Planet
Venus
Also called the Morning Star, the Evening Star
Venus is the brightest planet and the only one named for a goddess, the Roman goddess of love. In astrology it rules love, pleasure, taste and what you value.
Where the name comes from
Venus is named for the Roman goddess of love and beauty, and it is the only planet named for a goddess rather than a god. It earned the honour by being the most beautiful thing in the sky after the Sun and Moon, a brilliant steady white that can cast a faint shadow on a dark night.
Two stars that were one
Venus appears either in the hours before dawn or the hours after dusk, never in the deep of night. Many ancient peoples thought the morning one and the evening one were separate objects, and gave them different names, before working out they were watching the same planet swing from one side of the Sun to the other.
Beautiful only from afar
Here is the honest part. The planet of love is hellish up close. A thick blanket of carbon dioxide traps so much heat that the surface sits around 460 degrees Celsius, hot enough to melt lead, under clouds of sulfuric acid. It is the brightest, loveliest point in the sky and the last place you would ever want to stand.
Venus in a birth chart
Astrologers read Venus as what you love and how you love it. It covers attraction, affection, beauty, pleasure, money as comfort, and the art of getting along with people. Traditionally it rules Taurus, the sensual sign, and Libra, the sociable one, and it was called the lesser benefic, the second most helpful planet after Jupiter. Its sign describes your taste and your style in relationships, and its house shows where you look for pleasure and harmony.
How to find yours
Venus stays within two signs of the Sun. Hali’s positions for 1950 to 2050 put it in the Sun’s own sign 23.7 percent of the time, one sign either side about 29 percent each, and two signs away about 9 percent each. It changes sign about 12.6 times a year, usually staying 28.8 days, but a retrograde can keep it in one sign for up to 126 days. The Venus sign calculator finds yours, and the guides start with Venus in Taurus.
Retrograde
Venus is retrograde only 7.3 percent of the time, roughly six weeks every year and a half, so it is a rarer birth placement than Mercury retrograde. In 2026 it turned retrograde in Scorpio on 4 October and direct again on 15 November. The Venus retrograde page lists the dates.
Common confusions
Venus in your chart is not a prediction of who you will fall for, and Venus in a sign it dislikes, such as Aries or Scorpio, does not make you unlovable. It describes a way of wanting. And Venus is not a star, whatever its old nicknames say.
Questions
Why is Venus called both the Morning Star and the Evening Star?
Depending on where it is in its orbit, Venus appears either before sunrise or after sunset. Many ancient cultures assumed these were two different objects before realising they were the same planet.
How far can my Venus sign be from my Sun sign?
At most two signs. Venus never gets more than 47.2 degrees from the Sun as seen from Earth, by Hali's count for 1950 to 2050, so it is always in your Sun sign or within two signs of it.
Sources: Standard planetary references. Hali Venus positions and stations, 1950 to 2050.