Photo from Andrea’s Photo Blog.

I thought the quote below was perfectly appropriate as we continue our journey of Venus in retrograde motion (until February 3). Venus rules our sense of beauty as well as our ability to relate to others, and when retrograde we tend to RE-visit and RE-place some of our old ideas on how we relate and what we find to be beautiful. We also RE-examine our RE-lationship to our possessions and values, and we may RE-encounter people from our past with a new perspective.

Many astrologers warn that large purchases such as buying a home or investments (personal resources are ruled by Venus) when Venus is retrograde lead to disaster, but I haven’t seen that to necessarily be true. After all the stock market in the US and abroad continues to climb (except for Japan which had a strong correction yesterday), prices of gold continue to increase. Venus retrograde seeks to call our attention to that which we value, including our own resources as well as our relationships.

” Seeing beauty in a flower could awaken humans, however briefly, to the beauty that is an essential part of their own innermost being, their true nature. The first recognition of beauty was one of the most significant events in the evolution of human consciousness. The feelings of joy and love are intrinsically connected to that recognition. Without our fully realizing it, flowers become for us an expression in form of that which is most high, most sacred, and ultimately formless within ourselves. Flowers, more fleeting, more ethereal, and more delicate than the plants out of which they emerged, would become like messengers from another realm, like a bridge between the world of physical forms and the formless. They not only had a scent that was delicate and pleasing to humans, but also brought a fragrance from the realm of spirit.

from Eckart Tolle’s new book A New Earth ~ Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose ~