Aries

March 20 – April 18

Fiery Aries! This will be an intense Venus retrograde for you! Venus going retrograde just as she conjoins Pluto in Capricorn accentuates a situation in your life involving your career, your finances, financial assets you share with a partner, and your significant commitments, either personal or professional.

But this commingling of career and the financial assets of others could usher in a new career phase for you, with significantly more pay. This requires a very binding agreement, and could positively transform your career, as long as you are fully aware of what you’re signing up for.

Complicated issues surrounding deep commitment or shared assets can flare up at this time. Your partner seems to have more power in this situation than you do.  

Some Aries may be in the process of a divorce or serious romantic breakup under this Venus retrograde. If both parties can openly discuss deeply rooted problems in a spirit of empathy, there’s a chance for reconciliation. 

However, as Venus retrograde inspires “dragging a situation over the coals again,” if things get too heated – and there are other planetary aspects that suggest they could – then you might decide to go ahead and end the relationship. The division of shared assets will be fraught with power plays. Be prepared for intense scrutiny by the media if you are in the public eye. 

Any disagreement may be over secret matters, perhaps sexual activity. If you haven’t been faithful in a relationship which your partner sees as committed, be ready for exposure of your behavior and heavy consequences. If you’ve engaged in flirtations or affairs in the course of your career, the 2021-22 Venus retrograde period could be a time of karmic repercussions. If this describes your situation, don’t try to cover up anything or launch a smear campaign against those who expose your behavior (though that seems to be your first inclination), for the mid-January 2022 time period will bring new information that could hurt your status even more.      

Some Aries may embark upon a secret affair as the Venus retrograde period approaches, in which either they or the object of their desire are already committed to another. If your birthday falls between April 11 and April 18, this is especially ill-advised. If such an affair had its beginnings in late 2019 or 2020, then you are really facing a choice about this relationship. Even though your indiscretion may come to light under Venus retrograde, it is not the time to initiate divorce, as it could get quite nasty, with your partner having the upper hand over assets.   

Regardless of whether you are negotiating about a job, or with a romantic partner, the drama gets started in the last week of September 2021. (The period before Venus goes retrograde is often when problems get started.) Conflict intensifies and tempers flare around October 7-11, due to the Sun-Mercury-Mars triple conjunction in Libra, the sign of your partner, and Venus going out of bounds at the same time. Does it seem like your partner is acting out of character? Or maybe, acting like an even more diabolical version of their usual character? You can thank Venus going out of bounds for that. Your partner may resort to all-out war, and it may be blared, play by play, across the media if one of you is in the public eye, or even just holds an important corporate position. 

As Mars rules your sign, it may be difficult to keep yourself from upping the ante and bellowing back all the things about your partner that you now find evil and disgusting. Don’t do this even in private, much less in public, as your estranged partner may broadcast any private “discussions.” And resist the urge to exaggerate or embellish the truth, as anything you say could come back to haunt you once Mercury returns to direct motion on October 18. Likewise, be skeptical about anything you’re told about joint financial assets around the Lunar Eclipse of November 19. Curb your impatience and choose your words carefully, whether you want to hold the relationship together or not, during the period building up to this Sun-Mercury-Mars alignment and through the Venus retrograde; that is, from September 23, when the Sun enters Libra, to January 29, 2022, when Venus goes back to direct motion.    

For those Aries who must deal with messy negotiations over money and property during this Venus retrograde, such negotiations get snarled near January 13, 2022, as Mercury goes retrograde at 10° Aquarius. Just as it seemed that serious discussions and terms were headed in your favor, a new wrinkle appears. A partner to the agreement changes their mind, their tactics, or experiences unusual circumstances which limit their involvement. The asset being haggled over may be retirement benefits, an inheritance, or large payout. 

The process pauses once again. This might be due to your discovery of information that makes you want to reconsider your involvement. This may be a legal obstacle, possibly a legal judgment that complicates issues for you. BIDE YOUR TIME; once the Mercury retrograde ends on February 4, 2022, you may see a surprising turnaround, with negotiations going in your favor. You may be able to benefit (cash in) by moving more quickly than the other party. 

Don’t go for the jugular, though, in any negotiations. Don’t weaken the other party or leave them in a confused state. This could come back to haunt you in 2026, which probably seems like a lifetime away, but your karma has the patience to wait. It’s best to close out this negotiation and transaction by April 2-4, 2022, which is an excellent time for you to seal agreements.