On October 3, 2026, at 07:15 UTC , Venus stops at 8°29′ Scorpio and begins to move backward. For the next 41 days she retraces her steps, slipping back into Libra on October 25 and turning direct at 22°51′ Libra on November 14 at 00:27 UTC, which is the evening of November 13 in the Americas. The shadow period started on August 31 (maybe you felt it back then?), when Venus first crossed 22° Libra, and it ends in mid-December, when she passes 8°29′ Scorpio again. Every degree between 22° Libra and 8° Scorpio is crossed three times, and whatever you lived through in that stretch of late summer will come back for a second look.
Venus Retrograde in Scorpio and Libra 2026: The Morning Star’s Journey to the Underworld (and back)
The ancient Greeks understood something about this cycle that most modern horoscopes forget. For centuries the evening star, Hesperos, and the morning star, Phosphoros, were thought to be two different lights. The recognition that they were one goddess, Aphrodite’s star, is credited to the early Greek philosophers, and the retrograde is the moment of that transformation. Venus starts this period as the evening star, sinking toward the Sun in the western twilight. At the heart of the retrograde, on October 24 at around 03:30 UTC, she passes between the Earth and the Sun at 0°45′ Scorpio, the inferior conjunction that astrologers call the cazimi. She disappears into the solar glare and rises again in the east as the morning star. In mythic terms, she goes down into the underworld as Hesperos and returns as Phosphoros, the light-bringer. Every Venus retrograde is a descent and a rebirth, and doing this one in Scorpio, the sign of death, secrets and inheritance, makes the image stronger.
What the Ancient Greeks & Egyptians knew
The Hellenistic reading gives this retrograde an unusual shape. Venus begins in Scorpio, the night house of Mars, where she is in detriment. In this sign the goddess of harmony has to work under a ruler who wants conflict, possession and proof. The detail that redeems the station is in the bounds. Under the Egyptian bounds used by Dorotheus and Vettius Valens, degrees 7 through 11 of Scorpio belong to Venus herself, so she stations retrograde inside her own bounds and keeps a small piece of dignity in hostile territory. She also turns direct inside her own bounds, because degrees 21 through 28 of Libra are hers as well. The retrograde starts and ends on Venus’s ground, so whatever she takes apart, she has the authority to rebuild. Venus is also the benefic of the nocturnal sect, the planet that does the most good in night charts, so people born at night may find this cycle more meaningful and more productive than those born during the day.
A day of exposure & truth
The rulership chain explains where the pressure comes from. Venus in Scorpio is ruled by Mars, and at the station Mars is at 3° Leo, in a sign-based square to Venus. The planet that has authority over her is watching her from a hostile angle. Mars in Leo is also traveling with Jupiter, which is at 20° Leo, so the dispositor is loud, proud and pushing for recognition. This means pride gets in the way of love in the first phase. Questions of who has power in a relationship, who pays, and who gets credit will dominate the Scorpio weeks. Pluto at 3° Aquarius squares both Mercury and Venus at the station, so control, jealousy and hidden finances come up quickly. The cazimi at 0°45′ Scorpio is within two degrees of a square to Pluto, which makes the rebirth point of the retrograde a moment of exposure. Things that were kept in the dark come into the light, and the light can be harsh.
Things change significantly once Venus re-enters Libra on October 25 at about 09:09 UTC. Libra is her day house, she is back in domicile, and she can repair what Scorpio broke. The direct station at 22°51′ Libra makes a sextile to both Mars at 24° Leo and Jupiter at 25° Leo, so the planets that pressured her at the start now support her at the end. Venus turns direct a degree and a half past 21° Libra, the exaltation degree of Saturn, which suggests that agreements made at the close of this cycle are meant to last and will have to be honored. One more complication: Mercury stations retrograde at 20°58′ Scorpio on October 24, just hours after the cazimi, and both planets turn direct on November 13–14. For three weeks, both the planet of love and value and the planet of contracts and speech are moving backward. That is the clearest signal of the season: review, renegotiate and reconsider, but do not sign, buy or promise anything permanent until both are moving forward again.
Will this be our last retrograde Venus in our lifetime?
I mean I really hope we live a couple of years more. Unfortunately, usual misinformation of other “enlightened” pages show that next retrograde Venus in Scorpio will happen in like 150 years or so. So when will Venus be retrograde in Scorpio again? Venus follows an eight-year cycle. She makes five retrogrades in eight years, and if you connect the five points on the zodiac they form a pentagram, sometimes called the rose of Venus. Each retrograde comes back to almost the same place eight years later, about two and a half degrees earlier in the zodiac. The previous Venus retrograde in Scorpio started on October 5, 2018, at 10°50′ Scorpio. After this one, the next Venus retrograde in Scorpio begins on September 30, 2034, at about 21:00 UTC, at 6°08′ Scorpio. Venus re-enters Libra on October 19, 2034, the cazimi falls on October 21 at 28° Libra, and she turns direct on November 11, 2034, at 20°28′ Libra. The series continues with retrogrades starting on September 28, 2042, at 3°47′ Scorpio and on September 25, 2050, at 1°27′ Scorpio. By 2058 the station has moved back to 29° Libra, and this long chain of Scorpio retrogrades, which has been running for generations, will finally leave the sign. 2026 is therefore one of the last four times in this cycle that Venus will go retrograde in Scorpio, and the next one is eight years away.
Who’s favored and challenged:
The signs that handle this retrograde most easily are Cancer and Pisces, which trine Scorpio by element and experience its depth as emotional honesty rather than a threat; Leo, which hosts both Mars and Jupiter and receives the supportive sextile from Venus at the direct station; and Sagittarius and Gemini, which are well connected to the Libra phase and benefit when charm and diplomacy return in November. The signs most tested are Scorpio, which hosts the beginning of the retrograde and the cazimi; Taurus and Libra, the two signs Venus rules, whose own planet is moving backward; Aries, which has Saturn in its sign facing the Libra half of the cycle by opposition; and Aquarius, where Pluto squares the Scorpio phase. Challenged doesn’t mean cursed. It means the review is more personal, the old stories come back louder, and the lessons are harder to avoid.
Predictions for the world:
Venus rules money, value, alliances, art and women, and Scorpio adds debt, shared resources, inheritances and secrets. This suggests a season in which financial institutions face questions about hidden liabilities, previous debts are reopened, and scandals involving concealed money or unequal partnerships come to light. The Pluto square to the cazimi points to the last week of October as the time when these revelations are most likely to become public. When Venus moves back into Libra and Mercury turns retrograde, the focus moves to diplomacy and law. Old treaties, trade deals and alliances may be revisited, negotiations that seemed settled may resume, and courts may be asked to rule again on questions of fairness. The luxury, beauty and art markets typically slow down or look backward during Venus retrogrades, so expect revivals of older styles, a market for vintage and heritage pieces, and controversies over authenticity, provenance or ownership of art and cultural objects. Because Venus stations direct near Saturn’s exaltation degree and makes a sextile to Jupiter, the agreements that come out of mid-November have a good chance of lasting, but only if they were negotiated honestly.
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Aries:
The Scorpio phase falls in your eighth house, the place of shared money, debts and intimacy, so the first weeks will bring up questions about what you owe and what is owed to you, financially and emotionally. A loan, a joint account or an inheritance may need to be revisited. After October 25, Venus moves back through your seventh house, and a significant partner, a former love or a business associate comes back into focus. With Saturn in your sign opposing the Libra phase, you may feel the weight of commitment, and the question is whether your relationships are fair. Don’t rush to end or begin anything before mid-November. So do you have placements in this sign? Check here for Free!
Taurus:
Your ruling planet is retrograde, and for you this is a period of pause rather than drama. The Scorpio phase falls in your seventh house of partnership, so relationships take center stage, and someone from your past may reappear to settle unfinished business. Pay attention to what you feel when that happens, not to what you think you should feel. From October 25, Venus retreats through your sixth house, turning attention to routines, health habits and working conditions. This is the time to rethink how you take care of your body and how you are valued at work, not the time to change jobs on impulse. So do you have placements in this sign? Check here for Free!
Gemini:
The Scorpio phase moves through your sixth house, so you may notice tensions with colleagues, a reassessment of your workload, or the need to deal with a health matter you have been putting off. Small daily choices matter more than big gestures now. Once Venus slides back into Libra, she crosses your fifth house of romance, pleasure and creativity, and an old flame or an abandoned creative project may reignite. The Libra phase is generous to you, so return to the things that once gave you joy and see if they still do. So do you have placements in this sign? Check here for Free!
Cancer:
You are one of the signs that benefits most from this retrograde. The Scorpio phase falls in your fifth house, where Venus stirs up romance, creativity and pleasure, and the trine from your own water element makes the intensity feel like depth rather than danger. An old love can return as an honest conversation instead of a repeat of old mistakes. From October 25, Venus moves back through your fourth house, turning to home and family. This is a good time to repair relations with relatives, rearrange your living space, or revisit what home means to you. So do you have placements in this sign? Check here for Free!
Leo:
With Mars and Jupiter in your sign, you start this retrograde with pressure and end it with support. The Scorpio phase falls in your fourth house, so family matters, your home and your private emotional life demand attention, and Mars’s square to Venus can make pride a problem. Don’t turn a family conversation into a contest. After October 25, Venus retreats through your third house, bringing old messages, siblings, neighbors and lost conversations back into your life. The sextile from Venus to Mars and Jupiter at the direct station on November 14 is a gift, and an apology or a reconciliation offered then will be well received. So do you have placements in this sign? Check here for Free!
Virgo:
The Scorpio phase moves through your third house of communication, so words carry more weight than usual, and an old message, a forgotten conversation or a sibling may come back with something unresolved. Say what you mean and check what you sign, especially once Mercury turns retrograde on October 24. From October 25, Venus moves backward through your second house of money and self-worth. This is an excellent time to review your finances, cancel expenses that no longer serve you, and reconsider what you charge for your work. Don’t make major purchases until mid-December. So do you have placements in this sign? Check here for Free!
Libra:
Venus rules your sign and moves backward through your own house, so this retrograde is personal. The Scorpio phase falls in your second house, bringing questions about money, possessions and what you think you are worth, and you may be tempted to buy something to feel better. Wait. From October 25, Venus retreats through your first house, and the retrograde becomes a question of identity, appearance and how you present yourself. Avoid drastic changes in appearance, but use the time to reconnect with who you really are rather than who you have been trying to please. The direct station in your sign in mid-November is a personal fresh start. So do you have placements in this sign? Check here for Free!
Scorpio:
You feel this retrograde first and most intensely. Venus stations in your sign on October 3, and the cazimi happens in your sign on October 24, which makes you the place where the descent and rebirth of the goddess take place. The first weeks will bring up questions about love, desire and power in your relationships, and you may revisit old attachments or confront jealousy, your own or someone else’s. The cazimi is your personal rebirth point, so pay attention to what ends and what begins around October 24. After October 25, Venus moves into your twelfth house, and the work becomes quieter and more internal: rest, dreams, solitude and letting go of what no longer belongs to you.So do you have placements in this sign? Check here for Free!
Sagittarius:
The Scorpio phase falls in your twelfth house, the place of hidden matters, so secrets, old regrets or a love you never spoke about may resurface in dreams or quiet moments. This is not a time for confessions you haven’t thought through, but it is an excellent time for inner work and spiritual practice. From October 25, Venus moves back through your eleventh house of friends, groups and hopes, and old friends may return. You are one of the signs favored by the Libra phase, so use it to reconnect with the people who share your vision and to reconsider which communities deserve your time. So do you have placements in this sign? Check here for Free!
Capricorn:
The Scorpio phase passes through your eleventh house, putting friendships, alliances and long-term hopes under review. You may notice that a friendship is uneven or that a group you belong to no longer reflects your values. After October 25, Venus retreats through your tenth house of career and public reputation, so professional relationships, an old employer, or a previous career path may resurface. Don’t make important career decisions until both Venus and Mercury are direct, but use this time to repair professional bridges and reconsider what success means to you. So do you have placements in this sign? Check here for Free!
Aquarius:
Pluto in your sign squares the Scorpio phase, which makes the first weeks feel intense. The retrograde begins in your tenth house, so your public image, your career and your relationships with people in authority are under review, and power struggles at work may arise. Hold your ground without escalating. From October 25, Venus moves backward through your ninth house of travel, education, beliefs and distant places. A trip, a course of study or a spiritual path you abandoned may call you back. The Libra phase is gentler on you and helps restore the balance that the Scorpio weeks disturbed. So do you have placements in this sign? Check here for Free!
Pisces:
This retrograde is kind to you at first and deeper later. The Scorpio phase falls in your ninth house, your element in harmony, so studies, travel, faith and philosophy become the focus, and you may return to a teacher, a tradition or a place that once inspired you. This is a great time for spiritual and magical study. After October 25, Venus retreats through your eighth house, where shared money, debts, intimacy and inheritance come up for review. Have honest conversations about finances with partners, and let the cazimi’s message of rebirth help you release an old emotional debt. So do you have placements in this sign? Check here for Free!
