The week begins with a major tonal shift for those of you seeking love and romance, or maybe financial security (or possibly some extra doughnuts). On Monday, Venus enters Virgo. If you’ve read up on astrology, you know that Venus in Virgo has a reputation for being kind of quiet and withdrawn — a wallflower. In theory, it is considered to be a debilitated placement. And if that’s what you believe, I would kindly suggest that you get to know more Venus in Virgo people in person. Although it may not be the loudest or flashiest of romance placements to have in your birth chart, Venus in Virgo is generally kind and considerate and patient — and Lord knows a lot of us need something like that within the context of a relationship.
Furthermore, this means that Venus spends the second half of the week approaching the square aspect to Mars, which is exact next week. As far as your personal actions go, if you’ve been reading my work for long, you’ll know that next week is going to be time for me to search long and hard for a different metaphor for things. Other than “hubba hubba” or “hey baby.”
What’s particularly noteworthy about this round of Venus in Virgo, which lasts until the 29th, is that this means that both Venus and Mars (the two planets most associated with love and sex) will both be in Mercury-ruled signs. As you’ve probably noticed, Mars is currently arguing its way through the early degrees of Gemini. And thanks to a big old retrograde, Mars will be in Gemini until next year. This means that if you want to get a look at how romantic and sexual pursuits in general go, you need to pay attention to Mercury. At the moment Mercury is in Libra… generally considered to be “the relationship sign.” But try to get that ball rolling early, because…
Finally — everyone’s favorite source of complaints is back! Mercury turns retrograde on Friday. At that time, Mercury will station at 8 degrees Libra, stumbling all the way back into Virgo on the 23rd until finally smartening up and heading forward again at 24 Virgo on October 2. Yes, I am going to warn you this was coming before even the dreaded shadow period starts to kick in. But honestly, if Mercury Retrograde was the most interesting thing that ever happened in the zodiac, it would be my top priority. As it is, just follow my usual instructions: remain calm, do extra proofreading, and check the instructions more closely. And most importantly: convince yourself that it’s no big deal until it’s finally over and you’re screaming in the corner anyway.