AstroCast: February 18 - March 4, 2015

This edition of AstroCast is dedicated to the memory of Jeff Jawer, a master astrologer whose insightful writing has informed my own. 

We’re at a Cosmos cross roads, with astro traffic patterns requiring well synchronized signals indicating optimum modes of expression at any given moment – assertive, receptive, creative or integrative.  We’re at once in a profound cycle-ending time of synthesis, disconnecting from earthbound baggage to make for a streamlined transition to the next dimension of growth; alternating with sheer impulse-driven exuberance for falling head over heels in love with life and anyone we meet in it; then a third pattern downloads instructions on how to manifest our dreams; and finally a fourth has the potential to catapult us into unknown spheres where we experience a fresh bounty of never before seen/heard/thought data waves that have the potential to jump start any tired routines out of their deeply embedded ruts.  At once somber and joyous, innocent and wise, original and traditional, the intersecting archetypes at play pose a navigational challenge and if we pay attention, we may have an experience of what it feels like to connect with the Cosmos, as our ancestors did before light pollution blindfolded our collective awareness of the vastness beyond our earthly existence.  We could end up embracing enchantment as a discipline and a calling, recognizing it as an essential skill on the path of evolution.

February 18th brings a very rare celestial event with a New Moon at the very last degree and minute of Aquarius.  This is the second New Moon in Aquarius in a row, the first having been at the 0 degree mark, so in essence, the two lunar cycles bookend our experience of the Sun in Aquarius from the true newness of something not quite yet known, to the end point where we gather up all that we’ve learned in a distilled “best of” form, and pack it in our bag as we move to the next level.  Literally a minute after the Sun/Moon conjunction, the Moon enters Pisces and three minutes later so does the Sun.  Although technically the New Moon event occurs within the domain of Aquarius, it very much contains the energetic imprint of the Pisces archetype, not only because the New Moon phase (first of the eight distinct lunar phases) lasts for several days, but also because of its position at the last degree of the sign.  Symbolically that represents the same archetype as Pisces in the position of the last sign of the zodiac, as the gatherer of the concentrated essence of all signs before it.  In Pisces remain the seeds of those signs after their plants of origin have long wasted away.  Therefore, this New Moon is all about refining the message, shaking off the dead husks from our daily routines and taking the heart and soul of what we have learned into a new phase of growth, of which we will only have a vague perception at the beginning of this new cycle.  Occurring at a tense midpoint of the tightening Uranus/Pluto square that will have its last of seven exact hits in less than four weeks, it is certain that anything not functioning optimally in our lives will be rigorously challenged to make a case for remaining relevant.

The Sun’s journey through Pisces over the next month offers us the opportunity to tune into compassion, the ways in which we connect with the larger consciousness system, and forms of expression that touch our souls such as music, poetry, and lots of unconditional hugging.  Whereas the Sun in rebel Aquarius celebrates the unique among the crowd, the Sun in sensitive Pisces sees the unique in every being in that crowd.  Being compassionately all-inclusive, the potential for overwhelm is palpable.  Who wouldn’t have an existential crisis when faced with a mystical mirror encompassing an incomprehensible Cosmos?  It is easy to succumb to the feeling of being lost in that cosmic crowd.  The antidote for the Piscean dilemma is to recognize the individualized self and its purpose for being.  As we are initiated into this new lunar cycle and the Sun’s journey through Pisces, may we focus on identifying the seeds within, what we have gleaned from our life’s path thus far, and prepare the way for the new paradigm shaping up around us.

We should receive an astro assist in focusing on refining our sense of self when Mercury in Aquarius sextiles Saturn in Sagittarius on February 19th.  The third and final pass of this mentally disciplined aspect (previously exact on January 5th and February 5th), we may find we’ve developed a new networking structure or defined more realistic boundaries around existing ones.  With Mercury now picking up speed a week after going direct, our re-shaped perspectives gain more authority in affiliation with this thought-provoking aspect.

February 19th through 25th, we may experience a pre-mature rush of spring as the second distinct current of planetary energy unfolds when Mars and Venus, travelling in tandem in Pisces for the last few weeks, enter Aries and finally experience their exact conjunction.  Mars is the ruler of Aries so is quite at home here, full of himself and ready to assert without restraint in the way of an innocent without fear of consequence.  Venus on the other hand goes against her better nature in the sign that opposes her own natural habitat of other-oriented Libra.  Her inclination to develop relationships while in Aries can burst forth with excitement and spontaneity but may end as quickly as it began once time reveals more than she wants to see or experience.  When Mars and Venus finally have their uninhibited first kiss under the first sign of the zodiac known for its vitality and initiative, even the most sexually uninspired among us may not be immune to feeling even a wee bit randy.  Our grasp of the pre-mature condition of the spring rush may or may not come too late when the amorous duo trine realistic Saturn in Sagittarius.  While the element of fire meeting up in this flowing aspect may kindle a new romance, Saturn’s presence in a harmonious aspect makes sure it will be well managed.  In adventurous, far reaching Sagittarius, Saturn will still want that fire contained, perhaps not in your standard brick fireplace with a spark arresting screen, but more likely in an open fire pit surrounded by plenty of sand under a starry sky, still allowing for that romance to be tended to and sustained for increased longevity.  With or without a willing partner, this power packed creative energy could also be put to use in artistic endeavors, or on any project requiring the alchemical fusion of desire and attraction to manifest a figurative love child.

That love child could take many forms, but she always begins with a dream.  With both the Sun and Pisces’ ruling planet Neptune in Pisces dreams are aplenty right now.  How to manifest them is always the challenging part, generally because we don’t have a clear picture of them, or of the road to travel to bring them down to earth in material form.  February 23rd through 25th, however, we have a window of opportunity to envision the road map when the Sun segues from a square to Saturn to a conjunction with Neptune, thus shining a light on the developing waxing square between the planetary pair that represents the potential for an archetypal dream factory (see last two AstroCasts).  Saturn in square to the Sun generally sets up obstacles of all sorts to get the heart of our solar system to recalibrate his approach to life.  Has he skipped any steps?  Has he gained the skills necessary to achieve his goals?  These are the demands that gatekeeper Saturn makes, settling for nothing less than mastery from his protégés so that they may manifest enduring forms and practices in the world at large with integrity and purpose.  The Sun conjunct Neptune on the other hand experiences the formlessness of never ending space.  His imagination is in a heightened state of pure potential, as is his affinity for the mystical, that which cannot be explained or defined because it is beyond the comprehension of the human mind.  The fusion of Sun and Neptune requires soul vision that has the ability to follow the vibration of a beating heart along wavelengths penetrating deep into the Cosmos.  Their square to Saturn presents a challenge to bring it back home.  The tether that holds us to this earthly reality nonetheless wants to be enchanted by the cosmic matrix from whence we came.  Any plan, project, system, union or other mechanism by which we operate as humans can only come alive and participate in our collective evolution if it is infused with the soul of the universe, the anima mundi as Richard Tarnas puts it, the divine spark in matter.

We may get a jump-start to ignite that divine spark March 1st through March 4th when five planets align within the 14° to 15° range, with faster moving Mercury and Venus simultaneously triggering two major outer planet configurations: the second of three trines between philosophical Jupiter and Uranus the awakener (their first was on September 25, 2014, the last one will be June 22, 2015); and the square between Uranus and transformational Pluto, an era defining signature that began rocking our world in earnest in 2012 and will have its seventh and final exact hit on March 16th but will continue its bell curve orb of influence for several years to come (more on that in the next AstroCast).  The Messenger of the Gods activates the bundle first, evoking the spirit of thunder and lightening to shake up our perceptions and jolt us to full and present attention where we have the potential for clarity to see only that which is, for what it is.  If we don’t manage to remain neutral in the here and now we risk sending and receiving only exaggerated projections meant to manipulate with high shock value.  Jupiter in Leo trine Uranus in Aries is the keynote event within this bundle, archetypally representing a thunderbolt of fiery inspiration that may hurtle us through a wormhole.  It may take some time to integrate this still unfolding event, but once we are on the other side we may find ourselves in an outer world sense more intimately involved with new and innovative systems to manage our lives, or internally at a new level of metaphysical understanding with increased joy and a lot less psychic baggage.

The Goddess of Love, Art and Beauty hanging with the big boys Jupiter, Uranus and Pluto again puts her considerable feminine strengths to work to ensure their encounters yield more than an exclusive gathering of the good ol’ boys club.  Interested in harmonious relations between human beings and also between each individual and her environment, Venus’ influence brings about balance at increasing levels of abstraction.  She wants the world to be more inclusive of women in the sense of how it is run, but also intrinsically for all of us, she seeks balance between right and left brain functions, between anima and animus, and between form and essence.   Venus in trine to Jupiter increases her value and confidence, and gives her a knowing that there is enough for all.  Side by side with Uranus in Aries, she is the pioneer seeking new ways of loving and expressing through art.  In a socio-political sense, she is also represents the restless contemporary woman feeling completely confined by the roles dictated to her by a man’s world.   Venus’ square to Pluto, backed by rebel Uranus, is a high-stakes challenge to the patriarchy to transform and become more inclusive of the feminine principle.  On a personal level, her relationships may begin to look a lot different, not because the others in her life have changed but because she has at the deepest level.

Here’s the data:

*Times where noted are Pacific Time Zone.  

**Degrees where noted are rounded to the nearest whole degree.

February 18th – Moon conjunct Sun (New Moon) at 29’59” Aquarius at 3:47 p.m.

February 18th – Moon at 0° Pisces at 3:48 p.m.

February 18th – Sun at 0° Pisces at 3:50 p.m.

February 19th – Mercury sextile Saturn at 4° Aquarius/Sagittarius at 5:06 a.m.

February 19th – Mars at 0° Aries at 4:12 p.m.

February 20th – Venus at 0° Aries at 12:06 p.m.

February 21st – Venus conjunct Mars at 2° Aries at 9:13 p.m.

February 23rd- Sun square Saturn at 5° Pisces/Sagittarius at 5:56 a.m.

February 24th – Venus trine Saturn at 5° Aries/Sagittarius at 6:58 a.m.

February 25th – Mars trine Saturn at 5° Aries/Sagittarius at 7:09 p.m.

February 25th – Sun conjunct Neptune at 7° Pisces at 8:55 p.m.

March 1st – Mercury sextile Uranus at 14° Aquarius/Aries at 7:55 a.m.

March 1st – Mercury opposite Jupiter at 15° Aquarius/Leo at 1:15 p.m.

March 3rd – Jupiter trine Uranus at 15° Leo/Aries at 4:27 a.m.

March 4th – Venus trine Jupiter at 14° Aries/Leo at 7:14 a.m.

March 4th – Venus conjunct Uranus at 15° Aries at 10:46 a.m.

March 4th – Venus square Pluto at 15° Aries/Capricorn at 7:15 p.m.