Venus Retrograde Is Over, & That’s Good News For Our Love Lives & Finances

January is almost over, and so is the astrological transit that defined our entry into 2022: Venus retrograde. For the past month and a half, this potent, powerful, and slightly disruptive force made us face the chaotic mess that was 2021. And now, on January 29, the Planet of Love's backwards dance will officially end, allowing us to take the hard truths we've learned and use them as a springboard to propel us forward.

Venus retrograde has allowed us to take a good, long look at our lives and discover what we truly want out of our love and financial lives. If you've experienced an end to a relationship (romantic or platonic) or a desire to revamp your budget, then the retrograde period has done its job. Now's the time to take action around what we've uncovered.

This transit "brought to our attention underlying relationship dynamics that were no longer aligned with who we are becoming," says Narayana Montúfar, senior astrologer for Astrology.com and author of Moon Signs: Unlock Your Luminary Power. This is mainly due to the connection that Pluto, the Planet of Power and Transformation, was making with Venus for two weeks during its retrograde motion. "By unearthing themes of jealousy and control, this Venus retrograde helped us see what we need to change in order for our interactions to be more authentic and honest," Montúfar says.

Although Venus is often referred to as the Planet of Love and Affection, it also rules our finances. And Montúfar says since this Venus retrograde happened in Capricorn, a zodiac sign that focuses on career and work, we were affected in this department even more than usual. "We were forced to dive deeply into our motives and the real reasons why we do what we do," she says. "Are we over-working ourselves? What does success really mean to us? Does our career bring us joy? And most importantly, is the way we make money even in line with our true passion?"

Since the onset of the pandemic, we've all been questioning the circumstances in which we've been forced to work — plenty of injustices in the workforce have been exposed, and this retrograde may have given you a new perspective on what work and your career really mean to you. Whether or not the Venus Rx caused you to join in on the Great Resignation, there are still productive action steps you can take to make your work life a better one.

Besides work, things in the love and finance department may have felt stuck, stale, or downright stagnant over the past few weeks, but now we can expect to feel some forward motion again. "Venus will stay in Capricorn until March 6, so use this time to look back at what lessons you learned about your values — and your value — and how you can apply them to your relationships, money goals, or career growth," says Madi Murphy, co-founder of The Cosmic RX and The Cosmic Revolution. "You may have learned that you are ready for a level up and now you are being asked to act on what that means for you."

Venus retrograde may have also shed a light on what we really want out of our relationships, and Capricorn's influence has made us all the more practical about what we're looking for. Leslie Hale, psychic astrologer at Keen.com, says we may have been asking ourselves, "'Is this relationship just a pipe dream or does it have real potential?' or, ‘Do we really fit together and can I see a future?’" she says. "Capricorn is conservative in terms of both money and feelings, and leans toward focusing on that which is real and attainable. For some, this can be a real wakeup call and a time to make important decisions."

There are a couple of post-retrograde dates that you should be looking out for as thing energy wraps up. "From February 16 to February 18, Venus will meet with Mars in Capricorn, bringing a beautiful opportunity for a new beginning," says Montúfar. This is the time to reflect on what we've learned about ourselves and our relationships during Venus retrograde and integrate that into our lives. Then, on March 3, Venus and Mars will meet with Pluto — Montúfar says that this is an incredible time to take our power back. "This can be applied to relationships, but also career and the changes we need to make in order to feel more fulfilled in this area of our lives," she says.

For the past month and a half, we've been rethinking and reassessing. Now, it's time to take real, actionable steps to make the changes we've been craving. While it may have taken Venus retrograde for us to see them, only we can make them come true.