During the first few days of February we have a cross quarter day, Imbolc, which marks the halfway point between winter solstice and spring equinox. With it we see a noticeable lengthening of the day that heralds the coming of spring in the northern hemisphere.
February has also become a time for romance and the expression of love with the modern celebrations associated with St Valentines day. This year the month certainly starts with a “feel good” boost as Venus the planet of love, attraction and beauty connects with Neptune in the sign of Pisces on February 1st. This combination gives a sense of well being in the area of relationships of all kinds. Any tension that has been ongoing during the past weeks, especially in close relationships, should experience a reprieve as the Neptune/Pisces influence encourages making those unions without the usual conditions or expectations about who we should, or shouldn’t, be for each other.
As the Moon becomes Full in Leo on the 3rd opposite the Sun in Aquarius they make a positive link to Uranus and the South node of the Moon. This Moon/Sun combination brings a bold statement and some welcome positive creative expression and the Uranus/Node connection adds the possibility of an unexpected chance to break out of past habits or situations for the better.
The Sun moves into line with the big planet Jupiter to form an opposition on the 6th. This yearly event puts Earth between the two creating a stressful energy combination in our solar system bringing strong weather patterns and additional volcanic activity. This year because Jupiter is closer than usual to earth it will be particularly bright in the night sky. Watch out for a good view as it rises in the East after Sunset and remains very visible all night.
The quicksilver planet Mercury has been slowed down by it’s apparent retrograde journey as it moves between earth and the Sun and resumes it’s forward motion, from earth’s perspective on the 11th. It should now be possible to resolve any communications, travel arrangements or transactions that were delayed, misplaced or problematic in the last few weeks.
A big feature of this months Astrology is the New Moon on the 18th. As the second New Moon in Aquarius this year it is unusual for that alone but it’s also falling on an especially potent degree on the very cusp of Aquarius and Pisces. Just a few seconds after the exact Sun Moon conjunction the Moon moves into Pisces followed a couple of minutes later by the Sun. This gives us the opportunity to focus on making a mental leap in our conscious understanding. Aquarius represents the wisdom of the unified, collective or divine mind. Using the potency of the New Moon as a “seed” moment we can attune to that level of knowledge to take us forward into the next phase as the Moon waxes to Full in the sign of Virgo next month.
If you still need to lift your spirits a little further a good view of Venus becoming brighter in the early evening sky just after sunset should help. Her beauty is enhanced by the first sliver of the crescent Moon as she moves into the assertive sign of Aries on 20th to pair up with Mars who entered Aries only hours earlier. Venus and Mars together are a passionate couple and Mars gets his way in his own sign, so expect some straightforward, unambiguous moves towards whatever is desired. The positive contact with Saturn during the last week of February will give a stabilising effect to these “love” planets so you can make the most of that feisty assertive energy without losing all common sense and natural caution.