Current Transits for February 1998 Current Transits for February 1998Here's some of the important astrological news this month ...
Mercury conjunct Neptune, 2-2
Jupiter enters Pisces, 2-4
Jupiter semisextile Neptune, 2-5
Venus Direct Station at 18Cp28, 2-5
Jupiter octile Saturn, 2-8
Asteroid Follies
Full Moon at 22Le29, 2-11
New Moon/Total Solar Eclipse at 7Pi55, 2-26
What a difference a month makes! Neptune's entrance into Aquarius on Jan 28th was a much more noticable event than I was expecting. Within hours of this energy shift, there was a marked change in people's overall mood and attitudes. A air of confidence, optimism, and a feeling of release burst suddenly upon the scene. February is mostly about the further unfolding of this new energy in our lives. After Neptune makes it's initial contacts while in Aquarius (with Mercury and Jupiter), this fresh way of approaching life is here to stay. With 4 sign changes and Venus going direct again, novel directions are opening up for us. And the month closes out with a powerful solar eclipse on the 26th that should lock in these changes for many months to come. Life is speeding up once more, but it should be an exciting ride!
There are plenty of exciting astrological events in February to watch. Of course, Neptune's efforts at further consolidating his Aquarian beach-head is the main headline of the month. But there are also 2 big aspects, Venus' direct station, 4 planets changing sign, and a total solar eclipse to contend with. Change is going into overdrive, it seems. At least it won't be a boring month...
An historical note: I generally use a 9 degree orb for conjunctions. By this yardstick, the Uranus-Neptune conjunctions of 1993 are finally over this month as these planets pull out of orb for the first time. It "only" took 10 years for this spiritual wake-up call of an aspect to rise and fall -- it's been quite a ride!
As I discussed last month, Neptune entered Aquarius on Jan 28th, right after the new moon. Even though that new energy seemed to check in right away, it's taken several days for Neptune to start saying "Hello" to the neighbors in its new home. The first contact (besides the Moon), is when Mercury passes right over Neptune on the 2nd. Despite the high octane mental energy that Aquarius provides, Neptune-Mercury combinations are notorious for confusing issues, clouding the brain cells, and causing misunderstandings and mix-ups in communications. Strive for clarity in your thoughts and in all your dealings with others -- this kind of practice will be useful in the long run. This combination of mental and emotional influences is a signal of how to operate in a more integrated fashion.
Jupiter moves from Aquarius into Pisces on the 4th, just prior to contacting Neptune. Pisces is a pretty natural place for Jupiter to hang out, since he used to be the ruler of that sign until Neptune hit the scene. This transition takes some of the "mental edge" off Jupiter, and restores a more emotional, mystical side of that planet. There's a spiritual or mystical component to both Neptune and Jupiter, as well as Pisces, so this coming year may serve to expand or increase our more subtle impressions of the spirit/energy side of reality that lies below the surface. Be more alert to "vague intuitions" and hunches that (more often than not) serve to guide us when the rational mind is lost. Jupiter remains in Pisces until 99-2-12, when it slips into Aries.
The next trigger for Neptune is also one of the "big aspects" of the month. Jupiter is semisextile Neptune early on the 5th. Jupiter is a mental planet of sorts, but it is also bringing in much optimism and confidence to an uncertain situation. As a mental planet, Jupiter looks at the big picture and the broad philosophical underpinnings of the situation. With Neptune looking after the part of the psyche that harnesses emotion to create the world around us, it's quite likely that this is a time to gain a deeper understanding of exactly how we weave the strands of our lives together to get different patterns. Emotions and intellect united are a powerful, even magical, combination. At the very least, this contact should improve your mood and disposition, making the burdens a little lighter and more pleasant. Note that this aspect is part of a larger 13 year cycle that began 97-1-9, when Jupiter and Neptune were conjunct (27Cp09) at the beginning of the Grand Finale.
Also on the 5th, Venus is standing still (at 18Cp28), about to resume normal forward motion in the sky. Venus went into reverse gear 97-12-26, right after Christmas. During this time, the emotions and instincts haven't been operating with their usual clarity. A kind of general malaise has been common, a lack of enthusiasm for living. Many people have mentioned to me how their usual habits and instinctive ways of behaving seem to be backfiring on them. It's been hard to attract happiness and contentment into our sphere. As Venus starts to move forward again, this foggy cloud over our feelings will slowly lift and the emotional life will return to a semblance of normal. It should be noted that this retrograde cycle of Venus has been intimately connected with Neptune's passage into Aquarius. Not only are they both related to the feelings and heart energy (Venus and Neptune are sometimes called the Lower and Higher Heart, resp.), but Venus has been moving back and forth over Neptune since December. The first 2 contacts were in Capricorn, but the last (coming up on March 6) is in Aquarius. Its as though the heart centers were helping each other reach to a new level, breaking through old barriers that prevent us from loving and feeling in an uncompromising manner. I've had the feeling lately that a newly emerging theme has to do with "coming from the Heart" -- we need to break through habits and pretenses that keep us from being authentic with one another.
The other "big aspect" happens several days later, when Jupiter and Saturn are octile on 2-8. Jupiter-Saturn contacts usually have broad social implications, since they rule the privileges and responsibilities of being a member of the wider social milieu. In fact, this contact is the beginning of the end for the 20 year cycle that began in 1981 (when Reagan took office) and will peter out around 2001. This is not a time when things are going smoothly in the outer world. It may seem like there's too many responsibilities and too few rewards for your efforts, unless you've been working very hard for a long time. It's a period when the conflicts and problems in society are coming to a head, threatening to tear apart the web of agreements among us that give us the illusion of living together in a "civilized" fashion. Fortunately, this is a fleeting influence, not a long drawn out affair, so I wouldn't get overly worried. Still, this is a time to start thinking about what we've learned the last 2 decades in our private lives and in the public arena, seeing what should be conserved and what needs to be corrected. Make a mental note of any areas in your public life where things aren't working right. If you don't make the necessary adjustments, I'm sure the outer world will be happy to do it for you.
The other sign changes this month are all asteroids. Vesta shifts back into Taurus on the 9th, after spending part of it's retrograde cycle in Aries (she exits that retrograde zone on the 14th). Vesta is about integrity, being faithful to yourself, honoring that spiritual spark that enters the world through you. Our power in this world ultimately can only come from deep within us. As Vesta slips into Taurus, there's a need to establish a stable foundation for yourself on the material plane. Everyday living must support and express the spirit within at all times. There's probably a tendency to focus on creature comforts in coming weeks, especially making the home and surroundings more pleasing. Vesta moves into Gemini on 4-27.
Ceres slips from Pisces into Aries on 2-19, remaining there until 5-6. Ceres is about nurturing and protecting -- she's the Great Mother of the planetary set. This kind of selfless love is a natural with Pisces, but seems very out of place in Aries. Perhaps this is a time when we withdraw our concerns about others and take care of ourselves for a time. If you give all the time, eventually you have nothing more to give. Part of living is to accept as much energy and nourishment from the universe as we can possibly stand and let it flow unimpeded to the world around us. In this way, we are fed as we help others. If you need to recoup your reserves awhile, give yourself the time to withdraw from service temporarily. You're of greater help to the world with a full tank than an empty one.
And Pallas exits Aquarius for Pisces on the 27th (until 6-20). Pallas normally has a brand of wisdom that includes a broad vision of the whole process going on. In Pisces, this vision takes on a depth that comes from joining the heart and the intuition together. Thought processes take on a more universal point of view, free from boundaries and petty distinctions. It could also make your thinking more fuzzy and tainted by personal feelings that don't ring true, so don't snap to judgment even when matters seem perfectly clear. There's a real interest in helping the underdog now -- just be certain the object of your helping hand is truly deserving.
The first stage of intense change is usually a clearing away of the old, outmoded structures that supported the previous status quo, in order to make room for new forms that will give rise to the next situation. The new moon on Jan 28th was like the alarm clock going off for us. We'd been lulled into a state of lethargy and resignation, a feeling that things weren't ever going to change or get better. Suddenly, all that negativity is shown to be an illusion in no uncertain terms. The air of confidence and optimism as Neptune changed signs appeared abruptly and unmistakably. If the entire mood of living could change so radically, what other assumptions and illusions are we clinging to that are also holding us back? This full moon is a time of testing of this original transformative impulse. As it brings us new insight and inspiration, it also exposes within us the ideas and beliefs that must decay and be released. There's a sense of catabolic activity (a breaking down of structures) at this stage of the game, as though the old patterns can't stand the new light. Among these are some cherished notions about your own identity, since the Leo Moon is often prone to ego games of self glorification. In fact, far from being frightening to let go of our pompousness, it can sometimes be a relief to drop our stuffy pretentions. Clear as much room as you can the next two weeks. Let go of any notion that no longer works for you. In short order, the house-cleaning will prove its worth...
The new moon on the 26th is also a total solar eclipse. While there is a lot of new age hype out there surrounding this eclipse, I wouldn't downplay its effects in the slightest. Eclipses are the heralds of important changes, often spreading their influence for 6 to 12 months into the future. Since this is an extended period of intense transformation anyway (with Neptune in Aquarius cranking the knob to the right yet another notch), it's difficult to imagine this eclipse not having a major effect on us. This is not something to worry about, despite the ill-deserved bad reputation that eclipses have in traditional astrology. People fear unwanted changes, but often that's exactly what our lives need (whether we know that or not). If you're willing to grow and learn , this should be a powerful time for you.
With Pluto in a very tight square to the eclipse, it's a major understatement to say this ushers in a time of transformation. There are 5 bodies in Pisces, a very selfless sign, so the shift is away from the individual and towards a more global point of view. Since Pluto is slowing down, preparing to go into reverse gear on 3-10, some big dramas are being sown into our lives in order to catalyze crucial changes and growth processes. It is important to avoid selfish motivations in coming months, working for the greater good as much as possible, since Pluto is very unforgiving about manipulative behavior now. If you are familiar with "energy working" techniques of any kind, this is an ideal time to cast your vision into the future and help bring about a higher outcome. If you aren't familiar with this, simply visualize how you'd like your world to be in a year and let the universe know it's important to you. I feel it's getting easier to bring about change (as part of this Aquarian energy) lately, so it's time to start flexing our muscles. We can achieve our highest potential only when we get out of our own way, and these kinds of rituals can help us cooperate with ourselves more. It may take many months for all these changes to finally work their way into our lives, but that's no reason to not get started now. Just be clear (as much as possible) where you want to go!