupon: CancerStudio33

This reading is included with a Backstage Pass


Venus retrograde in your own sign is about aligning your whole being with your aspirations.

Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) — Everyone, it seems, goes through a phase where they must learn how to say, “I am an artist” or musician or writer or race car driver or whatever you may be. Venus retrograde in your own sign is about aligning your whole being with your aspirations. Practice not hesitating when asked what you do. You don’t need to recite your curriculum vitae, or account for your side-hustles or hobbies. Answer simply and declaratively, so that any discussion focuses on the one thing that matters to you the most. Pay attention to any sense of doubt you may feel, without succumbing to it. This takes practice, and it’s just one stage on the way to embracing the dharma. After a while you may get the hang of being the thing and not the activity — to be journalism rather than a journalist, for example. This thing called ‘the ego’ will never be content, and will always seek some new form of identification. Venus retrograde in your sign is encouraging you to be what you do; to speak from who you are; and to adapt so well you could express yourself anywhere and under any conditions. Fortunately, your job is to shed light, and not to master it.

Leo is its own 1st solar house, and this is where Venus will be retrograde. By the end of this transit, you will feel much more solid and confident in expressing what seem like professional goals but which really are core concepts of self-actualization. Venus rules the 3rd (Libra), the 8th (exalted in Pisces) and the 10th (Taurus).

Leo Astrology Studio is Now Available For Instant Access

Coupon code: AstroStudio50

This reading is included with a Backstage Pass


The thing to measure is not success by some seemingly objective metric, but rather how much fun you’re having along the way.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) — Venus retrograde for you is about finding yourself, when culturally there is no such thing anymore. Most people are under the persistent (digital) illusion that they know everything there is to know about themselves. This would be true, if we count skipping the whole topic as a means of gaining knowledge. The kind of finding I am talking about will feel a little like discovering a wad of cash in a jacket you haven’t worn for five years. You may wake up one day and discover that you’re a talented investor, clairvoyant or special events planner. But you won’t know until you try. And so any idea you may have would call for some experimentation to confirm. The thing to measure is not success by some seemingly objective metric, but rather how much fun you’re having along the way. This transit is more about do what you love than it is about love what you do, though both matter. Anyway, there is something about yourself that you have not given a fair trial; you may be able to name it, and you may not. You may remember this aspect of your being — then forget just as quickly.

Leo is the 12th solar house of Virgo. The retrograde will offer you a rare glimpse into interior portions of your psyche that are easy to avoid or pretend do not exist. Remember they have a logic of their own that nobody else will understand. Venus rules the 2nd (Libra), the 7th (exalted in Pisces) and the 9th (Taurus).

Let them hold that vibration while you go about feeling comfortable and helping them feel good while they are speaking with you. When you meet someone, affirm who they are by your focused presence and good vibes — and listen carefully for the potential connections.

Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) — This is the time to make being social your vocation. If you spend what feels like a disproportionate amount of time outside of the house among people, there are likely to be significant rewards. Go where people are generally unfamiliar to you, rather than your old haunts. Then find the people who feel familiar, and notice when an actual conversation starts. Then, collect these people over the next couple of months. This is more than about networking (the old-fashioned kind, in person rather than by typing or tapping). It’s about finding your community of interest, one person at a time. If there is a social/spiritual exercise involved, it’s about getting good at being yourself. Remember that nearly everyone feels at least a little awkward in social situations. Let them hold that vibration while you go about feeling comfortable and helping them feel good while they are speaking with you. When you meet someone, affirm who they are by your focused presence and good vibes — and listen carefully for the potential connections. Yes, this is about you having an agenda, in the most positive sense of that concept: a mission you feel good about fulfilling. Don’t say too much at first — just enough to spark some potential interest.

Leo is the 11th solar house for Libra, which helps explain why you are so naturally a social person (even if you’re an introvert). Venus rules the 1st (Libra), the 6th (exalted in Pisces) and 8th (Taurus). The retrograde will offer you excellent confidence-building opportunities.

You’ve surely heard that “relationships are a mirror of your inner reality,” and this is truer for Scorpio than for any other sign.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) — Venus rules your opposite sign Taurus, and is therefore about your personal relationships with others. Yet it also rules your deeply introspective 12th house, so it’s about your relationship with yourself. This is an odd setup, because it means that so much of what seems to be about other people is really about you. You’ve surely heard that “relationships are a mirror of your inner reality,” and this is truer for Scorpio than for any other sign. Therefore, you can relax, and focus on having a peaceful relationship with yourself. It will help if you give people a lot of room to be themselves, while you give yourself room to be yourself. I suggest setting aside competitiveness in all forms except for aspiring to do a little better than you did yesterday. If you compete with others, you are only getting in your own way. And you’re not recognizing the extent to which people respect your leadership and intelligence. Aspire to cooperation in all that you do, which also means quickly and quietly moving on from those who persistently do not get along with you. It may be tempting to argue or convert them — but it won’t help you or anyone else.

Leo is the 10th solar house for Scorpio, so it affects your relationship to authority, and to being an authority. You don’t need to convince anyone of your power; you just need to relax and be yourself. Treat people kindly, knowing they want to respect you. Venus rules the 7th (Taurus), the 9th (exalted in Pisces) and the 12th (Libra).

Filter out what you think others might think, and instead, become the thing that you are creating.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) —All of your questions currently come back to your ultimate philosophy on life. Jim Morrison said that Sagittarius is the most philosophical sign, though this is now getting new and unusual emphasis. Perhaps you’ve identified that, though even if so, the retrograde of Venus is here to help you tune up your relationship to your quest for your personal truth about your own life. There are plenty of fake plastic trees you could put in this space; you can paint any view you want on the inside of your windows. Yet your soul is craving the direct experience of reality, and if you let go of certain distractions — anger, wanting to be the best, or certain falsehoods imposed on you by religion — you will make some exciting discoveries. One thing you might do is plan a trip to somewhere important that you’ve been before. By that I mean a location where you learned something or had a personal breakthrough rather than merely a good time. There is also one particular expressive project that you can focus on with new intensity and a fresh vision. Filter out what you think others might think, and instead, become the thing that you are creating.

Leo is the 9th solar house for Sagittarius, meaning that this retrograde happens where you form your relationship with both ideas and what you think of as god or your higher self. Venus rules the 6th (Taurus), the 11th (Libra) and the 4th (exalted in Pisces).

Make sure you don’t have to be dragging anyone along; they must be a step or two ahead of you.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) – Questions surround the role of investors, partners and collaborators. It’s important that you account for everyone who has a role in your business life, or who has access to your funds. What role does everyone fulfill? You must align with them on your purpose, but also on your creative aspirations and your thinking style. You have a brilliantly intuitive mind. You are often right without having taken the steps to get there — but what you’re doing now requires concrete thinking and tangible goals. Where you can have that conversation, and get useful information, you know you are probably with the right people. Another test is commitment. Make sure you don’t have to be dragging anyone along; they must be a step or two ahead of you. Venus retrograde will also influence intimate and romantic situations, though the most important thing you can do is review the influence of anyone whose role in your life you might take for granted. The core question involves whether there is healthy involvement and a sense of mutually beneficial exchange. You don’t have to do more than listen and observe; any decisions you make will come later in the year.

Leo is the 8th solar house for Capricorn, and so the retrograde happens in a deeply transformational house. What seems like a matter of life-or-death is really a matter of growing and relating to others. Venus rules the 5th (Taurus), the 10th (Libra) and the 3rd (exalted in Pisces).

All discussions where consensus is involved (and you’re now there) are best handled by first arriving at mutual values.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — Close intimate partners on the level of family are the focus of Venus retrograde. You are seeing that there are many levels of exchange you have with them, and Venus right on your personal horizon is holding out the potential for going deeper. This will be based on emotional contact, though be mindful of who from your past reminds you of someone with whom you’re currently close. Just because someone reminds you of your father does not mean you have to treat them that way. However, you have opportunities open for resolving certain important legacy issues that may have seemed stuck for many years. If you can get beyond the emotional level, you will make more progress. All discussions where consensus is involved (and you’re now there) are best handled by arriving at mutual values. Be specific about those; sharing life is about showing up for one another on the subjects and issues that matter the most. When you get to that level of existence, you will feel it in an instinctive level that also translates into a spoken understanding. If there is a sense of oil and water not mixing, you don’t need to force matters, but rather come to a new understanding.

Leo is the 7th solar house for Aquarius, so you’re looking right at this transit in your day-to-day interactions with others. These seemingly routine relationships take on much deeper importance now. Venus rules the 4th (Taurus), the 9th (Libra) and the 2nd (exalted in Pisces).

Aquarius Astrology Studio is Now Available For Instant Access

This reading is included with a Backstage Pass


This is a way for you to establish value which many people struggle with. And despite the prevalence of the internet as the community marketplace, focus a local angle on anything you do in business.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — The value of your work is the focus of Venus retrograde. Under digital conditions, this has become difficult. There always seems to be someone doing for free what you do for pay. And the value theme can be challenging for Pisces, because your ingrained tendency is to want to give everything away for free. However, you have a spectacular opportunity to clean up this aspect of your life. Value is something that you first establish in yourself, and then with that, you can take it out into the world. With Pisces more than any other sign, this must proceed from the inside out. You really have to understand your value not just in some abstract sense, but in the world of commerce and trade. This will mean learning how to write about what you do in a compelling way, and also using your gift of gab. Bring your voice into your activities; engage people in conversation. This is a way for you to establish value which many people struggle with. And despite the prevalence of the internet as the community marketplace, focus a local angle on anything you do in business. You may have to get creative here, but keep your interests as close to home as possible.

Leo is the 6th solar house for Pisces. This is why you can be so dedicated to the work you do, though be careful of any lazy habits and strive to complete what you begin. Venus rules the 3rd (Taurus), the 8th (Libra) and the 1st (exalted in Pisces).

Pisces Astrology Studio is Now Available For Instant Access

This reading is included with a Backstage Pass


Join our international Core Community today!

Leave a Comment