Exclusively for Vogue Scandinavia's Society members, astrologer Clarisse Monahan of Venus in Retrograde charts each month's most powerful cosmic shifts, breaking down exactly how to understand, navigate, and benefit from them
Like a pack of feral dogs, the internet went after Oscar-winning actor Jennifer Lawrence last week as she launched her new haircare line, mes°. They criticised the prices, her hair, and even her expression in the ads. But astrologers noticed something else: she did the unthinkable and launched right in the middle of a Venus retrograde (spanning October 3rd to November 14th). This was a big no-no in astrological circles, as Venus retrogrades are notoriously bad transits for everything related to beauty, self-care, romance, and pleasure. Why?
Venus is the planet of love, harmony, and beauty. When it goes retrograde (or appears to move backwards in the sky relative to us), its influence can get a little wonky. Instead of romance, we might feel remorse about decisions we’ve made in love. Rather than splurging on something beautiful, we might find ourselves questioning why we spent 800 euros on vintage Dior sunglasses we never wear.
According to astrology, these transits aren't auspicious for cosmetic procedures, new relationships, or, say, launching a multimillion-dollar haircare line. Would I advise this course of action in general? Ideally, no, but sometimes you have to work with what you have. Lawrence also has an incredibly strong birth chart, with four planets in their home signs, so maybe she doesn’t need as much help with timing as the rest of us...
Venus is the planet of love, harmony, and beauty. When it goes retrograde (or appears to move backwards in the sky relative to us), its influence can get a little wonky
Clarisse Monhan
Venus retrogrades are also great for rethinking romance and beauty. Let’s take a pop culture example: Barbie, the most pink, most Venus film imaginable, came out in July 2023 just as Venus reversed. It was the biggest movie of the year. But it also radically rethought the logic of the Barbie franchise and beauty industry. So it wasn’t just a Venus film; it perfectly aligned with Venus retrograde themes. This is how the cosmos works: in clever, mysterious ways, if you’re attuned to it.
So, all of this got me thinking, as we move toward the end of this retrograde in mid-November: how should we align with it for the next couple of weeks? And, perhaps more importantly, what do we do once it’s done?
Here are a few strategies: