Spiritual Synergy: Venus Rx & Lent

Today is Ash Wednesday

I am not a religious celebrator of said holiday, but today I sustained a very random injury to my third-eye area (in the same spot ash is placed on the foreheads of believers) so it really got me thinking about the spiritual implications/messages the Universe was trying to send me….

The incident: I had spotted an aesthetically striking hawk (spiritual messenger) from my bedroom window…so I ran to try & catch a glimpse of it & ended up somehow tripping (on what I do not even know) which resulted in me flying across the room & smacking my head on the radiator!

It’s important to note that at 33 years old I have NEVER IN MY LIFE sustained any sort of injury like this. I had to schlep to urgent care…thought I’d need stitches because blood was gushing down my face.

From a non-religious perspective, Ash Wednesday can be seen as a symbolic time for reflection, renewal & setting intentions

It's a day that encourages us to pause, look inward, and think about areas of our lives where we might want to make changes or seek growth

It can serve as a reminder to:
shed old habits or patterns that no longer serve us and to embrace new beginnings with mindfulness & purpose

Ultimately, it's an opportunity to reconnect with ourselves & our goals

Hawks are often seen as messengers and can symbolize heightened awareness or a call to pay attention to something important

The third eye is associated with intuition & spiritual insight, so this experience could be a nudge to trust my inner guidance more or pay closer attention to my spiritual path

Religiously, Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent in the Christian calendar

The day is observed with the application of ashes on the forehead in the shape of a cross, symbolizing penance, mortality, and the sorrow for sins. It serves as a solemn reminder of human mortality ("Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return") and a call to repentance in preparation for the 40 days of Lent, which are devoted to fasting & reflection
leading up to Easter

What does any of this have to do with astrology?!

Venus Retrograde & Lent are both a 40-day (ish) container for reassessing desires, pleasures & attachments

They also always fall around the same time of year, no matter the year

This “random” coincidence intrigued me so I decided to explore further

Here’s a synthesis of their spiritual overlap:

Re-evaluating Pleasures
& Attachments

Venus Retrograde is a time when we are asked to turn inward and examine what we truly value, desire, and prioritize in relationships, creativity, money, and sensory pleasures. It’s about confronting the illusions or distortions around love and worth, often through limiting or temporarily losing access to external validation, indulgence, or ease.

Lent (which spans approximately 40 days) is a spiritual practice rooted in self-denial—limiting earthly pleasures like rich foods, alcohol, or other indulgences. But it’s not just about deprivation; it’s about clearing space to reconnect with inner values, humility, and spiritual devotion. Both invite you to face the deeper motivations behind your desires and detach from superficial forms of gratification.

Initiatory Descent into the Underworld (Venus as Inanna
& Christ in the Desert)

In Evolutionary Astrology, Venus Retrograde mirrors Inanna’s Descent into the Underworld—a myth where the goddess of love voluntarily descends into the shadow realm, shedding her royal garments (symbols of status, adornment, and vanity) until she stands bare and vulnerable before the forces of death and transformation.

This is remarkably similar to the spiritual symbolism of Jesus’ 40 days and 40 nights in the desert, where he fasts, is stripped of comfort, and is tempted by the devil, facing all the shadow aspects of power, desire, and attachment. Both journeys involve stripping away false identity to discover an inner, unshakable source of worth and connection to the divine.

Sacred Pause to
Realign with the Soul

Both Venus Retrograde and Lent emphasize a slowing down, pulling back from worldly noise and external validation to redefine the relationship between the ego and the soul. In Evolutionary Astrology, Venus (our personal values and attractions) must align with the soul’s evolutionary path (Pluto). In Lent, believers are invited to sacrifice worldly desires to realign with divine will. Both are about devotion, purification, and recalibration.

Death, Rebirth
& Resurrection Cycles

Venus Retrograde often initiates the death of outdated relationship patterns, values, and attachments to beauty, wealth, or validation. After the retrograde ends, a rebirth occurs—a new understanding of what (and who) is truly valuable. Lent, too, culminates in Easter—the resurrection, symbolizing that from self-denial, spiritual death, and deep reflection comes new life and clarity.

40 Days as a Symbolic Timeframe

Both Venus Retrograde and Lent last about 40 days. In spiritual traditions, 40 days is a symbolic period of transformation, seen as the necessary amount of time for the soul to pass through a complete cycle of purification, reflection, and rebirth. This number appears in many traditions, always tied to deep change after a sacred period of limitation & internal work.

In Short: Both are Spiritual
Detox Periods

Both Venus Retrograde and Lent call us to:

• Consciously limit or abstain from certain pleasures.

• Examine our attachments and how they serve or sabotage our evolution.

• Face our inner shadows around worth, beauty, desire, and love.

• Return to what is truly sacred, nourishing, and aligned with our core values or faith.

Venus Shadow Work Journaling (Weekly Check-In)

Once a week (maybe every Friday—Venus Day), sit with your journal and explore:

• What desires felt loud this week?

• What false stories about my worth arose?

• How did abstaining or limiting this attachment reveal a deeper unmet need?

• What real value or beauty am I reclaiming in myself through this practice?