Planets of course do not really change direction and move backward, but astrology studies the motion of the planets from our perspective here on earth which distorts the actual planetary motion but provides accurate astrological data.  When a planet is preparing to change direction, it appears to slow down and come to a standstill, just like a car that is preparing to make a U-turn.  We call that “stationary motion,” and the news of Venus today is that it is “stationary direct.”

The influence of a planet is more powerful when it is stationary,  Venus rules over our values and the power of attraction.  It is in charge of money and wealth and pleasure as well as relationships with others, art and beauty.  Because Venus is associated with wealth and possessions, it has some influence on the stock market (although since the stock market has to do with investing in other people’s money it is also ruled by Pluto, ruler of the 8th house of shared resources).  

A look at the history of the New York Stock Exchange over the past couple of months provides some interesting information.  The market dropped suddenly on February 9 at the lunar eclipse in Leo which incorporated the conjunction of Chiron and Neptune and opened up old wounds and fears. 

The market continued to drop, with a strong rally beginning on March 6 when Venus turned retrograde.  If historical trends prove true there will be a reversal today, tomorrow or Monday with the direct turn of Venus.  

The financial markets are nearly completely dependent upon the optimism of investors, which is why they did so well when Pluto was in optimistic Sagittarius.  In more realistic and dour Capricorn, investors need real results to return to the markets.  The markets rallied yesterday with the conjunction of Mars to Uranus and investors tried through sheer force of will to raise the optimistic bar despite weak economic data.  

The turn of Venus direct will also relieve some pressure on our personal relationships and make it easier to move forward in many areas of our lives.