Transiting Venus enters Virgo
Thursday, July 9 - Thursday, August 6, 2026
Not the most popular transit, Venus/Virgo is said to be in its “fall” - i.e. it’s in the sign opposite that of its “exaltation.” Anything in its astrological fall has been likened to “staying in a strange house where you don’t know the rules.” What we try to do with that on this blog (!) is view it as an opportunity for the planet to pick up a skill or two which it otherwise wouldn’t bother with.
Astrologer Steven Forrest (in The Book of Earth) wrote that the main feature of Venus moving through Virgo is recognizing that “loving is a skill I can develop and deepen over time.” (And not just love for one’s romantic partner - for someone like me, determinedly single, that would be love for my kids and my siblings.) It’s less about how you do it, and more about how they receive it. Sometimes we elders, for example, don’t want ten dozen roses or diamonds or a meal at a fancy restaurant - we want help with the grocery bill &/or a prescription, someone to shovel the snow in the winter, maybe someone to actually pay attention to us and prove it. We have to be more attentive to the other person’s actual life - what they are like and what they do in reality - and not what we think is best for them, or what we think they should want.
How it all may manifest in Venus’ various areas:
Art - this is a great time to work on technique (eg, scales and arpeggios for a musician). Virgo has a definite “arts and crafts” side to it - and we want our creations to be functional and pretty.
Beauty - think Ingrid Bergman: neither flashy nor ultra-feminine, “just” a healthy overall vibe. We’re looking at ways to reduce, reuse, recycle. My mom was a Virgo with natal Venus/Virgo, and she was heavily into “mix-&-match” clothing.
Love - we’re baking them cookies and pies! But usually we work hard to demonstrate our love in useful ways. (“I love you so much I mowed your lawn!”) But we’ve got to watch out that any “helpful hints” don’t degenerate into nagging and criticism.
Money - back-to-school shopping goes front and center. There may be some frantic-ness - “I need more pencils than this!” This can be a pound-wise but penny-foolish transit - we’ll throw away what seems to be pittances for little trivial items, especially on love/romance, but that all adds up.
Allow a day or two on either side of these dates. The more significant ones are bolded.
July 10-11 - we’re starting out with good intentions, and the realization that there’s always room for improvement. Don’t let ego take over, though.
July 13-14 - sudden, surprising difficulties, and the necessity of making sudden, surprising adjustments. Are we really listening to our partners/loved ones? We may be pushing people into situations they just aren’t ready for.
July 16 - some trouble focusing, along with (uh) disinterest in romance, nudge nudge. Remember it’s only temporary!
July 19 - more of the pushing people into situations they just aren’t ready for, and they’re angry about it.
July 22 - the need to make adjustments, maybe making up for a mistake or a misjudgement we made. Be the grown-up.
July 24 - a pleasant (if not very deep or long-lasting) interlude. Communication is highlighted. We’re really listening (and hopefully being listened to!).
July 26-29 - maybe the most significant interlude of the whole transit, involving a massive Full Moon over the 28th/29th. There’s a definite “battle of the sexes” vibe afoot. A tricky balancing act between not being taken advantage of, and arrogantly trampling over others. Previous prideful attitudes manifesting in new ways. Take an emotional step back and use some discernment.
August 2-3 - ending uncomfortably, with (again) some loss of focus. Domestic quarrels; walking on tenterhooks so we don’t piss anyone off. (The mental image I just got was, “Walking in someone else’s shoes, only to discover that the cat pooped in them.” Ugh.)
I want to close with a bit of a “heads up” - Venus is getting close to her 2026-7 retrograde zone.
Her “greatest eastern elongation” is on August 15.
She enters her pre-retrograde shadow on August 31.
Retrograde station is October 3.
Inferior conjunction (with the Sun) is October 23.
Direct station is November 13.
She exits her post-retrograde shadow on December 15.
She has her greatest western elongation on January 3, 2027.
The zone covers 22°51’ Libra to 8°29’ Scorpio.















