शुक्र वक्री 2026 - तिथियां और समय

Every eighteen months, Venus reverses.

Venus orbits between Earth and the Sun. Its year is 225 days. We complete our orbit in 365 days. So Venus laps us about once every 19 months. During that overtaking maneuver, from Earth's perspective, Venus appears to slow, stop, move backward through the zodiac for about 40 days, then resume forward motion.

This is orbital mechanics. Not mysticism. Venus catches up to Earth from the inside lane. For those six weeks, its apparent direction reverses—the same way a faster runner seems to move backward when you're both on a curved track and they pass you on the inside.

Ancient astronomers tracked this pattern precisely. They called it vakragati—curved or indirect motion. Sūrya Siddhānta and other classical texts provide the mathematical models: retrograde begins when the planet's longitudinal velocity crosses zero.

The rishis calculated this without telescopes. Naked-eye observation over centuries. Generation after generation recording positions. The math still holds.

Venus retrogrades follow a unique rhythm. Unlike Mercury's three or four annual retrogrades, Venus only retrogrades once every 18-19 months. But when it does, it lasts longer—about 40 days.

There's an eight-year cycle. Venus retrogrades in roughly the same zodiac sign every eight years, tracing a pentagram pattern across the sky. Ancient astronomers noticed this—Venus's sacred geometry. Five retrogrades every eight years. The pattern repeats.

Because Venus stays close to the Sun, it appears only before sunrise or after sunset. Never at midnight. The Greeks called it both "Phosphorus" (morning star) and "Hesperus" (evening star) before realizing they were the same planet.

Per classical texts, Venus's retrograde begins when its apparent velocity becomes negative. Forward motion stops. Backward motion starts. The longitudinal speed crosses zero—that's the exact moment.

Modern ephemeris calculations use NASA JPL planetary data (DE440/441), the same precision that guides interplanetary spacecraft. Apply Lahiri Ayanāṃśa to align with Jyotish's sidereal zodiac. The result matches ancient observations within seconds.

Cross-reference with historical records. Check planetary tables from different traditions. They converge. The sky doesn't deceive.