The Winter Solstice starts December 22, 2013. This event marks the longest night of the year and also the beginning of the Sun’s return from the Tropic of Capricorn and the beginning of longer days, the true winter months (while the Sun is returning it is still producing short days-a more intense reworking of the Fall restrictions, except in reverse) until Spring, when the Sun crosses the Vernal Equinox.
What makes this Winter Solstice so unique is that Venus goes Retrograde the same day and will stay retrograde for forty days and go direct January 22, 2014.
Venus Retrograde (Venus RX) means that Venus will appear to go backward from 28 degrees of Capricorn to 113 degrees of Capricorn.Venus rules Libra and Taurus, so the place to look in your chart is the positions of these three signs, which houses they occupy. The energy will be most intense there.
Venus RX means that relationships,all kinds: lovers, marriages, friendships, work, negotiations, objects or situation where love of subject are involved. Also, since this RX period starts with the Moon quincunx Venus–nurturing relationships must be considered to need special attention. Family and close friendships or love situations will be entering into a time of re-evaluation. People that you thought were helping you grow may now seem to be in a more ambiguous interaction. This means that some relations need to be restructured and others need to be dropped. Sometimes things just change in relationships. Things like competitiveness, poor communication, just plain growing apart need to be considered. The moon is the only aspect when the RX starts so these factor needs to be super emphasized.
Mars will sq Venus just a few days–Libra-Capricorn, meaning that relationships of material interests will conflict with those of fairness, love, negotiations, artistic growth, and decision making ability. Cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn will be deeply affected) this means that starting things needs to be restructured or actually postponed. Earth signs will probably have the better of this because of the elemental trine involved.
What is most disturbing to this astrologer is that when Venus goes Direct it is conjunct Pluto at 13 degrees Capricorn. This means that serious transformational energy will be released. The positive side of this is that growth though, perhaps, a little painful or stressful will be made in the days following.
The overall meaning is that relations have the opportunity to be evaluated so the more emotional growth will be possible in the future. It should be noted that 40 is the number of days Jesus was alone in the desert and was tempted. Moses spent 40 years in the wandering of Sinai, and got the 10 commandments. The rain of Noah lasted 40 days, a new humanity was born and the time of Ninana spent in hell trying to help her sister, she had to die and be reborn.
So the descent of Venus from the evening star to morning star shows a shift form a more genial planet to a more aggressive energy: Look to the areas when you need to be more aggressive in changing and this period will yield great results for future success in personal interactions.
Most importantly where Venus is in your chart will need a lot of analysis and work. This is an opportunity for true self-transformation. Work and grow!!!!