Hi Friends,
Here we are in the second month of 2020. The changes continue as the Sun makes its way through the think-outside-the- box sign of Aquarius. When the Sun visits this sign we feel as if we need to be different with expected surprises and originality. February will feel much lighter than January since the energy has shifted from the heavy earth sign of Capricorn to the airy cerebral sign of Aquarius. This month’s energy is helping us ease into the new vibrations of 2020. 2020 is a leap year which means February has one extra day for us to enjoy. This special day, February 29, gives us the numerology code of 8, (2+ 2+9+ 2+ 0+2+0 = 17 = 1+7 =8) a number representing balance, abundance, and the infinite potential of the soul.

The first sixteen days of the month there are no planets in retrograde; which will be fabulous for moving forward with plans and ideas. It’s a time to make things happen, put the wheels in motion, takes steps towards your long-term goals. However, on February 17th we have the first Mercury retrograde of the New Year. As with all retrogrades it’s a time to revisit, review, revise. This month Full Moon on February 9th in the sign of Leo will help with inspiration that will guide us to feel confident and aligned with where we are on our journey. Also, Neptune, the planet of spirituality will form a sextile with Jupiter, the planet of abundance on February 20th. While this happens exactly on the 20th, it is something we are likely to feel brewing all through the month.

As we begin the second month of the year, we’ll need to turn up the intuition as Mercury enters Pisces on February 3rd. When the planet of reason moves into the watery sign of compassion, traditional methods of making decisions go out the door. In Pisces, the mental activity of Mercury moves into a completely different realm — the world of fantasy and dreams.

Whatever your own method of mental reasoning is, you will undoubtedly encounter people who do not have their feet on the ground during this period. They won’t care about being practical or working toward goals. They’ll just be floating from one experience to another. If you happen to be a practical type yourself, you’ll find yourself wondering how they ever manage to survive in this hustle bustle world. But there’s a lesson there about living in the now — if only for a moment.

Our desires increase on February 8th when Venus enters Aries. Where Venus goes, our hearts go. Her energy relates to the kind of surroundings that make us feel comfortable. She is a yin planet, meaning that she is not so much pro-active, but rather, that what she wants she draws to her. One of the things Venus wants is social interaction. She wants the happy, fun, “meaningful” part of relationships. She is lovely, refined, and beautiful. And make no mistake, she is very seductive.
When Venus is in the sign ruled by Mars, her male counterpart, she gains the energy to go out and get what she wants.

And speaking of energy…our passion and courage are highlighted on February 9th as the Full Moon in Leo excites our senses with possibilities thanks to its connection to mighty Mars. The Full Moon will trine Mars giving us the nerve and initiative to make the first move and take the lead. You will intuitively know what you want and how to get it. This is a good Full Moon for acting on your instincts. You can be direct and assertive without looking bossy or rude, and instead, be admired for your honesty and sincerity. But it also cautions against letting our emotions get out of control thanks to its opposition to the Aquarius Sun. Fortunately, this lunation also helps us to look carefully at a situation before forging ahead into it.

Our motivation shifts gears on February 16th when Mars enters Capricorn. While Mars traverses Capricorn we should really be able to put some steam into getting our work done. Not only getting it done, but being able to get our plans in order so we know what we’re doing. The strong, assertive energy of Mars is quite solid, directed, and comfortable in this earth sign. Capricorn is all serious and business, feet well-placed on the ground. It will have none of this scattered, running around from our man-child Mars. Mars in Capricorn supports our highest ambitions so there is great energy to use here; we may just have to be a little patient and tactical when it comes to how we use it.

On February 17th the first Mercury retrograde occurs in Pisces. As Mercury turns Retrograde in Pisces, letting go of the process of reasoning so that we can understand our feelings better comes to the forefront. This is a very difficult thing to do. We want things to be logical and to fall into an expected pattern. We want them to make “sense”. But Mercury retrograde in Pisces brings us a period of re-learning that we need to get in touch with our spiritual self. We can’t reason that out. It has to understand at a much deeper level. We will be encouraged to slow down and rely on our subtler senses. Our intuition, our gut feelings, our sixth sense are all heightened during this Mercury retrograde, especially one that is moving through a water sign like Pisces.

On February 19th the Sun will enter Pisces bringing with it more intuition, compassion and imagination. Pisces is a mutable, water sign. Mutable means changeable, flexible. Water has no shape of its own, yet it permeates everything and absorbs everything. Its power is deceiving and seductive. And so is the Sun in Pisces. As with the other water signs, when the Sun is in Pisces we tend to absorb the emotions of those around us. We don’t just understand how they feel, we feel what they feel. This is how we learn about compassion. But it can also be a tremendous burden, for not only do we lose ourselves in the process; we want to fix the problems. We can take on responsibility for the whole world if we’re not careful. While the Sun is in Pisces, it is important for us all to take some time alone, to recharge our own batteries, and to find ourselves again.

Last but not least, this month’s New Moon on February 23rd will take place in Pisces as well. Even though Mercury is retrograde until March 10th, this is an excellent moon phase for getting new projects off the ground with a burst of daring energy. The best time for new starts is between February 23rd and the March 9th Full Moon. This lunation will have a spiritual and enlightening influence; however, its harmonious aspects to Mars and Uranus will encourage us to get things done no matter how wild and unpredictable it may be.

Astrologer
Joseph P. Anthony