Beginner's Survival Guide To The 2018 Venus Retrograde

The much revered Venus retrograde has finally begun. You can already find a plethora of articles and information explaining in entirety the feared aspects of this retrograde; but fear based thinking is certainly not the way you want to enter and sustain this retrograde.

We will start off with a little background information. Venus is said to be based off of a mythical story of a Divine Goddess who was rich in Divine Feminine traits (validation, confidence, beauty, acceptance, soft, receptive). She sets out on a journey to meet her "dark" sister, or her shadow self who possesses quite the opposite traits. During this journey the Goddess will sustain much pain and torment by that of her shadow self and will eventually be resurrected into a forever changed and experienced Goddess. Throughout this journey she has learned to love and accept even the darkest aspects of herself and most importantly she has learned to balance herself in light.

Venus is the planet of love and relationships dealing with inner/ outer connections to ourselves and others. This means that the lessons to come could very much be dealing with our love lives, psyche, past traumas, and unresolved issues in within or with others. Combine this with Scorpio in the first half which can possess shadow traits of secrecy and vengeance; Then into Libra which can possess shadow traits of jealousy, possessiveness, and demanding behavior.

So, know that we know what aspects of our lives this retrograde will be impacting, we can see with more clarity what we can do to not only prepare ourselves, but to gracefully navigate ourselves through this great period of personal growth. These shadow traits and seemingly "target" areas of our lives will be our triggers, and the lesson that comes out of this is learning to react to these triggers in a healthy, loving, positive way. When we are hurt or angry it can be hard to react in a loving manner which is why this retrograde proves challenging for a large majority of us.

5 Tips to Navigate Gracefully Through Venus Retrograde

This is absolutely a time to act with integrity. The saying "What is done in the dark will come to light" will surely prove to show it's truth. This is not a time for keeping secrets or bottling up emotions as when it is time for them to be revealed, Justice will be served in it's entirety.

1. Be extremely conscious of your thoughts. The retrograde doesn't stop the Law of Attraction from working nor will it slow your manifestations, unless you let it. Accepting up front that there will be many triggers and tests occurring to you in all forms is already preparing your mind for how you will handle it. This also warns of events that will try to pull you under to a very emotional chaotic state, but the beauty is that you are in complete and utter control of your reactions to these events which puts you in control of your emotions and thoughts. Your thoughts create your reality and it would be impossible to create the reality you truly desire without contrast.

2. Practice the pause. When events happen that really start to stir your emotions and you think about reacting irrationally, pause. When your thoughts start spiraling into negativity, pause. When someone has just pissed you right off and you want to react, pause. We know the difference between low frequency and high frequency emotions simply by the way that they feel. Low frequency emotions such as rage, resentment, and jealousy do not feel good, which is a clear indicator that these are not emotions we should allow to consume us; They require balance. So pause, give yourself enough time to really interpret all that is happening before you react.

3. Spend more time mediating or on self reflection. Since this is a time of really having to look at and accept our shadow selves, it would be helpful to journey within and discover the underlying reasons for these shadow traits. We gain experience of dark emotions by going through dark experiences. We desire better for ourselves because we have experienced a contrast of something that we didn't like. It is time to discover the root of these shadow emotions and traits and give gratitude for the lessons learned. Balance these things with the light within and show that the lessons are understood and learned. A lesson learned has no need to be repeated.

4. Unleash your creative side. Write, journal, sing, dance, CREATE something. Inevitably during this retrograde we will all be getting better acquainted with ourselves on a Soul level. Going through things and learning lessons leaves us all with a story to tell and it is a great treat to others and ourselves when we express this in our own unique ways. This has the potential to be a wonderful time for intuition and prosperous sparks of inspiration, so follow your gut and express yourself. This is also a great way to transmute negative emotions. When something happens that tempts a nasty reaction from you, try to channel it out through whatever art it is that you love and appreciate.

5. Go with the flow. Last but not least, just go with the flow; Even if the flow is turbulent. We all possess a level of discernment that communicates to us by letting us know that there are some experiences in life that cannot be changed or avoided. Finding healthy coping mechanisms for times of turmoil can make a world of difference in the experience of learning these lessons. There is a quote that states, "To those who do not understand growth, it could look like complete destruction." It isn't destruction, but resurrection. Now that we understand that this is just a growth phase, we can face it with confidence and gratitude for the endless opportunities to evolve.

Think of this as a lesson on "Taming the beast within". Much of what is no longer serving you will be forced out of your life during this time. This may be difficult, but when it gets tough just step back and allow yourself to focus on the TRUE bigger picture.

Here's to finding balance within, and with others.