For the retrograde phase of Venus for your sign or house placement (if you know it), see below:

Aries

(5th House) You can expect some relief now that the Mars/Saturn opposition is separating. There is still some pressure on with the Grand Cross, but this too will also ease up after the weekend. With the retrogrades of both Chiron in your sign, and Venus in Leo, take some time out to step back and connect with yourself. All those external distractions and expectations were only getting in the way of you being able to do so. Putting the focus on yourself, and your own well-being is important for this period of time. In some way you are being asked to be inspired, and the only way you can do so, is by connecting to your own heart center. And even if it unveils a myriad of unraveling in the process, the end result can be both healing and inspiring. Be warned: lovers can reemerge from the past when Venus is retrograde, particularly if previous ties had not been fully severed, or things were left dangling and unresolved. Tie up those loose ends, resolve what was left dangling, and move on once and for all. The retrograde phase of Venus in Leo is about trusting yourself to live your own best life, which begins with knowing what you want, and what will make you happy in the end. The ultimate aim for Chiron in Aries is to achieve healing and wholeness, both within yourself and with others.

Taurus

(4th House) As Venus stations for its retrograde phase we are all going to be drawn back into the past. There may be an element of nostalgia, but it can also take you on an exploratory journey back to your earliest moments. Memories surface as we struggle to make sense of our current circumstances in light of where we come from and where we’ve been. Our earliest relationships can have an impact on the relationships we have now. And this is when we are more likely to see the connections. Meanwhile, the retrograde phase of Venus can be used to improve and bolster up family relationships as events and circumstances compel you to reevaluate your priorities. Rather than wistfully longing for a past that no longer is, focus on those people and things that are here right now with you. Those people and experiences that support your emotional well-being, and feed your heart as well as your soul. Those are the relationships that you are being asked to cultivate and connect with. 

Gemini

(3rd House) As Venus stations for its retrograde phase at the end of Leo, your ruling planet is not too far behind. Also in Leo, Mercury and Venus will cross paths on Thursday, allowing for a natural flow to occur between the mind and the heart. This makes it easier to speak from the heart, to connect on these heart-felt levels where two minds can become one. But this whole retro Venus experience can also be what everyone will be talking about all week! Don’t be surprised if old friends show up over the next several weeks. People just seem to emerge from out of the past, like phantasms from another time and place. This can sometimes present an opportunity to take care of old business, tie up some loose ends that were never resolved. But it can also allow you to reconnect with those people who have an important place in your heart, but with whom you had merely lost touch. This is your opportunity to reconnect and touch base once again. Other ways to use the retrograde phase of Venus: do make those social visits; ease over old grievances; offer an olive branch; take short trips to a place that makes your heart sing, and reacquaint yourself with certain writers (artists; movie genres) that you once loved so well. Reconnecting with your heart center is key for this retrograde phase.  

Cancer

(2nd House) There can be an urge to spend lavishly when Venus is retrograde in the 2nd house of your solar or natal chart. Just know that we all have a tendency to either exaggerate or diminish the value of things during the retrograde phase. Then when Venus is direct again, we will wonder what on earth we were thinking! This goes for investing in a new wardrobe, or changing your appearance. Be forewarned! That being said, this IS a time to really get in touch with your heart center, and what you really, really want and/or need. What the retrograde phase is good for is sorting through your priorities. It is time to look within and consider those things, people and circumstances that are truly important to you, and how you can make them more of a priority in your life. This can also be a time in which you can organize your finances. It is not a time to make any major decisions concerning these, but it can be helpful for things like making sense of what you have been spending your valuable time, money and resources on; and where you would much rather be spending them in the future. 

Leo

(1st House) Venus is spending an inordinate amount of time in your sign this year, due to its retrograde phase which lasts from July 22nd thru September 4th. As a result you will find yourself going back over recent interpersonal experiences, and the impact that these have had on your heart and mind. There is something to be learned here about relationships in general: how you have done relationships in the past, and perhaps why you are drawn to certain people, and they to you. It is not unusual to find yourself reflecting on past relationships, or to have people from the past reemerge from out of the woodwork. This can be useful if needing to make some amends, or tie up any loose ends that had been left dangling. It can also simply be an opportunity to touch base with those who have a place in your heart. Speaking of which, this is when we have the greatest opportunity to connect with our heart center, not only in terms of relationships, but in terms of what will ultimately bring happiness, inspiration, and joy back into your life.

Virgo

(12th House) Venus, the planet of love, is one of the few planets that abides well in the 12th house of inspired adoration. Even more so when it is in its retrograde phase. And as your ruling planet, Mercury, meets Venus there, she is also giving Virgo permission to let go of the past and simply move on. Don’t be surprised if denizens from the past attempt to cross your path over the next few weeks. If that is so, see it as an opportunity to tie up any dangling loose ends and connections. And then move on. There are things that we tend to hold on to, and can’t seem to let go, that can be laden with all sorts of unwanted complications. If these wraiths from another time lapse do cross your path, recognize that this is an opportunity to release the connection with them once and for all. Doing so clears the way for for better connections to be made in the future. The sort that do not need to be hidden away in some dark and foreboding fortress. But perhaps the most important takeaway from the retrograde phase of Venus might be what we discover when we connect to our own heart center, which is nothing less than connecting with that which makes us happy. Venus will be in its retrograde phase from July 22nd thru September 4th. 

Libra

(11th House) It is not unusual during the retrograde phase of Venus to want to reconnect with those with whom we have some sort of a heart connection. People will occasionally emerge from out of the past. In some cases it serves as an opportunity to resolve any lingering loose ends, or take care of any unfinished business. It is also an opportunity to touch base with those people which we haven’t seen in some time, or lost touch with. This is not just about individuals however. It can also happen that connections to certain groups can also reemerge from out of the blue. Give them their due. If this is a connection that was left unresolved, resolve it. If this is a meaningful connection then perhaps this is an opportunity to, once again, touch base and explore what exactly that means to you. Wherever Venus is traveling in our charts, during its retrograde phase, it is trying to get us all to connect with our own heart center. What we really want in our heart of hearts. In which case you might want to think about what these people, places, groups or experiences meant to you in the past. And what it was about them that might make you want to either let them go once and for all, or touch base with them yet again? 

Scorpio

(10th House) Hopefully after the weekend, some of the dismal oppression and anxiety of the previous week will finally be working its way out. Both the exhausting Mars/Saturn opposition combined with the Grand Cross found us attempting to be all things to all people. All the more so, you will find that during the retrograde phase of Venus which lasts from July 22nd thru September 4th, you might want to reassess some of your goals, as well as some of the roles you play in the outside world. Sometimes, when Venus is in its retrograde phase, we find ourselves having to choose between the better and the dearer. In other words, is this goal, is this position really all that important to me? Is this something that I really want? Or is it merely making me look good? Sometimes a planetary retrograde in the house of status and reputation can give us permission to back out of a position that no longer serves our best interests, or is conflicting with or leading us away from our true priorities. Wherever Venus is traveling in our charts, what we are actually being asked to do is connect with our own heart center, and discovering for ourselves not only what we really want in our heart of hearts, but also what will most benefit us in the long run. 

Sagittarius

(9th House) Many have been feeling as if they were being stretched beyond their limits over the past week. But perhaps now that the Mars/Saturn opposition is separating, some of the prevailing exhaustion will also wane. However, the fates are weaving our destinies, and many are in this place between one place and another. Even so that does not mean that we don’t have choices. And one of the advantages of the retrograde phase of Venus is to figure out for ourselves, what it is that we really want. One of the ways to do that is to reevaluate where you stand on certain issues, and when push comes to shove, what your true values are. This is about prioritizing those things that are truly most important to you. We all have a tendency to let some things go. To compromise our beliefs in order to fit in. But the retrograde phase of Venus will have you reevaluating all that. It will soon become evident what you are or are not willing to compromise. What you can also learn is where and how you can find points of agreements with others, even with people who have very different perspectives than you do. Also note that Venus retrograde in Leo can also bring questionable connections while traveling overseas. Romantic trysts while traveling could prove to be more complicated than anticipated! Always wise to keep connections as simple as possible during the retrograde phase of Venus which lasts until September 4th. 

Capricorn

(8th House) As Venus stands poised to enter its retrograde phase this weekend, we are all going to deal with issues surrounding things such as relationships and values. That also means things we would much rather prefer to avoid. But we can’t. That can include having to finally figure out what to do with that debt, or how to balance the books. That can include those karmic ledgers demanding some sort of resolution. It can sometimes happen when Venus is in its retrograde phase, that we are paid what is due us from the past. But it can also be about resolving what we owe others. Venus wants to balance the books. And that can also be about balancing commitments: reassessing those that you might want to back out of; while doubling down on those that are truly important to you. Although it can be difficult to connect with others while Venus is in its retrograde phase, it can sometimes happen that we can come to appreciate the relationships and commitments we already have. What you might want to do during the retrograde phase which lasts until September 4th, is to redefine your needs and expectations from others, and they from you. 

Aquarius

(7th House) Generally speaking, while Venus is in Leo in your 7th House it will ultimately improve all of your relationships. One of the things that happens when Venus is retrograde is that we find ourselves reevaluating all of our relationships, current, as well as those in the past. If things have not been working out the way that we might hope, we embark on a journey of self-exploration. We ask ourselves why we are attracted to certain types of people, and why we do relationships the way that we do. Is it something imprinted on our psyche from the beginning of time? And is it something that we can change? Good relationships as well will become more of a priority. And this includes all relationships: intimate one-on-one relationships, close friends and allies, as well as mentorships and counselors. Venus in Leo is asking you to connect with your heart center, so that you can evaluate what your needs and expectations are of others. And in order to facilitate that process it is not unusual for people from the past to resurface, initiating this journey of exploration. There may be echoes of unresolved issues, that can now be cleared up once and for all. The end result of the retrograde phase is learning how to do relationships better, in a healthier, more supportive and more wholesome way. 

Pisces

(6th House) Mercury and Venus are going to cross paths just days after Venus stations for its retrograde phase this weekend. One of the things that this can raise are considerations about whether or not you are being valued in the work place, and what improvements you might want to be making there. The Mercury/Venus conjunction on the 27th may bring some news, but in the mea time your focus is likely going to be in two areas: your work and your health and well-being. While Venus is in its retrograde phase we are all going to be reevaluating and prioritizing our lives. Venus in Leo wants us to connect with our heart center, to make sure that we are truly on the right path. Venus in Leo wants us to be happy, and for Pisces that includes feeling fully appreciated for all that you have to offer. When Venus is retro we ask ourselves: Are my needs being met? Am I doing what I really want? And am I happy with what I am doing? If not, retrograde planets can give us permission to step out of situations that are less than advantageous, and make room for occupations that allow for greater personal self-expression. The retrograde phase that lasts until September 4th can also be used to establish better habits and routines that can benefit your health, but also allow you to work more efficiently, and happily so.