Astrologer Susan Miller's Hack For Brides With A Venus Retrograde Wedding Date

You've probably heard a lot about Mercury retrograde. Each of the three to four times a year the planet goes retrograde, seasoned astrologers and hobbyists alike hit social media with dire warnings against traveling, signing contracts, depending on technology, making large purchases, starting new projects, or texting an ex. What you may not have heard is what retrograde actually means. During periods of retrograde, a planet appears to be orbiting backward from Earth's point of view. In reality, its direction has not changed, but this phenomenon affects every planet in the solar system.

Since Mercury rules communication and coordination, it's easy to see why miscommunications and travel delays are common during its retrograde. What happens, then, when Venus — the planet of love and beauty — goes into retrograde right before you're scheduled to be married? Glam recently attended astrologer Susan Miller's interactive presentation at Liberate Yourself in Sherman Oaks, California on April 23, where she offered an astrological hack to cover this very scenario. So, if your wedding is between July 22 and September 3, 2023, you'll want to take notes!

When it comes to getting married during Venus retrograde, it's a hard no from Susan Miller. "You can go on vacation when Venus is retrograde, but I don't want you getting married when Venus is retrograde... " she advised, according to a Glam reporter in attendance. However, this doesn't mean that you should panic and cancel your wedding if everything is already planned and the invitations have all gone out. Instead, Miller offered a genius astrological hack for avoiding the negative effects that marrying during Venus retrograde could potentially have on your marriage.

Miller's workaround? Throw on a semi-formal wedding dress and head to your local city hall or courthouse before Venus goes retrograde. Get legally married and then go ahead with your ceremony and reception as planned. You don't even need to tell any of your guests about the change of plans! "In the eyes of astrology, you're already married," she explained. "In the eyes of the state, you're married. ... But celebrate the big day. Have the big wedding. Go ahead and enjoy yourself. Just know that you've already gotten married." The gathering of friends and family to celebrate your union can be just as fun as getting married, after all, and no one will see through the smoke and mirrors. 

If you're wondering why it's such a bad idea to get married during Venus retrograde, you'll first need to understand the role Venus plays in astrology. The planet is named after the Roman goddess of the same name, who was modeled after Greek mythology's Aphrodite, the goddess of fertility, beauty, and love. Therefore, Venus presides over these areas astrologically, too. Just like issues related to communication tend to go awry when Mercury goes retrograde, all things love-related are likely to go haywire during Venus retrograde.

The hot, passionate love that Venus represents reverses during its retrograde. This doesn't mean that you and your partner will fall out of love during this time, but it does mean that the initial flame could cool to smoldering embers. While the relationship can definitely recover when Venus goes direct again, getting married during this time cements this cold energy into the union. Getting legally married while Venus is still direct, as Susan Miller has suggested, ensures that its retrograde will be a small ebb in your relationship rather than its foundation.