Astrology of February 2008 by Henry Seltzer (www.astrograph.com)

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The Astrology of February features two eclipses, a Mercury retrograde, and an Aquarius line-up accompanying the eclipse New Moon.

The Solar Eclipse and New Moon of February 6th continues the series of powerful lunations that we have been experiencing over these past few months. As the Sun and Moon conjunct and parallel Neptune, they span only a little more than 5 degrees in Aquarius together with Mercury and Chiron. Aquarius is a sign that represents, at its highest, a true brotherhood of man- and womankind. This ideal is right now beginning to emerge, at times slowly and painfully, at times by leaps and bounds, even here in this country of empire-orientation.

The Lunar Eclipse and Full Moon taking place on February 20th also packs a powerful punch in that it sextiles and trines Pluto while emphasizing the limitation represented by Saturn as it triggers an opposition between Saturn and the Uranus/Neptune midpoint. All three outer planets, harbingers of enlightenment and transformation, are therefore activated in these lunations. And indeed the time of transition is upon us. Earth changes that have been building up and largely ignored by the corporate elite representing the old guard have contributed, along with the exhaustion from the war, to the growing sense that the politics of our nation must radically change. It is high time for the lazy denial of self-serving and elitist attitudes to leave and for integrity to step up to the plate. And change must happen within each individual, since each one of us forms the basis as in a hologram of the exciting collective shift that is currently taking place.

As Mercury continues its retrograde path from the previous month, we might expect mechanical and communication break-downs. Mercury stations to direct motion on February 18th and regains its original position by the time of the New Moon in early March. During this period we can use our mental energy most wisely for reflection on our situation, both globally and locally. There is a mysterious and mystical quality to our musings at this time, since Mercury conjoined the misty energy of Neptune as it retrograded. The numinous and defuse energy of Neptune is also brought to the fore by the Solar Eclipse of February 6th. With Chiron also involved at this time, we are invited to look beneath the covers of any form of self-limiting behavior and to examine how that behavior might originate in our prior conditioning, and whether or not we might be ready to transcend it.

The Sabian Symbols for each degree of the Zodiac were originally transcribed and interpreted by astrologer Marc Edmond Jones with the help of famed psychic Elsie Wheeler in 1921. This set of symbols, 360 in all, is highly interesting for the additional meaning that they convey to transiting events or natal charts. The symbol for the degree of Aquarius occupied by the February 6th Solar Eclipse is "A man unmasked" and as Jones writes can refer to the mental penetration of psychological process. His keyword is ANALYSIS. This first week of February will be an important time of self-discovery and of embracing the biggest possible picture, where in every human grain of sand we can see the larger galactic whole perfectly reflected, as we each exemplify the center as well as the periphery of our surrounding cosmos.

The Sabian Symbols for the second degree of Virgo and Pisces, representing the Full Moon and Sun degrees at the time of the February 20th eclipse, are "A large white cross" and "A squirrel hiding from hunters," and together they suggest the frequently overlooked power of the mystical to transform our lives. Jones' keyword for the Sun degree is CAUTION. We must allow the practical situation to dictate our behavior at the same time that we move beyond it, and above all pay close attention as we go through the mystery and the magic of this powerful time.

Meanwhile Pluto occupies the important Winter Solstice degree of 0 Capricorn and sounds a theme that will resonate for the entire year, in fact for many years to come. The Sabian Symbol for this degree, "An Indian Chief demanding recognition" speaks to the neglected master of events that is inherent in all of us, and that we can make the choice at this time to consciously recognize. Pluto's transit implies that personal organization and personal limitation are taking an unusual turn in this fledgling year of the new millennial age. Saturn is also trine the Jupiter-Pluto midpoint this month and we may well expect deep-seated and far-reaching changes in the very structure of our lives at this important time in the turning of the ages.

Transits to the U.S. Chart

Last month we noted that the last ten days of January would be climactic and perhaps chaotic ones for the campaign trail and indeed they have been. The recent endorsement of Barack Obama by Ted Kennedy amidst confusion over who was ahead and who was left behind among the Democratic contenders may be a watershed moment in American politics as the torch is passed from the generation that was in power during the sixties.

This month, the most important transits take place at the time of the February 6th New Moon. This eclipse New Moon forms a dynamic aspect to the U.S. Midheaven, while Pluto, newly in Capricorn, squares it, indicating that the process of government is up for transformation. The eclipse also triggers Neptune as it makes a trine with U.S. Mars and aspects U.S. Neptune, meaning that deceptions practiced in concert with the operation of this nation's military may be up for closer examination and review, or else for another round of illusion, depending on how you look at it. The war is certainly on everybody's mind these days as the candidates from both parties compete for the biggest collective set of available votes just one day prior to the Solar Eclipse. The economy has also recently come to dominate the position statements, which would correspond to the Second House of the U.S. chart, where – surprise – U.S. Pluto sits. No aspects are currently pointed its way, but the transiting position in square to the Midheaven does reflect back to the natal planetary position. Although the economy is prominent in the news at this time, there is also a rather benign feeling to this issue with the transiting position of the Jupiter/Venus midpoint, very positive, in opposition to U.S. Sun.

As far as the Lunar Eclipse two weeks later, since the Sun at that time is quincunx U.S. Midheaven while the Moon and Saturn aspect U.S. Venus, the configuration presages limitation and adjustment for the usual business of the country.

February 6th New Moon Solar Eclipse
In this very interesting New Moon the eclipse degree lies in the 18th degree of Aquarius, in close conjunction with both Mercury and Chiron, thus bringing some hidden or wounded part of ourselves into greater conscious awareness. Mercury, now in retrograde motion, actually occupies the Sun-Moon/Chiron midpoint. Neptune is also nearby, lending a mystical air to the proceedings. Additionally, there are close semi-sextile aspects to both Venus in Capricorn and Uranus in Pisces, indicating that partnering with significant others in our lives will play important part in our own evolution, and that relationship issues could rapidly shift. There may even be a pleasant surprise as an old pattern suddenly gives way. The Sabian Symbol has been given above but is worth repeating: "A man unmasked" referring to the mental penetration of psychological process. The keyword is ANALYSIS. Taken in combination with an inward-directed Mercury there is a self-reflective and analytical tone to this entire lunation cycle.

February 13th First Quarter Moon
Taking place the day before V day – is very interesting. With the Sun and Moon square each other, this phase traditionally indicates a time when tensions highlight the places where the impulse from the New Moon encounters difficulty in the real world of practical concerns, a crisis of action as Rudhyar termed it. In this configuration, Venus is exactly quincunx Mars and trine the Moon while Mars trines the Sun and Neptune, indicating a time when relationship material is bound to come up, and again, when old patterns have the chance to be transcended.

February 18th Mercury stations direct
As Mercury slows down in the sky relative to the earth-bound observer, the few days before and after its direct station on Monday evening represent a special period of time. This is one of the peaks of the retrograde, when we might expect the usual symptoms of communication and mechanical break-down even more intensely. It may help to remember to tune inside. The inward turning promoted by this transition is a great time to journal, and to rethink where we are headed, both individually and collectively.

February 20th Full Moon Lunar Eclipse
Follows Mercury's change of station on February 18th by a mere two days, and also aspects Saturn, as Venus begins to conjunct Mercury. These two planets will draw closer and closer to Chiron in Aquarius as the month unwinds, completing in the early days of March. This important Full Moon also brings renewed awareness to the transit of Pluto into the first degree of Capricorn. The Lunar Eclipse occupies the second degree of Virgo, and of Pisces, therefore highlighting the energy of these two signs and their spiritually vibrant polarity within the larger picture of this month's cycle. The Sabian Symbols are: "A large white cross" and "A squirrel hiding from hunters," and together they suggest the frequently overlooked power of the mystical to transform our lives. Jones' keyword for the Sun degree is CAUTION, and we must temper our currently very high ideals and expectations with a large dose of practicality.

February 28th Last Quarter Moon
Another time of the tension of conflicting signs, is traditionally a crisis of awareness, when we begin to see more clearly and from new perspectives the arc of our development over the preceding three weeks. At this point in the cycle we begin to restructure our original impulse from back then into new alignments and further layers of meaning. This configuration squares and opposes Saturn in Virgo and sets the stage for the upcoming March 7th New Moon conjunction with Uranus in Pisces. This final square of February emphasizes once again the Virgo – Pisces axis and the spiritual commitment implicit in the most ordinary forms of daily life.

The indications for each Sun Sign over this month are given below. Be sure to check out your Rising Sign as well, if you know it. You can now log in to My AstroGraph, or sign up for a new account for a free calculation and interpretation of your Sun Sign, Moon Sign, and Rising Sign. Please note that dates given in this column for astrological events are based on U.S. Pacific Time Zone (UTC +8), for other locations dates may need to be adjusted depending on the number of hours of separation.

Aries (March 21 - April 19) Cardinal Fire. Your ruling planet is Mars.

It's time to don your wading boots, Aries. The nascent spring season demands much of you, but the ultimate rewards will be great as well, as you vision novel life plans and complete important links to your inner world. You may experience limitation regarding health concerns or issues of support to the surrounding collective at this time, but it all serves to remind you of your true nature, beneath the surface glitter. If you stay true to your vision for a better future you will eventually prosper; remember that it's a long road that has no turning.

As the month begins, you are in the midst of an interesting and self-reflective period when you are meeting your needs in a new way that involves struggle, and yet also easing into a simpler and more loving relationship with the world around you with no struggle necessary. Communication with others around you is enlightened and mystical these days and affords graceful passage into new ideas for your future. You are very idealistic right now, and the trick is to maintain your naïve stance without being taken in by false promises. Adopting a wait and see attitude works wonders for you at this time. As the saying goes, trust in Allah but remember to tie up your camel. The New Moon Solar Eclipse of the evening of February 6th represents a creative time for you when you feel a strong sense of your societal connection and how you might improve this area of your life. At this time you may also find that situations conspire to bring up issues you thought were long dormant regarding your interaction with friends and with the group associations that you favor. The First Quarter Moon of the following week, taking place on Wednesday, February 13th, brings an element of tension to your process, and also a form of self-reflection regarding important relationships in your life, as you adjust your values to a greater degree of acceptance. The Full Moon and Lunar Eclipse of Wednesday, February 20th continues this trend and emphasizes the changing drama of your outer world commitment. You are in the midst of an important period of transformation, and the sooner you recognize this simple fact and accept it, the better off you will be and the easier will be your transition. This time of the eclipse also reminds you that the practical and the mystical sides of your nature are but two side of the very same coin. Like your inner and your outer parts, they are but different facets of the same underlying soul-purpose.

Taurus (April 20 - May 20) Fixed Earth. Your ruling planet is Venus.

Your hard work and the spiritual investigation that you have been involved with recently are beginning to pay off, Taurus. This month you are coming out in a big way career-wise, and making your presence in the world more fully known, as you pave the way for an even more exciting spring-time. Especially at the time of the February 20th Full Moon Lunar Eclipse, you are reaching out to others from the perspective of your own inner purpose and it's both refreshing and productive. If you have been doing your homework and keeping faith with your inner guidance, the rewards are there for the taking; if not, you'll just have to buckle down and keep on truckin'.

As the month begins, you are off to an excellent start of a vibrant monthly cycle, with new perspectives leading you onward and with a reshuffling of your reality deck taking place as you subscribe to a different set of rules for your outer world game plan. Mercury is retrograde in your career sector and there could well be challenges associated with this period of time as you attempt to meet changing conditions in your workplace and changes of direction in how you see your path to success. The New Moon and Solar Eclipse that takes place on Wednesday, February 6th presents a push-pull feeling of wanting to get on with it while realizing that the timing is not completely right. There is a tremendous energy that you have right now for seeing and doing things differently so that you may have to struggle to hold onto some form of grounding, or your current drift will prove to be too much of a discontinuity. The First Quarter Moon that comes along a week later, on Wednesday, February 13th, may prove enlightening in this regard, a struggle between public and personal points of view that enlarges your perspective. With the Full Moon and Lunar Eclipse of the 20th, you are likely to be taking future plans more seriously as you focus on where you are going and how you are able to get there. It becomes increasingly important at this time that you take the practical limits of the situation fully into account as you redefine your sense of mission for the future. Your values are shifting at this time, along with the resources which are there to support you as you move forward. These may still be fluctuating somewhat throughout this month of as the retrograde period completes. Remember that it is well to wait if at all possible until the following month before completing any major course corrections.

Gemini (May 21 - June 20) Mutable Air. Your ruling planet is Mercury.

This is an important month of transition for you, Gemini. You are re-thinking the philosophical underpinnings of your worldview and it makes for an uncertain period. You are likely to be coming at the world in a very responsible fashion these days that takes your inner core values and family life into better account. Past episodes may be seen not so much as mistakes but as learning experiences; you might even be preparing to move beyond them. There is daylight at the end of every tunnel, and next month could easily be an exciting time of new ideas and spiritual epiphanies. When you regain your balance you may find that it's all been part of a cycle of change that is profound in its scope.

As the month begins you find yourself in a period of paradoxical growth. On the one hand, you may be taking an entirely different viewpoint these days on where in your life you are heading right now, since your ruler Mercury is running backwards in your higher mind sector and Mars is still recovering from recent wobbles in your house of finances and values. On the other hand, the energy of this powerful New Moon leads you onwards. The New Moon and Solar Eclipse of February 6th marks the crux of this early part of the month, which is an extremely interesting and potentially challenging period of time for you. It may be that the wound of separation from an ideal or from a cherished set of beliefs may come up for you at this time. This is likely to involve the belief system that you grew up with. You may feel the urge to take charge of your life in a new way at this time, abandoning previous foundations, and while this shift in consciousness is exhilarating it is also perhaps painful, especially if other family members fail to understand and support you in your realization that you are ready to shuck old patterns that no longer serve you. The Full Moon and Lunar Eclipse taking place exactly two weeks later, on Wednesday, February 20th, represents a fulfillment of sorts of this arc of your development, a time when you will have the impulse to actualize into real-world activity what you have recently dreamed into being, and when you also might be drawn toward sharing with others this glimpse of a more vibrant future for yourself. This may represent a radical departure from the past, which is difficult, but it is even more difficult to remain in a place that you have already left behind mentally. You must realize, ultimately, that your current movement is an important part of the person you have become, and that as painful as it might be to turn away from a preexisting and well-established mold, it may be fully necessary for your continued growth and evolution. This is a potentially difficult period of time for you and it may help to remember the timeframe of the retrograde period, namely that you might expect a shift on the evening of February 18th when Mercury changes to direct motion, and that another and more final shift will happen around the end of the retrograde shadow, at the time of the New Moon of March 7th or a few days after.

Cancer (June 21 - July 22) Cardinal Water. Your ruling planet is TheMoon.

There have been more crucial passages in your life, Cancer, but not many. This is a time of great change and self-reflection for you. You are exploring and revising your approach to partnership and simultaneously delving deeper for a more comprehensive sense of your standing as an individual, whole and entire unto yourself. With the February 20th Full Moon eclipse in your communications sector, you are more serious and contained in your outreach, gathering your energies for break-through. Your sense of purpose moving forward involves relationship with others and also keeping your own vision clear in spite of their influence.

As the month begins, you are fully feeling the mystical and transformative nature of these times that we are all living through. You sense that your continued spiritual evolution hinges on a more all-inclusive approach to life, allowing for the paradoxical nature of the universe as fated in some sense and yet still making room for self-determination on your part to achieve your ends. You are being challenged at this time to come into your own strength and power while acknowledging the power of others, finding a delicate balance. The New Moon and Solar Eclipse of February 6th is magical for you, and signals a time when breakthrough is more than possible. You might have to face consciously old patterns of intimate interaction that you have dealt with more or less unconsciously up until now. If a glimmer of an idea in this direction begins to come to you at this time it may be well worth it for you to explore it more fully. The First Quarter Moon of the following week is also powerful, and traditionally represents a time when there is some tension in your process that may help to resolve an issue. Relationship with others is the most likely subject of your reflections at this time, as well as the struggle for personal autonomy in the face of pressure. It is important not to narrow down your approach but instead to maintain the widest possible attitude toward the circumstances that you face, allowing for a third choice that resolves the dilemma of polar opposites. Then of course the Lunar Eclipse and Full Moon that comes along a week later, on Wednesday, February 20th, represents another crucial point in the arc of your development over this monthly cycle. This is another time of resolution, when you may move beyond polarities and are more ready to communicate with others regarding your and their position. This is also a time when you must honor limitation as a counter-balance to idealism. Over the remaining last week of the month you will come to see more deeply into the practical realities as well as the far-out possibilities of your situation.

Leo (July 23 - August 22) Fixed Fire. Your ruling planet is TheSun.

You are getting serious about your values these days, Leo. You are in the midst of an important month-long period when you find that you are participating in partnership with others in an entirely new fashion, enlarging your relationship potential in a way that takes the burdens of the past fully into account but is not bound by them. Prior conditioning affects you only to the extent that you allow boring repetition to establish limits on your situation, and this is a time when you can break out of your metaphorical cage. Is it a case of helpful others in your life coming to your rescue or are you actually the one who is rescuing yourself?

As the month begins, your personal evolution is reaching for new heights. Over the course of this month and next, you are coming into an entirely different way of looking at things that involves new takes on relationship with others. Partnership doesn't always come easily to dedicated individualists, and the paradox is that the agendas of others can in fact combine well with your own initiatives, provided that you know where and when to draw the line. At the time of the powerful February 6th Solar Eclipse and New Moon in your relationship sector, you are undoubtedly coming to greater conscious understanding of your methods of connection with others and examining old and outmoded patterns there with the goal of transcending them. This Mercury retrograde period of time, lasting the entire month, is one of reflection and self-analysis in any case, and you in particular this is especially so in the relationship department. There may be old patterns of partnership interaction that you are more than ready to transcend, but which seem to be stuck in your psych, and that you are in the process of discovering more fully prior to letting go of them. You may encounter painful realizations in this regard, but these may also serve to underline to you the importance of making a deep shift in your perception and in your understanding. They say that to know all is to forgive all, and right now you are in the process of carrying that concept through to yourself. The First Quarter Moon of Wednesday, February 13th, represents a potential period of partnership conflict that provides a certain degree of increased tension for your process of growth. It may help to remember that you are never angry for the reason that you think you are. The Full Moon and Lunar eclipse that comes along a week later, on Wednesday, February 20th, is another powerful time for you, when changes in the daily habits of your life, including health habits, could come up and when limitation is emphasized over possibility. Both are necessary ingredients of life for you right now. The contrast between your current high ideals and the practicalities of your situation provide a rich mixture that fuels your continued amazing progress.

Virgo (August 23 - September 22) Mutable Earth. Your ruling planet is Mercury.

This is a time of testing, Virgo, and of growing awareness regarding who you plan to be when you grow up. Lately, you are daring to transcend prior limitations, and it can give you pain and confusion as well as joy. This all comes to a crux at the time of the February 20th Lunar Eclipse in your sign. When you do make your break with the past it might be scary, but when you don't it leads you to nothing but a blank wall, so perhaps you really have no choice. It does not represent a revocation of your freedom if you simply see the natural drift of your life and choose to head that way.

As the month begins, you are struggling to come to terms with a new mandate for personal growth that is stretching you, but in a good way, like yoga for the soul. You are seeking to make accommodation with the past right now at the same time as you transcend it, and this can of course be challenging. It helps to recognize that challenges bring their own reward when you surmount them, and that if life were easy, necessary changes would never be accomplished. The New Moon and Solar Eclipse of Wednesday, February 6th, represents a crucial period when you are very conscious of previous and current choices. You are seeking at this time a new way to step into your mission for the future. Since your ruler Mercury is retrograde for essentially this entire month, you are looking under the covers of behaviors that have become routine but which perhaps are no longer in your own best interest. This eclipse takes place in your sector of discipleship to your higher self, and is a powerful symbol of the scale of the transition you are in the midst of these days. You win to the extent that you can remember this point of view, and when you think more about what you would like to ultimately leave as your legacy than about the difficulties inherent in getting there. The rest of your life flows out from this current moment. The First Quarter Moon in the middle of the following week, taking place on Wednesday, February 13th, is potentially a time of trial and of seeing the outline of a new perspective for working things out differently. You will find yourself tested but if you work through the obstacles to your continuing personal evolution, you will be well rewarded. The Full Moon and Lunar Eclipse takes place a week later in your sign, on the 20th. This is a good time to ponder the alternatives, an opportunity to see yourself clear with needed creative steps in your own life, and to conspire with others around you regarding your active sense of mission. Throughout this entire period you also want to be aware of the stages of your ruler Mercury, which has regained its forward movement but which remains in the retrograde shadow until March 10th. It is better not to push the river at this time, but rather to watch the current, preferring to wait to take any major action on new agendas until after the New Moon of early March.

Libra (September 23 - October 22) Cardinal Air. Your ruling planet is Venus.

This is an important month for you, Libra, a time of transition and also of getting in closer touch with yourself at the deepest possible level. Family life and tribal connection are definitely changing for you right now, as you meditate on the connection between your world and your heart. You are coming into cosmic epiphanies that could positively affect your ideas of meaningful purpose. Your dissatisfaction could be also seen as symptoms of restlessness regarding what you are doing with yourself overall. You may be leaving something behind but you are traveling lighter. The past is prolog.

As the month begins, you are entering into a period of reinventing yourself from the ground up. There is a great deal of introspective intelligence available to you these days for sneaking a peek under the covers of your motivation, hopefully with an eye toward making needed changes. At this time you may have your difficult moments, but you are enthusiastic about delving down into your depths. The New Moon Solar Eclipse that takes place on Wednesday, February 6th, represents a fresh start for you and a time when you are in the process of reinventing yourself and rethinking your creative expression in the world around you. Transcending old patterns in the way that you show up becomes very important for you at this time, and the exciting thing is that you have a real chance of success. It's a question of belief. If you believe that you can do it, well, then you can, as simple as that. At this time you specialize in the sudden and startling epiphany that can change everything in an instant. As the cycle of this powerful New Moon unfolds, there may come a period of tension in the middle of the following week with the First Quarter Moon of the 13th, a time when you must find your way through apparent difficulties. It helps to keep your eye on the prize. The Full Moon and Lunar Eclipse one week further on, taking place on Wednesday, February 20th, brings together in a more integrated fashion much of what you have been aiming at. You are concerned at this time with actualizing your highest intention for yourself going forward, and with working your way through the real-world limitations that inhibit progress. Throughout the remainder of the month you will likely encounter changes in perspective that are preliminary to success on the wider stage of outer world achievement. Changes in perspective are everything. As poet Richard Wilbur has it, the mind is like a bat, fumbling and stumbling against the walls of its enclosure, until "a graceful error may correct the cave." The graceful error coming up over the course of this monthly cycle can be entirely fortuitous for you right now. Your continued success owes its existence to the benevolent hand of the universe conspiring to aid you, and equally to your own will power in making necessary changes for yourself from the inside out.

Scorpio (October 23 - November 21) Fixed Water. Your ruling planets are Mars and Pluto.

This month represents a difficult passage for you in some ways, Scorpio, but your attitude must remain hopeful. You are delving down into your feeling depths in order to find a way forward, reinventing yourself yet again. As you move through the February 20th Lunar Eclipse you may realize that, paradoxically, your connection with the world outside yourself depends entirely on how well you connect with your own deep center. This is the earth wisdom that you are coming to right now by a process of absorption that seems to have little to do with rational thought and much with inner weather.

As the month begins, you are facing new horizons in your life with verve and gusto, while at the very same time you are taking up a rather internal attitude toward self-exploration. This seems paradoxical but the truth is that the one feeds the other. Delving down into your depths is not mere naval-gazing, because you are coming up with the pearl of wisdom that will see you through the changes and challenges of these times. With the New Moon and Solar Eclipse of Wednesday, February 6th, you are feeling the crux of this dichotomy. On the one hand, you are feeling the freedom of action implied by the recent conversion to forward motion of your ruler Mars in your sector of personal evolution, and on the other feeling the inward nature of Mercury retrograding in what some astrologers call your "root cellar" where the wine of experience is stored. Your tribal relations and your connections with home and family, as well as your personal home base, and your psychological roots, are all up for you at this time. By seeing yourself more clearly and more whole, the world around you will be made more whole as a direct consequence. The First Quarter Moon of the following week, taking place on Wednesday, February 13th, reminds you that in spite of closely held ideals that serve you well right now, there is still an element of struggle in your equation. Since both Venus and your ruler Mars are involved in this configuration, the so-called battle of the sexes is very much part of your awareness at this time. As you prepare, both consciously and unconsciously, to come to that inner satori state which allows you to be seriously wacky and playfully responsible, the Full Moon and Lunar Eclipse of the 20th puts the icing on the cake regarding a new strategy of social interaction. This is also a moment when you will feel a powerful mandate to communicate your truth to those around you. You are very consciously taking into account the input of others but you must remember that you are above all concerned at this time with shining your own light.

Sagittarius (November 22 - December 21) Mutable Fire. Your ruling planet is Jupiter.

This is a month of break-down and break-through for you, Sagittarius. Your communication with others is emphasized in this monthly cycle, and yet is also somewhat self-reflective, providing the basis for coming to better grips with the world around you. Information comes naturally to you at this time, and ultimately results in a more secure footing both financially and in terms of a stronger sense of self. In the grand scheme of things your minor movement doesn't seem to matter, and yet in another way you provide the fulcrum for the world to turn around in its course.

As the month begins, relationship is on your mind, but in reaching out to others, you may be looking to the past as well as the future. In the course of this month's journey, you are very interested in changing old patterns of connection that have not really worked out all that well. The Solar Eclipse New Moon in the first few days of the month, coming along on Wednesday, February 6th, emphasizes this self-corrective and introspective trend. Your values are also changing at this time, moving you toward a more non-materialistic attitude as you explore outer world achievement from the standpoint of service to the larger collective. Your finances also seem to be improving. Just when the pressure of finding money might be easing, you feel like you no longer need to make it such an important factor. There is a lot of hard work in the cards for you right now, and recognition also, but you may be finding that the joy of accomplishment is its own reward. As the cycle of the New Moon unfolds, the First Quarter Moon that comes a week later on, taking place on Wednesday, February 13th, may be a time of a few kinks in the road, when you will be finding out for yourself whether the ideas that originated from that initial impulse are truly viable. These must meet the test of real-world practicality as well as the idealism that you bring to the table these days, as both these factors are an important part of the mix for you right now. They become increasingly so as the month unwinds. The Full Moon and Lunar Eclipse of February 20th marks an important turning point in that regard. You have been voyaging within the confines of your private inner world, and this becomes more important than ever, while at the same time you are equally pulled to the world of public achievement. All in all, this month constitutes a powerful time of new awareness, and of gaining thereby some greater degree of leverage on the world of outer achievement that you occupy so forcefully right now. Your true goals at this time, are to more fully and gracefully inhabit your own soul and body.

Capricorn (December 22 - January 19) Cardinal Earth. Your ruling planet is Saturn.

This is an interesting and potentially quite rewarding period for you, Capricorn. The belief systems that provide the underpinning for your thoughts and feelings are undergoing revision right now, and it can be both wonderful and strange. As your values and finances become subject to enormous pressures, you may be forced to yield ground or at least come to greater consciousness regarding your situation. You are breaking out of self-imposed limitation at the very same time that you honor your steadfast adherence to the rules of the game as you have come to know them. This partakes of paradox, but then, accepting paradox is one of the secrets of life.

As the month begins you find yourself in the midst of change. This is a big year for you, with Pluto now in your sign, and you will no doubt be feeling thrust of his transformative power. It is important to note that this is your power, your ability to make changes that are in your own best interest, and which may have been left on the back burner for many years until the time was right. As you settle into the first week of the month, the Solar Eclipse and New Moon of Wednesday, February 6th, marks a special period of making these life changes more consciously available and more fully manifest. Since this month is also coincident with the Mercury retrograde, it is better to contemplate actions rather than jump into new plans and departures from your general course of action. Certainly, some portion of your activities will be in motion from last month and these are the ones to go ahead with right now. Totally new ideas are best left to wait until after the New Moon of early March. This month also represents an important period of consolidation of your ideas from last summer that may have been slowly working their way through your various levels of resistance to emerge now. This is a delicate time of balancing the old with the new, the practical with the wild and hair-brained, and you do well to examine every side of the situation before plunging into action. The First Quarter Moon that comes along in the middle of the following week potentially represents a time of trial, when it may be difficult to get to the bigger picture, although you must try. It helps to realize that every challenge is a test and a chance to overcome. Partnership with others is an important component of your own success right now. The Full Moon and Lunar Eclipse takes place on Wednesday, February 20th, and represents to some extent the light at the end of the tunnel, and a time when you will be communicating more fully with those around you. Throughout the month you are being given clues that taken all together spell an entirely new and better accommodation to the various factors in your life which after all must work together if your life is to work: the spiritual as well as the mundane, the thoughtful as well a the action-oriented.

Aquarius (January 20 - February 18) Fixed Air. Your ruling planets are Uranus and Saturn.

You have an important monthly cycle to contend with this month, Aquarius. From a cosmic perspective, you are high-flying. The way that you show up for others is changing, the more so the more you recognize this simple fact. There is a river of deep emotion that you are tapping into with one facet of your awareness, while another part of you ignores this activity and carries on business as usual. There is room for both approaches when you take a broad enough perspective, and that is precisely your present challenge.

As the month begins, you are feeling your oats, riding high on the recent entry of the Sun into your sign, and yet also aware of the multi-layered dynamics and the pitfalls of daily living. Your are more tuned in at this time than ever to the deeper dynamics of your psyche, and you do well when you pay attention to all your parts and take literally everything that happens into account. The New Moon and Solar Eclipse of Wednesday, February 6th, opens up new vistas of your inner motivation, underlining the introspective nature of this period of time for you. You have at this time the possibility of transcending previous patterns of your interactions with the world around you, and the first step is to recognize them. You are becoming more aware of your own internal programming, perhaps in subtle ways at the very edge of your mental peripheral vision, perhaps more directly. As with everyone, there may be a large part of what goes on with you that you are largely blind to, most of the time, and so it is a very precious moment when you can begin to tune in. The Mercury retrograde in your sign is ideal for the self-reflective stance that is necessary to tease out the inner meaning of your experience right now. The First Quarter Moon of the following Wednesday, taking place on the 13th, is a time when there may be a certain degree of tension in your process, and this may help to define the situation still further, if only by contrast to the harmony that you seek. You are pulled into family and closely held personal issues at this time. Then the Full Moon and Lunar Eclipse of Wednesday, February 20th represents another turning point, a time when you may see more clearly what dynamics that have held you back. Over the course of this entire monthly cycle you have been finding that there are pieces of the puzzle that you have neglected for too long. Now you are gathering the information that you will need to move forward with a greater sense of integration.

Pisces (February 19 - March 20) Mutable Water. Your ruling planets are Neptune and Jupiter.

You are partially engulfed in deep reflection this month, Pisces, as you become more aware than ever of your behind-the-scenes connection with your own inner voice. Conditionings that are difficult for you to get a grasp on, and that originate in the long-dead past, still have their numbing and limiting effect on your present-tense possibilities. In the course of this month's cycle of growth, as these patterns become better understood, you find yourself stepping out into the world in a new way. Late in February, after the Lunar Eclipse in your opposite sign, and on into March, the impact of others in your life takes on entirely new shades of meaning. You are experiencing a miraculous rebirth during your birthday time of the year when just about anything is possible.

As the month begins, you are entering into a very mystical and foggy period of time, when you will tune in at the deeper levels of your being to the extent that you can allow yourself to depart from ordinary reality. It is difficult to make time for inner exploration, especially when the world is constantly pulling at you, but this is a period when it might make sense to allow it. You find yourself going there anyway, so you might as well enjoy the ride. The Solar Eclipse and New Moon of February 6th represents a powerful impulse in this regard, when you are pulled even more firmly to the inside. You are also in the midst of a paradoxically ebullient period of time these days, when anything seems possible. The secret of your happiness at this time lies in maintaining your outer as well as your inner focus, and your ideals as well as your sense of realistic practicality, though both are crucial for you right now. At the time of the First Quarter Moon of the following week, taking place on Wednesday, February 13th, there may be an element of tension that creeps into your process. This is a testing time, and might prove difficult one, although it may help to note that struggle generally reveals the desired outcome by contrast. On into the following weeks' Lunar Eclipse and Full Moon in your opposite sign, taking place on Wednesday, February 20th, the input of others becomes an important touchstone for your own movement forward. This is a powerful time for you when you really come into your own. The last week of the month that follows is a time of integration, when the disparate impulses from all over the map of your inner and outer worlds have a good chance of coming into a new balance. You face a different future than you could have possibly planned for, but with faith in your process and in the capacity of the surrounding universe to hold you up, you will make the transition in style.