Astrology of February 2010 by Henry Seltzer (www.astrograph.com)

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The Astrology of February features Venus and Mars with Neptune, Chiron and Uranus. Mars, still retrograde, remains a powerful factor in this month's astrology, made more so by slowing to nearly a halt in the first degree of Leo as he prepares to station in early March. A retrograde Mars means that we will have more time for reflection than for action. Or to put it another way, that to undertake any action now means that we will do so with greater difficulty than usual, and with an introspective flair, so that it is a better time for journaling than for accomplishments.

The most exciting news coming our way in February takes place once again during the powerful mid-month time of the New Moon. This time the New Moon lineup includes Neptune and Chiron in close conjunction and only a degree away from the New Moon degree, along with Mercury in the early degrees of Aquarius where it opposes Mars. The connection with Neptune/Chiron, and with Uranus by semi-sextile, brings the numinous and otherworldly experience of our highest imaginings and also of our deepest internal wounding much closer to the surface of our personalities. In addition, relationship concepts are stimulated and invoked, including the sex relation, since Mars in his retrograde is fully implicated in this powerful configuration.

A lighter side of this mid-month period emerges as Venus enters Pisces to join Jupiter, giving us an exalted vision of what beauty and love could really be were the simple and soulful desires of our deepest nature to be fulfilled. By month's end, when the Full Moon conjuncts Jupiter, a sense of optimism might prevail, if only for a little while, and encourage us to remain calm in the center of the storm of circumstance that is shaking up our entire culture.

Venus and Jupiter in conjunction in early Pisces are also involved at the time of the February 13th New Moon in a double-Yod to Mars and Venus. The New Moon accompanies an almost perfect inconjunct of both Mars and Saturn to Venus/Jupiter. Mars also forms an inconjunct to Pluto, creating two Yods or finger-of-God formations focused on Mars and Venus. What is therefore emphasized at this mid-month time is the concept of right relationship between men and women, and indeed for all of us between each other. This New Moon therefore represents an amalgam of both physical and non-physical energies, bringing in considerations from beyond this earthly plane. This is a powerful statement, from which can all partake, of the interaction of the numinous with the everyday life of the soul and the body – and within relationship.

Meanwhile the new planet Eris, symbolizing a fierce feminine warrior energy, and residing in Aries, is almost exactly square the nodal axis, while Saturn and Pluto remain in tight square with each other. This New Moon therefore has its dark side, even though it takes place just a day before the Valentine's Day holiday. This mid-month period represents not a Hallmark greeting card view of love but something deeper and more mysterious – and ultimately more meaningful for our continued growth as individuals. Only when we get in touch with the darker sides of our own natures will we begin to heal the wounds of our modern separation from the instinctual part of ourselves.

For Transits to the U.S. Chart See Henry Seltzer's Zodiactivism Blog »

February 5th Last Quarter Moon
This is traditionally a time of reassessment, and comes in the wake of the powerful New Moon Solar Eclipse of January 15th which conjoined Venus. An interesting chart results with Venus still emphasized, and Neptune/Chiron in conjunction beginning to be triggered by the Sun and Venus. This lead-up to the subsequent New Moon a week later provides a moment of tension and also of greater clarity with respect to the issues raised by the previous New Moon cycle.

February 13th New Moon
In this dramatic New Moon, Venus is further emphasized and Neptune/Chiron is conjunct within a degree to the New Moon while Uranus is semi-sextile. Saturn and Pluto remain in very close square to each other. Mars and the Venus/Jupiter midpoint line up with Saturn and Pluto in the same degree of inconjunct signs, forming a pair of Yod or finger-of-God formations pointing to, respectively, Mars and Venus/Jupiter. Relationship is therefore very much emphasized, along with internal attitudes represented by the retrograde of Mars. Introspective pursuits are valued over external achievement. Beauty is considered holy. We seek the crucially meaningful adjustment to the balance of our lives which will grant us peace. With Neptune so favored, the numinous in all encounters is celebrated. Chiron in the picture with Neptune makes us stop to think about prior trauma and its results in our lives and attempt to heal, dissolve and move beyond these wounds. This configuration also perhaps brings up a sense of pulling back from the spiritual essence of our experience so that we keenly feel our sense of separation from the cosmos or God/Goddess. This mid-month period is therefore a most magical and auspicious time when we seize the moment and stare straight into the eyes of creation which we will be startled to find is staring right back at us.

February 21st First Quarter Moon
This is traditionally a time of tension or minor crisis in our process of growth, when we might be able to discern exactly where the impulse from the previous New Moon is viable and where it is not. The Sun joins Venus and Jupiter in Pisces, while the Sun and Moon in the early degrees of Mutable signs make aspects to Mars, Saturn and Pluto, creating further patterns of sextiles and inconjuncts. This time the Yod formation focus is on Pluto, while the Saturn–Pluto square is once again obviously emphasized. In Capricorn and in square with that sign's ruler, Saturn, Pluto represents the total transformation of whatever is no longer useful in the structure of our lives and needs to die. This goes easier the less we resist, but since resistance is the normal way of human society it is not likely to be an easy transition. We will see these dynamics played out in many different forms over the coming months.

February 28th Full Moon
This powerful Virgo Full Moon exactly opposes Jupiter in Pisces, conjoined by the Sun, while Venus begins to conjunct Uranus and Mercury conjuncts Neptune and Chiron. With Jupiter in Pisces so entirely prominent, there is an optimistic and spiritual feeling to the set of revelations that are likely to accompany this flowering of the impulse from the time of the New Moon. Saturn – Pluto is still active, at a mere three degrees of separation, as it is throughout this monthly cycle. The outer planets are brought into play on this last day of the month as they also were at the mid-month time of the New Moon, reminding us that the energy of the cosmos continues to put its evolutionary hand upon us to guide us toward home. In the famous dictum however, these archetypes incline us toward the direction that we need to go – they do not compel. The rest is up to us.