Astrology of the Week Ahead with Chani Nicholas
Astrology of the Week Ahead with Chani Nicholas

The Week of September 28th, 2026: An intense start to Venus retrograde

September 28, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

The Week of September 28th, 2026: An Intense Start to Venus Retrograde

"From the great above she opened her ear to the great below." Chani Nicholas opens the episode with this ancient Sumerian hymn to Inana, the goddess later known as Venus, to frame what happens when Venus stations retrograde. The planet that shines brightest in the evening sky will, over the next 40 days, travel so close to the sun that it becomes invisible, then re-emerge as a morning star. Our astrological ancestors read this as a descent into the underworld, a death and rebirth. For the week of September 28th, that descent begins—and it arrives alongside some of the most intense planetary friction of the year.

The Myth as a Map for Venus Retrograde

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What you'll learn

  • 1 (00:00) **Opening: The Descent of Inana** - Chani reads from the ancient Sumerian hymn of Inana’s descent into the underworld, setting the mythic frame for Venus retrograde.
  • 2 (01:05) **Venus Stations Retrograde: The Call to the Underworld** - Chani announces that Venus stations retrograde on October 3rd, initiating a 40-day period of descent and integration.
  • 3 (03:19) **The Ancient Venus: Inana’s Journey as Psychological Map** - Chani recounts the full myth of Inana’s descent, stripping, death, and resurrection, drawing parallels to the retrograde process.
  • 4 (08:12) **Psychological and Political Meanings of the Myth** - Chani interprets Inana’s story as a guide for facing envy, grief, and the parts of self we shun.
  • 5 (10:15) **The Witnessing That Breaks the Spell** - Chani reads the climax of the myth: the two beings mirror Arashkigal’s pain, and she releases Inana’s corpse.
  • 6 (14:54) **Venus in Scorpio: Justice, Envy, and the Contrarian** - Chani explains how Venus in its "exile" sign operates as a disruptor of the status quo.
  • 7 (16:11) **Practical Timeline: October 3rd to November 13th** - Chani gives the dates of Venus retrograde and previews the major transits that will amplify the intensity.

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Guests on this episode

Chani Nicholas

Show Notes

Episode 302

In this podcast, New York Times best-selling author and astrologer Chani Nicholas discusses the astrology of the week and what it might mean for us all.

The astrology of the week of September 28th, 2026, doesn’t hold back. Mercury (the planet of communication) moves into Scorpio and pushes us to skip the small talk and get straight to what matters most. Then the messenger planet makes difficult squares to both Mars (the planet of confrontation) and Pluto (the planet of secret power), which only amps up our appetite for difficult conversations and challenges us to learn from any tension that gets triggered. As Venus (the planet of connection) stations retrograde (also in Scorpio), the ways we relate come up for review, and we’re called to reconnect with the sides of ourselves that we’ve tried to sweep under the rug. It’s time to be honest about all the aspects of who you are, even if it’s uncomfortable. That’s where the healing happens.

This episode covers:

  • The Sun’s trine to Uranus on Monday, September 28th

  • Mercury’s opposition to Chiron on Tuesday, September 29th

  • Mercury’s entrance into Scorpio on Wednesday, September 30th

  • Mercury’s square to Mars on Friday, October 2nd

  • Mercury’s square to Pluto on Friday, October 2nd 

  • Mars’ trine to Neptune on Friday, October 2nd

  • The start of Venus’ retrograde in Scorpio on Saturday, October 3rd 

  • Mars’ opposition to Pluto on Saturday, October 3rd

  • The Sun’s opposition to Saturn on Sunday, October 4th

Timestamps:

  • 00:00 - Intro

  • 04:57 - Saturday’s Venus retrograde and the myth of Inanna’s descent into the underworld

  • 24:28 - Monday’s Sun–Uranus sextile

  • 24:42 - Wednesday’s Mercury in Scorpio ingress, and Friday’s Mercury–Mars and Mercury–Pluto squares

  • 26:12 - Friday’s Mars–Neptune trine and Saturday’s Mars–Pluto opposition

  • 29:29 - Sunday’s Sun–Saturn opposition

  • 29:53 - More on Venus retrograde

  • 31:51 - Astrology 101

  • 37:33 - Weekly wrap-up

This episode was recorded on 9/18/2026.

For more, check out your free daily horoscope on the homepage of the CHANI app — now on iOS and Android.

Looking for an astrological map, compass, and companion for the coming year? Meet the 2027 Astro Planner. It comes with over 300 pages of rituals, reflections, astro cheat sheets, planetary breakdowns, activities, and daily and monthly calendars to help you plan your year, manifest success, and make the most of 2027’s

Astrology of the Week Ahead with Chani Nicholas

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