Venus Retrograde
Every year and a half Venus appears to move backwards through the zodiac for about six weeks — the retrograde astrologers tie to love, money and what we value. Here are the exact dates in your own time zone, the shadow period on either side, what Venus retrograde means for love, and everything our astrologers have written about it.
Is Venus retrograde right now?
Yes
Venus has been retrograde in Scorpio and Libra since , . It turns direct on , .
Every Venus retrograde, 2026–2027
Venus turns retrograde roughly every 19 months and stays retrograde for about six weeks, so some years have none at all. Times are shown in your own time zone with the exact degree of each station; where a cycle crosses a sign boundary, the arrow shows it.
2026
| Signs | Turns retrograde | Turns direct |
|---|---|---|
| ScorpioLibraNow | , · 08°29′ ScorpioPre-shadow from | , · 22°52′ LibraPost-shadow until |
2027
2028
| Signs | Turns retrograde | Turns direct |
|---|---|---|
| GeminiNext | , · 19°41′ GeminiPre-shadow from | , · 03°11′ GeminiPost-shadow until |
What our astrologers wrote about Venus retrograde
Venus never actually moves backwards
What you see is an optical effect, not a real reversal. Venus circles the Sun every 225 days, closer and faster than Earth, and every 584 days it catches up with us and passes between Earth and the Sun. For about six weeks around that pass it appears to stop, drift backwards against the stars and then turn forward again. The motion is a real, predictable effect of watching from a moving planet; whether it rearranges your love life is a matter of belief.
Venus is the brightest planet in our sky, and it spends only about 7% of the time retrograde — the rarest retrograde of the inner planets, which is part of why astrologers give it so much weight.
So why does it look like it does?
Because we watch Venus from a moving Earth. As Venus overtakes us on its smaller, faster orbit, our line of sight to it runs forward, doubles back, then runs forward again — here is the same motion drawn out.
The Venus retrograde shadow period
Every retrograde has a shadow on either side: the stretch of zodiac Venus crosses three times. The pre-retrograde shadow begins when Venus first reaches the degree where it will later turn direct; the post-retrograde shadow ends when it gets back to the degree where it turned retrograde. For Venus each shadow lasts about a month, so the whole cycle runs around three and a half months. Many astrologers feel old relationship themes begin stirring in the pre-shadow and settle in the post-shadow.
- 1. Pre-shadow begins,
- 2. Turns retrograde,
- 3. Turns direct,
- 4. Post-shadow ends,
What to expect during Venus retrograde
Venus retrograde is traditionally a time to look back at love, money and what you value rather than rush into something new. Old flames and unfinished feelings tend to resurface, spending habits come up for review, and you may see a relationship — or your own taste — differently than you did a month ago.
Astrologers usually suggest holding off on big changes to your look and on major purchases, and taking reunions slowly: what returns now is worth a second look, not an automatic yes. It's a good time to repair, renegotiate and appreciate what you already have.
Which house Venus retrograde falls in for you
The same retrograde lands in a different house of every birth chart, and the house shows which part of life it stirs up — work, home, money, love, friendships. This time Venus turns retrograde at 08°29′ Scorpio and backs up to 22°52′ Libra. Build your birth chart and find the house that holds those degrees: that is where this retrograde asks you to slow down and review.
Venus retrograde by sign
Each Venus retrograde falls in one or two signs, and each sign stirs up slightly different things. The date shows the next time Venus is retrograde there.
| Sign | What tends to come up | Next time |
|---|---|---|
| Aries | Impulsive crushes, fast break-ups and how you go after what you want | Feb 2033 |
| Taurus | Money, comfort and what you're willing to pay for love | May 2044 |
| Gemini | Flirty texts, mixed signals and old conversations | May 2028 |
| Cancer | Family ties, nostalgia and the need to feel safe | Not before 2058 |
| Leo | Romance, pride and wanting to be adored | Jul 2031 |
| Virgo | Small gestures, self-care routines and what you put up with | Not before 2058 |
| Libra | Partnerships, fairness and the balance of give and take | Now, since Oct 2026 |
| Scorpio | Jealousy, intimacy and shared money | Now, since Oct 2026 |
| Sagittarius | Long-distance love, freedom and big promises | Not before 2058 |
| Capricorn | Commitment, status and love on a schedule | Dec 2029 |
| Aquarius | Friendships that blur into more, and the need for space | Not before 2058 |
| Pisces | Rose-tinted memories, rescue missions and soft boundaries | Feb 2033 |
Venus retrograde FAQ
When does this Venus retrograde end?
This Venus retrograde ends when Venus turns direct on , at the degree it backs up to in Libra. Its post-retrograde shadow runs on until , when Venus is back where the retrograde began.
Is Venus retrograde bad for love?
Not bad — reflective. Astrologers read Venus retrograde as a review of relationships rather than a ban on them: feelings you set aside come back for another look, and the gap between what you want and what you have gets easier to see. Couples often use it to talk about what's changed; singles may find exes or old crushes reappearing.
Should I get back together with an ex during Venus retrograde?
Exes resurfacing is the classic Venus retrograde story. The traditional advice isn't never — it's slowly: let a reunion prove itself once Venus is direct again, rather than deciding everything in the six weeks when old feelings are loudest.
How often does Venus go retrograde, and how long does it last?
Roughly every 19 months, for about six weeks at a time, with a shadow of about a month on either side. Because the gap is longer than a year, some calendar years have no Venus retrograde at all.
What is the Venus retrograde shadow period?
The shadow is the stretch of zodiac Venus covers three times: once before it turns retrograde (the pre-retrograde shadow), once retrograde, and once after it turns direct (the post-retrograde shadow). Many astrologers feel the themes — love, money, self-worth — start stirring in the pre-shadow.
Is Venus retrograde a bad time to get married or change my look?
It's traditionally the moment astrologers suggest waiting on dramatic makeovers and big luxury purchases, because tastes can shift once Venus turns direct. Weddings are a personal call: plenty happen during Venus retrograde, and the date matters far less than the relationship.
Why do different sites show different dates?
Two reasons: time zones, and whether a site counts the shadow period. A station that falls near midnight lands on different calendar days around the world, and sites that include the shadow show a longer window. Our dates are computed from planetary ephemerides to the minute and shown in your own time zone.