If this past October was defined by one astrological event, it was Venus retrograde, that regularly scheduled planetary backspin that throws our love lives into peril for roughly six weeks. If an old flame or two came out of the woodwork or if you had to work extra hard to practice positive self-talk during this time, you aren't alone. Luckily, the planet of romance and beauty will go direct later this week on Friday, November 16, hopefully kicking off a period of clearer heads and even clearer signals when it comes to matters of the heart.
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But, this Friday won't be all roses and sonnets — that very same day will see another inner planet hitting reverse. Mercury will begin its third retrograde of the year, this time in fiery Sagittarius, which means any attempts at cracking jokes or engaging in friendly debates could be subject to the messenger planet's whims. All this celestial activity is enough to give you whiplash, but don't panic just yet. The trick to getting through this transition may be as simple as shifting your perspective.
As we mentioned, Venus retrograde aims its Cupid's arrow at our hearts, reminding us of how we treated our romantic partners in the past and how those past experiences may have bled into our current relationships. It's a period of hard-learned, sometimes painfully slow lessons, but one that ultimately makes us more caring lovers — to our partners and ourselves.
Meanwhile, Mercury's retrograde periods like to mess with our most sensitive communications and any sort of logistics or plans we attempt to lay (anyone who's tried to book a vacation during a Mercury backspin knows this effect all too well). The wise few among us who know how to navigate these periods seem to take a similar tact — take things slow and go with the flow, or suffer the consequences of pushing against the current.
Mercury retrogrades also exist to teach us a lesson, one that isn't too far from what we're meant to learn during Venus' retrogrades. In short, you can ease out of Venus retrograde and into Mercury retrograde by keeping one thing in mind: patience. Just about every planetary retrograde is associated with delays and holdups in one area of our live or another. Your challenge is to keep your life on track with those astrological roadblocks in place.
So, when Venus goes direct this Friday, transfer the open-mindedness and self-restraint that you've (hopefully) been showing your love life to your general social interactions. You've been practicing for the last six weeks, so you should have your retrograde coping strategies down pat. And if you're still shaking in your boots at the thought of another Mercury retrograde, just remember to breathe — and read every text twice before hitting "send."