Any mention of the word retrograde has people scrambling; it's tendency to be troublesome and chaotic gives it a bad reputation. And while retrogrades can unleash hell onto your life, this only occurs when you neglect the issues they bring to light.

Retrograde refers to when a planet goes backwards in it's orbital path. But planets don't actually reverse their direction, they only appear to do so. Retrogrades are all about perspective. They challenge us to imagine possibilities beyond the status quo, or what we believe to be true at face-value. They demands caution and patience, promising great insight if we're still enough to collect our thoughts.

Venus in Scorpio goes retrograde on October 5th, 2018 but we're already feeling the effects. The planet's in it's shadow phase, meaning it's already passed the degree of the sign it'll eventually return to (Libra).

This retrograde will last 40 days and nights, a number with biblical and numerological significance. Jesus fasted in the desert for 40 days and nights and resisted the temptations of Satan. In numerology, 4 represents roots, foundation, and stability. We will be allured by the charming disguises of Venus: indulgence, mindless sex, and empty sensual pleasures. We will be confronted with old patterns of destructive coping mechanisms, blockages with intimacy, and past relationships with open-ended conclusions. We will be enraptured by the glimmer of a distant mirage.

Scorpio is the darkness we're afraid to face, the parts of ourselves we feel we have no control over. Subconscious fear is unearthed to the surface. Our secrets and shame will be displayed before us. Your reaction to what Venus in Scorpio brings up sets the tone for the rest of the retrograde period. Will you confront what makes you feel powerless? Or will you let your darkness drown you?

When you work with the retrograde energy of Venus in Scorpio, you will be transformed. The past that holds you back will be replaced by a stronger foundation of unconditional love. Your convictions will solidify, not easily swayed by temporary pleasures. You will seek people and circumstances that fulfill you on a soul level, rather than superficial one.

This retrograde period will weed out the weak and crown the strong. It can make or break a relationship, crush an impractical dream and replace it with a more realistic one, or reveal aspects of our identity we're afraid to love. Venus in Scorpio will bend your illusions until they shatter and slice your hands. Only the truth can patch the wounds; faulty infrastructures will only perpetuate the bleeding.