February 2014 Planetary Illuminations

2/3 Ceres enters Scorpio
Mercury trine North Node
2/5 Jupiter trine Chiron
2/6 Mercury turns retrograde
2/10 Mercury trine North Node
2/11 Sun square Saturn
Mercury trine Ceres
2/12 Mercury enters Aquarius
2/14 Sun trine Mars
Full Moon 26 Leo 6:53 pm
2/15 Sun conjunct Mercury
2/16 Mercury trine Mars
2/18 Sun enters Pisces
2/19 Ceres conjunct North Node
Mercury square Saturn
2/20 Sun trine North Node
Sun trine Ceres
2/23 Sun conjunct Neptune
2/24 Venus sextile Saturn
2/25 Pluto sextile Ceres
2/26 Jupiter square Uranus
2/27 Ceres turns retrograde
2/28 Mercury turns direct
2/28 Sun trine Jupiter

All dates and times are Eastern time zone – please adjust for your own locality. 

MAJOR EVENTS

As we begin the month of February the big astrological news is the opposition between Jupiter and Pluto. You can read more about that here, but the first phase of the cycle began in August of last year. Jupiter rules kingship and ideology; Pluto rules death and destruction that leads to regeneration so the role of this cycle in the global political landscape is evident. In our personal lives, Jupiter is aiding us in the rebuilding process that is part of the destruction/regeneration wrought by the Uranus/Pluto cycle.

The second phase of this cycle occurred on January 31st, and Jupiter and Pluto will not be more than two degrees apart until they next meet on April 20th with a big clash of cardinal planets that occurs in mid-April. The Jupiter/Pluto cycle means foundational changes in the way that you and I relate to the world around us. This is yet another phase in the breakdown and rebuilding process that has been underway since 2008 when Pluto entered Capricorn, and Jupiter’s role is to expand our ideas of what is possible and aid in the transformation process. Jupiter ensures that rather than contract into fear, we expand into hope and vision.

Because Uranus (radical change) is already in aspect to Pluto, Jupiter’s movements will take it into a square to Uranus at the end of February. Jupiter and Uranus are both freedom planets: Jupiter provides the urge to expand – Uranus the urge to break down barriers to justice. This dynamic helps to ensure that the process of change, both external and internal, is a continual one that inspires and demands our personal evolution into a more harmonious world.

Fortunately, Chiron (wounding and healing) harmonizes with both Jupiter and Pluto at this time, helping us to move through emotional blocks and fears, old patterns of thought and action which have held us back. Chiron brings up the old wounds and sorrows so that they can be released, aiding in our passage into a new world of being.

The element of fire is underrepresented throughout the month – only Uranus is in a fire sign (Aries) but it has no support from any other planet. Mars, the fire planet, is in Libra where the impulse is to go along to get along rather than to inspire action. Without the influence of fire the mood is more peaceful, but anger and resentments lack a natural outlet and can sometimes build up to be expressed in negative ways. Exercise and conscious attention helps to stir the fire within when the fire element is lacking in the astrological climate.

FEBRUARY DETAILS

On February 3rd Ceres (nurturer of our body/mind/spirit system) enters Scorpio where it will remain for about five months. In Scorpio, Ceres is intensely concerned with how our emotions and the way we connect to others affect our physical being. Forging deep bonds and clearing past life blockages will be a focus during this time. A trine of Mercury to the North Node on the 3rd offers a “light bulb moment” which helps us to understand the next step on the evolutionary path and because Mercury will turn retrograde shortly thereafter, the entire next week shines a light on the journey and helps to clarify direction even though for a brief time we will be looking backwards rather than forwards.

A harmonious trine from Jupiter to Chiron culminates on the 5th, facilitating the path of healing and resolution of the energy wrinkles we hold in our hearts and our psychoemotional system. The entire first week of February is a good time for ritual or other processes that help to facilitate the flow of healing and resolution.

Mercury (mind and communication) begins the month in practical Capricorn and turns retrograde on February 6th. For the next few weeks we look backwards rather than forwards. Studying the past and making corrections where needed help us ultimately to look forward when Mercury turns direct again. This is not a great time to begin new projects, plan a trip, start a new job or make a major purchase. But life isn’t always convenient and sometimes we must – if you find yourself in that position be as careful as you can to make sure every “i” is dotted and every “t” is crossed, that all communications are clear. Double and triple check your work. And then expect things to get glitchy anyway!

On the 11th a square from the Sun to Saturn turns our attention to our responsibilities and encourages a discipline response to life events. A trine from Mercury to Ceres is likely to inspire us to improve our relationship with our bodies by increasing the healthful qualities of our meals and food intake. This is a good time for a disciplined approach to self-care and nutrition.

Mercury retrogrades back into Aquarius on the 12th, opening the doorways of perception. In Capricorn Mercury inspires us to think about the practical side of life – Aquarius has a larger vision and enables us to see new possibilities outside the realm of our daily lives.

Valentine’s Day brings a Leo Full Moon that seeks dramatic personal expression. The Leo Full Moon brings in the missing fire element and helps to encourage celebration and a focus on the Self. Mercury conjoins the Sun, clarifying our thinking and aiding in communication. However, Saturn (contraction and discipline) is in a challenging square to the lunation, squaring both the Sun and Moon.

All Full Moons contain a polarity between two opposing signs since the Sun in one sign is opposite the Moon in another. The solar conscious principle of the transpersonal sign Aquarius here opposes the lunar instincts of Leo – the inner child who longs to be recognized, admired and appreciated. The challenge from Saturn insists that we find balance between our needs for personal expression (Leo) and the distancing from the personal into the community of mankind (Aquarius).

Saturn is the traditional ruler of Aquarius, so its connection to the Leo Moon makes for a “double whammy” of restriction to the tendency towards self-celebration. Still, Mars harmonizes with both the Sun and Moon as well as Mercury, inspiring thought and action and positive ways to find the balance Saturn requires.

The Sun enters Pisces (transcendence) on the 18th, ushering in a month of spiritual exploration and desire for peace and harmony. On the 19th Ceres aligns with the North Node which helps us to remember who we are and our true purpose for our incarnation on Planet Earth, but a challenging square of Mercury to Saturn can take us a bit too far into the dark side which we may convince ourselves is the true reality. Instead we can utilize the combination of Mercury and Saturn to focus on planning and evaluation rather than be concerned with criticism and negativity.

Pluto (transformational forces) is moving into position to form a harmonious sextile with Ceres on the 25th which will take us deeper into a longing to understand the very nature of our incarnation and life in a body. Taking the time to understand how the foods we eat impact our very life will be important and helpful now. Ceres is slowing down as it prepares to retrograde on the 27th, bringing these matters to the forefront of consciousness.

Meanwhile the challenging square from Jupiter to Uranus is forming which will peak on the 26th. When these two planets of change clash in the sky we will become painfully aware of any areas of our lives that are not working for us – any relationship or situation that has become stale or oppressive will no longer be tenable. Change is our choice – we can either choose to make it, or it can be thrust upon us. Either way, the Universe strives for balance and continual positive evolution.

On the 20th the Sun forms a harmonious trine to the North Node, shining a beacon on our path, and a trine to Ceres to bring balance and peacefulness into our conscious mind. The next few days bring a combination of harmonious fast-moving cycles with the more intense larger cycles. During this time it’s best just to pay attention – be mindful to the changes that occur both within you and outside of you.

Mars (action and inspiration) is slowing down to turn retrograde on March 1st so you may find an inner restlessness that demands release. Physical activity is critical during this time to help you to integrate all of the changes that are occurring at once. Saturn is also slowing down as it prepares to turn retrograde on March 2nd and until Mercury turns direct on the 28th it will be important to spend the last week of February slowing down your own impulses to move forward until you are certain that the way is clear and the time is right. Fortunately a trine from the Sun to Jupiter on the 28th helps to facilitate a positive attitude and confidence for the future.

We have only one lunation in February because a New Moon (Aquarius) occurred on January 30th and the next one (Pisces) on March 1st. Stay tuned for more information about these planetary events!