The Astrology Podcast

Nick Dagan Best joins me to discuss overlapping planetary periods, and how the repeating cycles of the visible planets align at specific milestone ages in a human life to create powerful recurrence transits.

While I've spent a lot of time over the past few years researching the eight-year cycle of Venus retrogrades on its own, some repetitions stand out as much more significant than others, because they coincide with the returning cycles of other planets at specific ages like 24, 32, 40, 47, 56, and 59.

This is kind of a free flowing discussion where we animate charts to demonstrate how these multi-planet alignments work astronomically, and also examine how they play out in both mundane events and natal biographies.

We also explore how these recurring planetary cycles formed the empirical foundation for ancient Mesopotamian goal year periods and Hellenistic time-lord systems, while offering some practical insights into how modern astrologers can apply them in birth chart consultations or even chart rectification.

This is episode 556 of The Astrology Podcast.

Sale on Chris’ Courses

Use promo code RETROGRADE to get a 15% discount on Chris’ courses this month:

https://theastrologyschool.com

Nick's Website

https://www.nickdaganbestastrologer.com

Timestamps

00:00:00 Intro to overlapping planetary cycles00:01:32 The 8-year Venus retrograde cycle00:03:53 Mars cycles: 15, 17, 32, and 47-year periods00:09:02 Animating the 8-year Venus cycle in charts00:11:35 Age 24: Venus and Jupiter returns00:17:16 Age 32: Venus and Mars returns00:24:06 Steven Spielberg's age 47 recurrence (DreamWorks)00:33:35 Age 40: Venus and Mercury returns00:37:40 40-year film cycles: James Bond and Halloween00:40:34 Direct vs. retrograde Sun-Venus conjunctions00:44:14 Chart rectification with planetary cycles00:46:24 Age 47: Mars and Jupiter returns00:50:05 Mesopotamian goal years and Time Lord origins00:57:47 Age 56: Venus and the 3rd Nodal Return01:05:02 Age 59: Saturn, Jupiter, and Mercury returns01:07:10 Ages 79 (Mars & Mercury) and 88 (Venus & Saturn)01:09:12 Applying cycles in consultations and mundane astrology01:12:28 Venus symmetry vs. rare Mars retrogrades by sign01:19:21 Nick's consultations, livestreams, and outro

Watch the Video Version of This Episode

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A detailed look at the astrology forecast for November 2026, with astrologer Chris Brennan.

The first half of the month is dominated by the overlapping retrogrades of Venus and Mercury in Libra and Scorpio, bringing relationship realignments, buried secrets, and communication breakdowns to a head before both planets finally station direct on November 13.

Tensions are heightened mid-month by a rare triple conjunction of Mars, Jupiter, and the South Node in Leo, which highlights high-stakes dynamics around themes of war and peace.

Finally, by the end of the month Mars moves into Virgo, where it will station retrograde in January, and begins forming a particularly volatile square with Uranus in Gemini.

This is episode 555 of The Astrology Podcast.

Sale on Chris' Courses

Use promo code RETROGRADE to get a 15% discount on Chris' courses:

https://theastrologyschool.com

Timestamps

00:00:00 November 2026 astrology overview00:04:31 Oct 24: Mercury stations retrograde in Scorpio00:06:06 Oct 23–25: Venus cazimi in Scorpio & ingress into Libra00:07:45 Nov 4: Mercury cazimi in Scorpio & Mercury Rx themes00:11:35 Venus retrograde in Scorpio & Libra themes00:28:49 Nov 4: Venus in Libra sextile Jupiter in Leo00:35:08 Nov 5: Mars enters pre-retrograde shadow in Leo00:37:29 Nov 9: New Moon in Scorpio00:41:20 Nov 13: Mercury & Venus station direct00:44:29 Nov 13: Mercury in Scorpio square Pluto in Aquarius00:50:45 Nov 15–16: Mars conjunct Jupiter & South Node in Leo00:57:36 Mars-South Node conjunctions in history01:06:13 Nov 22: Auspicious electional chart for November01:13:10 Nov 18–22: Sun squares Jupiter & Mars, enters Sagittarius01:14:21 Nov 24: Full Moon in Gemini conjunct Uranus01:16:28 Uranus in Gemini trine Pluto in Aquarius01:23:30 Nov 25–Dec 4: Mars enters Virgo & squares Uranus01:32:04 Nov 28–29: Mercury exits shadow & Venus sextile Jupiter01:40:19 The Astrology School courses & November promo code01:45:08 Letter from Austin from the underworld01:49:04 Wrap-up and patron credits

Watch the Video Version of This Episode

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7Nhazv6gVw

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Transcript

A full transcript of this episode is available: Episode 555 transcript

Listen to the Audio Version of This Episode

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In this episode I examine recent news stories happening under Venus retrograde in Scorpio and trace how many of them echo earlier events that happened under the same alignment.

Throughout the episode I go through current headlines involving things like mysteries, court cases, celebrity relationships, and pop culture, connecting them back to events from previous Venus retrograde in Scorpio periods in 2018, 2010, 2002, 1994, and even as far back as 1938.

I also highlight standalone stories that serve as clear thematic examples of Venus retrograde in Scorpio right now, including difficult mother dynamics, espionage, and buried secrets coming to light.

I feel like documenting these stories as they happen gives us a rare opportunity to see how planetary cycles connect the past with the present, while at the same time sharpening our practical understanding of core astrological concepts like Venus, Scorpio, detriment, and retrograde motion.

This is episode 554 of The Astrology Podcast.

Timestamps

00:00:00 Introduction & 8-year cycle of Venus00:06:39 Amelia Earhart plane expedition (1938)00:10:37 Christa Pike execution & Aileen Wuornos (2002/2018)00:15:45 Title IX rules rollback & Cornell case (2018)00:20:18 O.J. Simpson accomplice story (1994)00:22:34 Tupac killer Keffe D sentenced (1994/2018)00:24:51 Pope Leo lung surgery & 1978 papal conclave00:26:54 Engineer poisoning video (2018)00:28:48 Shia LaBeouf, FKA twigs & Mia Goth divorce (2018)00:32:03 Pete Davidson interview & Ariana Grande (2018)00:34:06 Elon breakup00:35:31 Gypsy Rose Blanchard's ex-fiancé dies (2018)00:38:11 Evan Rachel Wood & Courtney Stodden00:41:26 Michael Douglas memoir & past relationships00:43:44 Ethan Hawke & Drew Barrymore 1990s crush00:47:25 Jim Carrey, Justin Timberlake & Tobey Maguire00:51:05 Anthropic policy on bullying Claude AI00:53:38 Lindsay Clancy case & mother themes00:55:21 TikTok ghost filter prank & The Other Mommy01:00:19 Dakota Johnson, Black Swan & Verity (2010/2018)01:04:15 Marina Abramović NYT profile (1946)01:05:52 Megan Thee Stallion revives Tina Snow (2018)01:07:48 Paramount-Warner Bros. merger & DreamWorks (1994)01:09:20 Hellraiser: Revival video game (1986)01:11:00 Stolen Renoirs, Big Brother & DIVA exhibit01:13:23 AI cracks Napoleon's coded letter01:14:38 OpenAI hidden recording device & CIA gold bars01:16:58 1982 Tylenol cold case break01:18:54 Conclusion: Empirical astrology & time01:25:40 Credits and outro

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Discussing movies that came out around when Venus was retrograde in Scorpio in different eras, with astrologers Skye Barclay, Ames Doyle, and Chris Brennan.

In the last couple of episodes on Venus retrograde in Scorpio, we kept finding notable movies that spoke to the nature of the transit at different points over the past century. So for this episode, Skye, Ames, and I decided to sit down and compile a list of all the major films that came out when Venus was retrograde in Scorpio over the past several decades.

We especially focused on the last several cycles (2026, 2018, 2010, 2002, and 1994) going backwards chronologically, since that was the range where the three of us had seen the most movies (though we also mention a few scattered ones from earlier than that).

In the process, we were able to identify a number of recurring themes that kept coming up, such as a surprisingly prominent focus on toxic mother dynamics, alongside some other classic Venus in Scorpio signatures.

Ultimately, I feel like this helped clarify and sharpen some of the themes we caught glimpses of in the previous episodes. Different aspects of the archetype are becoming clearer not just through the lens of the past, but also in the present as we see headlines echoing these themes today.

This is episode 553 of The Astrology Podcast.

Skye's Venus Retro Book, Website, and Social Media

https://www.skyeastrology.com/venusrx

https://www.skyeastrology.com

https://www.instagram.com/skye.astrology

Ames' Website and Social Media

https://www.astrowithames.com

https://www.instagram.com/astrologywithames

Timestamps

00:00:00 Introduction00:06:11 The Social Reckoning (2026)00:12:27 The Favourite (2018)00:21:07 Suspiria (2018)00:27:58 A Star Is Born (2018)00:35:49 Vox Lux (2018)00:38:26 The Hate U Give (2018)00:43:52 Halloween (2018)00:48:54 Black Swan (2010)01:00:36 Let Me In (2010)01:05:18 Easy A (2010)01:07:52 RED (2010)01:12:06 The Ring (2002)01:16:45 Chicago (2002)01:28:03 White Oleander (2002)01:36:11 Kill Bill: Vol. 1 filming (2002)01:38:31 8 Mile (2002)01:45:09 Bowling for Columbine (2002)01:48:03 Frida (2002)01:51:49 Interview with the Vampire (1994)02:02:29 The Shawshank Redemption (1994)02:07:19 Pulp Fiction (1994)02:14:06 Léon: The Professional (1994)02:16:41 Disclosure (1994)02:20:19 The Swan Princess (1994)02:23:14 Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)02:27:24 Hellraiser filming (1986)02:30:54 The Color of Money (1986)02:37:55 Halloween (1978)02:41:28 Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)02:43:55 Love Story (1970)02:44:47 Dr. No / James Bond (1962)02:46:03 Magnificent Obsession (1954)02:49:21 A Star Is Born (1954)02:50:48 It's a Wonderful Life (1946)02:57:13 Beauty and the Beast (1946)02:58:53 Summary of Venus retrograde in Scorpio themes03:12:36 Skye and Ames's work and offerings03:16:05 Credits and outro

Watch the Video Version of This Episode

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A detailed exploration of what Venus retrograde in Scorpio means in birth charts, primarily by looking through 29 different celebrity case studies, with astrologers Skye Barclay and Chris Brennan.

During the episode, we examine not only how this placement manifests natally, but what happened when these figures experienced their 8-year Venus retrograde recurrences. By tracing these transits, we highlight the major turning points, delayed successes, and public reckonings that literally played out in their lives and careers in real time.

Our research uncovered some profound archetypal patterns surrounding what it means for a retrograde planet to be in its detriment. We dive deep into concepts like "struggle love," the "sympathetic villain," and the myths of Medusa and Lucifer, exploring how the individuals in our case studies challenged conventional beauty standards, subverted gender norms, and navigated the darker, more taboo facets of Venus.

Skye is the author of an awesome new book titled 2026 Venus Retrograde: A Dance of Daggers & Delights, which you can get in print or PDF on her website:

https://www.skyeastrology.com/venusrx

This is episode 552 of The Astrology Podcast.

Skye's Website and Instagram

https://www.skyeastrology.com

https://www.instagram.com/skye.astrology

Timestamps

00:00:00 Introduction and Skye's new book on Venus retrograde00:04:12 Content warning: True crime and heavy themes00:05:26 Venus in Scorpio: detriment and retrograde00:09:15 Inga Duncan Thornell and mastectomy tattoos00:18:24 Gianni Versace and subverting fashion standards00:28:56 The Medusa myth and the female gaze00:37:15 Marina Abramovic, endurance art, and prolonged breakups00:55:44 Ted Bundy, hybristophilia, and manipulation01:12:09 Penn Badgley and playing the obsessive stalker in You01:40:25 Jenna Ortega, Scream Queens, and the goth aesthetic01:48:38 Tom Ellis and the Lucifer fallen angel archetype01:53:45 Gwendoline Christie, Brienne of Tarth, and gender non-conformity02:01:34 Demi Moore, The Substance, and delayed awards02:06:15 Margaret Qualley playing the younger Demi Moore02:43:34 Jon Stewart, The Daily Show, and satire as subversion02:53:28 Joe Dante, B-horror movies, and Piranha02:58:43 Teresa de Lauretis and queer theory03:05:48 Jessica Valenti, Feministing, and the purity myth03:14:20 Andrew Tate, toxic masculinity, and the lover boy method03:21:56 Tonya Harding, ice skating exile, and public scandals03:40:16 Natalee Holloway and missing persons cases03:44:00 Oscar Pistorius and sudden downfalls03:46:13 Ketanji Brown Jackson and writing dissenting opinions03:51:36 Halsey, identity, and toxic relationships in music03:58:46 Usher, the R&B loverboy persona, and public scandals04:04:39 Eve, female MC trailblazers, and delayed Grammys04:09:50 Drake, vulnerable rap, and the Kendrick Lamar feud04:18:35 Cary Elwes, The Princess Bride, and Saw04:24:46 Rachel McAdams, Mean Girls, and The Notebook04:34:02 Emilia Clarke, Kit Harington, and Game of Thrones04:44:38 Matt Damon and the archetype of returning home04:58:43 Final thoughts and where to find Skye's work

Watch the Video Version of This Episode

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxCkyxSLzGI

Transcript

A full transcript of this episode is available: Episode 552 transcript

Listen to the Audio Version of This Episode

Listen to the audio version of this episode or download it as an MP3: