February is a “9” universal month [2 (February) + 7 (2023) = 9] in a “7” universal year. The number 9 represents transitions and endings – it encapsulates the idea that “what comes around, goes around”: as we finish something, we prepare ourselves to start something new. Nine is a reminder that we need to let go of what no longer serves us to make room for the new. This numerological energy is somewhat out of alignment with the astrological energy of February which is all about (finally) accessing forward progress as we have no planets in retrograde motion for the next three months. This is an indication that for many of us, the work to release the past isn’t quite done yet.
The Set Up
We begin the month with our Sun and Saturn in Aquarius, Mercury playing catch-up in Capricorn along with Pluto, Venus and Neptune in Pisces, Mars playing catch-up in Gemini, Jupiter in Aries, and Uranus in Taurus. By the end of the month, the Sun will have moved into Pisces, Mercury into Aquarius, and Venus into Aries. All planets will be in direct motion all month long.
The Nitty Gritty
February is going to start out with a bang that may or may not seem fun to you depending on what is going on in your life and how you process conflict. The full moon in Leo will reach its peak on Sunday 2/5 so it may feel a bit like the week of 1/30-2/5 just keeps building and building. There’s sure to be a lot of tension in the air. All of the four days prior have intense pricky aspects in play that will all weave together to be brought to a head by egotistical Leo. I say this with all of the fondness in the world (I am a cat lover after all). But anybody who has even met a Leo should know that the Leo full moon of the year is the mooniest of all the moons, or, at least, that’s what they would like you to believe. This is the kind of moon that might make you want to throw a party but, to be sure, it’s also the kind that will make you want to cry if you want to. Though the Sun sextiles Chiron exactly on 2/1, the Wounded Healer will be very much in play all week long which means that all of our long-standing wounds will be lying close to the surface. Additionally, people aren’t going to be getting along – Venus in Pisces will be square to Mars in Gemini whose still caught in his own post-retrograde shadow.
Somebody’s not telling the truth.
That part is probably okay; Venus in Pisces lives for the lies and Mars in Gemini wants to see how much he can get away with. Despite the square, these two signs are not that dissimilar from one another. The conflict is a ruse but it’s unlikely that anybody will realize that they are fighting about nothing.
Additionally, the Sun and Moon will make a t-square to Uranus who is sitting in the middle of Taurus. This is a week to fuck around and find out – Venus is also sextile to our North Node and the north node plus lunar energy will reactivate our eclipse energy. When we experienced our last set of eclipses, the Sun and Moon were in aspect with Uranus just like the Sun and Moon will be square to Uranus now. Things are going to be volatile.
All bets are off. Some people’s lives will be changed. If you don’t want that to be you, lay low during the first week of February leading into this upcoming full moon. But if you are ready to go: Go. Just remember to duck and watch your back, Uranus in Taurus is a natural disaster waiting to happen. This Sun-Moon-Uranus t-square is going to activate that Saturn-Uranus square energy that we experienced four times in 2021 and 2022. There’s still a lot of energy pent up from the vice that Saturn square Uranus had our world in. Now, finally, it can move forward. Saturn is now far away from Uranus (almost out of Aquarius altogether, that’ll happen in March) and we have three months ahead of us with every planet in our solar system in forward motion.
The time is now. (it always is but it really really is, I promise) If the first week of February was about the full moon and our out-of-season eclipse energy, the second week is all about Mercury who is lagging far behind the Sun and Venus as it finishes off its post-retrograde shadow in Capricorn. On Monday 2/6, Mercury will sextile Neptune in Pisces for the third and final time before exiting its shadow on 2/7 and finally meeting up in conjunction with Pluto on Friday 2/10. This is a reunion of old friends- 2022 began with both Mercury and Venus retrograde in a butterfly pattern around Pluto in Capricorn. Whatever has happened since that first Mercury retrograde of 2022, its cycle completes now. Mercury enters Aquarius on Saturday, 2/11. Planetary ingresses always tend to shift energy but this change will likely be even more palpable than normal. Expect people to get chattier for a week as both the Sun and Mercury share the same sign but the sun moves on into Pisces on Saturday 1/18. The third week of February looks to be a bit challenging as the Sun meets up with Saturn in late Aquarius, Venus meets up with Neptune in Pisces, and Mercury activates the lunar nodes. There’s a reconning to be had here, but Venus in Pisces has a delicate temperament and may not want to look at the truth. Beware of putting your head in the sand to avoid seeing the truth. Mercury is playing well in sextile to Jupiter so things could work out for you, but you will need to go in with eyes wide open.
This is a week when you may need to pay the piper, whatever that means for you. The new moon on Monday 2/20 shows that the waters of Pisces are going to rise fast. There’s pain in the air (Mercury sextile Chiron) but Venus is blazing on ahead into Aries and still not looking. This moon is going to be moody AF. Bring some tissues or maybe a mop. Everybody’s gonna get wet. Tuesday 2/21 is a good day for pathworking or trying to beat the odds as Mercury in Aquarius squares off against Uranus in Taurus. Well, a good day if you like a game of chance, anyway. Good luck is not guaranteed. Sometimes that’s the point. The rest of the week is soft and squishy as it always is when only the moon makes aspects with the personal planets. Don’t expect to get a lot done this week, or perhaps, not a lot done easily. The Sun will make a sextile to the North node on Saturday 2/25, it could be a hint of what’s to come if you are open to that sort of possibility. The end of February just fades away like a dream that you can’t quite remember.
The Details
2/1 – Sun in Aquarius sextile Chiron in Aries
2/2 – Venus in Pisces sextile North Node in Taurus
2/3 – Sun in Aquarius square Uranus in Taurus
2/4 – Venus in Pisces square Mars in Gemini
2/5 – Full moon 16° Leo
2/6 – Mercury in Capricorn sextile Neptune in Pisces
2/7 – Mercury exits its post-retrograde shadow at 24° Capricorn
2/8 – Venus in Pisces sextile Uranus in Taurus
2/10 – Mercury conjunct Pluto 28° Capricorn
2/11 – Mercury enters Aquarius, Mars in Gemini sextile Chiron in Aries
2/15 – Venus conjunct Neptune 24° Pisces
2/16 – Sun conjunct Saturn 27° Aquarius, Mercury in Aquarius square North Node in Taurus
2/17 – Mercury in Aquarius sextile Jupiter in Aries
2/18 – Sun enters Pisces
2/19 – Venus in Pisces sextile Pluto in Capricorn
2/20 – New moon 01 °Pisces, Venus enters Aries, Mercury in Aquarius sextile Chiron in Aries
2/21 – Mercury in Aquarius square Uranus in Taurus
2/22 – Mercury in Aquarius trine Mars in Gemini
2/25 – Sun in Pisces sextile North Node in Taurus