Venus recently completed a rare retrograde (nothing of its kind has happened since 1803), which has taught you many things about the social conditioning that helped shape your character. One theme is the extent to which people who influenced you as a child were serving their own interests but tried to make it seem like they were doing you a favor. While this helped make you into the gritty and self-reliant person that you are, it's taken a cost—and you seem determined to reclaim what you've given up. Since the retrograde ended on January 31, you may be left with the feeling that you've come close to some profound truth but could not break through to the core idea. The barrier between how far you've gone and what you want to actually possess is thin enough to push your hand through. Though it may not look that way, it will feel that way if you use your tactile senses. In practical terms, when you encounter a belief about yourself or about the world, notice how you feel. Anything involving guilt can be considered suspect. Same for obligation you feel that does not have something productive in it for everyone, or where you come out on the short end of the deal. Question any form of any equation that includes, "You should dislike yourself because..."
