Current Transits for February 2010 Current Transits for February 2010Here's some of the important astrological news this month ...
Jupiter Quincunx Saturn, 2-5
Jupiter Sextile Pluto, 2-6
Neptune Return, 2-7
New Moon at 25Aq17, 2-13
Vesta reenters Leo,2-15
Chiron Conjunct Neptune at 26Aq15, 2-17
Juno enters Taurus, 2-23
Full Moon at 9Vi58, 2-28
Hindsight...
An online ephemeris for the month is available.
This may not sound very encouraging, but in some ways, January was just a warm up act for February. Jupiter joins up with Saturn and Pluto, both strengthening and softening the enormous impact of that nasty square. It's this group of slow moving planets that seems to dominate most of the month, acting as the backbone of most of the considerable storm activity in coming weeks. Following up on the Saturn-Pluto square of Jan 31, Jupiter brings in several more "big aspects" that draw our attention to these issues. Of course, Jupiter and Saturn are considered "social planets", energies that color and determine much of our behavior on a community or social level, how we interact others around us on a daily basis. Pluto, on the other hand, is the evolutionary force that breaks down the same old, traditional ways of ordering our lives, redefining these cultural forces from the ground up. You don't have to watch too many news programs these days to understand how completely the givens of our collective lives are being questioned, challenged and broken apart, with the certainties of only a few years ago totally discredited today. If anything, we could use a bit less of Pluto's death and rebirth tendencies, since he also breeds a mood of paranoia and mistrust that is making dialogue extremely difficult. The other theme is the upcoming end of the Neptune knot phenomenon that we've been experiencing since last spring. Except for one more aspect (the last of the Uranus-Neptune semisextiles) in April, the knot is winding down this month. The final return of Neptune to its discovery position and an intriguing conjunction of Chiron and Neptune are the last hurrahs of this slippery knot, although it is going out with quite a fanfare. I can't really say I understand this knot much better now than when we started, but that is the nature of Neptune, the ultimate chameleon of the planetary crowd. The big storm at mid-month is considerably more powerful than anything we saw in January, so brace yourself for the busy chaos we'll be going through. Take a deep breath and get ready for a long ride...
There are 3 "big aspects" in February and 2 asteroids change signs. In addition, there's the final Neptune return to consider.
Jupiter is quincunx Saturn on the 5th. This is the last of 3 such contacts, with previous contacts on 2009-3-22 and 2009-8-19, so we are finishing up this influence. Quincunxes are readjustment aspects, when the planets involved get out of sync with each other and need to realign their influences. Jupiter and Saturn are social planets, ruling over the major institutions of our lives, including the government and economy. The first contact of this series was back in March of 2009 in the darkest days of the recession; last August was a time when public outrage in some sectors over government policies was boiling over. As this aspect winds down, the broader outlook has settled down and stabilized considerably, with some recent news that the economy is growing again. Unfortunately, the employment situation, which hits people more acutely than any bushel basket of economic statistics, has been the last thing to shift. The long term readjustment of our way of life to new conditions has just begun. People want to get back to normal, but the old status quo is dead and gone. That's not good news for most people, who just want to resume a lifestyle that is unfortunately unsustainable. In coming years, these two planets make several more difficult aspects before finally making a helpful trine in 2013, so there are no quick fixes hanging around. Remember also that Pluto is part of the picture (see the next aspect), emphasizing the need to overhaul things right down to the core. People need to accept reality instead of trying to get back to the previous fantasy world we once lived in. Griping and complaining, no matter how satisfying it might feel, solves very little. Get real...
Jupiter is sextile Pluto on the 6th for a quick, one pass aspect. Granted, sextiles are generally good news (at least if you're willing to work with the situation) and Jupiter is often cast as the cosmic Santa Claus, so maybe this aspect isn't so bad. However, this is Pluto (and Saturn) on the other end. Jupiter has been mostly icing on the cake of the Saturn-Pluto square a week ago and that's a harsh energy to disguise. Let's just say that all the changes we are going through may seem more acceptable and palatable -- there actually is light at the end of the (very long) tunnel. It's a good influence for making adjustments in the financial arena, as Jupiter is usually a positive catalyst for money matters. The results probably won't show up immediately, so plan for the future and don't be so concerned about the short term. Too bad that Jupiter is moving quickly in early 2010 -- this aspect is not going to last very long. We could use a break that lasts...
Neptune returns to its discovery position (25Aq52) for the third and last time on the 7th. The earlier instances were on 2009-4-11 and 2009-7-17. (The upcoming direct station of Neptune on Nov 7 at 25Aq55 is a near miss -- think of it as a late flashback.) I've been talking about this influence a lot the last year, but I can't really say we understand this energy any better now than when we started. The world of Neptune is very different from the so-called normal, common sense world most people believe in. This world is one of hidden connections, lack of boundaries, mysterious influences that defy our usual notions of cause and effect. Further, this is the land of the unconscious mind ruled by powers in the psyche that are little understood and lie beyond the light of ego awareness. It's a world of magic and fantasy, where "reality" and "certainty" become very fuzzy ideas. All this sounds like some kind of imaginary world that can't possibly be true, wish fulfillment at its most deluded. It's not the land of hard and fast material reality ("hard atoms bumping into each other") that common sense seems to demand. The truly amazing fact of the first Neptune cycle since it was discovered in 1846 is that science itself is discovering that common sense has been wrong all along, that these magical connections actually are at work on a constant basis. Oh, most scientists would cringe at the mention of magic, substituting phrases like entanglement, acausal influences and the mysterious parable of Schrödinger's Cat instead. But the world of the laboratory is infinitely weirder than what the world of fantasy has produced. For the rest of us who don't wear lab coats, Neptune still has some lessons. One common experience is how the unconscious mind is capable of reaching out to the physical world and creating experiences that mirror the inner world. We create the world in our own image, although we rarely truly know what these hidden images might be. As we head into the second Neptune cycle, it's time to revise common sense to include this funny connectedness. We need to be more conscious of how the inner and outer worlds intersect and our roles in making the world what it is. These energies we talk about, though not tangible like hard atoms may be (or not), are real enough and it's important to take them into account. We are all apprentice magicians now, whether we want to or not. It's time to manifest from wisdom and compassion, not ignorance and delusion. Cleaning up our act can have remarkable results.
Even though the new moon is one of the milder Koz Alerts of the month, it's still an impressive looking chart. There's hardly a weak planet in the entire chart. There are two big groups of planets here. The more dominant 5 degree group includes Mars, Saturn, Pluto, Mercury, Venus and Jupiter in a complex pattern. The 25 degree bunch consists of Sun, Moon, Chiron, Neptune (all in a tight conjunction less than a degree wide -- the knot reborn!), with help from Uranus and Juno.
Our attention is probably focused on the upcoming Chiron-Neptune conjunction next to the new moon, even though the Pluto group is technically stronger. (It's not the first time that Neptune looked more attractive than Pluto!) This part of the chart is pretty intense right now, with all that Aquarius action (5 planets) grabbing our attention. If you have anything in your chart around 25-26 degrees of any zodiac sign, your life is shifting into overdrive. You may be seeing the path opening up for some goal you've been working towards for some time now, as the conjunction clears out the obstacles between you and your dreams. Of course, this is a double-edged sword. In hindsight, you could have been more focused on precisely what you desired. Or you could see where you sabotaged your own plans and unwittingly made them fail. The Pluto group is more subdued and convoluted. The conjunction of Venus and Jupiter in a few days feels really good, as if the universe were behind you all the way. There's some romantic energy in the background, giving a heightened sense of tension and expectation that livens up any love relationship. However, it's still Saturn and Pluto at the core of this pattern -- the tension may be breaking down old structures and relationship patterns, not building them up. Saturn is a realist and Pluto accepts no falsehood, which kind of contradicts the Magician act that Neptune is doing lately. The psyche is full of such contradictions, leaving you the chore of balancing it all out. The next lunar month should be an exciting time, with a start like this.
Vesta backs up from Virgo into Leo on the 15th. She will remain in Leo until May 26, when she returns to Virgo again. Since starting her retrograde cycle on Jan 3, Vesta has been in an inward mood, somewhat removed from outer concerns. Her placement in Virgo has been conducive to such withdrawal, allowing her to putter around the house and retreat from the world. Things get somewhat problematic when she moves back into Leo, a much showier sign. I can see this playing out in several different ways. First of all, when Vesta withdraws, whether physically or emotionally, it's to reconnect with her inner world, her source of power in the realm of the psyche. She finds this revitalizing and enlivening. Despite her attempts to "check out", such inner power often seems to attract others unbidden. Leo is known as the center of attention, not a wall flower, so she may find she's attracting more attention than she cares to. That's a rather annoying outcome when she wants to be on retreat. If she can remain below the radar, this Leo influence may come through as a burst of creative inspiration and activity, perhaps some kind of artistic endeavor. At an even more abstract level, Leo is a symbol of the young, but powerful ego, a sense of individuality that stands consciously apart from the "generic humanity" of the unrealized unconscious. A strong ego is always a prerequisite for exploring the inner world. You need a firm place of awareness to stand within in order to peer into the darkness and seek out the mysterious forces hiding there. This is Vesta as Mystic, meeting the inner world on its own terms, returning with the jewel of great value. This type of path is not likely to gather as much attention as the other paths, but it may be the most satisfying for Vesta personally. Now not everyone responds to Vesta's call, since introverts are in the minority and conscious mystics are even rarer. For many, this placement just doesn't make many ripples. But for the ones that live in Vesta's realm, this is an exciting and rewarding time. Well, assuming you can get away from it all enough to enjoy it. Feed your inner life!
Chiron is conjunct (same place in the zodiac) Neptune on the 17th at 26Aq15, a single pass contact that has been evolving for over a year now and will settle down through the remainder of 2010. This conjunction is the climax of the entire Neptune knot scenario, the final contact in the long series of contacts between Jupiter, Chiron and Neptune in late Aquarius that began last May. It's intriguing to me that the final conjunction involves Chiron, suggesting that the expression of Neptune energy is not as clean and straightforward as might be expected. Chiron often symbolizes parts of the personality that have been neglected or repressed, locked in the old psychic closet and not let loose. It's as if there is some fear or shame attached with realizing that inner Magician, a vague sense that you shouldn't go there for some reason. In terms of traditional religious paths, there is often a strong prohibition against pursuing the inner darkness, as in the common phrase "the dark side". You need to work through such ambivalent reactions, especially the common equation of "light = good, dark = bad" that is useful for the young ego starting out on the path, but a prison for the experienced inner explorer. In fact, the soul often comes in the dark and the quiet, a receptive stillness that gives supportive space for new spiritual experiences to take root and grow. The stuff in the light of awareness is already known and old hat. It's potential to change us inside is limited by familiarity. Mysteries, on the other hand, are pregnant with power to transform us. Another aspect of Chiron that I've sometimes noticed is as an initiation of sorts, a power that turns on new circuits in the brain, allowing us to see and affect the world in new ways. Perhaps this conjunction is also telling us that the time to hesitate or hold back is over. We were given this power and wisdom and now we must learn to use it properly. It's always difficult to nail down Neptune and say what it "really" means. Neptune is such an ambiguous symbol that it means nearly anything, a common problem with unconscious symbols. I hope I've touched on some useful outcomes of the Neptune knot this past year -- I feel like much is still beyond my grasp.
Juno shifts from Aries into Taurus on the 23rd. She will be in this sign until Apr 17, when she moves into Gemini. Juno the Love Goddess may not be completely at home in Taurus, but I can't imagine her complaining too much either. The trouble with Juno in Aries is all the ego clashes and butting heads. She's a Libra kind of gal who wants to make peace in this war of egos. Things quiet down in Taurus. It has a quiet, earthy quality to it that makes it easy to kick back and relax, simply enjoying life together. Taurus is very sensuous and in touch with the physical plane. Juno enjoys the simple pleasures of life together here, time spent with each other, a hearty shared meal, good sex. The life of the body is celebrated here. It's important that material issues (especially money issues) are taken care of so they don't become a disturbing problem in the relationship and detract from the fun. This is a quiet life, but a rewarding one. Take time for each other...
The full moon chart doesn't hang together well. Instead, the chart falls apart into a number of separate little planetary groups, each with a different story to tell. There's no overall theme, however. The Sun and Jupiter are extremely close now, opposite the Moon. Mercury is just past Neptune and Chiron, opposite Vesta; throw in Uranus, too. The group consisting of Juno, Mars, Saturn and Pluto is falling apart and losing strength. Poor Venus is fairly isolated; there's a few other loose ends as well.
Jupiter, Sun and Moon are apparently the focal point of this chart. There's an optimistic, feel good atmosphere now, a sense of well-being, that things are going well, though not exactly smoothly. A good attitude makes up for a host of problems, so keep smiling. If you look closely at your trouble areas, solutions start to percolate in your mind that allow you to get past the blockages. Be creative and ready to bend the rules just a little. A wee bit of fast and loose may clear the way, though whole scale cheating is sure to backfire on you. Besides, the message of Saturn-Pluto has always been it's time to break down the same old ways of doing things, that a new approach is necessary, so some experimenting with novel ways is surely in order. With the Pluto group dissipating slowly, much of the stress and negativity of recent weeks is lessened. Life doesn't look so scary and spooky -- we can relax a bit. We may be walking wounded at times when life gets busy, but at least we're seeing some payoff now and then. Despite the struggles, life is great.
January was certainly a newsworthy month. The big story by far was the Haiti earthquake on Jan 12, just hours after the Koz Alert that was the strongest energy all month. According to the US Geological Survey web site, the earthquake let loose at 16:53:10 EST on Jan 12, with an epicenter around 18.457 degrees North, 72.533 West. The remarkable thing about this chart is how unremarkable it appears. It has few features that I would consider typical for a disaster of this size and impact. More curiously, there doesn't seem to be much in the way of a "trigger aspect" that sets events in motion and says "now is the time!" Frankly, I'm rather puzzled. Perhaps there is some other chart (such as when Haiti became an independent nation) that the earthquake chart is interacting with that I've yet to stumble across.
The chart is more interesting when you bring it down to earth, that is, look at a local space chart. The Ascendent (14Cn45) is off to the northeast, pointing right from the epicenter to the heart of Port-au-Prince, the heavily damaged capital city. There are a lot of planets lying across the other end of this line, as if they are focusing their collective power towards the capital. I also noticed that Mars is passing nearly overhead of Port-au-Prince each day during January, while Pluto passes directly below the city. Maybe that accounts for some of the death and destruction the city endured.
The other "earthquake" in January was the election of Scott Brown to the Senate on Jan 19, upsetting all calculations of the balance of power in Washington. On the eve of President Obama's first anniversary in the White House, all of a sudden the future of his administration is in the balance. Looking at his inauguration chart from a year ago, however, there doesn't appear to be major negative influences going off, so maybe the damage won't be as big in the long run as it appears just after the election. Besides, with elections coming up in the fall, Washington is going to be a crazy town anyway. While it's amusing to watch a circus, that's not really what the country needs right now.