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by Terry Lamb If you feel like yelling, “Stop the bus, I want to get off,” you’ll get your chance in February. The strongest feature of the month—the one we’ll feel the most—is the Mercury Retrograde that starts on February 6. Mercury brings forward dormant aspects of our situations, flushing out the obstacles that have been lurking in mind, body, and circumstance. This is because its backward travel takes place mostly in Aquarius, a Fixed sign. The Fixed signs have been under-represented in recent years, with Saturn frequently being the only body to bring issues of stability and stuckness forward. The eclipses have augmented that process in the past 18 months, and now Mercury’s retrograde will bring latent factors forward that stimulate a fresh and liberating perspective. It’s all about getting into alignment on a deeper level, and at the end of the process, we’ll see how indispensable it was; however, at the beginning we may feel impatient with it all because we can see what we want just over there, tantalizingly close yet just out of reach. Mercury connects with Mars and Saturn, bringing vital connections to thoughts, circumstances, and people that will help us work through their impending retrogrades. These two planets, the "malefics" of traditional astrology, are so called not because they are "bad", but because humans tend to use them poorly. When a planet is called malefic, its tendency toward ego-expression must be dampened and redirected with more vigor than the other planets. Mars unchecked can lead to aggression; Saturn unchecked is oppressive and deadening. A trine to Mars suggests that we can develop new balance by taking action, but we face a dilemma about what action to take. The "right" action may require more thought and effort, while the easy one that appears so right may be revealed to be a shortcut on a path to nowhere. Mercury’s square to Saturn shows us the flaws in our thinking as we try to translate our ideas into form. With work, we can make the words come out right, but we must work at it, clearing negative thoughts and feelings before we connect the two wires to create light. Mercury’s retrograde ends on February 28, neatly wrapping up just in time for the new lunar month. Until the New Mercury (Inferior) conjunction with the Sun on the 15th/27°04' Aquarius, we are completing the cycle we started November 1, which coincided with a powerful Solar Eclipse. We have been dealing with whatever dissolved or appeared on that eclipse since then, and now we build on the still-emerging factors. We can activate initiatives for Mercury’s new four-month cycle starting on February 15. The lunar cycle that started on January 30 continues the trend of repeat degrees: the lunar events will occur at 11, 18, 26, and 4 degrees as they have since October. This creates a progression of events and gradual development if we have placements at any of those degrees. If Mercury is the headliner, Venus and Mars are on the front page below the fold. Venus has just gone direct on January 31 after a powerful retrograde in the crowded Cardinal signs. Now we know how we are being pulled to shift perspectives in our relationships. We come out of the Underworld of her travels with new agreements and resolves safely tucked in our satchel to continue the 19-month Venus cycle that commenced on January 11. We’ll feel the urgency to act increase over the month as Mars reaches toward its station on March 1. Don’t panic! What happens now is part of a larger pattern that is already moving forward in your life, even if you can’t detect it yet in the visible world. It is heading toward a greater, deeper harmony that will be evident by the end of July. Most of the slow-moving planets are near their new (yearly) cycle’s beginning. The exceptions to that are Jupiter, which is close to the end of its retrograde (November 6–March 6) in Cancer, Jupiter’s exaltation, which brings special blessings. While retrograde, the news may not all be good, but it qualifies as "blessings in disguise", which will be fully revealed once Jupiter goes forward again. Saturn is approaching its stationary retrograde point, and situations which have been setting up since early November now take shape and show us what special efforts are required for its five months of retrograde travel commencing March 2. While Saturn is still moving forward just before its retrograde, there’s a sweet spot where we can see what needs addressing and do what we can to bring greater harmony in that area. It could mean refining a plan, taking an action, establishing a structure, or just putting in the time on routine work. In Scorpio, the focus is on what is hidden. It has particular application in our relationships as we discover how we emotionally isolate ourselves when we really want connection and intimacy. Chiron, Uranus, and Neptune are in the ending phase of their yearly rounds. It’s time to integrate what they have been teaching us, to bring forward their wisdom so that we keep the best of their energies with us as we move into new adventures. Pluto’s new cycle started January 1 with a bang, and we have ample evidence about what it represents to us for the coming year. The hard part is seeing the forest for the trees as the multiple levels on which it operates overstimulate our understanding. In February–March, we will gradually get a handle on what it is teaching. Once each week we have been hitting a lunar hot spot as the Moon goes through one of the Cardinal signs. In January, it was on Monday-Tuesday-Wednesday. In February, the couple days preceding will pack their own heat due as Mercury retrogrades. This is when the pressure to change will feel strongest, while the pressure to act is heightened on the Cardinal days. At the end of the month, we reach the Great Standstill. Four planets are changing direction within a week: Mercury (February 28), Mars (March 1), Saturn (March 2), and Jupiter (March 6). We may feel as if we’re trying to moving lead boulders as this week passes. While movement is impeded, some activity will come through as various other bodies create wiggle room. Our immovability will be directly related to how strongly these planets contact our chart. The more connections, the more we need to stop, look, and listen to prepare for what’s just around the corner.
(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. The Moon in Pisces turns our focus to dreams and healing old wounds, giving us a glimpse of what we’ve been learning from a softer, spiritual perspective. Follow the flow! At 8:34 am (11:34 am ET), the Moon enters its void period in Pisces, which lasts until 8:55 pm, when it makes its ingress into Aries. Luckily, this void is particularly fruitful if we are inclined to take the initiative today. More likely, we’ll feel like withdrawing into a project or a quiet afternoon of planning and organization, benefitting from the Moon’s morning trine to Saturn. Moon in Aries prompts us to hit the decks running, as it connects with the Cardinal planets. Today’s encounters start in the afternoon and provide new insights into how we can overcome the obstacles to the goals we have set, opportunity restored and refreshed. A very late sextile to the Sun augments our ability to capitalize on our experiences. Mercury trines North Node to reveal an opportunity to further our deepest wishes if we can make the connection. It gains potency and significance being the first of three, as Mercury will pass over this point two more times in the next six weeks. Watch for a substantial opportunity to develop based on what we’ve been cultivating in the past four months. The Moon continues to propel us through Aries, finishing its active period in Aries with an illuminating opposition to Mars. It brings clues to what relationship challenges we may be able to overcome during Mars’ impending retrograde. Following that, it is void of course, from 3:14 pm (6:14 pm ET) until tomorrow morning. Jupiter Rx (retrograde) helps us find the path of healing where old wounds are concerned as it trines Chiron for the second of three times. Breakthroughs are possible now. At 1:48 am, the Moon enters stabilizing Taurus, where it makes harmonious hook-ups over the day to augment our mental processes. Mercury commences its latest round of apparent backward travel (Stationary Retrograde) at 1:43 pm PT/3°20' Pisces (4:43 pm ET). We may feel confounded about how to handle the things we’re focused on right now, as this introduces new considerations that we must adjust to. The First Quarter Moon at 11:22 am/17°58' Aquarius-Taurus (2:22 pm ETs helps us see this with more clarity right away, and what we find will prompt our actions in the coming week. This is still in the shaping period of the lunar cycle, when we can think in future tense to decide what we want from this month’s crop of seedlings. The First Quarter Moon takes us from “what if” to “yes, that." It's the Magic Moon, which shines on us at sunset, half-lit from directly above. Part of her face is still in darkness, ready to be defined and illuminated by our feelings, thoughts, deeds, and context. While reshaping our context takes time, (in principle) we have complete power over the other factors. (We do not control them where we are conditioned by others.) The First Quarter Moon completes the picture is a time when we have the most magic to bring the outcomes we want, which arrive on the crest of the wave, the Full Moon. This First Quarter carries forward the Aquarian theme of finding society with those of like mind. With Mercury retrograding today, we may discover that our mind tends in a different direction than we thought. As we’ve moved from thought to plan to implementation of our big changes, we’re gravitating toward different people. This is a good time to explore new parts of society, to come into contact with new groups, whether professionally or personally. The Moon brings forth hard realities that we must deal with effectively in order to enact the magic—therein lies the challenge of the week. Its void period starts at 8:49 pm, lasting until tomorrow. In the chart cast for Washington DC, contentions run high in a situation of international importance. There are firm feet planted in the soil of peaceful resolution, however, and can result in stronger harmony in the long run through deeper mutual understanding. Efforts to provoke conflict are meant to distract from poor domestic/local governance and provide a superficial but deadly prop for a weak economy. The Sabian Symbols for the First Quarter Moon suggest revelations and releases. They are located at 18 Aquarius (the Sun), “a man being unmasked at a masquerade”, and “a woman airing an old bag through a sunny window to give it air and sunshine”. Something must be understood better before we know how to make it a part of our life. Even though we’ve done our work to make it happen, giving it breathing room is the fastest way to encourage growth now. At 10:44 am (1:44 pm ET), the Moon draws us out of our creative process to connect with others as it enters Gemini. We get a new perspective on what we need to communicate and how we want to say it via connections with Mercury and Neptune. We wake up inspired through a Gemini Moon harmony with Uranus. With nothing to impede us, we can make of the day whatever we wish. The morning flies on the wings of the Gemini Moon’s Grand Trine to the Sun and Mars, bringing forth hope, camaraderie, and laughter. A quieter mood takes us inward, perhaps lazily, in the afternoon. At 10:33 pm (1:32 am Monday, 2/10 ET), the Moon’s entry into Cancer opens a door to our unconscious mind, and feelings rise in our awareness. Now that Mercury is retrograde, it makes its second of three trines to the North Node. This helps us fall in the direction of transformation and our path of destiny. We will naturally curve toward improvement, even if that seems to contradict what we see. Today may be a good day to be silent and let the truth be known, but don’t be afraid to speak if called upon to do so. Mercury’s retrograde cannot bring clarity if we don’t flow with what comes. As the Moon moves into the heart of Cancer, it encounters all the major players—today it’s Uranus and Jupiter. This brings forward our ingenuity as we try to imagine enterprising ways to free ourselves into a better future. A feeling of pressure has been rising in the background, now coming to the surface as the Sun squares Saturn. This opens the door of opportunity to get some fast work done on our Saturnian projects—things started in early November. This has to do with an evolution of feeling awareness as well as defining structures on a more visible level. The Moon ripens in Cancer, shedding light on our relationship structures just forged under Venus’s recent retrograde, with new rules and boundaries producing greater harmony. Mercury re-enters Aquarius at 7:30 pm/29°60' Aquarius, taking us back into a drier perspective (10:30 pm ET). We can make decisions with the clarity that comes from a lack of emotion, but feelings must be factored in, or we won’t be happy, or in true alignment. A balance of head and heart is required. This is a good time to be reminded of that as Moon goes void at 2:51 am on a note of agitation, leaving Cancer to enter Leo at 11:15 am. This will brighten us as the Moon reaches Full, which comes while it is still in this sign. The Moon in Leo augments our optimism and inventiveness, a boost for creative work, as it plugs into Uranus, preparing us for a lively Full Moon. The Full Moon arrives at 3:53 pm/26°13' Aquarius-Leo, connecting with a mix of supporting and challenging contacts (6:53 pm ET). It taps into the vigor and desire of Mars to encourage action, but Saturn pulls us back to consider more carefully what we do. If we take our time, the outcome improves. The strongest feature of this Full Moon is the near-conjunction of Sun and Mercury, the New Mercury Inferior conjunction that signals the start of the new cycle. This is a time when we often feel blinded by the light, as old energies burn away and leave room for new ones. This is not generally conducive to taking decisive action, as a Full Moon might suggest. Instead, significant action is likely to be delayed until a few days from now, as Mercury reappears in the morning sky divorced from the Sun’s bright disk once more. The Moon goes void of course at 7:13 pm, reviving us to the call of action when it goes into Virgo at 11:26 pm PT. In the US, this chart shows a calming of international tension. There’s still lots of backroom bargaining going on, and the situation is not completely resolved. This goes for legislative matters as well. Meanwhile, the rights of American workers and their working conditions are a major focus that will result in small beneficial changes in the coming months. The Full Moon evokes the Sabian Symbols of “an ancient pottery bowl filled with fresh violets” (the Sun/27 Aquarius), and “daybreak—the luminescence of dawn in the eastern sky”. Together, they announce a fresh start, a time of blossoming that is enriched by the use of ancient wisdom. The New Mercury cycle commences when Mercury makes its retrograde (Inferior) conjunction to the Sun at 12:22 pm/27°04' Aquarius (3:22 pm ET). With this, we are slowly released to fully express the Full Moon energies. Now we can begin our new efforts based on Mercury’s four-month cycle. The Moon is in Virgo bringing powerful insights from contacts to Neptune and Jupiter. Mercury Retrograde makes its second of three trines to Mars, tying events of January 24 and March 14 to today’s. Actions taken in late January now start to show their benefits. The Moon in Virgo shows us the areas of growth in our relationship life, via the little things we do to provide support and nurturance, often beyond words. At 9:04 pm, it goes void-of-course until tomorrow. At 10:23 am, the Moon enters Libra (1:23 pm ET) to bring forward yet another take on how our relationships are growing. There is a major source of contention that needs to some healing attention, and it is coming into sharper definition now. Today, the Moon gives us a breather, a time to prepare for changes to come. The Sun crosses into Pisces at 9:59 am (12:59 pm ET) to take us into the softer days and snows of winter. Our thoughts take on a more serious bent as Mercury squares Saturn, the second of three. This is the final and most important event of the Mercury retrograde, a climax of insight. We feel like we need to decide something very important. If we’ve been taking our baby steps into the future, the leap is not large, but if we’ve delayed our actions, the jump will require more effort as we try to catch up. As the Moon continues on in Libra, it makes its major connections today. We may see the roots of our next relationship challenges as the Moon attracts powerful new events that bring greater understanding. A trine to Mercury from the Libra Moon shows us a possible way out of our situation—maybe even two. Look deeply to see which will bring the best result, long-term. At 1:52 pm (4:52 pm ET), the Moon takes us into a lull of energy, as it goes void of course. We are reactivated on a more emotional level when Moon enters Scorpio at 7:33 pm. A Sun trine to the North Node gives us the courage to take a new step, invigorated by Mercury’s contacts earlier this month. Better informed, we have more confidence in any decision we feel called to make. As the Moon wends through Scorpio, it hooks up with Neptune-Chiron and Jupiter to create a Water Grand Trine over the day. This brings our feelings to the foreground, and now they can factor into our direction and decisions in a more harmonious way. It’s all about feelings as the Moon transits the last half of Scorpio today. It may be hard to express what we feel in words, but it’s worth the effort to define it nonetheless. A refining process may be desirable before we air them on prime time. At 2:10 pm (5:10 pm ET), the Moon is void of course, giving us a break from the intense effort we’ve been putting in. At 2:12 am, the Moon enters Sagittarius, sign of the Third Quarter Moon (5:12 am ET). This takes us into the integration and wisdom phase of the current lunar cycle, at 9:15 am/4°00' Pisces-Sagittarius. Coming as it does near the degree of the Mercury retrograde station (February 6), it will show us in stark detail how our perspective has changed since then. This is a quieter, more emotional Moon, making it easier for the truth to penetrate our barriers, even if we are resisting it. Commingled in the energies is dreamy Neptune, as the Sun reaches toward its yearly conjunction tomorrow. This Moon will challenge us to think clearly in response to new information without wavering. In the US as shown by the chart cast for Washington DC, the Sun and Neptune are on the Midheaven, showing an effect on the President. President Obama could become ill, or become a representative of the spirit for the nation. The potential for foolish idealism is there, but lies in the eye of the beholder. As the Republican-run House squares off with the President and Senate, it is the economy and its people that suffer from heartless policies. The Sabian Degrees that are activated at the Third Quarter Moon are: (the Sun/4 Pisces) “heavy car traffic linking two seaside resorts”, and (the Moon/4 Sagittarius) “a little child learning to walk with the encouragement of parents”. Both degrees focus on travel to a new location, whether physically or figuratively. The ability to change location is a power and a privilege, and we’re feeling the urge to gain the freedom to move this week. Ironically, this week, we head into a great standstill, as four planets make a change in direction. The Sun conjoins Neptune at 10:11 am PT/5°03' Pisces (12:11 pm ET). This is the beginning of the new (yearly) Neptune cycle of connection with the spirit and the invisible world. The Moon in Sagittarius carries our thoughts and feelings to transcendental heights, and we feel the connection of head and heart once more. Venus sextiling Saturn means that we can see a future of support and love in our relationship life, after what we’ve learned during Venus’s retrograde. Mind the boundaries! At 1:25 am (4:25 am ET), the Moon enters its void period in Sagittarius, entering Capricorn at 5:50 am PT. This opens us to the whole transformative scenario that we’ve been chipping away at, week after week. Keep going. A feeling of opportunity gives way to concerns about the viability of our options as we toss and retoss the possibilities around as the day nears its end. The Moon is in awakening mode, as it connects with Jupiter and Uranus. Jupiter squares Uranus, the second of three times, tying events today to those of August 21 (2013) and April 20. We feel a call to action that brings forward significant progress in our ongoing "big change". Look to the last half of August for what was happening at that time. The story you find there will be furthered now, although the blessings may still be disguised. Chiron sextiles Pluto, the fourth of five contacts that support our ongoing deep healing process. The Moon is in Capricorn for the second day, revealing the fears that limit us as it conjoins Pluto. Then it shows us how to overcome them via contacts with Saturn and Venus. A little hard work is involved, but the result will be good. The Moon enters its void period following a contact with Mars at 2:51 am (5:51 am ET), our last chance to assess the emotional landscape prior to Mars' station in four days. Although we may feel anxiety over what hasn’t happened yet, this is not a time to rush things. At 6:55 am, our tension is reduced when Moon enters Aquarius and makes more soothing connections. A creative sextile to Uranus finishes the day on an uplifting note. The Moon carries on in Aquarius, reconnecting us with the logic that we worked out over the past month as it comes to the degree of Mercury, now at its station direct. We’ll be able to get a clear (and perhaps sobering) view of the work that remains to be done. Several significant events are reserved for the final day of the month:
Add to this Mars’s station retrograde tomorrow (8:24 am/27°32' Libra) and Jupiter’s station direct on March 6, and we are at the Great Standstill. We can capitalize on this pause to engage in maintenance so that the machine is well-oiled and runs smoothly when it comes back to life. The New Moon packs a punch, as it gives us elbow room to focus on what needs healing inside us. If we were to proceed forward at this time, our vision would be distorted, affecting our actions and dimming our outcomes. It is worth the effort to work through what remains of old useless energies and misunderstandings that still hurt. The last of three Venus-Mars squares reaches us tomorrow, a powerful seed in this New Moon that carries the potential for declarations of love based on truth soul connection. The Sun’s imminent conjunction with Chiron shows us where the healing must begin for our new life to blossom in its fullest form. Tears release and carry the power of healing through Pisces. The deeper we feel, the deeper we heal. In the chart cast for the US, the New Moon takes place on March 1 at 2:59 am. With Mars at its station on the Midheaven, once again the spotlight is on the President and his ability to negotiate without giving away the farm to those who are playing a different game, one of dominance and control. Will he hold firm as many thorny problems are brought forward that must be dealt with in the coming few months of Mars’s retrograde? The Sabian Symbol for both Sun and Moon at the New Moon is “men traveling a narrow path, seeking illumination” (11 Pisces). As long as we keep in mind that what we seek is the light, we can keep our priorities straight when others' egos are buffeting us to and fro. While Mars is retrograde in Libra, some people won’t know how to do other than pick a fight. Let’s try to see through to the fear that deludes us into thinking there is no other way, as we (attempt to) master conflict resolution without violence as individuals and as a species.
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© Copyright 2000-2014
Daykeeper Journal. |
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Terry Lamb
