Venus remedies

• love, marriage and partnership
• comfort, beauty and the arts
• vehicles and luxuries
• the reproductive system, traditionally

Often one or more of these, especially in Venus’s own period or when it is weak in the birth chart:

• strain in love or marriage
• over-indulgence, or no joy at all
• money spent on comfort without satisfaction
• creative work that stalls

Free, and the strongest remedies of all, because they change the habit the planet shows up through.

• Treat your partner, and women in general, with respect and kindness.
• Keep yourself and your home clean and pleasant; use a light, natural fragrance.
• Make time for music, art or anything beautiful you create.
• Practise moderation in food, drink and spending.

Say it 108 times (one round of a mala), in the morning, facing east if you can. Start on a Friday and keep the same time each day; a steady small practice counts for more than a long one done once.

Deity: Lakshmi; the Shri Suktam is traditionally recited on Fridays.

Fasting: A Friday fast (Shukravar vrat), with white foods.

Charity: rice, sugar, ghee, curd or white clothes, on a Friday. Why: sharing comfort is how Venus brings it back. Give to someone who needs it, and only what you can easily afford.

Only when Venus is a good planet for your ascendant.

Metal:

silver, white gold or platinum

Finger:

little finger (some traditions: middle finger)

First worn:

a Friday morning, after saying the mantra 108 times

Substitute:

white sapphire or opal are common substitutes

The stone should touch the skin. Buy a natural, untreated stone from a reputable gemologist, wear it on trial first, and take it off if anything feels wrong. More in Gemstones: rules before you wear one.