Venus Retrograde Begins: Astrologers Say It's a Love Portal

As Venus turns retrograde in Scorpio on October 3, astrologers tell outlets it may be the single best window to manifest new romance.

Venus, the planet astrologers associate with love, beauty, values and money, appears to station retrograde on October 3, beginning a 40-day and 40-night backward journey through Scorpio before slipping into Libra on October 25, and ending November 13. The Cut frames the event not as a doom-laden glitch like Mercury retrograde but as a period of renewal — 'a complete metamorphosis of values, desires, and self-worth.' YourTango's daily love horoscope for Saturday, October 3 tells readers that as Venus begins its retrograde in Scorpio, they are 'beginning a journey that will change your life as you know it.' The retrograde itself is an optical illusion, as both The Cut and Vogue Philippines explain: planets do not actually reverse in space, they only appear to from Earth's vantage point.

The contrarian twist inside the niche: while most retrograde advice warns against new romance, The Independent reports that LA-based astrologer Dr Michael Lennox calls this Venus retrograde 'better for manifesting relationships than any other time.' Lennox, the so-called 'Red Robe Astrologer,' tells the paper that Scorpio is 'the sign of change... of making things alchemise,' and that Venus's backward path through both Scorpio and Libra — the sign of harmonious relationships — makes a 'perfect astrological recipe for success.' That interpretation sits oddly beside the mainstream warnings The Independent and The Cut both relay: no dramatic haircuts, big purchases, or rushing into new relationships, because judgment may be clouded. E! News adds astrologer Aliza Kelly's take that Venus retrograde can be 'a period of breakups and makeups, along with exes rising from the grave.'

Across the pack, astrologers converge on a specific ritual timetable. The Independent says Lennox advises starting the work under the new moon in Libra on October 10 — a time to 'write my list' and 'describe my partner,' not yet to bring the relationship in. The Cut and Vogue UK both note Venus reaches its midpoint cazimi, when it aligns with the sun, later in October: The Independent places Lennox's cazimi on October 25, while Vogue UK dates the sun–Venus union in Scorpio to October 23 and calls it 'the most clarifying day of the cycle.' For the finale, The Independent reports Lennox recommends waiting for the full moon in Scorpio on November 9, then going for it as Venus goes direct on November 13 — 'she's giving out all the cash and prizes.'

A second surprising thread: Venus retrograde is also being pitched as a wealth window. The Independent reports Lennox says 'Venus rules money, Scorpio rules investments,' so the same dates can be used to manifest money for anyone with financial insecurities. Meanwhile, The Cut explains the eight-year rhythm — Venus retrogrades return to roughly the same part of the zodiac every eight years, linking this one to October 5 through November 16, 2018. E! Exes resurfacing is the warning nearly every source repeats — The Independent passes on the advice not to text old flames, and Lennox himself suggests waiting a couple of weeks to see 'if the heat is still there.'

The horoscope pack disagrees productively on who wins. AOL's astrologer Lisa Stardust names Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius and Pisces as the retrograde's four luckiest signs, promising single Geminis will be 'the center of attention.' E! News says Venus-ruled Taurus and Libra, plus Scorpio placements, feel the shift most personally — Kelly tells Scorpios they are 'at the center of this one.' Vogue Philippines writes the transit as a matter of rising signs, urging readers to reassess relationships, self-worth and abundance, and to 'savor the questions' rather than rush answers. Vogue UK warns unions will be on and off for the next 40 days — 'break-up and make-up season' — with Venus squaring Pluto on October 20 surfacing jealousy and power dynamics. Readers should treat each as the outlet's own interpretation, not consensus.

The retrograde concludes on November 13, but none of the pack's astrologers say the story ends there. The Cut urges readers not to put life on hold, calling the period one for experimentation — revisiting abandoned projects and dating outside your usual 'type' — and noting Kelly herself met her now-husband during a Venus retrograde. Vogue UK reports the post-retrograde shadow lingers until December 15, a window to assess 'the fallout and interrogate the revelations.' Astrologer Arielle Guttman tells Vogue UK this is the last Venus Star Point in Scorpio of a 100-year cycle dating to 1926, with many things 'ending as well as beginning' as the point shifts toward Libra in four years.