On Saturn Day, October 3, Venus—the planet associated with our value systems, relationships, aesthetics, and femininity—stationed retrograde. For the next 40 days, Venus will appear to move backward. The planet isn’t actually moving backward; it is simply closer to Earth than usual, creating the illusion of backward motion and intensifying Venus’s energy.
Venus Retrograde occurs approximately every 1.6 years, so it is hardly uncommon. However, this particular retrograde is especially significant: it features the last Venus Cazimi in Scorpio we will experience for the next 100 years. (A Cazimi is an exact conjunction of the Sun and another planet that begins a planet’s Solar Phase Cycle.) The final Venus Cazimi—and the midpoint of the retrograde journey—will occur at 11:44 PM EDT on Friday (Venus Day), October 23, 2026, at 0°45’ Scorpio.
About 3.5 hours after the last Venus Cazimi in Scorpio, Mercury at 20°58’ Scorpio turns Retrograde.
Let me say that again- the LAST Venus Cazimi in Scorpio occurs at the last few hours of Mercury in Scorpio stationing for its Retrograde journey.
This means when you wake up on the morning of October 24th, both Venus and Mercury will be Retrograde in Scorpio.
Wait, it gets weirder - or scarier? - on Venus Day, November 13th, Mercury will station Direct (meaning it will start moving forwards again) at 10:53 AM EST at 5°02 Scorpio. On the same exact day, at 7:27 PM EST, Venus stations Direct at 22°51’ of Libra.
As I’ve already mentioned, when planets are retrograde, they appear to move backward from our perspective on Earth, even though they’re actually closer to us. That makes them more present in our awareness. As I write this, my dog is sitting across the room, staring out the window. I know she’s there, and her presence calms my nervous system. But if she got up, came over, and rested her head on my lap, I would become much more aware of her state. I’d start wondering, “Does she need to go outside? Is she hungry? Does she want to play?” I would struggle to concentrate on what I’m doing because so much of my attention would shift to her. That’s what retrograde planets do: they move into our awareness, and we can’t ignore them.
From October 3rd to November 13th, Venus will ask us to pay closer attention to her. For these 40 days, the Venusian parts of our lives will be intensified. As Venus retrogrades from Scorpio back into her domicile of Libra, the central themes of this journey will be uncovering secrets, motivations, and truths within our relationships, finances, and resources—and using that information to recalibrate the scales and reverse injustices, collectively or personally.
With the added layer of Mercury Retrograde in Scorpio, there is a sense that everyone will be thinking intensely about who and what deserves their time and energy. October and the first two weeks of November will not be easy to navigate. Secrets could come to light about someone close to you whom you’ve trusted, shifting your perspective of them. What do you do? Can the relationship weather the storm? Are the secrets significant? Does this information change how you feel about them? Do they need your help and do you have the resources to help them? Do you have a moral obligation to report what you’ve learned to the proper authorities?
Hidden information or motivations aren’t always a call for punishment. I think people often hear “Scorpio” and immediately think “shady” or “criminal,” but there is another side of Scorpio that we don’t acknowledge as often: the ability to survive a crisis. Scorpio is capable of merging with others to accumulate the power they may lack, strengthening their psyche and protecting themselves from threats to their safety. Individuals with a strong Scorpio signature may have grown up powerless, been raised by parents who modeled unhealthy power dynamics or born in the shadow of death. They learned at a very young age that their emotional strength is their superpower. If they can control their emotions, they can survive whatever crisis is thrown at them. This is why Scorpio can harbor so many secrets: often, it is out of a fear of death—physically or metaphorically—not malice.
As I reflect on this Venus Rx and Mercury Rx in Scorpio, I can’t help but think about the skewed power dynamics between men and women—and how we’ve reached a point in society where women have more tools to level the playing field. For as long as I’ve been alive, and for as long as my mother has been alive, women’s accounts of events and contributions to conversations have rarely received the acknowledgment they deserved. A woman can go to the police or a trusted family member after being harmed by a man, yet instead of receiving protection, she may be blamed for the violence and pushed back into danger. It has often seemed that men’s unethical and harmful actions behind closed doors were protected and even respected. But this has been changing. With the advancement of audio and video technology, we’re gaining a clearer view of what happens behind closed doors—and of the monsters who live among us.
We’re likely to hear more stories from women about harrowing experiences within relationships—experiences of powerlessness, coercive control, and extreme financial, physical, psychological, and sexual abuse. This period will awaken many women (or femmes) to their innate power and the collective support now available through new technologies that connect them with new ways to pursue justice.
This is exactly what I expect us to hear more about in the coming months. It may be difficult to listen to or read so many traumatic stories from those who have lived through them, and I’m not saying you need to hear them all. But if someone close to you shares their story, try to remain present and offer them some of your strength as they move through this crisis.
In addition to disclosures of abuse, we’re also likely to hear from people facing financial crises. As the costs of utilities—gas, heat, and electricity—rise, many will struggle to make ends meet this holiday season and throughout the winter. It will be important to support one another as much as possible, though many people may feel ashamed to discuss their finances. Take the time to notice someone else’s situation—such as that of an elderly neighbor or a single mother—and offer assistance if you can.
If you are the one in need of strength, reach out. People can help you, but you need to speak up—or find someone who can speak for you.
Venus won’t clear new ground—that is, it won’t move through degrees of the zodiac it hasn’t already crossed three times this year—until December 15th. As I mentioned in a previous issue of my guide, this Venus retrograde is moving back through all the degrees it traveled through in September. Retrogrades are a kind of time travel: they give us multiple opportunities to work through the same themes.
