Eris throwing the apple
The other day I posted on Instagram that during the Venus in Aries retrograde coming up in March, Venus will rise and become visible as a morning star at 0 degrees of Aries.
The ancients didn’t know the exact moment of the Sun-Venus conjunction (as Venus is blocked by the Sun). Instead, they went by what could be seen. The excitement for them would be when Venus was again visible. Ask any astrologer who reports on world events, Venus first visible at 0 degrees of Aries is important. O Aries is called a world point. Though I don’t speak much about world events, I felt that this important rising would help to herald a deeper move into the rise of the divine feminine on a large world scale.
In my Instagram post, I argued that Athena, the goddess of strategic war, was the more conscious expression of Venus in Aries and that Eris was the most unconscious.
To remind you, Eris is the Greek goddess of strife and discord. Her most famous myth is tied to the Trojan War.
The story goes that Eris was not invited to the wedding of Peleus and Thetis (Achilles’ parents) because of her troublemaking nature. In revenge, she threw a golden apple inscribed with “To the Fairest” into the banquet. Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite all claimed the apple, leading to a dispute. They asked Zeus to judge, but he delegated the decision to Paris, a Trojan prince. Each goddess offered him a bribe: Hera promised power, Athena promised wisdom, and Aphrodite promised the love of the most beautiful woman, Helen of Sparta. Paris chose Aphrodite, leading to Helen’s abduction and ultimately the Trojan War.
I received a message from someone with pushback to this post. Her pushback was toward me lifting up Athena and putting down Eris. In her view, Eris was “badly malaligned” She was left out while everyone else was invited. She didn’t start the war, but rather the “squabbling jealous goddesses” (Athena, Aphrodite and Hera). She defended that Eris did everything Mars would do, and she was even more upstanding than Mars because she was the last to leave the battlefield in the Trojan War. My dear writer pushed back even further “She saw through all her intentions, her actions were equal on both sides”.
My first reaction to the comment was to want to defend Athena! I have Athena on my ascendant, so of course I would. Not only that, but Venus just so happened to be transiting on my Chiron (the wounded healer) in Aries. I felt her comment as a personal attack on my expression and who I am!
But she was right! In throwing the apple Eris provided the ultimate Venus Retrograde test!
The three squabbling goddesses could have met that test by looking within and validating their own self-worth! Instead, they, not Eris caused the war!
I had come to the same conclusions as she did in this 2017 post https://clanmotherworldwide.com/horoscope-aug-28-sept-4-2017/. Even though I had come to the same conclusions years ago. I had conveniently forgotten and was ready to go to battle! I walked away from the comment, allowed myself to think about it for a while and pushing my ego out of the way, I realized she was right.
That’s the thing. Venus retrograde will push our worthiness buttons and we may react irrationally! We might even fight for things we don’t believe! If we haven’t sharpened our self-reflection tools, things can go south quickly. How do we stop personal wars? How do we stop the Trojan War? Indeed how do we stop WWIII? Never underestimate the power of doing your own work!
Eris’ actions symbolize the power of discord to create chaos, showing how small conflicts can escalate into massive consequences. And that is the point. One person can make all the difference!
“Never forget that you are one of a kind. Never forget that if there weren’t any need for you in all your uniqueness to be on this earth, you wouldn’t be here in the first place. And never forget, no matter how overwhelming life’s challenges and problems seem to be, that one person can make a difference in the world. In fact, it is always because of one person that all the changes that matter in the world come about. So be that one person. ” ― R. Buckminster Fuller
Venus Retrograde isn’t just a time of challenge—it’s an invitation to realign, reflect, and reconnect with yourself. The Venus Retrograde Workshop Navigating The Heart; The Virtues of Aries and Pisces is designed to support you in navigating this powerful cosmic shift with intention and ease.
💖 What You’ll Gain:
🌿 Deep Self-Reflection – Uncover patterns in love, self-worth, and relationships.
🔮 Spiritual Tools & Guidance – Learn rituals, journaling prompts, and energy work to move through retrograde with confidence.
🌙 Healing & Release – Let go of what no longer serves you and create space for new beginnings.
💫 Supportive Community – Connect with like-minded souls on this journey of transformation.
This retrograde is a time for redefining love, values, and personal growth—let’s navigate it together. Join us and turn Venus Retrograde into a time of empowerment! 💫💖
Registration will close this Thursday, Feb 27th. The first workshop is March 1st!