Astrology NOW: The fruit of February 2018
February is a fruitful month of introspection, without losing sight of our concrete building plans. Inherently, this is the time of year where much is going on beneath the surface: plants are gestating within the Earth, preparing to burst through the soil, and similarly, this is a time where we are internally planning for what's ahead. Imagination active, we visualize what we will do in the warmer months.
This month, the Sun, Venus and Mercury will enter Pisces, diffusing our Saturn-in-Capricorn focus for just a moment so that our imagination can become the vehicle of possibility. Pisces has everything to do with fantasy; so return to your ideal vision of what you are creating for just a moment (and be watchful not to indulge the fears too much). It's a time of creativity: get in your own world and love it there. Our architect, Saturn in Capricorn will be holding our hand the whole way - keeping us grounded and reminding us about the logistics - so that next month, we can begin to go after it some more.
But above all, it's about creating meaning. What's the spiritual purpose behind your work?
Imbolc:
On February 1st, we celebrate the cross-quarter holiday known as IMBOLC, the midpoint of the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox. The days get longer as Gaia reawakens, and it won't be long until we begin to see early signs of life on the floor of the Earth. IMBOLC is the first of 3 fertility holidays. February can be a month of visualization: what will you desire to bring forth in the warmer months? Probably the least impressive bastardization of Pagan holidays, Imbolc's modern parallel is known as "Groundhogs Day;" and regardless of what the critter does tomorrow morning, Spring is on its way.
February 3rd: It's possible that we are feeling energetically zapped today, as it's a day of release, letting go... We might say a quiet goodbye to something: "Thanks for the memories, but I'm finished with that, peace out." It's also a time where people who are ready to leave take their exit.
Adding to the laziness, Venus and Jupiter team up to give us "too much of a good thing." This combo can leave us with an insatiable hunger for MORE - prone to extravagance, indulgence, spending money or extreme idealism. The caution is that this overdoing might be overcompensation for something more psychological. Often when hunger is continuously insatiable, it's an allegory for something deeper we are craving. Best case scenario: eat your Valentine's day chocolate early and have sex with someone you can laugh with. Open, open, open to receive, receive, receive. Connect with your loved ones in a celebratory way.
(***This was also the day that Uma Thurman's story emerged; the Harvey Weinstein scandals broke and the #metoo movement began the same week that Jupiter entered Scorpio; here is a classic example of this energy being activated both in the skies and here on Earth.)
February 4th: Active minds and motor-mouth. Mercury sextiles Mars, stimulating verbal connection. Let’s philosophize together: “If everyone would just ___, the world would be a better place!” You fill in the blank with your crew today. Excellent for writing, sports or Superbowl watch parties.
February 6th: It's Tuesday, but it feels like a Friday. Venus teams up with Uranus to turn the voltage up a notch. It's a great day to run errands, get things done, facetime your friend or meet up with friends after work. This little smidgen of extra energy emboldens us to take a small risk to mix things up: wear the vivid lipstick or take the scenic route home.
February 9th: Another day of releasing old ideology that no longer supports us. Make room for a new motto, new idea, declutter your desk drawer. Unlearn something. Parting words. Purge anything old and outworn in your immediate environment. (Mercury on the South Node)
Pisces Influx:
* Venus enters Pisces February 10th.
*Mercury, on February 17th
*Sun, on February 18th
Soften, open and connect. Pisces season is about connecting to something greater than you: spirituality, service, kindness, compassion,selflessness. Where are you willing to sacrifice? Pisces is the most subjective sign; it knows no hard lines, but only circles and clouds.
Hearts open, Third Eye perceptive... Dreamy, artistic, creative,idealist, open,go-with-the-flow....
Timeless, formless, don't-put-me-in-a-box, we are all one; I am you, you are me.I'm a spiritual being having a temporary human experience. I have been every gender, race, religion, rich, poor,every facet of the God-mind....
Saturday, February 10th: Boundless energy, optimism, indulgence, confidence, eagerness, prone to excess and overdoing (due to the Sun's square to Jupiter in Scorpio). Go BIG; be LUMINOUS. "Here I am, whether you like it or not!"
We might also see more breaking stories around sexual misconduct. Last week, Venus squared Jupiter and we heard Uma Thurman's story; today, we might hear from a man. Darkness comes to light; humiliation, shame, disempowerment are transmuted into power, voice, a telling of truth, teaching.
Also today, Venus enters Pisces, amplifying compassion, love, empathy, sympathy, spiritual devotion, devotion to an ideal, or someone you love; fantasy, fairytale love, come to the rescue, sacrifice for another, acts of selflessness, prayer, meditation, romance, theater, poetry, love letters, art, music, yoga... Venus is what we like, what we prefer, while Pisces is the ideal. In a perfect world, what do you want? Finetune this vision through March 6th, when Venus changes signs.
Tuesday, February 13th: be mindful with words today, as we are more prone to oversharing, saying too much or not being able to communicate clearly and directly. Ideas may get lost in delivery. But if gossip is your thing, it's gonna be a juicy couple of days. Mercury squares Jupiter, which also gives way to preachy dialogue, speaking too loudly or voicing ideas that haven't been well thought out. Don't talk over each other too much!
And again, Jupiter in Scorpio is activated, but this time by Mercury, who often represents young people, children. Continuing with the theme of exposing sexual misconduct, watch for stories about sex trafficking, young actors/actresses, or predatory behavior. Additionally, Mercury rules written documents, emails, letters, etc; perhaps an incriminating document comes to light, or someone testifies on behalf of the Russia investigation.
February 15th, 2018 :: 4:05 pm EST :: 27⁰07’ Aquarius :: Partial Solar Eclipse
Solar eclipses are supercharged New Moons laced with karma and dharma, to get us on the right track. In Aquarius, it's our group affiliations. friends and network that become illuminated in a new way, helping us to detach from those that no longer serve our greater purpose, and align more closely with those that challenge us to grow.
Aquarius represents the hivemind, where we gravitate towards those who share our vision of the world and the future. Aquarius is as much about being an individual as it is about being in a group: you can have both!
This is a big lunation for break-ups. And sometimes, if you know you need to move on, but don't have the courage, eclipses will remove things from your life for you. Certain commitments and contracts are up for review (new terms and conditions may apply) and in renegotiating the terms, it's important that you voice your ideas - no matter how crazy or "out-there" you think you might sound. Aquarius is an intellectual sign, emphasizing originality, and future-forward ideas.
Jupiter helps us to release fear about not being accepted for who we are at our core, while the Aquarian energy helps us to detach from the emotional part of ourselves that wants to keep showing up in these groups for the wrong reasons. Eclipses are about aligning with your greater purpose. Honor your own unique path, individuality, creativity and unique perspective by sharing space with those who welcome your assets.
***In a political sidenote: This Eclipse falls on the United States' natal moon. Plainly, this could be a really big deal. In the third house of communications, it would highlight media, internet, education and transportation. It also closely aspects the angles in Trump's chart, falling in his 6th house of public servants. Perhaps we will see people in his political party abandon their allegiance.Additionally, the eclipse chart cast for the United States activates ALL of the lady asteroids:
*Ceres rising
*Eclipse conjunct Juno, semi-square Lilith
*Quintile Vesta and Pallas Athena
*Uranus (ruler of Aquarius) conjunct Eris
It will be interesting to see what happens....
And forward we go...
February 17th- 26th: We officially enter the foggy forest of Piscean domain. We can expect to feel more tired than usual, as the solar eclipse usually zaps some of our energy. Compounding the situation, Mars squares Neptune, which can make us aimless. The key to mastering this aspect is to seek fluid motion: practice yoga, meditate, sing, dance, pray, create art, wander, get lost on purpose - in movies, books, in the woods, daydream.
The trouble is that not everyone has the freedom in their schedule to access such fluidity. So after dragging your feet, you find your escape hatch - whatever that may be. Maybe you have a healthy escape, but other popular not-so-healhty escapes are alcohol, weed, ignorance, spiritual bypassing, avoidance. "In a perfect world____" Unfortunately, we don't live in that world.
But our minds and hearts are capable of imagining it. Venus conjoins Neptune to truly connect with our idealistic desires, creating friction with cold hard reality. Mercury sextiles Saturn to help us stay grounded and keep our dreams in check. Of course anything is possible and miracles do happen. But for now, we hold our idealism as inspiration, while we build something with the materials available to us here and now.
All of this said, it's a great time for romance. Because LOVE is the universal solvent, miracle intoxicant and elevator above this heavier dimension where mountains CAN be moved in the name of love. LOVE is the very fabric of this universe, but here on Earth, we live in duality and the greatest illusion that exists is separateness. We win when we overcome differences and hold space for one another's divinity and darkness at the same time. Valentine's day should be extra sweet this year!
Use whatever comes up for you this week as firewood. February 27th and 28th present the opportunity to receive a deeper message. What's the meaning? How can I use this? How has your perspective shifted? What do you want to go after now? Process, process, process, transmute, transmute... now build!