Venus retrograde 2026: exact dates, computed
Venus stations retrograde on October 3, 2026 at 07:10 UT and stations direct on November 14, 2026 at 00:20 UT, 42 days retrograde, moving back from Scorpio into Libra. The pre-shadow begins August 31, 2026 and the post-shadow ends December 15, 2026. All instants are computed from the ephemeris and given in UT with local dates below.
Dates (UT)
| Pre-shadow begins | August 31, 2026 at 14:43 UT |
|---|---|
| Station retrograde | October 3, 2026 at 07:10 UT · Scorpio 8.49° |
| Station direct | November 14, 2026 at 00:20 UT · Libra 22.86° |
| Post-shadow ends | December 15, 2026 at 18:36 UT |
| Days retrograde | 41.7 |
| Signs | Scorpio, Libra |
Local date of the direct station
Why some sites say November 13 and others November 14: the direct station falls at November 14, 2026 at 00:20 UT UT. That is the evening of November 13 in the Americas (Sao Paulo, New York, Los Angeles) and already November 14 in London, Europe and Asia. Both dates are correct for their time zone; the instant is one.
| America/Sao Paulo | November 13, 2026 |
|---|---|
| America/New York | November 13, 2026 |
| America/Los Angeles | November 13, 2026 |
| Europe/London | November 14, 2026 |
| Europe/Berlin | November 14, 2026 |
| Asia/Tokyo | November 14, 2026 |
What Venus retrograde means for a pair
In the practitioner tradition, Venus retrograde turns a one-day Venus transit into three passes over the same degree across months: a first pass, a review pass while retrograde, and a resolution pass. Contacts between two charts that sit in the retrograde span get revisited. The station days themselves are traditionally treated as poor days for new commitments.
Cosmea scores those passes per contact and labels them, and marks station days red for new commitments regardless of score. The shadow period is disclosed once and not scored: it is a description, not a penalty.
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FAQ
When is Venus retrograde in 2026?
From October 3, 2026 at 07:10 UT to November 14, 2026 at 00:20 UT (UT). Depending on your time zone the direct station falls on November 13, 2026 or November 14, 2026.
What is the shadow period?
The pre-shadow starts when Venus first reaches the degree it later stations direct on (August 31, 2026); the post-shadow ends when Venus returns to the degree it stationed retrograde on (December 15, 2026).
Which signs are affected?
Venus is retrograde in Scorpio, Libra. People with tight cross-chart contacts in those degrees get three passes instead of one.