Dale Osadchuck

08 October to 18 November 2010

All the planets in our Milky Way Galaxy with the exception of the Luminaries, the Sun and Moon, have retrograde motion from time to time. From our perspective on Earth they seem to slow down in their daily movement, stop, and appear to backtrack over the path they have just traveled, stop again, and then move forward. Mercury does this 3 times a year and we all have experienced how everything from computers, to phone calls, to driving, to communication becomes problematic when he is in his Trickster phase. The rule with Mercury retrograde, usually a three week period, is put re: in front of whatever you do and do not start anything new during his backward journey.

The planets from Jupiter to Pluto retrograde once a year, on average, and stay in backward motion for 4 to 6 months. Again the theme when they are retrograde is to review and realign. Mars retrogrades about 25 months and stays in backward motion for about 2 ½ months on average. Not many people are born with a retrograde Mars.

The same is true for Venus. The planet of Love, Beauty, Harmony and Relationship retrogrades about every 19 months for an average backward journey of 40 to 42 days. In our current cycle she will be in backward motion for 41 days. When Venus turns retrograde in Scorpio on Oct 08 we will all have the opportunity to enter the Shaman’s Cave. and learn to work with the Power of Snake Medicine, shedding the old that no longer serves, experiencing transformation, and transmutation. Scorpio is the Underworld so this Venus journey will be intense. We have the opportunity to meet the original Goddess Archetype of the planet we now call Venus. I wrote the following in 2007. Here is her story.

Inanna sat cross legged in her sacred temple before the altar. It was lit with thousands of candles reflecting the midnight sky above with its thousands of stars. She knew the time would come when the Light would be diminished, when the Goddess would disappear into darkness. She had to do something. She asked for guidance from the heavens and the Universal Mother.

“Dear Child” The Mother said” You will come to be known as the beginning and the ending and the beginning. Do not fear for your power can never be diminished. Light your torch from the stars and your story will be told for millennium. But first you must face your greatest personal fears and descend into the darkness. Only then can you fulfill your destiny.”

The next day Inanna watched the western horizon as the Sun was setting. The white star that had been so high in the cathedral of the indigo sky for seven Moons was now being absorbed by the Sun’s rays. Inanna knew this was the sign that it was time to begin the journey. As she prepared herself to descend into the darkness of the Underworld she was apprehensive but at the same time excited. There she would experience Death, Transformation and Rebirth. Had she known what lay ahead she may not have agreed to go.

The story of the Goddess Inanna (pronounced En-Anna) is one of the oldest recorded. It dates back to 3500 BCE. In Sumeria (our current Iraq) Inanna was the Queen of Heaven and Earth. She was Goddess of the Morning Star (warrior) and Evening Star (temple priestess). This links her to the journey of the planet we know as Venus. Here is Inanna’s story. I have adapted the information from various sources.

As Queen of Earth and Heaven, Inanna was responsible for war, fertility and the power of knowledge. The god of wisdom, Enki, was the guardian of the Tablets of Destiny called Me. He kept careful watch over them so no ordinary human could access their secrets. Inanna had other ideas. She wanted the people to awaken to their destiny. She traveled by boat to Enki’s house where she was welcomed with food and beer. Inanna knew the god of wisdom would grant her anything if he was loosened with drink so she kept filling his cup. When he was sufficiently intoxicated she whispered her request. Inanna asked for the Me and Enki gave them to her. Inanna quickly sailed away with the treasure to her city Uruk.

When Enki awoke from his stupor he realized what he had done. As soon as he was able he pursued the Queen of Heaven to recover the precious Me. He even tried to play seven tricks on her to regain the Tablets of Destiny. What he did not realize was Inanna was already in the sanctuary of her sky kingdom and was immune from his strategy. She happily shared the Me with her people.

As Goddess of Fertility Inanna needed a mate. She had two suitors, the farmer Enkidu and the shepherd, Dumuzi. Both men brought her many gifts but Dumuzi won her heart and became her consort and lover. They were joined in Sacred Marriage. For a time Inanna was very happy with her life but she also knew she needed to journey to the Netherworld. She needed to face her fear of that dark place and conquer it.  

Her sister, Erishkegal, was Queen of the Underworld and was feared by all. Inanna knew going to visit her could be dangerous but something compelled her to go. The disappearance of the White Star was the signal to begin the journey. Inanna dressed in her finest gown, jewels and crown . Before she left for the Underworld Inanna told her assistant, Ninshuba, that if she did not return within three days and nights the gods should be summoned to come and rescue her.

There were seven gates to the Underworld that Inanna had to pass through. At the first, Neti, the gatekeeper stopped the Goddess and demanded a piece of her clothing. She gave up her crown. At each gate Inanna was required to give up something until she stood naked before Erishkegal in the Underworld. The Queen of Death turned her stone eyes on her sister and Inanna lost all her life force. For three days and nights the Queen of Heaven, lifeless and cold, hung from a spit in the Underworld.

When Inanna did not return to her sky kingdom within the allotted time Ninshuba called on Enki, god of wisdom, to rescue the Goddess. He did this by fashioning two creatures made from mud and clay, Kurgarra and Galaturra, and sent them into the Underworld with sixty sprinkles of water and food to bring Inanna back to life. Once revived the Goddess was allowed to ascend through the seven gates receiving what had been taken from her but with renewed power. She again became the Queen of Heaven.

But no one could leave the Underworld unless a substitute was found. While Inanna was in Erishkegal’s domain her lover, Dumuzi, did not even notice she was gone. He had in fact declared he was the ruler of her kingdom. Inanna was very angry at his betrayal and demanded that he be taken to the Queen of Death as her replacement in the Underworld. This was done. Dumuzi’s sister, Gestinanna, was very distraught at this turn of events. She bargained with Erishkegal to save her brother from his fate. For half the year he was allowed to return to the above world while Gestinanna took his place in the Underworld and the other half he returned to the Queen of Death. Dumuzi was the god of vegetation so when he lived below everything died but was replenished when he returned in the spring to live again. Some say it was Inanna (Gest-Inanna) herself who rescued her lover and consort.

The Sumerian Dumuzi was the first “dying and rising god” to be historically recorded by name. The Babylonian Tammuz followed in his footsteps. I am not sure which planet they are linked to but it may be Venus or perhaps Mars. But that is for another time. Let us continue on our Goddess journey.

The Goddess names and stories that follow Inanna (3500 BCE to 1750 BCE) can all be linked to this original archetype. Here are some of the many who were worshiped; Babylonian: Ishtar (2500 BCE to 200AD) Phoenician: Astarte (1500 BCE to 200 BCE) Egyptian: Isis and the Seven Hathors (2700 BCE to 400AD) Greek: Aphrodite (1300 BCE to 400 AD) Greek: Persephone, Demeter and Hecate (1200 BCE to 400 AD) Hindu: Laksmi, Durga, and Kali (400 BCE to 400 AD) and the Roman Goddess Venus (400 BCE to 400AD) for whom the most brilliant planet in our heavens is named. All these Goddesses are linked to the Morning Star (warrior) and Evening Star (priestess). They also have powerful connections to the number seven (the Mystical Path) and the Underworld (death, transformation and rebirth). But Venus is the weakest link for she became the Goddess of lust, flirtation and superficial beauty. Her warrior spirit was only described in terms of her many adulterous relationships. When you explore the Goddess tradition you can see how the Feminine Power became diminished. There are many more names to add to the list but all can be called Shakti, Cosmic Creation Energy.

The focus this fall is on Venus. As Evening Star she has been the most visible planet to the naked eye in the western sky since Feb/Mar 2010. Now she has disappeared below the horizon as she prepares for her retrograde journey on Oct 08, 2010. This is a completion of the last eight years, taking us back to November of 2002. Ask yourself what was I trying to release connected to self worth and relationship at that time? How successful was I at being in my Sacred Center and feeling Empowered in my life? Sometimes it is helpful to look back in retrospect so you can see how far you have actually evolved. At that time (2002) Venus was also retrograde in Scorpio. She was asking all of us to release the old way and step into the new. Now with our current Venus retrograde women are being given another opportunity to step into their Ancestral Power as we trace our roots back to Inanna, Queen of Heaven and Earth, and also the opportunity to conquer our greatest fears. For men it is the opportunity to be in the compassionate heart and honour their Inner Yin energy.

Venus is the planet of self-worth, personal assets, inner talents and resources, balance, harmony, and love. She rules Taurus, our material world and activates the 5^th Chakra (speaking the truth), and Libra, our relationship world and activates the 3^rd Chakra (inner power) and the 4^th Chakra (love and the compassionate heart). The message she is bringing us now is the same message she was speaking eight years ago. Step into your personal power. Be courageous, embrace your strength, conquer your fears, and align with your True Self. Did you get it then? If not, will you get it now?

All planets interact with the Sun in what is called a Synodic Cycle, as seen from our perspective on Earth. They rise from the Sun or set into the Sun. For Venus this phase relationship is 584 days. When she retrogrades (again from our perspective on Earth) she is completing one Synodic cycle. Within the greater picture five Synodic cycles equal eight years and that is when Venus once again reaches the point  in the Zodiac she was eight years previously (minus 2.34 days). It is called the Venus Return and that is why we refer to November 2002 for that was eight years ago. For each of us, personally, we experience a Venus Return at age 8, 16, 24, 32, 40, 48, 56, 64, 72, 80, 88, 96 and 104. That is when all the promise of our natal Venus is available to us. Age forty is particularly powerful for that is when we have experience five eight year cycles. When this occurs the Venus cycle has created a five pointed star (pentagram or pentacle). In Goddess tradition this is called “ the Star of Knowledge”. I find it so interesting that many of the people who come to see me for Astrological consults at age forty are waking to their Soul Wisdom. If you are celebrating any of the above mentioned birthdays this year or next you might want to consider a Venus Return consultation to see how the planet of love and creative expression is activating a new 8 year cycle for you.

Just as they knew about the Galactic Centre of the Milky Way galaxy the Mayans knew about the Venus cycle and incorporated it into their calendar. For them the planet  was the god of light, Kulkulcan, the Feathered Serpent. We know him through his Aztec name, Quetzalcoatl. Both were associated with the Morning Star and Transformation. Perhaps this is the Venus path for the men of the world, to be warriors for transformation.

Coming back to our planet Venus, this is how she relates to the Inanna journey. When Venus is retrograde she disappears from the evening sky and is setting toward the Sun. She begins her journey into the Underworld and has a direct meeting with the Sun. For us this time Venus will enter the Underworld on October 22 and the Venus/Sun conjunction will occur on Oct 28 at 9.10pm EDT. It is called Interior Conjunction. It may mean you can resolve some issues in your life, connected to masculine authority figures, that you have been working on for the last eight years. These people can be male or female. Or it could mean you will meet someone new and fall “head over heels”. Be cautious, falling can be dangerous. Remember you are in the Underworld.

Then seven and a half days later, Nov 05, at dawn, she will rise about 47 to 50 minutes (depending on where you are in the world) before the Sun in the east direction. It is called Heliacal rising. Remember seven (the Mystical Path) is a sacred number to the Goddess and Inanna passed through 7 gates into the Underworld. This begins Venus’s journey as Morning Star and Spiritual Warrior. She spends about 260 days as the Morning Star and then disappears for approximately 60 days at Exterior Conjunction with the Sun. Remember the 60 sprinklings of water and food that revived Inanna?

Venus then appears in the western sky as Evening Star and Temple Priestess. That really translates as at-oneness within the self and Spiritual Wisdom. This also occurs for approximately 260 days when Venus again turns retrograde to meet with the Sun and begin a new Synodic cycle. The above numbers  add up to 580 days and are based on visual and Shamanic perspectives. (A Shamanic Investigation of Venus and Mars by Daniel Giamario, The Mountain Astrologer, pg 13, Feb/Mar 1997) But what about the other four days? Remember the three days and three nights Inanna spent hanging lifeless in the Underworld? The actual Venus Synodic cycle is 583.92 days. Astronomers divide the cycle this way, 263 days as Morning Star, 50 days in the Underworld at exterior conjunction, 263 days as Evening Star, and then 7 to 8 days in the Underworld before Heliacal rise. That is 583/584 days.

On Oct 08, 2010 when Venus turns retrograde she is completing a 584 day cycle that was initiated on April 03, 2009. The journey we have all been on, connected to self worth and relationship, has been about new beginnings, creation energy and realization of personal power. On November 05, 2010 at the Heliacal Rise of Venus a new 584 day Synodic Cycle begins with Scorpio as the overtone for the whole cycle. She will be at 01 degree Scorpio at the rising and the theme until June 12, 2012 will be releasing fears that dis-empower you, embracing transformation and experiencing re-birth. It is going to be an exciting journey.

An Astrologer can tell you where Venus was at your birth, whether she was Morning Star Warrior, or caught in the Underworld, or Evening Star Priestess or on a retrograde journey into the Underworld at the end of a cycle as she approaches Heliacal rising and a new cycle. According to Daniel Giamario only one fourteenth of the population ( I am not sure what statistics he is basing that on) has Venus retrograde at birth. I happen to be one of them. When I was born Venus was retrograde as a late Evening Star, entered the Underworld at age 6 months and rose as Morning Star at age 11. Knowing my personal Venus cycle helped to explain, and understand, my early life experiences. It has been an interesting journey.

The Sabian Symbol for the new Venus cycle which begins on Nov 05 is very appropriate. “A DELICATE BOTTLE OF PERFUME LIES BROKEN, RELEASING ITS FRAGRANCE.” Dane Rudhyar in “An Astrological Mandala” interprets this symbol as “A new and greater realization usually demands the sacrifice of something which has brought loveliness and fragrance to a lesser form of living and feeling. Old feelings are poignantly remembered, even as one moves into a new and wider sphere of experience. Old relationships may be left behind, but the memory of their essential moments lingers on, perhaps strong and nostalgic…for the past one has SURRENDERED.” On Oct 03 Mars and Venus entered the Balsamic Phase of their relationship journey which began on Aug 20. The keywords for relationships are heal, forgive, and complete until Nov 15, then they enter the Fourth Quarter Phase, realignment and re-vision, until Feb 04, 2011 when they re-enter the Balsamic Phase again until May 22. 2011. This latter timeframe is the surrender, completion, release and transformation phase for relationship.

The Animal Totem for this Venus in Scorpio 584 day cycle is Snake, shedding the old, experiencing healing, transformation, and rebirth. The Dove is the Sacred Animal for the planet Venus and the synchronicity is the Phoenix Dove is the highest expression for the Zodiac sign of Scorpio, rising from the ashes to be reborn. Pluto is the ruling planet for this journey, again the theme of death, transformation and rebirth. We always use “death” as a metaphor for releasing what no longer serves. Everything is supporting this journey of transformation.

The Clan Mother (the 13 Original Clan Mothers by Jamie Sams) for this Venus journey is Walks Tall Woman. She is the Guardian of walking the truth, right action, and teaches how to listen to our inner knowing. She is also the Guardian of new pathways and our relationship to Great Mystery. She guides us as we learn to walk with integrity and empowerment.

This Venus in Scorpio cycle activates the Fourth Ray of Harmony Through Conflict or Harmony Through Beauty and Peace. I know what I want to choose, do you? The Archangels who walk with us during this Venus retrograde and the New Venus in Scorpio journey to June 12, 2012 are Gabriel, transformation and resurrection, and Hope, trust and renewal. They are asking us to focus on our solar plexus Chakra, the power center, our heart Charka, compassionate love and our throat Chakra, speaking the truth. Ask them to help you as you let go of whatever does not support your mind, body, and spirit being in balance.

I believe this new Venus cycle means that all of us can get in touch with our Ancient and Divine Power and live from that place with Grace, Love and Peace and we will create a new way of relating in the world.

Blessings Dale

Dale Osadchuk is an Artist, Astrologer, and Transformational Counsellor. She is available for consultation and can be reached at 905-883-3192 in Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada. All sessions are in person or by phone and are taped. To receive information about Astrological sessions and fees, New Moon Meditations and Workshops, or to be added to her free monthly New Moon article e-mail list contact her at

Copywrite by Dale Osadchuk September 2010

You are welcome to share this information with others. Please include Dale’s contact information.

Whatsapp

© CrystalWind.ca 2025. All content (articles, imagery, fair use) & design protected. Written permission required for copying. All rights reserved.

Join the Conversation Now! Comment Below!