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mbg Spirituality & Relationships Writer

By Sarah Regan

mbg Spirituality & Relationships Writer

Sarah Regan is a Spirituality & Relationships Writer, and a registered yoga instructor. She received her bachelor’s in broadcasting and mass communication from SUNY Oswego, and lives in Buffalo, New York.

Image by aldomurillo / istockphoto

January 6, 2023

A new year is upon us, and that means there’s plenty to look forward to in the astrological love forecast. It’s bound to be a year of relationship ups and downs like any other, but there’s one period this summer the AstroTwins say to keep an eye on in their yearly sign-by-sign forecast (which you can check out in full here). Here’s what to know.

Summer starts off strong in the love department with Venus entering an extended trip through Leo from June 5 to October 8, according to the twins—which is four times longer than Venus’ usual visit to a sign, BTW. It could make for a super passionate summer romance (whether one that’s new or existing), but there is a slight blip in Venus’ course to expect.

You guessed it: Venus retrograde. As the twins explain, from July 22 to September 3, Venus backtracks through Leo, encouraging us all to backtrack as well, and do some reassessing.

It doesn’t all have to be doom and gloom, but if something isn’t working in your romantic life, this period is going to put a spotlight it. “Venus retrogrades are not always easy. They can exhume ghosts of relationships past…or provoke sudden ghostings just when connections are heating up,” the twins explain.

The good news is, once Venus gets back on track in early September, you’ll have that much more clarity to course correct. And if your summer fling survives this somewhat tumultuous six weeks, that’s great news for you and your S.O.

Here’s the twins’ advice on how exactly to get through it with as much grace as possible.

While Venus going retrograde may not be easy, it is an opportunity to dig deeper and acknowledge what you may have been avoiding. “If you’re willing to do the inner work,” the twins note, “you’ll emerge with a clear vision of what’s right for you—and what steps you should take to make it a reality.”

Take this time as a chance to examine how you show up in relationships, what’s working for you, and what’s not. The twins recommend asking yourself questions like:

• What would you like your love life to look like 10 years from now? 10 months from now? 10 days from now? Let yourself visualize and write it down. 
• Is your fixed vision of love preventing you from being present and open with your S.O. or dates?
• Do you need to review your “criteria list” for a partner? Make sure it’s clear but also not so hard-core that there’s no room for anyone to delight you.

Real love requires real work, and while it might not be easy, this summer’s Venus retrograde is going to give us all a chance to look more closely at our relationships—with ourselves and others—and shed light on what we need most to enjoy all Venus has to offer.

Read more predictions from the AstroTwins here.