Venus turns retrograde on 3 October 2026 in Libra, its own sign, and turns direct on 14 November. On 6 November it slips back into Virgo, the sign of its debilitation, and it returns to Libra on 22 November.
The loop keeps Venus in Libra from 2 September 2026 to 1 January 2027, apart from 16 days in Virgo. A normal stay lasts about 25 days. Marriage plans and money spent on comfort get a long second look this autumn, along with relationships that ended or stalled.
The retrograde also runs through the festival season, and Navratri, Dashain, Dhanteras, Diwali and Tihar all fall inside it this year. The wedding season opens on Devutthana Ekadashi, 20 November, 2 days before Venus returns to Libra. Station degrees and full data are on the retrograde data page.
In this article
The Retrograde Window
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Venus enters Libra | 2 September 2026 |
| Venus turns retrograde at 14°15' Libra, Swati | 3 October 2026 |
| Mercury passes Venus inside Swati | 6 to 9 October |
| Sun enters Libra | 17 October |
| Venus combust | 19 to 29 October |
| Venus moves back from Swati into Chitra | 24 October |
| Mercury turns retrograde in Libra | 24 October |
| Venus moves back into Virgo | 6 November |
| Mercury turns direct in Libra | 13 November |
| Venus turns direct at 28°38' Virgo, Chitra | 14 November |
| Venus returns to Libra | 22 November |
| Venus leaves Libra for Scorpio | 1 January 2027 |
Mars sits in Cancer until 12 November and aspects Libra from there. Mercury shares Libra with Venus for the whole retrograde except the Virgo stretch, and the Sun joins them there on 17 October. Saturn stays retrograde in Pisces and aspects Virgo.
A Strong Venus Working Backwards
Venus rules Libra, and the first 15 degrees of the sign form its moolatrikona. The station at 14°15' falls inside that portion. Prasna Marga places the main result of Venus between 10 and 20 degrees of a sign, and the station falls there too.
Parashara's shadbala gives a retrograde planet full cheshta bala. A retrograde planet in transit goes back over houses it has already crossed, so matters that looked settled in September open again. Here Venus reviews its own subjects in its own sign: partnership, marriage talks, spending on comfort, art and vehicles.
In the classical reading, a Venus retrograde brings relationships, agreements and plans for spending on comfort back for review this autumn. Those begun since early September return first. Some older ones also come back to be completed or closed.
A breakup or a loss needs support from the birth chart and the running dasha as well. Read Venus in Libra for how this placement works in a natal chart.
The Planets Around Venus
Mercury: a meeting, then an exchange
Mercury entered Libra on 26 September and stays until 2 December. It moves through Swati pada 3 from 6 to 9 October, the same pada where Venus has just turned retrograde. Mercury passes Venus in those days. Both planets come within a degree of each other.
The texts call a meeting this close a graha yuddha. Judging the winner needs latitude data, so treat these 4 days as a time of mixed signals in talks and agreements.
Mercury turns retrograde at 26°45' Libra on 24 October and turns direct on 13 November. Both planets are retrograde together for those 3 weeks, and negotiations and relationship talks move slowly.
From 6 to 22 November, Venus sits in Virgo and Mercury sits in Libra, so each occupies the other's sign. This is Parivartana Yoga. Mercury is also combust until 10 November and retrograde until 13 November, so the exchange works more clearly in its second week.
The Sun: 10 days of combustion
The Sun enters Libra on 17 October and stays until 16 November. Libra is the Sun's sign of debilitation, and Venus becomes the dispositor of a weak Sun for those 4 weeks.
Venus is combust from 19 to 29 October, all of it while retrograde. A combust planet keeps its house active and loses its own voice there. The Sun's subjects fill that space. For these 10 days, status, authority, the father and personal pride come forward in the house where Venus sits for you.
Many Indian and Nepali families avoid fixing a wedding date while Venus is combust, a period known as Shukra asta. Panchangs often count this from visibility, so their dates can differ slightly. These days also fall inside Chaturmas. Most wedding muhurtas stay paused until Devutthana Ekadashi in any case.
Sharad Purnima on 25 October falls inside the combustion. Karwa Chauth on 29 October falls on the day Venus comes out of it.
Mars: pressure from Cancer
Mars is debilitated in Cancer from 18 September to 12 November, and its 4th aspect falls on Libra. Mars has aspected Venus since it entered Cancer, and the aspect lasts until Venus leaves Libra on 6 November.
A debilitated Mars aspecting Venus adds irritation to relationships and impatience to spending. Desire grows stronger in this stretch, and small disagreements over money or time at home can turn into long arguments. The Mars in Cancer piece covers that transit.
Saturn: an aspect during the Virgo stretch
Saturn stays retrograde in Pisces until 11 December. From Pisces it aspects Virgo, so Saturn and Venus aspect each other from 6 to 22 November.
Saturn and Venus are natural friends. Saturn's aspect slows the pleasure side of Venus and asks for restraint with money, which suits a festival fortnight of heavy spending. The Saturn retrograde in Pisces article gives Saturn's side of this period.
Nakshatra Stages
Venus stations in Swati and moves back through it until 24 October. Rahu rules Swati. Its deity is Vayu, the god of wind, and these 3 weeks favour trade, independent work and the renegotiation of old terms. Commitments made here stay open to change.
On 24 October Venus moves back into Chitra, the nakshatra of Mars, whose deity is Tvashtar, the craftsman of the gods. Chitra favours design and home repairs. Art projects revived here tend to come out better than the first attempt, and work already started gets finished.
Chitra pada 3 falls in Libra navamsa. Venus is vargottama in its own sign from 29 October to 6 November, and again from 22 to 30 November.
16 Days in Virgo
Venus moves back into Virgo on 6 November and stays until 22 November. Venus in Virgo is debilitated. The debilitation is deepest at 27 degrees, and Venus turns direct at 28°38', so it spends 16 days within 3 degrees of that point.
Venus sits in Chitra pada 2 for the whole stretch, and that pada falls in Virgo navamsa, so Venus is vargottama here. It is debilitated in the rashi and the navamsa. The navamsa route to cancellation is closed for these 16 days.
Other routes stay open in the sky. A debilitated planet in retrograde motion appears in the usual list of cancellation conditions, and Venus is retrograde until 14 November. Venus also exchanges signs with Mercury, the lord of Virgo, until 22 November.
A further condition depends on your Moon sign. Mercury in Libra stands in a kendra for Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn Moons. Jupiter, lord of the sign where Venus is exalted, stands in a kendra from Leo for Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius Moons.
None of this makes a Neecha Bhanga Raja Yoga for everyone. The yoga needs your birth chart, and the dasha decides when it gives results.
Dhanteras falls on 6 November, the same day Venus enters Virgo, and Lakshmi Puja follows 2 days later on 8 November. Tihar in Nepal falls in the same week. Keep the festival purchase traditional and modest, such as a coin or a utensil. Move large jewellery and vehicle purchases to after 22 November.
The Days That Need Care
Stations are the sharpest points of any retrograde. Keep 3 October and 14 November light, with no important signature and no hard conversation on either day.
From 19 to 29 October Venus is combust. Postpone engagement ceremonies and wedding bookings where the choice is yours, and wait a day before you reply in a disagreement.
The first week in Virgo, from 6 November to the direct station on 14 November, is the stretch to spend carefully. It covers Dhanteras and Lakshmi Puja, so plan the festival budget in advance.
The best days of the whole period come after 22 November. Venus is direct, back in its own sign, and clear of both the Sun and Mars.
How to Read Your Prediction
Read the section for your Moon sign first, then the section for your Lagna. The houses often differ, and both readings apply.
Taurus and Libra readers feel this retrograde most, since Venus rules both signs. The same holds in a Venus Mahadasha or Antardasha. The birth chart holds the promise and the transit sets the timing, so a strong natal Venus handles this period with ease.
If you do not know your Moon sign, use the Moon sign calculator. The page on Venus transit through the houses gives the baseline result for each house.
Venus Retrograde 2026: Effects for All 12 Signs
Read from your Moon sign first and then from your Lagna.
| Sign | Libra house | Virgo house (6 to 22 Nov) | Main theme |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aries | 7th | 6th | Partners, then loans and routine |
| Taurus | 6th | 5th | Work and debts, then romance |
| Gemini | 5th | 4th | Romance and study, then home |
| Cancer | 4th | 3rd | Property and vehicles |
| Leo | 3rd | 2nd | Contracts, then family money |
| Virgo | 2nd | 1st | Savings, then personal choices |
| Libra | 1st | 12th | Image and direction, then expenses |
| Scorpio | 12th | 11th | Foreign plans, then gains |
| Sagittarius | 11th | 10th | Income, then career |
| Capricorn | 10th | 9th | Career, then fortune |
| Aquarius | 9th | 8th | Study and travel, then joint money |
| Pisces | 8th | 7th | Shared finances, then marriage |
Aries (Mesha Rashi)
The retrograde runs through your 7th house, which Venus rules along with your 2nd. Past partners and delayed business deals come back to the table, along with marriage talks that stalled earlier in the year. Mars, your rashi lord, aspects your 7th from Cancer.
From 31 October Jupiter in Leo aspects your sign, and Venus in Libra aspects it until 6 November. Jupiter's aspect lifts your standing with other people through November.
In the Virgo fortnight Venus falls into your 6th, debilitated and under Saturn's aspect. Loans and office disagreements need attention in those days.
Use the combustion days to listen. Give any partnership proposal a written summary and a second meeting before you agree to it.
Taurus (Vrishabha Rashi)
Venus is your rashi lord, so this retrograde touches you directly. It moves back through your 6th house of daily work, service, debts and disputes, where Mars aspects it and Mercury sits beside it.
Old workplace issues and pending loans return. A disagreement with a colleague from earlier in the year may need settling again. Keep fixed times for sleep and meals through October, and book the routine check-up you have kept postponing this year.
From 6 to 22 November Venus moves into your 5th house, where it exchanges signs with Mercury sitting in your 6th. Romance and creative work come forward. Saturn aspects the 5th from your 11th, so they move slowly and steadily.
Clear an old debt or dispute before 6 November.
Gemini (Mithuna Rashi)
Romance, children and study fill your 5th house, and Venus, lord of your 5th and 12th, retrogrades through it with Mercury. Mercury is your rashi lord, and Mars aspects the house from your 2nd. An old romance or an abandoned creative project returns.
Students revising for exams gain here, since a retrograde favours going back over material. Mercury passes Venus in your 5th from 6 to 9 October, a good window to restart stalled writing or design work.
The Virgo stretch puts Venus in your 4th, where it exchanges signs with Mercury. Home and vehicles take up time. Saturn aspects the 4th from your 10th, so your work schedule decides how much time you can give to family matters.
Finish a creative project you left half-done.
Cancer (Karka Rashi)
Libra is your 4th house, where Venus has directional strength, and Venus rules your 4th and 11th houses as well. Property and vehicles sit at the centre of this retrograde. Mars aspects the house from your own sign.
Property deals from September come back for review. A renovation already underway continues well when you confirm the budget before each stage, and new vehicle purchases go better after 22 November.
Between 6 and 22 November Venus sits in your 3rd, in exchange with Mercury in your 4th, and short trips and paperwork pick up. Have property documents checked twice before you sign.
Leo (Simha Rashi)
Venus retrogrades through your 3rd house of contracts and media work, a house it rules along with your 10th house of career. The Sun, your rashi lord, enters this house on 17 October in debilitation, and Venus goes combust there from 19 to 29 October.
Work proposals sent in September tend to receive replies now. Read every written agreement twice before you accept it.
Your 2nd house of family money and speech takes Venus from 6 to 22 November. Saturn aspects the 2nd from your 8th, so festival spending needs a budget this year.
Set a festival spending limit before Dhanteras and keep to it.
Virgo (Kanya Rashi)
Family money and savings come under review as Venus, lord of your 2nd and 9th, retrogrades through your 2nd house. Mercury, your rashi lord, sits there with it. Mars aspects the house from your 11th.
Family discussions about money repeat themselves in October, and a pending payment from a relative may return.
On 6 November Venus enters your own sign in debilitation. Saturn aspects it from your 7th. The exchange with Mercury links the lords of your 1st and 2nd houses. It supports income and self-worth once Venus turns direct on 14 November, and it gives you the strongest support of the whole period.
Make no large purchase for yourself until 22 November.
Libra (Tula Rashi)
The retrograde sits in your own sign and Venus is your rashi lord, so image and personal direction come up for review. Mars aspects your sign from your 10th. Mercury sits in it with Venus.
The Sun joins them on 17 October, and from 19 to 29 October combust Venus hands your 1st house to a debilitated Sun. Pride and self-doubt tend to appear together.
From 6 to 22 November Venus moves into your 12th, in exchange with Mercury in your 1st. Expenses, travel, rest and private matters take your attention, and Saturn aspects this house from your 6th.
The last weeks of the year are the strongest for you. Venus returns to your sign on 22 November and stays until 1 January 2027, so plan launches and new commitments for December.
Scorpio (Vrishchika Rashi)
Your 12th house carries this retrograde. Venus rules it along with your 7th, so foreign plans, expenses and private relationships all come under review. Mars, your rashi lord, aspects this house from your 9th, and the debilitated Sun enters it for a month from 17 October.
Visa files, overseas work and spending on comfort come back for a second look. The 12th also covers sleep, so a fixed bedtime helps through October.
Once Venus enters Virgo on 6 November, it sits in your 11th house of gains and friends, with Saturn's aspect from your 5th. Income from an older source tends to return. Settle a pending expense or refund before Venus turns direct.
Sagittarius (Dhanu Rashi)
Income, networks and elder siblings belong to your 11th, where Venus, lord of your 6th and 11th, retrogrades this autumn. Mars aspects the 11th from your 8th. Mercury, lord of your 7th and 10th, sits there with Venus, and old contacts return with business.
The 11th is good for every planet in the gochara scheme, so this is among the easier readings of the 12.
In Virgo, Venus sits in your 10th, where the classics call the transit hard. Saturn aspects the 10th from your 4th. Disputes at work need patience, and the exchange with Mercury links your 10th and 11th lords to support income once Venus is direct.
Reconnect with a former employer or client in October.
Capricorn (Makara Rashi)
Venus is your yogakaraka, ruling the 5th and 10th houses, and it retrogrades through your 10th house of career and public role. Mars aspects the 10th from your 7th.
A job offer or project from earlier in the year tends to return. The combustion days put authority figures at the centre, so keep your manager informed of every change.
From 6 to 22 November Venus sits in your 9th and exchanges signs with Mercury in your 10th. Classical texts value an exchange between the 9th and 10th lords, and it favours career moves backed by a teacher or a senior. Saturn, your rashi lord, aspects it from your 3rd.
Take on new responsibility at work after 14 November.
Aquarius (Kumbha Rashi)
Your 9th house of teachers and higher study hosts the retrograde, and Venus, your yogakaraka, rules it along with your 4th. Long travel and your father come into focus. Mars aspects the 9th from your 6th.
Study plans and pilgrimages postponed earlier come back. A long journey booked now goes better when the dates stay flexible.
The Virgo fortnight moves Venus into your 8th. Saturn, your rashi lord, aspects it from your 2nd. The 8th covers joint money and in-laws, and Venus tends to bring gains here. You are in the last phase of Sade Sati, so Saturn's aspect asks for careful paperwork on every shared account.
Review insurance and joint accounts during the Virgo fortnight.
Pisces (Meena Rashi)
Venus rules your 3rd and 8th houses and retrogrades through your 8th, where shared finances and insurance come back for review. Mars aspects the 8th from your 5th.
Venus does well in the 8th in the gochara scheme, and old dues or a pending claim can return in your favour. Keep records of every joint transaction.
From 6 November Venus sits in your 7th. Saturn in your sign and Venus in Virgo aspect each other across your 1st and 7th, the axis of self and marriage. You are in the peak phase of Sade Sati, so relationship talks in this fortnight need patience and plain speech.
Move an engagement or a partnership signing to December where you can.
Remedies and Observances
The practice this retrograde asks for is simple. Review before you commit, and finish old matters before you start new ones. Keep the promises you made to a partner, and repair a relationship you let slide during the busy months of this year.
Friday belongs to Venus. Chant Om Shukraya Namah 108 times on Friday mornings, or recite the Sri Suktam. Traditional dana for Venus includes white cloth, rice and silver, given on a Friday to a person in need or at a temple.
Lakshmi worship suits a Venus period. Sharad Purnima on 25 October, Dhanteras on 6 November, Lakshmi Puja on 8 November and Devutthana Ekadashi on 20 November fall inside this period.
Start wearing a diamond or a white sapphire only after a full chart check, and wait until Venus is direct.
These practices work on the mind first. Venus shows what a person values and wants, and the retrograde brings those wants up for a second, more honest look. For a reading of this retrograde against your own chart, book a consultation.
After 22 November
Venus returns to Libra on 22 November and moves forward through Chitra and Swati. It crosses its station degree of 14°15' again between 14 and 18 December, while it passes through Swati pada 3. Matters left open in October usually settle then.
Venus leaves Libra for Scorpio on 1 January 2027. The next Venus retrograde runs from 11 May to 23 June 2028 in Taurus, its other own sign.
Summary
Venus is retrograde from 3 October to 14 November. It turns back in Libra, spends 16 days in Virgo from 6 to 22 November, and stays in Libra until 1 January 2027. Mercury shares the loop, the Sun makes Venus combust from 19 to 29 October, and Mars aspects Venus until 6 November.
The combustion days and the first week in Virgo ask for the most care. The weeks after 22 November carry the best results. Use the retrograde to review relationships, agreements and spending, and keep large purchases and wedding bookings for the final weeks of the year.
For a personal reading, book a consultation or ask the AI Astrologer.
