Venus will be in an extended transit in the sidereal zodiac sign of Libra from September 1, 2018 until January 1, 2019. During this period, Venus will retrograde from October 7 until November 17. During its retrograde period, it will move back through Swati nakshatra and Chitra nakshatra from approximately 17 degrees to 1 degree of sidereal Libra.

Usually, Venus transits through each of the twelve zodiac signs for a little less than a month. The last time Venus transited in the Libra constellation was from November 2 to November 26, 2017. Venus retrogrades for approximately 40 – 43 days every 18 months, and in these retrograde periods, Venus stays in the same sign for approximately four months. Every eight years, Venus retrogrades during its transit in Libra. The last times that this happened were:

• September 1, 2010 – January 1, 2011 (retrograde October 18 – November 29)
• August 31, 2002 – January 1, 2003 (retrograde October 16 – November 26)
• August 31 – December 31, 1994 (retrograde October 13 – November 24)
• August 31 – December 31, 1986 (retrograde October 11 – November 22)
• August 31 – December 30, 1978 (retrograde October 9 – November 19)

Because Venus is the brightest planet, it is called Shukra in Vedic astrology (which means “bright”). Venus is the ruler of the water element and the minister of the planetary cabinet. The karakas (significators) for Venus will be enhanced during the Venus in Libra transit. These include:

• Physical strength and virility.
• Comfort, beauty, pleasure, enjoyment, contentment, and peace.
• Money, jewelry, and other fixed assets including vehicles of transport.
• Value and self-worth.
• Practical counsel and decision making.
• Relationship, love, sex, and procreation.
• The arts and music.
• Food (especially sweets).
• Perfumes and flowers.
• Compassion, diplomacy, cooperation, and humanitarian concerns.

Venus rules Libra, its moolatrikona sign (root sign), where Venus is at home and thus apt to give powerful and propitious results. Some of the karakas (indicators) for Libra include:

• Business, trade, and commerce.
• Music and the arts.
• The judiciary.
• Politics and politicians.
• Idealists, enthusiasts, and zealots.
• War and peace.
• Aerospace and aviation industry.
• Social engagement and relationship.
• Diplomacy, alliances, armistices, and treaties.

Venus in Libra reflects a constructive emphasis on:

• Politics.
• The judiciary.
• Wise policy making.
• Contracts and alliances.
• Business, trade, and commerce (especially in regard to aviation/aerospace)
• Brokerage, negotiation, diplomacy, and reconciliation.
• Love, compassion, and humanitarianism.
• Money and wealth.
• The arts and music.
• Comfort, pleasure, and enjoyment.

During this transit, and especially during the retrograde phase when a benefic planet like Venus becomes even more auspicious than usual, astrology suggests that we should experience a peaceful and economically fruitful period. Perhaps we will even end 2018 on some sweeter note! In times past during the Venus Libra retrograde cycles, the world has experienced peace accords and productive political, social, and economic reforms, including advances made in aviation and aerospace as well as in defense and public security.

As an example of the latter, the United States Department of Homeland Security was established on November 25, 2002. In regard to an economic reform, the “Big Bang” is an excellent example. It refers to the day the stock market was deregulated in London on October 27, 1986. The Big Bang abolished fixed commission charges and paved the way for electronic trading. This leads me to wonder if Bitcoin and some of the other cryptocurrencies which are traded and held electronically will have a promising last quarter of this year. It is especially possible since Venus will be transiting in the eleventh house of gains in my rectified Bitcoin horoscope (Sagittarius Ascendant chart).

This is not to say it will be all easy-going during this cycle. In previous Venus Libra retrograde periods, the world has also seen its share of seismic disasters, transportation mishaps, uprisings, political scandals (such as Iran Contra in 1986), and terrorist attacks too, but other contributing astrological factors were involved in those events too. In its upcoming transit, Venus will be in a wide “in-sign” conjunction with Jupiter in Libra until October 11. This conjunction will be closest in the first week of October when it may suggest a positive overall effect.

Venus will also be opposed Uranus in sidereal Aries for much of its Libra transit, with the exact aspects falling on September 12, October 31, and November 30. This can at times be unsettling and disruptive for relationships due to an impulsive urge for freedom. It’s also an aspect for ideological fanaticism, because Libra is a sign of idealists and zealots, and Uranus represents sudden shocking events and uprisings. Venus will be squaring the lunar nodes and Mars for much of this transit, which can also reflect certain frustrations and tensions in relationships or negotiations.

According to Vedic astrology, Venus is most fortunate when transiting in particular houses from the Moon, Ascendant, or the Sun. These are houses 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 11, and 12. For those with Moon, Ascendant, or Sun in the sidereal signs of Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Aquarius, and Pisces, Venus’s extended transit in Libra is thus considered auspicious, all other factors being equal.

The sidereal air signs are Libra, Gemini, and Aquarius, and for those with these signs in the 1/5/9 axis of the Moon chart (CL), Ascendant chart (Lagna) and/or Sun chart (SL), it may be an especially prosperous transit as Venus thrives in the trikona/trine houses 1, 5, and 9. For Libra, Venus will be in the 1st house/trine; for Gemini, in the 5th house/ trine; and for Aquarius, in the 9th house/trine. During the concurrent transit of Jupiter in Libra (until October 11), this is a doubly auspicious aspect in which two benefics are forming aspects to the sidereal air signs.

That said, multiple specific conditions and calculations in the natal birth chart must be examined in detail to determine the full impact of this transit for each sign. Now is an especially opportune time for everyone to have a Vedic astrological consultation to help learn how you can make the most of this rare Venus transit.