To keep things frank, the long-term relationship market's looking bleak right now. That's not to say that love isn't constantly a battlefield (word to Pat Benatar), but just look at recent celebrity splits in Hollywood (Sydney Sweeney & Jonathan Davino...Quinta Brunson & Kevin Anik...RIP). And if you've noticed an uptick in breakups in your circle—or if you're running into more petty fights in your own relationships—I have great news: You're actually not going crazy. And if you happen to be allergic to taking personal accountability for relationship woes, more even better news: there are planets to blame!
Since March 1, 2025, Venus, the planet of love, beauty, harmony, and pleasure, has been in retrograde. For the unaware, that just means it's moving backward in its orbit. This happens every 18 months or so, and when Venus gets thrown out of order, our relationships become the focus of astrological chaos. Now you might be more familiar with the extremely similar, lightly catastrophic transit Mercury Retrograde, which occurs three to four times a year. That messes with everything from communication to technology to travel, and it also happens to be occurring right now since Mercury went retrograde on March 15, 2025. Given that both of these major transits are happening, our love lives are bound to be riddled with miscommunication, hurt feelings, and rash decision-making. So awesome <3.
"Venus retrograde in Pisces is going to connect us with our innermost feelings and allow us to understand our emotions on the soulful level," says astrologer Lisa Stardust. "Tears will be shed, and boundaries will be broken; however, it's a positive way to release a lot of pent-up energy and aggression."
You'll want to think before making any hasty decisions, like texting an ex or even snapping at your partner, because the repercussions might be a bit more severe right now. Our emotional releases during Venus Retrograde are way more likely to cause full-on breakups, which is why you might notice a bunch of splits this month and early next. For context, Ariana Grande and Dalton Gomez, Sofía Vergara and Joe Manganiello, and Rosalía and Rauw Alejandro were all famous couples that fell victim to the last Venus Retrograde in Leo in 2023.
All of this to say, we might all just feel a bit overwhelmed by our feelings right now. "With elusive Neptune connecting with Venus retrograde on the 27th, we might feel as though our romantic sentiments are lost in a fog," Lisa says. The best way to counteract this transit is to be compassionate to yourself and to state positive affirmations." But that's not the only way to get through this.
How can I survive these Mercury Retrograde and Venus Retrograde transits?
Stay grounded and think positively, no matter how taxing your circumstances might be. "Don’t give your power away to others, especially with the Neptunian interference," says Lisa, "because it may show us that people we thought we could trust are not at that level."
If you're in a serious partnership, use this time to reflect on your common goals and focus on healthy communication during conflicts instead of choosing pettiness. And regardless of whether you're in a relationship or not, you're also going to want to ramp up the pampering during these transits. "One way to feel better during this transit is to implement self-care by getting a massage or taking a relaxing bath with Epson salt," Lisa suggests. "It'll help to cleanse your aura and invigorate the spirit."
The good news is that Mercury goes direct (stops moving backward in orbit) on April 7, and Venus goes direct on April 15, so we technically only have a few more weeks of these relationship shit-starters. Power through.
