With the commencement of Venus retrograde, the celestial dance of the love mandala in the sky takes a final turn before a new cycle begins. But before that we must travel through the gates of older identities and remove ourselves from ego and its resistance to growth through the unknown.

Like a fairytale's enchanting spell, the retrograde calls for introspection, urging us to reevaluate worthiness values, desires, romantic ideals and emotional connections. As we move through the labyrinth of our hearts, we encounter archetypal figures and mythical landscapes, much like characters in fairytales. This retrograde is an auspicious time to work with our hidden aspects and transform them into gifts. It is the right time to ask for passage in the unknown parts of our psyche, and seek clarity in our heart's desires. Venus in Leo is a guiding force that can enable any type of creative and transformative process to take place. The alchemical process, a mystical and ancient art that has long been associated with the transformation of base elements into gold - however, beneath its surface lies a profound philosophy that mirrors the journey of the human psyche.

Venus Retrograde: Unraveling the Enchantments of Love and Relationships

As Venus starts her retrograde motion in the sign Leo today until September 3rd, we embark on an empowering 40-day shadow work challenge inspired by the alchemical stages of:

Nigredo, Albedo, Citrinitas, and Rubedo. This journey calls for introspection, prompting us to reevaluate our story and the roles we played so far in it. Just as the mythical figures faced trials and tribulations in the desert or the underworld, we confront our fears, traumas, blockages, triggers, all emotional patterns that hinder our emotional growth, empowering us to embrace self-love and authentic connections.  The Venus retrograde during this 40-day period amplifies the energy of love and relationships themes.

It is a time to confront the shadows that hold us prisoners in our psyche and prevent our partnerships and relationships to find greater clarity and harmony. The interweaving of the Venus retrograde and the mythical tale of spending 40 days and 40 nights in the underworld adds a captivating layer of symbolism and depth to our alchemical journey.

Jesus, Issis, Buddha, Inanna, and other mythical figures journeyed through the underworld, just like them we too traverse the depths of our psyche during the 40-day challenge. It is a time of soul-searching, releasing old patterns, and seeking spiritual renewal. The parallel with the mythical tale of spending 40 days and 40 nights in the underworld further amplifies the significance of this journey. We embark on our alchemical odyssey to confront our own inner darkness and reclaim our authentic selves. It is a period of review and reflection, much like the alchemical stages of Nigredo and Albedo, where we confront the shadows within and seek clarity.

As the Venus retrograde culminates, we reach the final stages of our alchemical journey - the radiant glow of Citrinitas and the spiritual enlightenment of Rubedo. The transformation achieved through the underworld experience becomes a radiant beacon of self-awareness and empowerment for the Feminine.

Jung had a special relationship with the alchemical principles and archetypes. he recognized the metaphor and its power in the manuscript of The Secret of the Golden Flower. Incorporating the principles of Jungian coaching into our alchemical journey enriches the transformative process, deepening our understanding of the psyche and empowering us to embrace our shadows with compassion and self-acceptance. Throughout the alchemical journey, Jungian coaching acts as a guiding framework, helping us navigate the depths of our psyche and understand the significance of our emotional patterns and our actions. By working with our dreams, symbols, and personal myths, Jungian coaching reveals the hidden aspects of the unconscious, shedding light on the shadow within, revealing the higher purpose and limitless potential we have within reach. Our transformative journey commences with bringing awareness to the life our emotions. 

How does the presence or absence of affect fuel us? Do we find ourselves seeking external validation, and in doing so, creating unnecessary drama on life's stage? By embracing the emotions that seek validation and identifying emotional patterns, we lay the foundation for a profound process of self-awareness.

Nigredo: The Dark Night of the Soul

In the alchemical journey, we first encounter the stage of Nigredo, the "Black Phase." Much like the opening act of a fairytale, this stage introduces the dark night of the soul—a time of emotional turmoil, dissolution, and self-confrontation.  In the Nigredo stage, Jungian coaching encourages us to confront our limiting beliefs and acknowledge the suppressed aspects of ourselves. By working with our shadow and dreams we are exploring the unconscious. We unravel the layers of our psyche, making space for reframes and new meanings. Venus retrograde, with its introspective energy, aligns with Nigredo, inviting us to journey through the enchanted dark forest where many e-motions lurk in the shadows. As we confront our inner darklings and limiting beliefs, we resonate with fairytales where the hero or heroine follows the moonlit path of self-discovery. The heroine faces challenges and undergoes trials before her transformation begins.

Illumination at Albedo

As we progress through the transformative journey, the Albedo stage illuminates our path. A stage of purification and clarity, Albedo washes away the stains and darkness of the past conditioning. We gain deeper insights into our psyche, peering into the mirror of self-reflection with newfound wisdom. During the Albedo stage, Jungian coaching by engaging with archetypal symbols and embracing our personal myths, helps us purify the psyche, gaining clarity and insight into our authentic selves. We transcend the story that keeps us stuck, paving the way for the creative force of genuine transformation.

The Golden Glow of Citrinitas

With Albedo's purification, we enter the stage of Citrinitas, the golden glow. Like the rising sun, we bask in the brilliance of our authentic selves. As the unconscious takes a clearer shape within, we discover the interconnectedness of all existence. This stage marks the emergence of inner strength. Citrinitas, the golden stage, resonates strongly with Jungian coaching's concept of individuation. As Venus retrograde motion culminates, our journey echoes the climactic moments in fairytales, where the heroine reaches the heart of the quest. Like fairytales' transformative elixirs, Citrinitas bestows us with newfound meanings, illuminating behind the shadow what treasure lies beneath the conscious mind that keeps us in the loop of the mundane and limited life where myth and magic cannot reach us.

The Powerful Radiance of Rubedo

Finally, the culmination of the alchemical journey unfolds in Rubedo, the "Red Phase." Symbolizing rebirth and spiritual enlightenment, Rubedo represents the sacred marriage of opposites within us. Our innermost Self is purified, free from the confines of past limitations. Beyond the ego, persona and the shadow, resides the Self, transcending the duality of our lives, and reflecting our cosmic interconnectedness with all.

In the Rubedo stage, Jungian coaching's emphasis on the sacred marriage of opposites aligns seamlessly with the alchemical union within us. By exploring our anima (feminine) and animus (masculine) energies, we attain a sense of wholeness and inner balance.

In the stage of Rubedo, the "Red Phase," we experience the magic of union within—much like the resolution of a fairytale's enchantment. We emerge with our magical Self, as a new way of living our existence comes to light. Authenticity and genuine relationships become the conscious, healthy choice, as we understand what is true for us and transcend duality. Resonance within becomes our gold standard, just like a fairytale's happy ending, we see clearly now the path ahead of us. We have clarity and focus to achieve our goals. We see the map and the territory. We understand what we need to do to reach our destination.

A Mythical Descent to the Realm and the Rise of Venus

After the 40-day period when Venus disappeared from the sky, during her cycle as an evening star, bright and visible in the sky near sundown, she will rebirth as she crosses a threshold in the underworld, and becomes a morning star for the next nine months. It is the beginning of a new cycle. And so it is also for the individual who has imitated her journey into the underworld and experienced a time of soul-searching, releasing old patterns, and seeking spiritual renewal, finding balance and harmony, and realizing individual empowerment.

While we integrate and work with archetypal symbols, we fuse with Universal archetypes, we reach beyond the personal unconscious into the collective one. We bring more closely the sacred and the mythical in our daily lives. We make life’s journey our own, we take accountability and empower ourselves to live out the myth, we channel and embody the Goddess archetype.

Like the mythical figures of ancient myths and stories (Jesus tempted in the desert, Buddha before realizing samadhi, the Sumerian myth of Innana), we emerge from the depths of our psyche, the Self is now unified, we are bringing home our inner gold.

Follow me on Threads for the #40dayshadowworkchallenge daily prompts during this Leo Venus Retrograde.  Find there the magic of the alchemical journey within us and the world around us, and empower your Self.

I’ll guide you on your journey.