Lifelong Learning: What I Learned From Venus Retrograde (2023)

This is a blog post on lifelong learning and what I learned from Venus Retrograde 2023! I don’t know about you, but this year’s Venus Retrograde period threw me for a loop. There were once again karmic cycles to complete and lessons to be learned in love, relationships, self-worth, beauty, and money.

For those of you who don’t know, Venus Retrograde is when the planet appears to be moving backward in the sky. The ancients believed the planet to be moving through the underworld during a retrograde.

When Venus goes into its retrograde phase, it triggers issues with money, love, beauty, and relationships. It can also bring up issues with setting our values in place.

Now that Venus has gone direct, meaning it has left its retrograde and has entered the post-retrograde shadow phase, I can finally make sense of things. I feel like I know where I stand in my relationship with my boyfriend and I’ve been working on bettering my money situation, albeit slowly.

Working through Venus in Retrograde can be a grueling process. There is a lot of shadow work involved and a lot of self-reflection, but I promise in the end it is always worth it to work on yourself.

I have always seen Venus Retrograde as a reflection and a good hard look in the mirror. It’s a time when you have to reassess what is important to you and if you should hold onto it.

I did a lot of detox baths and road-opening spells during the retrograde period. This period of reflection tends to focus on what you should be letting go of, such as old patterns and belief systems that no longer serve you.

It assists you in figuring out what to let go of and what to keep. It lets you know what has been holding you back. Nine times out of ten, it is usually your demons that are keeping you in a state of limbo.

Venus Retrograde helps you find your way back to your true, authentic self. Sometimes, that means dealing with some ugly baggage from past relationships or money problems you’ve been having.

With that being said, I want to share with you what I learned during this year’s Venus Retrograde, as it only comes around every eighteen months! Please feel free to share your story in the comment section.

Lifelong Learning: What I Learned From Venus Retrograde (2023)

The last retrograde back in 2021 triggered familial issues and issues of home and family. Around this time, many of my close family members weren’t on speaking terms and me and Mom were alone for Christmas that year.

Some good came out of it though. We ended up taking our sadness and donating toys to charities for children who might be missed by Santa that year. Living in a small town, we even brought gifts for some of the waitresses at a local restaurant we go to and their children.

This year, I’m in a serious, committed relationship and most of my karmic lessons revolved around love and money. This has been my first real relationship in more than ten years.

My boyfriend and I will have been together a year in November and I finally feel like I know where I stand in this relationship. I’ve had to do a lot of shadow work and work through many of my self-esteem issues during Venus in Retrograde.

I’ve always felt like I wasn’t lovable or good enough for anyone. When I met my boyfriend, who is larger than life, I continued to feel this way.

He is someone who has managed to coax me out of my shell. I’ve always been kind of shy and introverted and while he enjoys spending time alone, he is a very social person with a lot of loyal friends from around the world.

During Venus Retrograde, something has changed between us and I have come into my own! I am learning my value as a person and that I can be many different things all at once.

Our relationship has been through a lot since we’ve been together. There have been a couple of wrenches thrown in along the way. They always say surviving the first year of a relationship is the most difficult and if you can get past that, you can get past anything.

I think we are finally in that place! We are beginning to move into a deeper understanding of each other and what we both expect out of the relationship.

We have worked out many of our communication problems by just being honest with each other and expressing our needs and wants. This has been eye-opening for me because I usually have trouble with self-expression unless it is in written form.

This fall it will be a year since we went on our first hiking date! We have plans to travel together in an RV at the end of this month and we spend every day and night together.

Venus Retrograde and Money

During Venus Retrograde, I’ve had issues with money come up. I have struggled with making money in my business and have had Saturn Square Mars, which made it very difficult to work and push forward.

I have had to learn to forgive myself for my past mistakes with money and I’m trying to rebuild a better relationship. I’ve also had some huge obstacles that I’ve overcome regarding money, thanks to the road-opening work I’ve been doing.

During this retrograde energy, I manifested a digital SLR camera! I have been trying to manifest one for more than ten years since I first became a blogger back in 2010. This was a huge win for me!

This is a big deal because nothing can hold me back anymore when it comes to making money. I have an idea in mind when it comes to making money and it involves making unlisted videos with content on green witchcraft. I am very excited about the possibilities of this project!

I feel like I am moving past a lot of roadblocks and delays that have kept me in suspension for more than a decade. I pushed through some major money themes this retrograde and I can feel forgiveness coming through.

Having less money than other people has affected my self-esteem and self-worth. It makes me feel less than and I think I’m finally beginning to move past those feelings of inadequacy.

My Venus Retrograde Glow-Up

I can always tell when it’s time for my next major glow-up! This time, it showed up with Venus Retrograde energy. It usually takes something happening, like me gaining a little weight or getting out of shape, to get me to fully immerse myself in a makeover.

I’ve been getting back into my yoga practice fully, doing hour-long sessions as much as possible. I’ve also started back on hiking. I try to do it at least four or five days a week.

Not only is it good for my mental health, but it’s a great form of cardio with the different elevations and the ground beneath my feet. I hadn’t been hiking in the park for a long, long time.

In addition to that, I’ve added more vitamins. Cinnamon vitamins and B12. I’m also trying to eat more fruits and veggies by making an acai bowl in the mornings for energy and eating salads for lunch, which are quite filling.

I don’t feel like the best possible version of myself right now, which is usually what prompts a major glow-up within me. This usually motivates and inspires me to get back on track in a way that holds deeper meaning.

I’m also going to cut down on my drinking. My boyfriend and I love to have red wine every evening, but I feel like I might be ready to either cutback or completely take a break from drinking for a while.

I’m ready for a transformation! I want to get back to being healthy and fit. No excuses!

Venus Retrograde makes you take a hard look at yourself and beauty is no exception! I feel most beautiful when I’m eating a clean diet, drinking less, and exercising more.

What Venus Retrograde Taught Me

Venus in Retrograde has taught me how to look inward and find what makes me worthy and valuable. It has made me reflect deeply on my relationships, and my feelings about love, and face my money problems head-on.

During the retrograde period, I did a lot of shadow work. I delved deep into the hidden corners of my still-frame mind.

Many things reared their ugly head during the dark period and I had to find a way to deal with my trauma response. I had feelings of unworthiness come up a lot during this phase of life.

I learned how to deal with problems head-on, without a fear response. I learned how to face my demons and my shadow self. I pulled the skeletons out of my closet one by one.

Venus Retrograde taught me that even during the dark ages, I am still a beautiful person inside and out. It taught me how to accept myself, wabi-sabi style, flaws and all.

For that, I am truly thankful to the planet Venus and Goddess Aphrodite, as they are deeply connected and intertwined. I learned how to speak my truth and wear my heart on my sleeve. I am grateful for this experience!

Thanks for reading, friends! xoxo