Things are about to heat up and relationships are going to be the front and center theme.

Love will be at the core but how we value it and what it really means in our lives will come along for the ride.

If you’ve been questioning a connection (or non-connection) of any kind—these thoughts will likely ramp up as we get closer to the end of July. New love, old love, unrepairable love, love that’s really lust, love between friends, lost love, the absence of love and everything in between will be some of the themes in play.

All the intimate connections we have with others are about to take on a whole new meaning.

The reason behind it has to do with the pretty, little planet called Venus. She will be entering her rare retrograde phase on July 25^th, 2015.

Astrologically, a Venus Retrograde period is one of the most important times for matters of love. It happens every 18 months to two years and every time Venus does her backwards dance, relationships end up being the topic on everyone’s minds.

Karma also plays into this period, which makes it all the more special. Anyone we meet or come head to head with may come with a new discovery or lesson. Having some awareness of the people we’re encountering during the Venus Retrograde period will be important. Some of us could feel like we’re burning through some karma. Others will be intertwined with people we’re deeply and karmically connected to.

These influences can play out in many different ways. Some of us will have the opportunity to meet someone totally unexpectedly and fall madly in love. Others could go through the process of repairing broken love. Lovers of the past can suddenly come back into the picture and new connections can take form. People that we never thought we’d connect to suddenly seem more attractive. The impossible becomes possible during this time.

It’s not all fairytales though, so let me be straight.

Discovering new connections can be difficult to absorb—especially if we’re not looking for them. Heartstrings have the tendency to be pulled and lots of questions about the love we have in our lives can also surface unexpectedly. Hard decisions may have to be made about whether second chances are really possible.

Love will take on a new façade and it may push some of us to explore new territory. The temptation to sway and cheat on our partners, in order to see if the grass is really greener, will be looming. Venus is the planet of love but she’s also the planet of desire. She wants what she wants and sometimes that creates the temptation to taste the forbidden fruit.

Our values are going to be a part of the equation too. Sometimes things align that help us see the beauty and value of what we already have .

This rare period will begin on July 25^th, 2015. It will last for approximately six weeks and peak on September 6^th, 2015. Interestingly enough, there will be a solar eclipse taking place shortly after Venus moves forward again. This means that many people are embarking on totally new cycles as the summer comes to a close.

For some that could manifest in the relationship area of their life.

We’ll be encountering lots of twists and turns through the rest of the summer. A Supermoon will be thrown into the mix as well—just to add a little extra dazzle.

As an astrologer, I’m eagerly awaiting the new type of energy that’s about to come into play. It’s a switch that’s needed and one that I’m reminding people about—especially those wrapped up in relationship turmoil. New connections are about to be formed and old ones discarded. Surprises are bound to come of it.

There are some other things to be aware of during Venus retrograde periods. While relationships are the focal point, there are other ways that this energy can manifest.

Reassessment about our looks can come out. Thoughts about getting a new look or doing something different with ourselves—façade wise—will ramp up. The energy at hand can help us take steps to restore confidence in the self-image department.

Astrologically, I’d recommend waiting till after September 6^th, to do anything drastic (botox, plastic surgery). Beautifying results of this kind of nature can fall short of expectations while the planet of beauty moves back.

It’s also a good time to bring beauty back into our lives as well as into our surroundings.

A push to literally look around and see what truly makes us happy could surface. Adding new beauty elements (such as art or new decorative features) in our homes is something we could be prompted to do.

Venus also has connections to our health. Her retrograde period is a good time to look at whether or not we’re taking care of ourselves in the way we should. Maybe we’ve been caught up in helping others and started to neglect ourselves. This upcoming period is going to be a great time to focus on our health.

Money is another theme associated with Venus. Some of us may end up reassessing its value in our lives, during this period. Questions surrounding our worth and whether or not we’re getting properly compensated could begin to crop up.

So go ahead and mark your calendars: July 25^th through September 6^th 2015.

Get ready to connect and be entranced by all that Venus will be helping us discover, throughout this period.

We’ll feel much differently about certain relationships and ourselves by the end of it.

Venus is gearing up to help all us realign our awareness on love, relationships, what we value and what we’re worth. It’s a mystical, magical and important period that doesn’t come around all that often.

Take advantage of it and look forward to the surprises she has in store for each and every one of us.

Karma is calling in this summer of love.

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Relephant:

How to Love a Cancer.

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Hear him out:

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Author: Crystal B.

Editor: Ashleigh Hitchcock

Photo: pixoto