The best way to navigate Venus retrograde is to slow down and pay attention to what you already love. This season asks us to look back at our relationships, our values, and our hearts, and that can feel tender. A simple daily practice of naming what you love gives all of that tenderness a safe place to land.
This year, Venus retrograde overlapped with Mercury retrograde, and to say it has been intense is an understatement. When Venus went retrograde in early October, I made a quiet promise to myself. Every single day for 42 days, I would write down ten things I love, and I would never repeat one, all the way until Venus turned direct again. I didn’t know it yet, but I was about to need this practice more than I ever imagined.
Here is what I learned along the way, in case it helps you.
You really can find something new to love every day.
I thought I would run out by week two, and I never did. What helped was looking back at my previous day each morning and noticing what I had missed. The little moments I almost let slip by kept surprising me with how much love was already sitting there.
Love gets more specific the longer you look.
At first my lists said things like “I love my family.” After a few weeks, they turned into “I love the way the kitchen smells when someone is cooking.” When you slow down enough to notice the details, gratitude stops being a thought and becomes a feeling in your body.
Love can sit right next to the hard stuff.
I used to think my mood had to be good before I could feel love, and that is simply not true. I could love my life even while parts of it felt like they were falling apart. The world feels like it is on fire right now, and my own life has felt that way too, and still, love can prevail. I saw it on the page, day after day.
A small daily practice becomes a place you can return to.
By day 11, I started to crave it. I looked forward to walking into my sacred space, getting quiet, and journeying through my ten things. It stopped feeling like a task and started feeling like a visit with an old friend. When everything else felt shaky, I had something to hold onto.
Noticing love is a lot like noticing Spirit.
When I looked back over my lists, I saw how many people have quietly loved me along the way. I also felt closer to Spirit, because both ask you to slow down and trust what you are already receiving. You are not making it up. The love was there the whole time.
And here is my full list of everything I learned along the way:
I became a collector of good moments. I started noticing them while they were happening, not just when I sat down to write.
I stopped waiting for big things to feel loved. Love turned out to live in the tiny, ordinary parts of my day.
Gratitude got more specific.
I learned my own list of loves says a lot about who I am right now.
I stopped needing my mood to be good before I could feel love. It could sit right next to the hard stuff.
My heart felt softer and stronger at the same time.
I gave myself something to hold onto when everything else felt shaky.
I realized I could love my life even while parts of it felt like it was falling apart.
I noticed how many people have quietly loved me along the way.
The practice reminded me of how much love is really in my life.
I trusted that love would show up again each day, and it did, 42 times.
Showing up daily for something small felt so big when I was in the moment.
Love became a place I could return to, no matter what was happening around me.
I felt closer to Spirit, because paying attention to what I love is a lot like paying attention to the signs.
Give it a try for yourself. Choose a quiet time and place each day. Write down ten things you love, and try your best not to repeat any. Before you begin, read over yesterday’s list and see what you may have missed. That is all it takes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Venus retrograde?
Venus retrograde is a time when the planet Venus appears to move backward in the sky. In astrology, Venus is connected to love, relationships, and what we value, so many people feel called to look back and reflect. It happens about every year and a half and lasts around six weeks.
Why does Venus retrograde feel so hard?
It often stirs up old feelings and questions about what we truly value, which can feel heavy, especially if life is already asking a lot of you. That does not mean something is wrong. Your heart may simply be asking for your attention.
Do I have to do the practice for the whole 42 days?
No. A missed day does not erase the love you have already noticed. Start wherever you are, and keep it small enough that it feels like a visit with a friend and not another thing on your list.
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