With few planetary milestones, February gives us more breathing space. On the plus side, we can decompress, relax, and release; but on the other we will not have the planets to drive us forward: we have to be more self-motivated.

Fortunately, Jupiter and Saturn, the planets that brings things into form in our lives, are the most active of the bunch. Jupiter has just returned to forward motion after four months of apparent backward (retrograde) travel, permitting us to once again resume the path of progress through expansion. Saturn is goading us to dig deeper as its retrograde commences on February 18 at 11°32' Scorpio, especially affecting the Fixed Signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius).

One curious phenomenon of 2013 is the way the planets are lining up. The inner planets (Sun through Mars) are traveling in a pack, with Mars at the head (latest degree of the Zodiac) and Venus trailing (earliest degree). This means that we head into new events and activities “head first”, with Mars, and we end our experiences with love—Venus. In between, Mercury and Sun interact, Mercury now in the vanguard, fast catching up with Mars.

Mercury does tag Mars, just as it arcs impossibly high as if attempting to escape the Sun’s brilliant rays. In reality, it is rounding the curve of its orbit, heading toward Earth and the inferior (Earthside) swing of its orbit around the Sun. This signals Mercury’s impending retrograde, which starts February 23 at 19°52' Pisces.

The second line-up occurs among the planets Jupiter and beyond: they are all found in the 7°–12° range of their respective signs. This has two effects. First, everything is “on” all at once, and then suddenly switches to “off”. Second, it means that, unless the fast-moving planets of the first line-up are in late degrees, the Moon has very long void-of-course periods, sometimes as long as a day and a half. This is true much of the time. This pattern breaks up once Jupiter punches through to 12 Gemini, but this does not happen until early April.

So what do we do with those long void periods for the Moon? Contrary to popular belief, we can engage in a variety of activities that further us along our path. In Western culture, where we are taught to “go, go, go” all the time in constant productivity, we may feel impeded by times when outward expression does not produce evident results. But in fact, we need just as much time to retreat, regroup, assimilate and integrate our experiences, or they are not complete. Ultimately we undermine our productivity when we slight the internalizing, yin side of the equation.

After several years when there was at least one slow planet in late degrees (so the Moon’s void periods were very brief), we finally get a chance to rest, clean up, clear out, and complete. What we often do first is deal with the unprocessed events of recent months (and years). This can feel like being sucked down a rabbit hole, but it is a fertile review that deepens our understanding, leading to more effective actions taken toward more powerful results.

When the Moon is void of course, we are naturally drawn inward, to examine our inner landscape and what we have growing there. This is why things done during a void period may go unanswered—we are all distracted by the vivid kaleidoscope within and may not notice our opportunities. However, the Moon in its rulership (Cancer), exaltation (Taurus, or the two Jupiter-ruled signs (Sagittarius and Pisces) is still productive while void, because unanswered benefits come. Watch and see if this isn’t true for you.

Rather than avoid the voids, it is better to do what flows. We will find that we are naturally drawn inward, and then what emanates from that space is in alignment. When we are always pressing ourselves forward in blind efforts at progress, we lose this alignment, and our actions will miss the mark, regardless of whether the Moon is in its void or not.

The clustering of planets at 7°–11° also means that if you have planets at these degrees, your life is very active indeed. Added to that is the fact that the Full Moons are occurring in this range, and we’ve all been hopping at the end of each month (from October 2012–March 2013), when the Moon reaches its Full phase.

With Mercury retrograding in Pisces, this adds another factor to the list of those affecting Mutable Signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces), which seem to have gotten more than their fair share of challenges in the past three years. This has actually helped us however, by giving us an alternate, indirect way to deal with obstacles, an indispensable relief from the “straight-on”, no-holds-barred approach fostered by the ongoing intensity of the Cardinal dilemma found in the Uranus-Pluto square.

This square will be with us through early 2015, with effects reaching far beyond. We will experience it weekly, as the Moon connects with these planets to ground their influence into our lives. We get a new take, a new chance each week to integrate into our daily world the transformative processes that they represent.

 

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(Except as otherwise noted, all interpretations here are based on a natural chart, using the beginning of Aries as the ascendant, and times listed are Pacific Standard Time (UTC–8).

A "Void Moon" or "Void of Course Moon" (or "VOC moon" for short) makes no significant aspects until it enters the next sign. Its void period is thought to be a poor time for starting new projects or making concerted effort toward existing plans.

According to William Lilly, the Moon in Cancer (Moon's rulership), Taurus (Moon's exaltation), Sagittarius and Pisces (signs ruled by Jupiter, the Great Benefic) "performeth somewhat." Lee Lehmann reports that she has tested this, and "you can take it to the bank." Another way of putting how this works is that, when an action is taken during the void period in one of these signs, you get "unanswered success." That is, the lack of planetary action prevents your action from being denied.

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Friday February 1

With the Moon at the late degrees of Libra, the drama is over as the month dawns. We get a full, productive day as the Moon reaches toward a trine to Mercury, entering its void period with harmony of head and heart. Mars enters Pisces at 5:54 pm PT (8:54 pm ET), taking us into a more sensitive space and focusing us on healing processes leftover from the past year (or two). Venus gives us a breath of fresh Air and objectivity as it enters Aquarius at 6:47 pm, a good counterbalance to Mars.

Saturday February 2

The Moon’s void ends at 4:02 am (7:02 am ET) with her entry into Scorpio. Emotions take center stage, and we feel our way to the solutions that will bring the most robust results as the Moon connects the dots from Mars through to Saturn by day’s end. There’s something very deep happening, a result of the Full Moon’s illumination, that we now take inside for polishing as we head into tomorrow’s Last Quarter Moon.

Sunday February 3

At 5:56 am/14°54' Scorpio/Aquarius (8:56 am ET), the Last Quarter Moon marks off the last week of this lunar month, the wisdom phase of the cycle. Now we see what we’ve filled ourselves with and learned over the past three weeks, looking for where we’re still empty or incomplete in preparation for the next lunar cycle, the New Moon. This lunation takes us deep in thought, as we attach feelings to our thoughts through a Moon-Mercury square, and we see the gap between what we want and what we have.

In the chart cast for the US set in the nation’s capital, the emphasis is on backroom deals and secret negotiations as budget negotiations continue. Members of the House want to be the people’s heroes, and they are more open to agreement than before. Events around the world offer a continuing context of climate reality and the need for peace.

The Sabian Symbols for this lunation are “children playing around five mounds of sand” (Moon) and “two lovebirds sitting on a fence and singing happily” (Sun). This suggests a scenario of joy and happiness in our close relationships—family, friends, playmates—and among those who live in the moment without reference to deeper issues. However, with Saturn involved, a deeper long-range view is also important.

Monday February 4

The day is colored by the urge to move from confusion to clarity as Mars conjoins Neptune. We feel prodded to take action to end the pain and suffering in our life, but we must first understand where it comes from. The Moon makes multiple connections, starting with its final hook-up in Scorpio at 4:31 am (7:31 am ET), going void until 7:45 am when it enters Sagittarius. This adds intensity to our desire to heal the wounds within, especially those due to conflicts with others, as it connects with Mars and Neptune as they come together. The last half of the day is less challenging, and may result in insightful reconciliations.

Tuesday February 5

The Moon has us leaping over tall buildings in a single bound as it carries on through aspiring Sagittarius, and anything seems possible as we ride its sextile to the Sun. At 12:42 pm (3:42 pm ET), the Moon is void of course, but still offers benefits in response to our actions. We find our thoughts infused with more feeling and imagery as Mercury enters Pisces at 6:56 am.

Wednesday February 6

We tune into the more serious side of things when Moon enters Capricorn at 9:55 am (12:55 pm ET) to carry us through a cascade of contacts over the day. Connecting as it does to Uranus and Pluto, our thoughts follow the trail into the depths to explore where all things transformative stand since our last visit a week ago. Objectivity opens the doors of insight as Venus sextiles Uranus, a denouement after nearly a year of social surprises. This comes through as another step in the growth of a longer-term relationship. It may be easier to communicate with our eyes and feelings as Mercury conjoins Neptune in Pisces, with the potential for penetrating insights that blossom over the year to come. Venus trines Jupiter to lift us as a feather on the winds over our worries and regrets. Use this perspective to lighten your feelings with the spice of non-judgment.

Thursday February 7

It’s all taken care of by the time we start our day, as the Moon goes void of course at 4:44 am (7:44 am ET) on its sextile to Saturn. This will hang over into the day to give us the focus and industry to accomplish something important, even if it seems more like busy work. We benefit from following a routine.

Friday February 8

The Moon is void of course in Capricorn until it goes into Aquarius at 11:17 am (2:17 am ET), broadening our view of things and opening the gates of ingenuity as it connects harmoniously with Uranus and Jupiter. Mercury conjoins Mars just as it enters its retrograde shadow, the area over which it will retrograde later this month, at 5°38' Pisces. This is the first of three contacts that Mercury will make to Mars, moving us to take progressive focused actions to resolve a single or set of related situations.

Saturday February 9

We go into a new lunar cycle on the New Moon at 11:20 pm/21°43 Aquarius (2:20 am on February 10, ET). This month brings us to a turning point, a time of choosing, when we must make a decision based on our experiences since the Solar Eclipse on November 13, and which are also tied to events in mid-May. If you’ve been waiting for something to happen, you are likely to see it unfold in the coming lunar month. However, the impending Mercury retrograde will introduce plot twists and complications, aimed at giving the truth a good airing. The veils of confusion will part—but not quite yet. For now, we must be content with what we don’t yet know and trust that there’s a good reason for it, which we will discover in the fullness of time.

Looking back over the past five months, we recognize that the mind has been playing tricks on us, but we have learned something in the process. This will also unfold in the coming days and weeks as Jupiter works its mental-Gemini way through two yods. Mercury also squares this symbol of the New King for the first of three times, establishing another step in the story line we are creating, the foundation of our upcoming Mercury retrograde experience. The Moon goes into its void period at the New Moon, lasting until midday tomorrow.

In the chart cast for Washington DC, domestic policy and events take center stage, but there are hidden influences from foreign players in ongoing negotiations. Weakness in manufacturing and employment show the source of the nation’s middle-class malaise and point to continuing economic transformation. Diverging messages come from the mainstream media.

The Sabian Symbol for both Sun and Moon at 22 Aquarius is “a rug placed on the floor for children to play on”. This speaks of a safe space for engagement in interaction. On a rug, all things are softened, from falls to voices. A cozy feeling exists. This is a time to hold space for something to grow in our lives, a yin process while so much is in development.

Sunday February 10

Just past the midnight hour, Mars squares Jupiter to press us into action on what remains incomplete in our recent plans. Movement can happen now, but this is one step in the series that started on Friday February 8 and will last through early April. At 1:20 pm (4:20 pm ET), the Moon enters Pisces to activate the planets clustered there, beginning with Neptune today. The healing process we are already focused on is augmented, supported by Mercury as it conjoins Chiron (8°16' Pisces), another first of three. We’ll want to get to the core of what’s going on—we’re simply tired of all that internalization. It’s time to get it out in the open! But not yet. As Venus squares a virtually stationary Saturn, our path to common understanding is likely blocked. Best to wait until more favorable circumstances despite the urgency we feel right now.

Monday February 11

The Moon in Pisces connects all the dots, carrying water from Neptune to activators Jupiter, Mars and Mercury, as well as deep-divers Pluto and Saturn. Mercury makes its first of three sextiles to Pluto to harmonize head, heart, and deep intention. At 9:03 am, Moon goes into its void-of-course period, giving us time to integrate, complete, and rest—or continue activating, since this is one of the Moon’s “performing” signs. This is a long void period, lasting until tomorrow evening.

Tuesday February 12

The Moon is void of course in Pisces until 5:51 pm PT (8:51 pm ET), when it goes into Aries and launches our newest foray into the deep realms of the unconscious. In the midst of the void period, Mars conjoins Chiron to bring an area of wounding to the surface. Fortunately, we can use this energy and information constructively under a Mercury trine to Saturn (again, the first of three), but we are more likely to understand the potential for solution than to see the benefits today. Aim for something longer term.

Wednesday February 13

The Moon in Aries rattles the bars on our cage as it encounters the transformative duo Uranus and Pluto. Fortunately, we have the support of friends and partners as we take another plunge.

Thursday February 14

The Moon reaches its sextile to the Sun to give us a glimpse of what we’re sprouting on this cycle. Enlightened focus now will lead to greater benefits during the rest of the cycle. The Moon is void after this connection, at 7:35 pm (10:35 pm ET).

Friday February 15

The Moon makes its way into Taurus at 2:08 am (5:08 am ET), augmenting a set of openings that span the day. A sextile to Neptune and trine to Pluto permit us to ground recent spiritual lessons and inner transformations in the world around us, just as Mars helps us find opportunity in the depths with a sextile to Pluto, filling in a beneficial Minor Grand Trine. We have to look for it and put energy into it, but we can make it work for us if we do.

Saturday February 16

The Moon carries on in Taurus, checking in with the planets in mid degrees and forming a Cradle as it does so. With Mars trine a nearly retrograde Saturn (stationary on Monday, February18), something that looks easy may not be, as it sets up an opportunity whose fruits will come to us closer to the end of June. Head and heart are in unison, although we may not find it useful to share what we know.

Sunday February 17

After a Saturday of high activity levels, we need a day to contemplate, and that’s what we’ll be getting, at least once the afternoon has settled in. The First Quarter Moon at 29°21' Taurus-Aquarius/12:31 pm (3:31 pm ET), the final contact for the Moon until an evening of inner journeying via a hook-up with Neptune. The Moon is void only from 12:31 pm to 1:50 pm, with its entry into Gemini, but the lack of connections gives us a few hours of peace to consider what the coming Full Moon will bring to us.

Harmonies abound as a Minor Grand Trine is imprinted into our lives from Saturn to Pluto to the cluster in Pisces. This offers powerful support that we can use to convert our dream into plans into reality—but first we must articulate the dream.

In the chart cast for the US set in Washington DC, all eyes are turned to the economy. The life conditions and sustainability of the nation’s workforce, as well as healthcare and the economy reveal themselves as interconnected issues that can be solved together through a series of actions.

At 30 Taurus, the Sabian Symbol for the Moon is “a peacock parading on the terrace of an old castle”, while that of the Sun (30 Aquarius) is “Moonlit fields, once Babylon, are blooming white.” Dreams of the future draw from the genteel glories of the past. We don’t have to completely discard the old forms of civilization (or our lives), just reform them in the light of love, peace, equality, and reciprocity.

Monday February 18

After a lively lunar contact with Uranus and Jupiter (a beautiful occultation) brings overnight inspiration, the Sun enters Pisces at 4:02 am PT (7:02 pm ET). What we feel today may be more about responsibilities and work to be done, as Saturn is Stationary Retrograde at 11°32' Scorpio. This commences its five months of apparent backward travel, lasting until July 7 and returning to 4°49' Scorpio. Embedded in this period is the question of how we will choose to bring love into our lives, as Venus squares the Moon’s Nodes today as well. The Moon remains in Gemini, greasing the wheel of connection, but beware a penchant for hasty actions as she squares Mars at teatime.

Tuesday February 19

Finally we get a chance to say what we need to say—at least the preliminary version, and social engagements settle into place. It all looks good as the Moon goes void at 10:48 am (1:48 pm ET), until tomorrow morning. A good time to chill out on a harmonious wave of energy.

Wednesday February 20

At 2:45 am (5:45 am ET), the Moon enters Cancer and smoothes our emotional path forward. All is in synch as we float through the early part of the day, but a mid-afternoon square to Uranus livens things up with unexpected events with deeper implications. The Sun conjoins Neptune at 2°50' Pisces/11:19 pm to lift us into a new spiritual stratosphere and open the gates of a new yearlong cycle of inner growth. Through offering our energy to the highest ideals, we maximize the benefits of this experience.

Thursday February 21

Still in Cancer, the Moon casts new light into the hidden depths of our awareness, and we see what needs to be healed and resolved to make ourselves whole in the coming days of Mercury’s retrograde. A Grand Trine in Water assures that we’ll be mindful of our emotional truths as we do so, the best possible foundation for embarking on our next adventure. On a trine to Mercury, the Moon (in Cancer, one of its productive signs) goes void of course at 6:08 pm (9:08 pm ET), until tomorrow afternoon.

Friday February 22

At 2:12 pm (5: 12 pm ET), the Moon enters Leo. With no contacts today, we get a chance to follow our own plans for a change.

Saturday February 23

By the time we rise, Mercury will have made its Station to Retrograde at 1:41 am/19°52' Pisces (4:41 am ET). The tension that built up over the past few days is relieved as we see what direction we need to take our actions. Mercury’s retrograde is often about going back to pick up lost threads that turn out to be valuable to us as we travel our path. It’s a good thing to have that opportunity! The Moon in Leo creates an inventive harmony via a Minor Grand Trine with Jupiter and Uranus before dawn as well. These energies will infuse your sleep state and come out as insights over the coming week. A midday square to Saturn reminds us that we have work to do—we may even want to get to it.

Sunday February 24

We may want some alone time today, as there’s a need to get perspective on our relationships and their contributions to our life via the Moon’s evening opposition to Venus. This is the start of a brief void period for the Moon, from 8:50 pm (11:50 pm ET), until its entry into Virgo at 10:52 pm, fully opening us to the Full Moon energies.

Monday February 25

With Neptune and Chiron to fuel the culmination, the Full Moon reaches its peak at 12:26 pm/7°24' Virgo/Pisces (3:26 pm ET). A plethora of contacts follows, including an empowering Sun-Moon square to Jupiter. We’ll be action-oriented in the coming week, as if to make up for lost time as we feel Jupiter’s cycle winding down to its close (in June). At 6:03 pm, Venus enters Pisces, the sign of its exaltation, where we experience the spiritual side of love. Flowing, easing connections to Pluto and Saturn recreate a productive Minor Grand Trine that we can take into the coming week of activity, bringing a lot of hidden things into form.

The chart of the Full Moon cast for the US issues a huge wake-up call, as a dilemma created by the House shows signs of causing harm, especially to the economy. Tensions are strong, and fear of the unknown quashes optimism and slows productivity. The President’s leadership is temporarily shouted down, but the people have the power to shift the winds of fate toward a good outcome. At least the weather cooperates.

The Sabian Symbol for the 8 Virgo Full Moon is “A girl takes her first dancing instruction.” The Sun’s location at 8 Pisces is symbolized by “a girl blowing a bugle”. It’s time to try our wings on a new endeavor—time to take the plunge. If we can accept the guidance of those wiser than us, all will go well.

Tuesday February 26

Our communications are super-charged as Mercury Rx conjoins Mars (the 2nd of 3), tying in with events on February 8 and May 7. We feel like it’s time to do something—but what? With the Moon in opposition, we will get the feeling behind the urgency. We don’t have to wait until May to take action, but smaller steps may be called for as a larger scenario continues to unfold. The Moon is void of course at 10:13 am until early tomorrow.

Wednesday February 27

A new cycle of healing commences as Sun conjoins Chiron at 9°22' Pisces. This healing process will work on all levels of consciousness and come from our highest Self as it unfolds over the coming year. At 5:02 am (8:02 am ET), the Moon enters Libra to reactivate the transformative process we are experiencing with Uranus and Pluto. Today we get the awakening energies of Uranus, often coming in the form of sudden changes in circumstances. A trine to Jupiter makes it work for us as we find benefits in our shifting realities.

Thursday February 28

After the Moon takes us into the depths of the unconscious overnight, Venus conjoins Neptune to raise our hearts and inspire us with unity consciousness and spiritual love. Let your spirit, ideals, and imagination flow. The Moon is void of course all day, after its square to Pluto, at 0:37 am PT (3:37 am ET).

 

 

 

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