Venus Retrograde 1874

Venus turns retrograde about once every year and a half and stays so for about six weeks. During the retrograde Venus passes between the Earth and the Sun, disappears from the evening sky and reappears as the morning star. Jyotish calls the state vakra, and treats a retrograde Venus as a strong Venus whose desires turn inward.

Parashara's shadbala gives a retrograde graha full chesta bala, and the tradition treats a retrograde benefic as a giver of more good. Venus is the graha of desire, marriage, art, comfort and wealth. A strong Venus reviewing its own domain brings reconsideration in love and money.

Old relationships return during the retrograde, either to be completed or to be released. Marriages arranged in the period tend to be revisited later, so the tradition avoids fixing a wedding under a retrograde or combust Venus. Purchases of luxury, vehicles and jewellery are best delayed. Art made during the period is sincere and often the best of the year.

The period shows how one holds desire when it cannot be spent outward. Venus retrograde reveals what was wanted for its own sake and what was wanted for show. It is well spent on the art, the relationship and the value one already has.

The remedy is Lakshmi and the mantra Om Shukraya Namah. Parashara's dana for Venus is white cloth, rice, curd and silver, given on Friday. Postpone the wedding and the large purchase.

The field is the house Venus retrogrades through, counted from the Moon and from the lagna. Phaladeepika lists the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, eighth, ninth, eleventh and twelfth as Venus's favourable transit houses. A retrograde in one of them deepens an existing pleasure. In the sixth, seventh or tenth it asks for restraint in partnership and expense.