The Chiron Files is a short monthly essay on health and astrology. It’s not intended as medical or psychological advice — just some ideas to consider. — efc

Dear Planet Waves Reader:

Venus is retrograde and the Sun is in Scorpio. We’ve just experienced a New Moon in that sign, conjunct Vesta. In traditional astrology, this is the sign of the privy parts, and that deep, compelling emotional/hormonal quality that makes you want to say yes. When it happens, a rare planetary retrograde like Venus takes center stage in the celestial order. This transit, which lasts till Nov. 18, is first and foremost about connecting with what we desire.

We humans in the Western Hemisphere have little clue the extent to which our strict, contradictory and hypocritical values about our sexuality fuel emotional and physical illness, and wreak havoc on our relationships. To an even greater extent, being clear about our sexual values will help us create happiness and harmony in our lives, a process which, in a word, I would describe as integrity.

Retrograde planets have three basic tendencies. First, they point us toward the past. This is where nearly all of our struggle is lodged, which is odd since the past doesn’t exist. But the patterns we established there often remain in our emotional bodies as negative expectations. I can think of no better image than Venus retrograde in Scorpio to help us admit these patterns and let them go. There may also be an experience of remembering what we actually desire, but which we left behind because we decided that it was not possible to create for ourselves. Note that past lovers can come back into our lives, encounters which might be about rekindling the relationship or healing and resolving the prior experience.

The next tendency, also helpful, is that retrogrades can point to childhood and adolescent situations that we now have a chance to recall and understand. Childhood and adolescence are full of sexual insults, and they tend to sour us. Some come from our peers. Some come from clergy. Others come from people who take advantage of us inappropriately. Others are experienced in the course of ‘normal’ living. Whether parents misinform us of what to expect, or set less than wholesome examples (sometimes doing their best, sometimes not), I believe that it helps to see these influences and replace them with healthier, more creative ways of being. What exactly were we taught, in words and by example, from the powerful adults who surrounded us?

Finally, retrogrades point us within. Here is where we can make the most progress, by connecting with what is authentically who we are. I know that most people fear they would be out in the cold and lose all their friends if they dared to be real. Then one day you reach the point where you have to be real or you cannot take another breath. One of the core elements of health, and of sexual health, is the ability to live authentically. This begins with making contact with the inner truth we carry around and crave to acknowledge.

Venus retrogrades from Scorpio to Libra, which means that the transformation process goes right into our relationships. These can be the source of strength and support, if we live them authentically. That starts with us. Venus retrograde is a reminder that it’s time to get real. Under the current astrology, I would offer that as my best idea for health and happiness.

Yours & truly,