The Astrology of February 2021
/Holy shit, we made it through January. When I first wrote the forecast for January, I knew that we were in for some bumpy astrology. But I wasn't expecting the events to be so... literal. On January 6, while Mars was in the final degree of Aries and immediately before he ingressed into Taurus, we saw the storming of the Capitol. We saw what it looks like when an armed, militarized populace gets taken in by the revolutionary fervor of an authority figure. We saw how violence clashes with institutions. And we saw the institutions reacting and pushing back.
These themes are emblematic of the astrological transits that continue into February. The tension between the planets in Taurus (Uranus and Mars - our loudest and most violent planets) and the many, many planets in Aquarius is amplified this month, and made even more confusing the Mercury retrograde that is active for the next 3 weeks. For entire month of February, we are going to be in this same tense, dynamic energy, with calls for change and progress and accountability.
I don't say any of this to panic you or make you afraid. Quite the opposite. I'm telling you this that you are more prepared for what might come. It's during the difficult and challenging transits that mundane astrological forecasts are the most helpful. As we're navigating the month ahead, remember that by reading this forecast, you have an advantage! Other people will be unconsciously affected and moving through these transits. But by taking the time to pause, reflect and take note of what's happening around you, you have the opportunity to prepare for what's to come.
February 1 - Sun square Mars; Venus enters Aquarius
We kick off the month with a feisty square between the Sun in Aquarius and Mars in Taurus. Generally speaking, Sun square Mars transits are energizing and motivating... if a little aggressive and overwhelming. Sometimes Sun square Mars can be the perfect boost of energy you need to complete a project you've been procrastinating on, to break through a block, to get to the other side of the project. But it can also manifest in more frustrating or negative ways: you could feel extremely restless, unsettling and have a short fuse. You — or someone else — could be in the mood to pick a fight. It could also manifest as you being extremely busy, stressed and overwhelmed.
Unfortunately, both the Sun and Mars are in rough shape, astrologically speaking. Both planets are in the zodiac signs opposite of the signs they traditionally rule: the Sun is in Aquarius, which is opposite of Leo, its home sign, while Mars is in Taurus, which is opposite of Scorpio (Mars rules Scorpio in traditional astrology, which is the system of astrology I use and study). This means that both the Sun and Mars are debilitated — they don't have access to their usual power, and they can't function with full strength.
So basically, imagine putting two really grumpy, tired and hungry toddlers in a play pen together and then seeing what happens. That's the vibe of this current transit.
Venus steps into Aquarius as well, which definitely helps to lighten the mood. While in Aquarius, Venus will have to traverse some tricky terrain — she'll conjoin Saturn, square Uranus and Mars, and run headlong into the Sun, as well. If you have Libra or Taurus rising or other important natal chart placements in Libra and Taurus, you'll want to pay attention to pay Venus this month, as she moves through these aspects.
February 5 - Venus conjunct Saturn
When Venus, the planet of harmony and niceness, meets Saturn, the planet of limits, death and restriction, it's kind of like someone's parents crashing a really great house party. We can be in for rude awakenings, of reality getting in the way of our fantasy, of someone/something saying "no" to something that we really, really want. Saturn is the grumpy old man of the cosmos, and he has no problem raining on our parade in order to fix a fundamental flaw. This is definitely kill-joy energy, although the exact mood and events will be affected by another important Venus transit the next day.
February 6 - Venus square Uranus
After conjoining with Saturn, Venus movies directly into a square with Uranus in Taurus. This might give a bit of a start-stop-jerky-motion feeling. Saturn and Uranus are getting closer and closer, and we are definitely starting to feel the electricity between these two slow-moving planets. As a faster moving planet, Venus is serving as a conduit between the two, sending up some sparks, before she moves on.
Pay attention to the themes that are coming up for you right now, particularly as it pertains to the houses Taurus and Aquarius occupy in your birth chart. Venus will be activating these themes through the lens of desire, harmony and connection. Venus is a planet that desires things to be pleasant, nice and beautiful. She is an expression of things working together, in tandem, towards a common purpose — something that frequently manifests in our interpersonal relationships.
Venus-Uranus squares can make us feel restless and impulsive in our relationships and in pursuing what we desire. During any Uranus transit, it's always good to be extra mindful of the consequences of our actions, especially as they pertain to other people and their needs/desires. Sometimes Uranus compels us to act first, think later. If you or the people around you are behaving a little eratically over the days before and after this transit, be patient with them — and yourself.
February 8 - Sun conjunct Mercury Retrograde
We are halfway through the Mercury retrograde, folks! The exact conjunction between the Sun and any visible planet is called the "cazimi" and it's an extremely important part of the retrograde cycle. The planet is said to enter "the heart of the sun" and then emerge on the other side. Ancient astrologers viewed the Sun as an extremely spirit planet — as the universal constant, it represented god, eternity, source. Thus, when a planet moves through a conjunction with the Sun, it is said to be a process of purification and enlightenment.
During a Mercury retrograde, this will often manifest as a moment of discovery, revelation or a reversal. You might get new information about something that started at the beginning of the retrograde. Or something that started a few weeks ago suddenly changes and goes in a different direction. Pay attention to the themes and events that are going on around you during this time, especially if you have significant placements around 20 degrees Aquarius or any of the fixed signs.
February 10 - Mercury square Mars
Retrograde Mercury leaves the cazimi, only to run straight into a square with Mars for a second time in 2 months. Mercury square Mars transits can make us extremely snarky, irritable or aggressive in our speech and communication. It can make us want to use words as weapons. Because Mercury is retrograde and Mars is debilitated in Taurus, neither planet is likely to help you be your best self. Be careful about what you say, speak, write, post, text, etc — it might be taken the wrong way and cause harm you weren't intending.
February 11 - New Moon in Aquarius (ft Venus conjunct Jupiter)
When the Moon enters Aquarius, it joins FIVE other inner planets in Aquarius. This is a rare astrological configuration known as an "assembly" of planets, and it turns the spotlight on the part of our chart that contains Aquarius — and the new moon simply intensifies this focus.
We can think of the aspects happening during a New Moon as a snapshot of the seed that is being planted and will grow and develop over the next 28 days. Venus and Jupiter are enjoying an exact conjunction 12° Aquarius, which is a a lovely dimension to add to the New Moon chart.
Unfortunately, Mars and Uranus in Taurus are adding a challenging dynamic to this chart. We are building up to a dramatic square between Saturn and Uranus next week, and we could already be seeing the effects in the world around us. New Moons are the start of new cycles, and unfortunately, this tension is very much baked into the this month's lunar cycle. Between now and the rest of the month (but especially around the Full Moon), watch out for major disruptions, both in your personal life, but most in the world around you, especially globally. This could look like protests, uprising, collapses of major structures — perhaps even natural disasters such as an earthquake or wild fire.
There are MANY different ways this energy could manifest — try not to get fixated on it or overwhelmed with fear. One of things Saturn teaches is how to manage fear. A certain amount of fear is productive — it helps keeps us safe, stops us from taking unnecessary risks, helps to choose our actions carefully. But when we have too much fear, we become paralyzed and stuck. When we have major transits happen, the best thing to do is get back to basics. Focus on your daily practices. Make sure your foundations are solid. And then get curious and observe what is happening around you. Watch for the patterns and make note of what you see. We'll have two more rounds of this transit and you'll get new information each time.
February 13 and 14 - Mercury conjunct Venus, Jupiter
Mercury continues its journey retrograde through Aquarius, meeting up with Venus and Jupiter for a little hug and a kiss hello. These are two great days of self-expression, communication, sharing ideas and articulating your values and beliefs.
Mercury conjunct Venus is a great transit for diplomacy, negotiating deals, finding peaceful resolutions, writing love songs, creating art and all activities where you want to combine attention to detail and specifics with harmony, peace and pleasure. Venus doesn't necessarily love getting bogged down in the details, and Mercury is retrograde, so be careful of saying too much, being unclear, or even being untruthful because you don't want to hurt someone's feelings.
Mercury conjunct Jupiter can help us bridge the gap between details, facts & data with our big-picture beliefs, ideas, ideologies and philosophies. Jupiter dreams BIG and vast and expansively, while Mercury likes to pick up on the details. This can make it hard to focus on detail-oriented Mercury things (like tracking our spending), but it can also help us get really creative, inspired and come up with new ideas. Let your mind wander and create without self-censorship over these two days. There's some extremely creative potential.
February 17 - Saturn square Uranus
This is a big one, folks! This is THE major story of 2021, astrologically speaking. But before we talk about Saturn square Uranus, let's put this transit into context.
For the past three years, we have had Saturn co-present with Pluto in Capricorn. Saturn is the planet of structure, law and order, while Pluto intensifies whatever it touches, revealing the most extreme and corrupt version of that planet's significations. While Saturn was in Capricorn, we saw what happens to power when it reaches a new height of corruption and destruction (In a word: Trump).
But now, Saturn is finally out of Capricorn and squaring Uranus, an outer planet that has a VERY different tone and style than Pluto. Uranus is the planet of rebellion, revolution and restlessness. As soon as Saturn enters Aquarius, Uranus starts to challenge Saturn's authority.
Uranus asks: "Why are we doing it like this? What if we did it different instead? What you WEREN'T in control? What we DIDN'T have that structure?" Uranus represents a radical reshaping of the status quo, of questioning, of pushing back. Uranus is idealistic, and is will to take action to make its ideas a reality.
This is very much a time when we can expect to see major disruptions in the world. This could look like a number of different things: protests, uprisings, populist movements. This is a powerful time to push for reform, change and restructuring of systems.
This isn't going to be an easy change, nor do I expect it to be peaceful or quiet. Change is messy. Revolution is messy. Over the next year, there is going to be a lot of disruption at both the personal and collective level. The kind of change our society needs to be more just is going to take a very, very long time, and it only happen if we consistently assert our will to change. This transit will be hotspot for revolutionary fervor, but remember that we are in this for the long haul. Try to keep yourself nourished and supported during this transit. You don't need to burn yourself out for the revolution. We need you whole so we can keep fighting.
February 18 - Sun enters Pisces
Whenever the Sun enters a new zodiac sign, we have 30 days of focus on that part of our life. Depending on what House this in your chart, you are going to feel this period of time very differently.
Once the Sun enters Pisces, the rest of the planets currently in Aquarius start to become visible in the night sky. That's because when a planet is within 15° of the Sun, it is "under its beams" and not visible with the naked eye. For the first half of February, there's a lot of action happening "behind the scenes" or in hidden realms. But once the Sun enters Pisces and gets farther away from the stellium of planets in Aquarius, whatever was hidden becomes known.
Happy birthday, Pisces babies! I have a special offer just for you: a birthday astrology reading! This reading uses a number of ancient astrological timing techniques to forecast the themes and events of your upcoming year.
February 19 - Venus square Mars
This is a feisty transit that will definitely send sparks flying. During this time, we might find that we are inclined to fight for peace, to solve our problems and build relationships by being extremely aggressive and direct. A bit of tension (whether sexual and creative) goes a long way to creating new work, of breaking through constraints, of getting the ball rolling when we've been dragging out feet. But it can also incline us towards to hostility, anger and aggression. Be careful that you aren't so set on achieving your goals that you don't care who you hurt along the way. We are still in the aftermath of the Saturn-Uranus square during this time, so watch out for more waves of disruption and restlessness. Physical activity is a great way to channel this energy productively.
February 21 - Mercury stations direct at 11° Aquarius
Fiiiiinally Mercury stations direct! But watch out - the days before and after Mercury stations can feel extremely... Mercury retrograde-y. Watch out for delays, miscommunications, tech glitches and more during this time, as Mercury slowly turns around and starts to pick up the pace again. Direct stations often bring new information, or a situation reversing or changing course, or somehow resolving itself, so keep your eyes peeled for that. This is a great opportunity to review and reflect the lessons of the Mercury retrograde, especially if you have a lot of planets/points in Air signs (Aquarius, Gemini, Libra) or any of the Fixed signs (Taurus, Scorpio, Leo, Aquarius).
February 24 - Mars trine Pluto
This transit can be really helpful for giving us a way to channel our drive and ambition and pursuing our goals. Pluto intensifies, goes deep and down, with whatever it touches. It's a transit that speaks to the very real physical manifestations of power and how control and will are excerpted into the world. When Pluto is involved, it's easy for our darker impulses to get involved — our drive, cunning, ruthlessness and ambition are all highlighted right now. Watch out for how this energy manifests around you — someone in your life might be unconsciously swept away and be excessively cruel to those around them. Or you could find yourself feeling unconsciously self-righteous, defensive and aggressive. This is a good moment to remember the golden rule: treat others the way you would like to be treated. But if someone is being a dick to you, this could be a great opportunity to tell them off, once and for all.
February 25 - Venus enters Pisces
Venus loooves being in Pisces, the sign of her exaltation, and usually this placement would be cause for celebration. However, the situation is a little muted because Venus will be within 15° of the Sun until the early days of Aries season, when they form an exact conjunction. When planets are within 15° of the Sun, they are considered to be "combust" — they are basically being burnt up by the Sun, and don't have access to their usual resources and power. This just means that we don't have the usual benefits of Venus in Pisces (excessive dreamy sighs, intense artistic pursuits, dreamy ideals and romance, that type of thing), which kind of sucks, but isn't the end of the world.
February 27 - Full Moon at 9° Virgo
This Full Moon in Virgo is ruled by Mercury, who is currently sitting directly between Jupiter and Saturn in Aquarius. This gives the Full Moon a very collective, macro-level energy. Jupiter and Saturn are "historical" planets, ones with huge implications for geopolitics, global affairs and current events. Mercury is a translator and messenger, while the Moon is classically connected to the general public, the people, and the material world in general.
Thus, I see this Full Moon as a huge spotlight on whatever important themes and archetypes are being expressed for the collective. Look at what is in the news, what artists are creating, what conversations dominate the discourse for clues about what macro-level themes are currently culminating.
Full Moons are moments of climax and culmination. The seeds we planted on the New Moon are blooming, revealing themselves to the world, sharing what they've learned. Between now and the next New Moon in March, we will see those themes ripple out into the world around us and reveal themselves to us.
The Mars-Pluto trine will still be active in this chart, so watch out for how the themes of ambition, drive and ruthlessness express themselves in your life. They are forming a whole sign trine to the Full Moon, so it's possible you might be able to use that energy more constructively on this day than you could when that trine was exact.
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