When: August 13, 2023, at 4:16 a.m. PT
What: Venus cazimi (also known as Sun conjunction)
take away: When Venus is bathed in the sun’s rays, it creates a golden day on the retrograde journey of the planet of pleasure and beauty. This cazimi brings a glimmer of clarity to whatever you’ve assessed or reclaimed in your relationship to intimacy, creativity, or desire. Cast your love spells.
What is a Venus cazimi?
A Venus cazimi is an exact union (also called a conjunction) between the Sun and Venus. When Venus – the planet of love, connection and beauty – approaches the sun within 1 degree (or 16 minutes of arc, depending on your tradition), she enters an enchanted state. The sun’s rays burn through any sediment that obscures our connection to the planet of pleasure, leaving distilled messages about intimacy and our inner and outer beauty.
Venus cazimis can happen in two ways: 1) during Venus retrograde, when the planet is between the Earth and the Sun, or 2) when Venus is moving in direct motion and is on the opposite side of the Sun, as far as possibly from earth. The Venus cazimi on August 13 is of the first kind and marks the midway point of Venus’ backward journey.
During the retrograde of Venus – in 2023, that is from July 22 Unpleasant September 3 — the proximity of the planet to the sun means that it temporarily disappears from our sky. The ancients mythologized this act of disappearance as a journey to the underworld. The descent of Venus into the underworld corresponds to our own journeys to recover an essential facet of our intimate or creative nature. This period forces us to review our intimacy patterns, our relationship with desire, and our sense of inner or outer beauty. It can be difficult to trudge through classes, and our natural vibrancy can diminish during the forty days when Venus is retrograde.
Cue the cazimi.
This cazimi marks the center of this retrograde
The cazimi on August 13 highlights the halfway point of our underground quest, making the messages all the more powerful for us. Flashes of revelation or subtle ahas illuminate what we have reclaimed in terms of love, intimacy, beauty and pleasure. Remember: the cosmos does not speak through just one medium. Around this date, stay alert for synchronicities, insightful dreams, sudden insights, and powerful messages from others. Although this underground mission will continue until Venus hits the stations directly September 3, you can move on with a newfound sense of clarity and purpose.
This retrograde takes place in fiery Leo, so we’re tasked with retrieving submerged facets of our confidence, creativity, and self-expression. Especially in relationships. Think back to what you were unraveling about love and pleasure in July and August 2015, the last time Venus was retrograde in Leo. How has your relationship with desire changed? In what ways has your self-confidence been rewired? What have you learned about offering your gifts and talents to others? The lessons you now encounter deepen this cycle. Every time we dig deeper into the same themes, we emerge with more radiance than ever before.
The Venus cazimi on August 13 is not just a time for reflection. Because it’s such a gilded moment for the planet of love, it’s also a chance to strengthen love magic, celebration and your connection to the muses. Enjoy the sweetness of life even as you undergo an inner (and perhaps outer) makeover.
12 ways to make Venus cazimi magic
Venus is the planet of love, connection, beauty, fun and desire. The following rituals will help you invoke the powers of Venus to attract what you deeply desire.
- Scatter rose petals on your altar, walkway or around your front door and invite love and the blessings of Venus into your abode.
- Immerse yourself in art, poetry, music and beauty. Then share your favorite finds with friends.
- Make offerings to your muses to receive guidance for your creative projects. Placing pens, paint, or clay on your altar will suffice.
- Send messages of appreciation to the people for whom you are grateful and enjoy the richness of your bonds.
- Take the first step. This cazimi will bless all attempts to connect, so reach out to someone you wanted to spend more time with.
- Light a beeswax candle and take a bath with rose petals, your favorite essential oils and pink Himalayan salt to evoke Venusian magic. Focus on your intentions for your relationships or passion projects while enjoying yourself.
- Adorn yourself with your signature scents, clothes, jewelry and anything that makes you feel radiant. Doing this will allow you to channel this Venus energy into a confidence boost.
- Give a stranger a compliment (or two, or three…) to spread the sweetness.
- Give informal events a festive atmosphere. Surprise your friend with flowers. Play dance music while you prepare dinner. Travel to the underworld or not, Venus just wants to have fun.
- Stay alert for synchronicities, messages and omens that highlight what you are discovering within yourself in terms of connection and joy.
- Reread the description of your birthplace on Venus under the Me of tab the CHANI app and listen to Your Reading for the week of August 7.
- Check out the app starting Aug. 7 at noon PT for an additional Venus ritual, altar suggestions, and journal prompts designed to help you get the most out of this luscious cazimi.
Looking for more information? Read your daily horoscope:
Aries | Taurus | Gemini | Cancer | Leo | Virgo | Scale
Scorpio | Sagittarius | Capricorn | Aquarius | Fishing
Then download the CHANI app iOS or Android for additional horoscopes,
meditations, affirmations, readings for the current moon phase and sign, and more.
