February Horoscopes

Astrology of February
Current Configurations
Past Months

Aries	Libra
Taurus	Scorpio
Gemini	Sagittarius
Cancer	Capricorn
Leo	Aquarius
Virgo	Pisces

February 2007

Current Astrology

	The Sun is in Gemini
	The Moon is in SagittariusThe Full Moon is in Sagittarius: All day
	Moon Void of Course 8:24 pm to 6/5 12:31 am
	Next Mercury Retrograde Aug 23 - Sep 15

Current Configurations

by Henry Seltzer

The Full Moon that takes place at the very beginning of the month, on February 1st (), is a dynamic one full of spiritual import. For one thing, the Sun conjuncts Chiron, bringing our past patterns of wounding into greater conscious awareness for us at this time. And since the Moon itself, opposite the Sun, is in Leo and moving to its conjunction with Saturn, the past and its inherent limitations are even more emphasized. All this while Saturn in retrograde nears its opposition with the vast and mysterious secret worlds within worlds represented by Neptune. It's a deeply reflective time that begins an even more deeply reflective month, as signaled also by the Moon's Sabian Symbol, "An old sea captain in his rocker." This symbol represents the past in contrast with the contemplative present.

The Last Quarter Moon of late Friday evening, February 9th (), introducing the second weekend of the month, aspects both Saturn and Neptune quite closely. The Moon in Scorpio squares Saturn and Neptune, as the Sun, just past its conjunction with Neptune, opposes Saturn almost exactly. Venus is also exactly conjunct the North Node at this time, squared by Jupiter. This is a very spiritual configuration. In addition to the "crisis of consciousness" represented by the Last Quarter, when we must face the consequences of our choices over the preceding three-week period since the previous New Moon, and learn from them. The Saturn – Neptune opposition, nearing its perfection, brings a dose of the same energy into the picture. Do we dare to ride out our dreams to their fullest extent, or must we give in to the necessity of practical limitation? The answer is, as always, a little of both. And if we do give in, can we rise above disappointment to a philosophical detachment or must we succumb to despair? And here the answer is entirely up to us.

Mercury retrogrades on the evening of Tuesday the 13th (). There is a lovely Yod formation implicit in this chart, also emphasizing the closing Saturn – Neptune combination. Mars and Venus, in perfect sextile, both make an aspect to Saturn. This pattern calls out for balance, between the sexes, and between the warring portions of our psyche, as the Neptunization of Saturn continues to unfold. We may be faced with spiritual necessity but we are equally facing the spiritualization of the physical world.

The New Moon is Saturday, February 17th (). This is a dynamic New Moon, blunted by the Mercury retrograde period still in effect, which hints that we'd better go slowly and make no radical departure of judgment at this time. Coming in the last degrees of Aquarius, the Sun and Moon are widely conjunct Neptune and opposite Saturn in Leo, and so still supporting their powerful opposition. Saturn stands alone, apart from all the other planets, therefore emphasizing the necessity side of the equation. The New Moon exactly sextiles Pluto, harbinger of transformation and lasting change, and is quintile Jupiter as well. The Sabian Symbol is "A butterfly emerging out of its chrysalis." Marc Edmond Jones calls it a symbol of uncompromising faith in the promise of existence. May it be so for all of us.

The First Quarter Moon of Friday, February 23rd (), comes along a week later, to remind us that not all of our creations will have the room and stamina to grow. Mercury is in the midst of its retrograde, still in early Pisces, having just backwardly conjuncted the Sun that day, so in addition to the tension of the Moon's First Quarter, this day represents one peak of the entire retrograde period. We are enjoined to contemplate deeply all that we survey, to trust our own inner wisdom ahead of the voices of the crowd, and to look well before we leap into reactivity. We ourselves are the change that we must logically expect to see take place in the world around us.