February opens up three planets and asteroid Chiron in watery Pisces: Venus (love and money), mystical Neptune, Motivating Mars and Healer Chiron. Like no other water sign, Pisces calls us to pause and reflect. So with Messenger Mercury in retrograde motion, the first ten days of the month may feel a bit murky as we sort through ourselves and our lives. Nonetheless, retrograde Mercury complements Pisces nicely as it invites introspection, meditation, reflection…all of the re- words. You know them!
With all this water enveloping us, let’s talk Pisces. The final sign of the zodiac, it rules mysticism, music, dreams, universal love and consciousness, faith and the brotherhood of man. On a good day. In more difficult times, it may have us drowning our sorrows in drugs and alcohol, devouring any faith we ever possessed, surrendering to prisons or hospitals, or chained to overwhelming fear. You see, Neptune and the sign it rules Pisces, represent the very pinnacle of humanity as well as the lowest of lows. Why? The Divine may be found in all of these, each of us, no matter what our human circumstance.
Cycling through Pisces, Vibrant Venus is exalted in this sign, casting a Mother Theresa effect on her motions, especially with her conjunction to Neptune during the first week of the month. This pair lends a Universal Love to our relationships, those we already know and those we want to know better, including how we treat ourselves. Since Neptune is mystical, often stirring confusion in its wake, it can cause tremendous blind spots wherever it is found in a chart. No one likes to feel s/he is unware; yet in certain segments of our lives, we undoubtedly are. Neptune prompts the question, “How did I not see that before?” When the person/situation/your SELF have been there for so long, we can feel like a failure for not realizing or understanding earlier. Don’t. Instead, think of it this way: Neptune leaves room for growth and development. Eventually, over time, people, situations, life events and self-understandingbecome clear. Clarity, pristine insight. That is the highest intention of Neptune. Consider it a journey.
Prodding us toward such clarity, Motivating Mars and Healer Chiron are half way through Pisces during the first week of February. Pay attention, this pair says, focus on soul matters, where and what needs clarifying, understanding and healing. They call us to bear witness to where we have strayed from our path. Highlighting where have let others, ourselves, down, been less than our best selves, best friends, spouses, parents, co-workers, Mars-Chiron prompts a course correction. In Pisces, this duo says: swallow your pride and reach across the table. Do what must be done to save the friendship, business, relationship, marriage, yourself. Say the words, as hard as they might be to utter, even if you have to write them down and rehearse. Or, draft a letter to the loved one, the co-worker. Write affirmations FOR yourself and stick them on the bathroom mirror where you can’t miss them every day. Conversely, open up to others trying to reach out to you: listen, focus, hear what someone is saying, what it is they really want for you (not from you): good health and well-being, a perspective you might not have considered, lending a hand financially, practically, or otherwise… Here’s a clue: let them. We are one, a brother and sisterhood of humanity. Each of us carrying the other along.
For the better part of February, helping us reach out to others and reach across ourselves, Messenger Mercury is cycling through ingenious, detached, and inventive Aquarius. At the first week of the month, Mercury makes a helpful angle to Saturn in fiery Sagittarius, jump starting new ideas, adventures in living, how we approach events and situations, people, even our thinking. Remember: it takes 60 days to establish a new habit or routine. No time like the present! This angle assures us if we but try, we can succeed. Sagittarius is about QUESTS. Where do you need to journey? To evolve, grow and develop into the person you are intended to become? This involves faith. Journeys, whether inward or external, require exactly that: faith in ourselves to examine what is “under the hood”, ie, why you are the way you are and operate (think/make choices) as you do; conversely, in external quests, we push forward often against extreme odds, naysayers and haters, lack of money, etc.
This brings us to the grand planetary challenge for 2015: Neptune in Pisces squaring (facing off with) Saturn in Sagittarius. Simply said, we face big tests of faith. The challenge has been brewing for some time already at the end of 2014. We have seen it play out in our individual lives and on a global scale via Islamic terrorists wedded to extreme forms of faith they insist on spreading worldwide. So let’s take this challenge apart for a look at the mechanics to better understand how it affects you. First, Neptune is the soul. As it cycles through its home sign Pisces, it clarifies and discerns precisely what our soul needs. Taskmaster Saturn, on the other hand in adventurous, spiritual Sagittarius is on a search for TRUTH. These two planets ask us now: “Can you handle the truth?” This question opens us to even more searching: “What will you do when you find the truth?” Will you recognize when truth crosses your path? Since Neptune can be a major blind spot, look for what you might be missing, missing parts, words, pieces to the puzzle. Be wary of blind faith in someone/something.
At play here are some BIG quests for answers. Consider how these figure in your life currently: What do you believe? What are your dreams vs. reality. How are you making your dreams a reality? Are you escaping (Neptune) your reality/responsibility (Saturn)? What can you get away with? Are you trying to get something for yourself only or are you sharing/serving others? How do you give back to your fellow man? Matters of faith vs. doubt. Denial, deferral, and delusion (Neptune/Pisces) vs. right action, honor, doing the right thing (Saturn); How is your current/established belief system or tradition of faith challenged?
These are very weighty questions indeed.
In their most difficult forms, Saturnian fear and Neptune’s blind spot can paralyze us. Try thinking of their efforts as catalysts: to create better versions of ourselves, lives, and world. Understand that it is necessary to stop, take stock, assess what and who we are (beliefs) and where we are going from here. If nothing else, the dance between Saturn and Neptune throughout 2015 breaks open this blind spot causing us to question the arenas of our lives in which we and others are operating. Look to see what arena this is for you: work, profession, marriage, friendships, goals, physical body, values, thoughts/speech, home/family, creativity/art, money/money/money, and spirituality.
In ancient astrology, Joyful Jupiter ruled both Sagittarius and Pisces and they still share some common threads, that of spirit, higher consciousness and faith. On the Full Moon of February 3rd, Jupiter affords a grand opportunity for leaps of faith and belief in ourselves, as it conjoins the Full Moon in creative, risk-taking Leo at a highly attention getting degree. Do you have something to celebrate? This is THE day! The spotlight is uber bright today, definitely not for the shy and retiring types. So get out there and let yourself SING! Emotionally, we are fearless, brazenly hopeful with the courage of lions. YES YOU CAN is the mantra now. Believe in yourself says this Full Moon.
Supporting this can-do spirit of Brand New, Brave New World, is Joyful Jupiter forming an incredibly helpful angle to Radical Uranus. All month long, Jupiter in Leo bears abundant creativity, romance, athleticism, opportunity for risk-taking to stretch ourselves, all magnified by inventive Uranus in pioneering Aries inciting us to blaze new trails. Yes, we are being waaaay pushed out of our comfort zones there is no doubt. But is there anything worse than stagnation and withering lack of growth? Uranus prods us to go where no man has gone before (YES, it really IS OK, you have permission), jump into new businesses and creative ventures, relationships, unheard of methods to achieve your goal, to try, try, try anew even where you have experienced rejection or failure before. The slate is clean. The magnanimous generosity of this pairing cannot be overstated. Truly, we feel the entire Universe supporting our efforts now.
By the 11th, Messenger Mercury turns direct motion, still making a beneficial angle to Saturn in Sagittarius. Exalted in Aquarius, Mercury’s helpful alignment to Saturn finds ingenious, untried methods to respond to life. Ask: what path haven’t you explored yet? Jupiter-Uranus breaks us out of our ruts and routines. Shows us how to best apply our imagination. If nothing else, Aquarian Mercury is wildly imaginative, and human beings are blessed with this gift like no other creature on earth. Think: Thomas Edison, famous Aquarian. Expect breakthroughs now. With Mercury direct for the next three months, proceed with plans, contracts, signing key documents, launching initiatives and projects. Mid-month also finds an interesting pairing: Nurturing Ceres (Mom Persephone from Greek Mythology) coupled with Transformer Pluto (god of the underworld), from February 12-16. Both challenge Uranus to awaken us; so do not be surprised if you are caught off guard, broken open emotionally, or perhaps dragged into the underworld of your own making for a cold, hard look at the seamier parts of your life.
The New Moon in Pisces on February 18 at 00 degrees Pisces conjoined to Neptune prompts either complete confusion and disillusionment (the “How did I get here, how did this happen to me,” syndrome) or pristine clarity, pure AH-HA understanding, and rare, raw insights. Either way, it is a great day for meditating on what you DO want to occur. The next day, February 19th, Mars enters fiery Aries as does Venus on the 20th. While these two gradually converge with the South Node of the Moon and Uranus, we are called to action, to begin new ventures and relationships, and most vitally to RELEASE old, outmoded ways of being, habits, shed people or practices that no longer serves you. The Moon is thrown into the mix also on the 20th, sparking strong emotions and a giant push to do something. Aries is DO-ing energy, not BE-ing energy. So this is not a “be” or “being” time. With Messenger Mercury now direct, we are catalyzed forward. Galvanized into activity, especially as all three planets, Mars (energy), Moon (emotion) and Venus (love/money) make a gorgeous angle to Saturn in Sagittarius. Get going guys and gals! Stand back and behold. Surprise yourself!
For so long, Uranus has been hanging out by itself in fiery Aries, trying to get the party started. However, by month’s end, five planets are fully, firmly in fire signs: Mars, Venus, Saturn, Jupiter and Uranus. Feel the shift? This energy is the harbinger of the blazing Spring to come. Only one month away, Spring’s watch words are renewal and resurgence. This Spring promises to be a full-on break-down-the-doors time. As the Sun passes by Neptune in the final week of February (24-28), tightly conjoining our Will with our Soul, both challenging Taskmaster Saturn, have faith. Have faith my friends. Believe and it shall be so.
OF SPECIAL NOTE:
Come get your Goddess on! Please join me for a very special pre-Valentines Day celebration on Saturday, February 7, from 11 AM- 3 PM at The Sanctuary for Yoga and Reiki, 164 Galen Street, Watertown, MA. Join me and two amazing healing practitioners, Susan Jenness and Cher Kore, for yoga, reiki and crystal healing sessions, aromatherapy, and astrology readings by yours truly. $75 fee for hours of relaxation and healing! Email me at: hilary@hilaryharley.com to join us! Only three spots are left.
PRACTITIONER OF THE MONTH:
Cara Russell of Hearts and Stars Healing. I cannot recommend Cara highly enough! She is a Spiritual Intuitive, Angel Messenger and Psychic Medium. Her mission is to awaken people to their inner peace and wisdom so they may heal and shine their light. Cara’s Angel readings are intended to empower individuals and illuminate their path by highlighting the knowledge and wisdom already residing within each of us. “Everyone is capable of accessing this magnificence within …and using it!” she says. I have had several readings with Cara and she is incredibly accurate and offers a plethora of information and guidance. To schedule a reading, contact Cara at: heartsandstarshealing@gmail.comor visit her website: www.heartsandstarshealing8.com.