What You Can Expect for Your Love Life This Holiday Season, According to Your Venus Sign

A few days of holiday hectic-ness aside, the vibe of winter is often calmer than that of carefree summer: We tend to spend more time inside, cuddling up with loved ones, and generally slowing our roll, so to speak. This year, the cosmos is doubling down on that patient, reflective, and romantic energy, thanks to a Venus transit through the task-oriented sign of Capricorn. In fact, this cosmic movement will hold major sway over the holiday season love horoscope for every zodiac sign.

As the planet that rules over relationships, Venus can influence the ways in which we prefer to give and receive love. In particular, your Venus sign—aka the sign that the planet was in when you were born—can color that natural preference and style, while the sign it’s in at the present moment can affect your outlook, as well as current relationship happenings. Given it’ll be chugging along in practical Capricorn for the entirety of the holiday season, everyone’s love horoscope will get a dose of seriousness and focus (commitment-phobes, be warned).

Zhuzhing that relationship energy even further toward serious mode during the holidays is this comic kicker: Part of that time Venus spends in Capricorn will be during a retrograde transit (that is, when the planet appears to be orbiting backward), beginning on December 19.

“Relationships that are on shaky foundations may be tested.” —astrologer Stephanie Campos-Powell

“Venus retrograde periods are a time for pause, revision, and reflection,” says astrologer Stephanie Campos-Powell. If you’ve heard of Mercury retrograde, you might be familiar with the one-step-forward, two-steps-back vibe of a retrograde period, in general—but with a Venus retrograde, the realm of love, specifically, is more prone to mishaps. “Relationships that are on shaky foundations may be tested,” says Powell. And according to Yana Yanovitch, an astrologer for Nebula, that tough-love vibe is already beginning. While Venus doesn’t officially station retrograde until December 19, it enters its pre-retrograde shadow phase on November 18, kicking off a period that essentially lays the energetic groundwork for the retrograde itself. (Read: You may feel those retrograde effects early, folks.)

Even with all this retrograde energy circulating, the holiday season love horoscope for each sign is unique, depending on just how this Venus transit interacts with it. While your sun sign (aka the sign you’d generally read for in a horoscope) tends to encapsulate the broadest swaths of your personality, it’s worth considering your Venus sign in order to get a better gist of your love style—and how the current movements of Venus will affect your relationship outlook through the end of the year. (Don’t know your Venus sign? Run a free online birth chart generator, like this one.)

Here’s the holiday season love horoscope for every Venus sign, according to astrologers:

Aries

You could feel more concerned than usual with how you’re perceived by others, says Campos-Powell, whether you’re in a relationship (or situationship) or seeking one out, as this retrograde will activate your 10th house of public perception. “You could find yourself craving someone who could solidify your status as a power couple,” she says.

But because Aries creates a tense square to Capricorn, where this retrograde falls, it could also create some turbulence—perhaps surfacing someone from your past, says Yanovitch. But she advises staying the course, rather than going back in time.

Taurus

You could feel more keenly attuned to relationships in your life on an intellectual level, as the current Venus placement activates your ninth house of education and philosophy. “This is a wonderful time to connect with people who are very different from you,” says Campos-Powell, “as you feel eager to learn from someone—a new perspective, a new dinner dish, or perhaps a new favorite band.” Doing some self-reflection on past relationships during this time will prove fruitful, too, says Yanovitch.

Gemini

It’s time to get deep, Gemini. You may have a tendency to keep relationship talk surface-level, as you’re naturally social and lighthearted, says Campos-Powell, but as Venus highlights your eighth house of the emotional psyche, you could be pushed to explore more intimacy with a partner—or someone who might become one. “Sensitivity is your superpower this season,” adds Campos-Powell.

Cancer

Get ready for a relational realignment, Cancer. As Venus retrogrades in Capricorn, it touches your seventh house of relationships and love—making the contact in this particular realm that much more intense. “You could feel the urge to contact someone from your past,” says Yanovitch. But because of the mixed-up emotions of this retrograde period, it’d be wise to take a beat first. “Think twice about sending that text and becoming that ex sliding back into someone else’s life,” says Campos-Powell.

Leo

It’s possible that the daily grind is interfering with your relational happiness, Leo. To give yourself a healthy check-in on those work-life boundaries, Campos-Powell suggests asking yourself whether your habits are conducive to nurturing a successful partnership and whether you’re making enough time for your partner. “This is a powerful time to reflect on your routines and patterns, and realign them in ways that can help any relationships in your life flourish,” says Campos-Powell.

Virgo

A harmonious or serendipitous moment could be in the stars for you, Virgo. “You might have a pleasant encounter with a loved one from your past,” says Yanovitch. In your case, the retrograde-style contact could be conducive to a moment of closure, as you’re feeling romantic and sensual with Venus highlighting your fifth house of pleasure.

If your current relationship is giving you any sense of pause, now might be an opportunity for setting a positive intention to fix issues or leave the union entirely—though both astrologers advise waiting until post-retrograde to make any final decisions.

Libra

You’re seeking a relationship that makes you feel at ease and at home, Libra. Venus’s transit activates your fourth house of familial roots, perhaps raising questions about how a significant other might fit—or not fit—into your family. “If you’re moving in with someone special or introducing someone to your parents for the first time, be gentle with yourself,” says Campos-Powell. “That’s a big deal, and during this time, it may be easy for buried fears and emotions to rear their heads.”

Scorpio

A deeper conversation with a loved one—or perhaps a thorough self-reflection—could yield helpful returns for you, Scorpio. You’re being pushed toward information and learning as Venus activates your third house of communication. Generally, the Capricorn placement of Venus forms a supportive aspect with Scorpio, says Yanovitch, making this a time conducive to sharing or opening up. “Perhaps it’s time to finally say, ‘I love you,'” says Campos-Powell. “Trusting and using your words are key during the next few weeks.”

Sagittarius

The value you place on yourself weighs deeply on your heart, Sagittarius. This Venus retrograde contacts your second house of resources and worth, which, in the context of love, turns your attention inward. “Ask yourself: How can your partnership flourish if you don’t believe you are truly deserving of that passionate, adventurous love that you seek?” says Campos-Powell. “Venus retrograde is a powerful and transformative time to remind yourself of your worth and ask for it in return from your friends and partners.”

Capricorn

It’s best to brace for a bit of a jolt relationship-wise, Capricorn. Venus is moving through your sign, which also means the retrograde—while it remains in your sign—could hit hard. But with that impact comes space for a cosmic rebirth, says Campos-Powell: “You have the chance to step into your power and authenticity, and, in turn, to attract people who are drawn to your natural light.” You can begin to change how you and others see yourself, but in classic retrograde form, it’s wise to make this shift in small and measured steps.

Aquarius

It’s time to reinforce the relationship you hold with yourself, Aquarius. Venus is highlighting your 12th house, which is the area of your chart linked with solitude, vices, and undoing, says Campos-Powell. In this vein, adjusting your self-talk may be the primary focus of this period, as you come to the realization that in order to love another, you have to first love—you guessed it—yourself.

Pisces

It’s time to take a closer look at who in your circle could make a potential love interest—and, more specifically, whom you might be friend-zoning unnecessarily. Venus’s romantic influence washes over your 11th house of community, while its retrograde movement may encourage you to reconsider someone within that community whom you might’ve ruled out. “As you explore one or more potential unions, though, just be sure you’re not overextending yourself in the name of love, and that you seek balance in all relationships during this time,” says Campos-Powell.

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