Venus (love, art, money) enters Virgo (perfection, logic, analysis) at 4:32am Pacific Time (11:32am GMT) today and will stay there until August 6th, moving out of boisterous energetic Leo and into the contemplative and overanalytical Virgo.

Venus is one of the two benefic planets, along with Jupiter, as it is associated with pleasant things and tends to bring positive influences. However, despite sharing the same first letter Venus is not happy in Virgo, it is in Fall. A planet is in Fall in the sign directly opposite the sign where it is Exalted (Pisces in Venus’ case), it is uncomfortable and has difficulty expressing itself fully. Venus’ desires for self-expression, relationship, and pretty shiny things can clash with Virgo’s need for precision and perfection.

As I’ve mentioned before: each sign a planet encounters tempers and refines the one before it, and Venus in Virgo is no different. Where Venus in Leo was bold and outgoing, preferring to express itself first and ask questions later, Venus in Virgo is the exact opposite, preferring to analyze and interpret before daring to reveal anything too personal about itself. Virgo takes a step back from the over-exaggerated ways of Leo, analyzing our actions during the last thirty degrees so that we may work to realize our motivations before starting to balance and refine them in Libra.

 

Virgo is represented in Tarot by The Hermit card and it’s very possible that Venus in Virgo can encourage introversion, reclusion, introspection and other hermit-like behaviors. All relationships are ruled by Venus, not just romantic ones. Virgo loves to analyze and excel at perfection, at worst this can mean analyzing to the point of anxiety or harsh criticizing of everything. Virgo Venus can inadvertently encourage you to be exceptionally critical of others around you, straining existing relationships and making new ones difficult to form during this time.

On the flip side, if you do not allow Venus to get too nitpicky and overanalytical in Virgo it can be a time of great growth and change. Analysis can lead you to the opportunity to do things better and greater than you did before. This can encourage examination of our values both in and out of relationships, what you are getting out of our current relationships, and our own self-worth.

Venus also rules the material and monetary realm. Virgo helps us recover from the spendthrift ways of Leo, making you more aware of your finances. This could be an excellent time to revamp or start a budget, savings account, or anything which can harness the analytical and precision aspects of Virgo.

While Venus isn’t happy under the Virgo examination microscope and doesn’t enjoy being scrutinized so closely the work done during Venus in Virgo will help you be able to express your own Venus more fully. By keeping in mind the ease of expression that you had in Venus in Leo and making sure your analytical side is kept in check during this month you may be able to grow and learn more about yourself and your relation to others.

This is a broad look at the effects Venus in Virgo can have. How you personally will be influenced by Venus’ transit through Virgo will also depend on your birth chart: the sign and placement Venus is in as well as the house and planet(s) you have in Virgo. To find out your own planet and house placements you can cast your own chart for free online. For a personal chart reading I am also available for consultations.

First image by Delphine Gache.
Tarot cards from The Thoth Deck and Raider Waite decks, respectively.

Today the planet Venus moves into Leo at 1:50am Pacific Time (8:50am GMT), saying goodbye to the soft romantic Crab and hello to the flashy bold Lion. It will stay there until July 10th when it moves into Virgo. In Leo Venus is free to express itself without limitation, a happy situation for Venus which likes little more than being able to openly express itself. The trap of Venus in Leo is being too big and giving away the self too freely without retaining anything.

Venus rules over the realms of relationships, art/expression, worth (both personal/self and physical/monetary), and values. As planets move around the signs each sign tempers and refines the one before it, so Venus in Leo takes the personal emotional lessons learned in Venus in Cancer such as the ability to open up and be true to one’s self and uses them as fuel to ignite it’s own exaggerated and flirtatious nature, expressing the self and the ego as effectively as possible.

Venus’ journey from solitary Cancer to outgoing Leo can be an abrupt change for those comfortable in the nurturing and emotional water sign or a welcome one to those more at home in the heart of the flame. In Leo Venus is encouraged to be bold, risky, and daring, but also risks a bruised ego in the process due to it’s larger than life nature. It doesn’t think, it acts, and can suffer the consequences later.

Because Venus in Cancer taught us about our personal relationships with each of the realms Venus rules Leo can then take that new knowledge and start expressing it to anyone and everyone who will listen.

There can be a tendency to overexpress or give away Venusian items during this time, including money and personal self-worth in the hope of gaining approval and recognition. Leo loves attention, approval, and recognition, and so any personal endeavors are often motivated by that subconscious or conscious desire. The bruised ego comes in when that desire is not met. Because of this personal relationships can become strained if both parties are looking for recognition but not giving any to the other.

When Venus in Leo is well-expressed it is done so by finding a balance between the Cancerian nurturing and Leo expressing, making sure you and everyone else is heard and appreciated. While not always easy to achieve, that is the work of Venus in Leo.

This is a broad look at the effects Venus in Leo can have. How you personally will be influenced by Venus’ transit through Leo will also depend on your birth chart: the sign and placement Venus is in as well as the house and planet(s) you have in Leo. To find out your own planet and house placements you can cast your own chart for free online. For a personal chart reading I am also available for consultations.