You are receiving this newsletter because you are a paid subscriber to Dr. Josie’s Animal Wellness. I am gifting my paid subscribers additional resources to help them provide thriving, healthy lives to the animals they care for. The more we take care of ourselves, the more we can care for others. Part of healing is also being aware of greater cosmic cycles, from the stars and planets to the movements of the Sun, Moon, and Earth, which create our seasons.
Enjoy, and please let me know how you like it, if you have any suggestions, stories from your own experience, or topics you would like to hear more about. Comments on the post from the Substack website are easiest for me to keep track of. Please join in the conversation!
Venus Retrograde
2025 promises to be a huge year of transformation. Part of it is this powerful Venus retrograde which will begin in Aries, and cross over the world axis point to zero degrees Aries, before heading back into dreamy Pisces where we can access our subconscious and shadows.
My yearly program is finishing up and pausing during this time - planned by pure synchronicity - and we will restart the end of April, after we come out of this portal.
Venus began her retrograde journey in Pisces this past weekend, from March 1st to April 12th. This signals a profound reworking of our values—challenging us to reflect on who and what we truly cherish in life. Pisces energy, when embraced with healthy boundaries, can be a source of deep spiritual connection, creativity, and unconditional love. However, without discernment, it can lead to confusion or illusion. This retrograde asks us to align with the right people, relationships, and experiences that genuinely reflect our values.
I found myself, this past week, blocking and removing “friends” from my social media platforms, anyone not in alignment with the values I cherish. Are your relationships shifting or are you re-evaluating relationships in your life?
Honoring the Power of 40 Days
Venus goes retrograde every 18 months, for 40 days. This particular retgrade echoes back to March 2 - April 15 of 2017 when she retrograde in nearly the same part of the heavens.
The number 40 carries profound spiritual significance across ancient traditions, and is deeply encoded in the wisdom of the Rose Lineage. It represents purification, release, initiation, mourning, and renewal—a sacred cycle of transformation that realigns you with your highest truth. Isis mourned Osiris for 40 days, ancient priestesses fasted and purified for 40 days before receiving divine wisdom, and new mothers were given 40 days of sacred rest after birth.