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by Boots Hart February starts out as a month when we reflect on the recent past as we move on, rebuilding and changing our methods in the eternal commitment to variations on me-versus-them. During February, recollections begin to give us glimpses of self-understanding. How have we come to be who we are? How have we come to where we are in life? During the Sun in Aquarius period we ponder the ideas which have led to recent events and to the developing of current goals. Question: will these goals serve you as a person in the long run? Once the Sun moves into Pisces, events arouse greater reactions and emotive reactivity. We feel our feelings. We react to our own reactions—or the lack thereof. It’s all a basis for understanding the ongoing Mars retrograde, which like so many threads once knotted now begins miraculously, sometimes painfully, to unravel in life and mind. This starts with a series of realizations on how you have/haven’t focused on your "stuff," and how that has either delivered or denied important perspective. Reflecting the Aquarian Sun and Venus currently in tandem, we either see our shortcomings or remain entirely blind, apparently by choice! And this is likely to be especially and painfully true when the thing avoided is closest to things we hold dear. It’s as if we can’t bear to see the truth. Any time the Sun is conjunct a "personal planet" (Moon, Mercury, Venus or Mars) we tend to suffer from this type of short-sightedness. It’s as if the Sun is so bright and so brilliant that it blinds us to all else save the optimal quality that planet/sign offers at the moment. And since currently that’s Venus in Aquarius, the value of the group and belonging to that which "pays" you personal dividends (psychological income?) are likely to take precedence over much else, nevermind kindness, civility and integrity. And yet…it’s not like we don’t know what’s going on. We do. Mercury transiting Capricorn is a sure sign that we know the difference between what will or won’t bear structural, mortal weight in the long run. But will we heed that knowing? Maybe, but that’s a different question. For most of us, discussions in present tense somehow trace back to things we got into (encountered, heard a lot about) around Christmas and Kwanzaa, as Mars and Mercury went retrograde (Mars on the 20th of December and Mercury on the 26th). That double header station/retrograde was a gift which is apparently just going to keep on giving for a while—if not entirely to our comfort! But at least we know the root of it all: where you are now definitely depends on how you dealt with motivations of the time. So this is not about what you did, but how (Mars) and why (Mercury) you did it. Those who thought strictly in terms of personal wants of the moment have probably encountered challenges (or at least felt heavily conflicted). Those who pulled back from same, or who took steps to play their hand with balance have fared better. Not that everything’s been perfect, mind you. Either way, things have been bumpy. Many things for many people took turns during December's waning days. But to what point? Theoretically, the point would be all about revelation: the revealing to you of who you are in all your touchingly, famously imperfect humanity. Now, on February 3, as Mercury exits the shadow of its rather dog-eats-self December retrograde, we’re seeing what worked. What went down. What the real lessons, costs and benefits of that period were. So now we begin to build on gains. Even on some miscalculations. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves…Mars is still retrograde. And yes I know—that just can’t end soon enough, right? Well okay—it can’t. But in the meantime, there’s more internal ‘fessing up to do, especially in areas about how to make life work, nevermind all the intimate details. In other words, it’s time to think long-term. That’s a hallmark of Aquarius and of the 11th house which, as social as it can be (and yes, it is!) is also societal, telling us that Aquarius and the 11th are about Things Social as a basis for individual long-term growth, which must also work in the greater (societal/social) marketplace. If/where it doesn’t, eventually we come to grief, undermined by our unwillingness to invest honest effort and integrity in something of sufficient breadth and human potential to actually support the whole of our lives long-term. So that’s the general February backdrop against which we come to a few significant details, the first of which occurs on February 5 (February 4 for those living in the Pacific Basin area), as Jupiter at 4 Pisces perfects an inconjunct to Saturn at 4 Libra. First, a bit about Jupiter. Jupiter is always about the process of acquiring knowledge; testing what we know, as we reckon with the cost of actually knowing. And not knowing (or not heeding the knowledge we have). We can either know "not enough," or know "too much." And since times change, we’re not allowed to be static and set in stone. All this is very much why in Greek myth Jupiter (as Zeus, Olympian honcho-god) figures in so many stories about humans learning to live as decent people and not just indulgent pig-headed, lustful, greedy, self-entitled folks. (That, Zeus saved for himself—leaving the debate of why Greek myth says this is okay for a god and not a person as an entirely different question.) Because Jupiter is currently transiting water sign Pisces, this "knowing/learning" is now emotional, with 4 Pisces, specifically, being about how big and little life patterns are at some level, reflections of each other. One will not work right when the other is broken, missing, or out of whack. Because this is a "Pisces concept" we also add the basic Pisces mantra about allowing ourselves not to know. Ultimately Pisces (and our horoscopic 12th house, whatever the sign on its cusp) tests our ego until we release said ego and accept reality as reality. Until that time, ego produces confrontations which force us to own the results, be they physical, mental, emotional, financial, social—you name it. And just in case you’re one of those "anti-ego" people? Think again. Your ego is driving you to claim that. All this is yet again an echo of December’s Mars/Mercury pattern. At that time, issues centered on the direction you were taking in your world. Now as Jupiter conjuncts Persian royal star Fomalhaut (at 4 Pisces), the ideals and dreams then held as motivation are revealed. Those which were/are noble, bear fruit. Those which were/are corrupt bring loss, confusion and regret. On the Saturn side, Saturn in Libra is a two-and-a-half year lesson in what it takes to be the person who gets those reactions you want to get from life, with the 4 Libra exactitude being a highlight on questions of quality. At its simplest, this is likely to manifest as wanting to be seen as "the Master"…or good enough to be received, taught and cherished by a Master (Teacher) of some sort. But beyond this is something more vital, a message about our being not only people in our own right who have a finite number of days in which to live our lives, but that we are part of a far greater process. We are each a vessel through which things come into being and are contributed to a vast existence extending far beyond our (Jupiterian) knowing. Given the exacting quality created by Saturn the Taskmaster energizing this dynamic, things may seem in all senses, "critical." You may feel tempted to limit "exposure." But is that productive? Can you do the thing well which you will not do? Can "they" always be at fault when this is a cause/effect universe where we are always drawn by an emblematic quality of like attracts like (otherwise known as water seeks its own level)? Our life is always about us—and yet it is about so much more, as well. Our legacy is the effect we will have on this world. Or not. Life is not just about what we want but about what we should do. It’s about holding ourselves to highest standards not because if we don’,t the lesson will come around to us again (and again), but because everything we do affects all else. We are the pond, we are the stone being dropped in that pond and we are moved by ripples flowing through that pond. And when we take the Pisces Jupiter and add to that the Libra Saturn, we get qualities/situations which emotionally confront us with the need for theoretical developments within ourselves, so that upon this base, personal progress can be founded, enacted and successfully implemented. With both planets in early degrees of their signs we also know the issues are personal and action-oriented: they are about what we are doing with the Jupiter/Pisces cause/effect. This all comes down in part to how well we do/don’t know our emotional basis of operation. To this we then add the inconjunct. Inconjuncts (also known as quincunxes) come in two "flavors," either of which indicates an adjustment. Inconjunct version one is here measured from Saturn to Jupiter, giving us a 150-degree quincunx implying that in order to achieve a balance which is healthy or serviceable, some adjustment needs to be made to our (Jupiterian/Pisces) emotional stance or an adjustment needs to be experienced emotionally. It’s likely to (at the very least) involve some discomfort, and this is a lesson you are learning. Inconjunct version two is here measured from Jupiter to Saturn, a 210-degree aspect about learning what quality and "mastery" of self is really all about. The suggestion here is that you’ve tipped the scales too far and are facing something that doesn’t or can’t work. The 210-degree inconjunct is always interactive, where the 150-degree inconjunct is a conversation within the self, so here we can expect to need to face some sort of emotional risk, whether we act or don’t act. There are no magic solutions to this moment: it’s innately uncomfortable for everyone. So don’t take it personally—this is not immortal condemnation, just a lesson. Some will weather it better than others, but don’t be fooled: appearances now deceive. And those who do seem to skate by? Look to their paying an even bigger karmic price—probably come 2011. Recalling other conversations about Saturn/Jupiter and their importance as the planetary pair all about how we humans build "load-bearing" life structures, this asks that we also think back to May 2000, when Jupiter and Saturn began their current 19.86-year-long synodic cycle. Occurring in the last third of Taurus, we know this cycle is about building values and self worth and ultimately, personal security. It’s just that it’s not an easy process. As Jupiter sextiles Pluto on February 6, this testing (and perhaps testy) period comes into a moment when we have an opportunity to "find what was lost," repair damage and rebalance equilibrium. As this may involve a test of ego against acceptance, what do you really want? What’s worth the risk, cost and effort? Adding to the mix du jour, as of February 7 Neptune crosses the point at which it will station and turn from retrograde to direct motion in November, 2010. Yet it doesn’t exit the shadow of last year’s cycle until February 22. What does this mean? Probably indecision. Confusion. Overlapping issues and interests—and yes, maybe deception (possibly of one’s self!). Considered the symbol of hard-line ego dissolution, Neptune is hardest on those with "need to know" and "control" issues. At the same time, it’s liberating to able to trust—providing we're neither kidding ourselves nor indulging our desires at cost to someone else. Neptune, secondary ruler of Pisces, symbolizes all which is antithetical to tangible, willful limitation—its symbolic mission is the unity not of one with one, but of one with All. The whole Jupiter/Saturn inconjunct vibe remains in flux until around February 22, which interestingly is the same day Neptune will exit its overlap period. In the meantime, Mercury enters Aquarius on February 10 and Venus enters Pisces on February 11. What with all else going on, this may well herald a period when we're motivated to be a bit kinder to others. Even ourselves. But let’s not be ridiculous here: though known for bright wit and high humor, Mercury in Aquarius can also manifest as extremes of exacting detail and/or the complete disregard for same, leading to dire mistakes. And while the sensitivity and vulnerable receptivity of Venus in Pisces can set the stage for romance, connection, and deep understanding even of the most difficult things, it can also signal a disregard for reason and rationality. Both are possible. Even likely. So be aware, especially as we hit a Mars moment where Mars at 4 Leo (and still retrograde) opposes Mercury at 4 Aquarius on February 12. Astrologically infamous as a moment of confrontation or conflict, any Mars opposition of Mercury can also time a moment of stunning revelation. In retrograde, this is likely to be about who you are, who you are/have been to someone else, or who you want/don't want to become. For those calendric in orientation, try looking back at the weekend of October 24-25, 2009. Did you do something then which now rings a bell? If so, reconsider the dotted line between then and now. And if you’re asking "is it important that this transit is also at 4 degrees of a sign?" give yourself an astrological brownie point: it is indeed worth noting. All first decan degrees (degrees 0 through 9 of any sign) are personal. They’re about who we are and what we do. To have that emphasized time and time again during a given period, especially with Mars (action, assertion) and Saturn (responsibility, structure, accomplishment, limits, dedication, respect, time, leadership, reality) in retrograde tells us this is a moment of reconsideration. For looking within. For questioning our motives and maybe adjusting a few thoughts, plans and attitudes. That these two symbols are now inretrograde in Leo (my personal pleasure) and Libra (what I do in this world) asks that we understand that what and who we are creates who we become, whether that’s who we mean to be or not. Come February 14 (February 13 in the Americas and Pacific Basin) a New Moon at 25 Aquarius stands conjunct Neptune and Chiron at 26 Aquarius, with the whole in a 30-degree (ego-prodding) semi-sextile to the Solar Eclipse of last January 15. Will this soften your tone with a touch of humanistic reality? Or will you get yanked down out of whatever cloudy daydreams you’ve drifted off into? With Chiron in this equation involves either a not knowing how, or a loathed idea. It may also require that you give up some sort of pre-conceived "identity," "role/function" or "limit." With Venus conjunct Jupiter sextile Pluto on February 16, (re)construction is highlighted. It’s possible now to open a door to totally unexpected and transformative experiences. Just be sure to deal from a position of moderation lest you find you’ve unleashed a detrimental obsession. How do we know the difference? Sorry to say but it’s that same old duo: ego and reality. The higher the "power" and fantasy" quotient, the less "reward" in "reality" you’re likely to emerge with…though it may take a while to realize the full cost of the loss, so to speak. As the Sun enters Pisces on February 18, the clearly airy Aquarian "theoretical vibe" gives way to an astrological month where themes are about need and compassion balanced against the risk of being overwhelmed by your own emotions. As Neptune clears the shadow of its prior cycle come February 22, issues left lurking since last May’s end finally fade. But watch out for things which aren’t what they seem (or are hyped as) come February 27. Though this is a fine time for stimulating entertainments and spiritual, meditative or romantic interludes, there is also some tendency to deceive in the moment’s mix. To those willing to face their "dark side" and/or "animalistic bent," the Full Moon of February 28 at 9 Virgo with Sun conjunct Jupiter/Kallisto offers liberation and "heavenly redemption" IF and where you’re prepared to pay "the price." If not, knowing why you have hesitations is a more manageable, but just as worthy goal. For some, February may feel like the end of all. And yet it’s not. Mars is still retrograde, though it’s about to go direct—next month, as it happens. Not soon enough? Maybe not. On the other hand, maybe it’s just far enough away for you to get your understandings in order and prepare to be more of who you want to be. It’s a time of new beginnings, but not those we probably most suspect…or even hope for. And therein lies cause to ponder. Boots Hart, CAP For more information on cycles and symbols in this article please look for the following articles in the Daykeeper Journal archives:
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