Hi, my loves,
I hope you’ve been well. I know this season has been one of change, adjustment, and growth for many. I hope that this post finds you and offers you a light upon your path.
We are currently in the shadow period of the upcoming Venus retrograde. The shadow period of a retrograde is when the planet is at the degree in which it will station direct once the retrograde is complete. Venus during its retrograde will move from 8 degrees Scorpio back to 22 degrees Libra.
As Venus moves across the sky transitioning from Evening to Morning Star. On September 22 during the Autumn Equinox, Venus will be at maximum brightness. Depending on the weather on the 21st or 22nd, this may be an excellent time to view it, before Venus sinks beneath the horizon and we lose visibility.
I think of this time as a period of preparation and observation. Such as in Inanna’s Descent into the Underworld, this is the moment when she turns her ear to the ground and hears the call of the underworld. I wager, we have heard the call towards the underworld at various times, in various ways. Some loud and others soft – but always a request that cannot be ignored.
When we know that it is time to venture into unknown territory, it can help to strategize and make contingency plans. This is especially helpful if we know we are heading into treacherous territory. With the unconscious being outside of our conscious awareness, while not necessarily dangerous, it is unknown. Therefore, while we traverse the underworld in the upcoming seasons, it is wise to make plans before setting out on this new journey.
- Identify your allies
- Learn everything you can about issues or what could go wrong
- Assign tasks to your allies
- Let people know what you will need from them and how they can help you
- Be specific. This could look like a daily text, weekly check-in, and who to call if you find yourself in a place where you need professional help
There’s more than one way to prepare for a journey of reflection and introspection. In some cases, we don’t prepare at all. We are going about our daily lives and find ourselves having to adapt to circumstances outside of our control. This is what occurred with Oya as she went to visit the market leaving her buffalo skin behind as she always did. Yet, this time when she returned after meeting the handsome man who invited her for drinks after the market, her animal skin was gone. What was she to do stuck in this world with no way to get out?
What do we do as we enter a space of the unknown?
Sometimes, we accept that this is what must be done. Just as Psyche did as she was sentenced to wed a creature of death, a winged serpent who would arrive upon the winds of the south (don’t we love a good reference to a terrible storm). What was a mere mortal girl to do when the gods decreed this was her fate?
Acceptance allows us to see what lies before us. To weigh our experience so that we can discern between what is and what isn’t. Which we can then weigh upon the Libran scales to determine the next right step.
There is a lot that we can learn in the next few weeks. If we are willing to be open, honest, and brave.
See you soon.
With love,
Kamilah Rose