The planet Venus symbolizes beauty, love, romance and sexuality. She is concerned with matters of the heart and body related to love. Venus travels across the sky and as she transits we experience the influence of her movements, sometimes subtly and sometimes more obviously.

This month, January 2014, Venus is retrograde, which means she is traveling in reverse. When this happens, we have the opportunity to do some personal work. We get to review, revise, revisit, rethink, remodel and redo the areas of our life related to the planet Venus.

How would you revise your life related to love, beauty, romance and sexuality? If you believe that you are the designer of your life this is a wonderful opportunity to re-create your vision in these areas. What a beautiful way to begin this New Year! Here’s how to begin this process ~

You’ll need your journal, some music, a cup of tea or some other drink that you love, and some uninterrupted time.

Make a cup of tea or prepare your drink. Put on some clothes that feel sensuous to you, something that you think Venus might wear. Put on some music that inspires you to feel sensuous and let your body move. Begin with a movement meditation, in which you allow the music to wash over you. Stand with your eyes closed and imagine that you are Venus, the goddess of love, sensuality and beauty. Feel the music as you listen to it, and let your body begin to move in any way it wants. Move, sway, dance, let your body do what it will.

Ask yourself “What is my vision for beauty, love, romance and sexuality for this year?” Breathe, be quiet inside and let it come to you intuitively. You might see an image, feel some feelings, receive some words ~ trust that the message will come to you in just the right way at the right time.

When you are ready to sit, then sit with your journal, put your pen on the paper and let the words write themselves on the page. Imagine that your heart and soul are expressing through your writing. If words aren’t coming, then begin by writing “My vision for beauty for this year is…” Don’t think about it too much and trust what comes to you, however it comes. Then write “My vision for love for this year is…” and so on.

You may be surprised at what flows through you. You may feel feelings, you may cry, you may find yourself writing what you don’t want. Sometimes that comes as a way of emptying out to make space in you for the vision of what you do want.  Be patient, accept what comes or doesn’t, and know that this is the beginning for you.

During the next week, spend a little time each day with music and your journal. You may get something new or it may be the same message. You may have dreams about beauty, love, romance or sexuality. Or you may be going about your day and suddenly an idea will come to you. It’s all part of the process.

Take some time and read through what you have written and revisit your experiences of these days and this process. What are the common threads of your vision? Summarize those themes and see how they resonate with you as a vision for you.

You have given yourself a wonderful gift by doing this process. Now the next gift is to allow yourself to believe in your vision and trust that it will come to you during this year. It may not come exactly as you have written. Remember to stay open to possibilities and when you feel beautiful, love, romance or something sexual, know that it’s all part of this journey that you are now beginning. Enjoy the journey!