Dateblog: February 2014

Whenever we look at the month ahead, probably the easiest way to think of it is as being built atop that most basic feeling we have about ‘how life is doing’…or the ‘flavor’ of everything going on overall. That’s the quality astrology assigns (in broadest terms) to the elements and modalities (the ‘mode’ of action or activity) which the Sun changing signs in the mid-late part of every months switches up for us in an endlessly predictable cycle.

In that cycle, February’s ‘Sun menu’ always starts on an airy (Aquarius) note with a watery Pisces experience to follow. But then we start adding in the variables – variables which for February 2014 are probably ‘framed’ (circumscribed?) by Mercury going station/retrograde on February 6^th (UT/+0) only to re-emerge from retrograde on the 28^th.

Also…beginning with an early birthday shout out to my Ex (we’re friends, not to worry…), as always, if your birthday falls within 2 days (even 3) either way from a planetary station, figure your whole ‘birthday’ (solar return) year is going to be colored by issues having to do with that planet.

Or dwarf planet.

Or node.

(And yes, Ex-of-Mine, I will expect your email on this subject in due time. No rush.)

The general astrological point here is that with most of February embraced by a water-into-air Mercury retrograde, there is an overhanging (or imbedded, depending) sense of needing to understand things at both a feeling and thoughtful level. You may not want to think of things that way, but life is likely to present you with matters and dynamics which cause you to consider things in this manner anyway.

And maybe more importantly, that which happens now will get you to think about yourself as a player in your own grand drama in those water-into-air emotionally thoughtful terms.

While that is going on, Venus (now blessedly in forward motion) transiting Capricorn against Mars’ somewhat subdued energetic in Libra suggests a negotiating of accomplishment through interactions with others in worldly settings.

Iris and Jupiter by Michel Corneille the Younger (1701)

With Jupiter retrograde in Cancer for the whole of the month, instincts lean now towards building for the future and repairing the past, though with Saturn in Scorpio there are challenges – most of which come from our tendency to see things from our own perspective without taking into account what that perspective (and the fact we’re so focused on it) looks to others.

In other words…would you be attracted by someone you could tell was only thinking about what they were going to get out of something?

It’s that sort of time…and for the record, this is just the beginning of it. With this year’s first set of eclipses occur on the 15^th (lunar eclipse) and 29^th (solar eclipse) of April, the two-month eclipse ‘breaking down’ phase would start on February 29^th if we were going to be having a February 29^th this year (which we’re not) – and that should be news enough. Remember how last September, no sooner had we crossed that two-month mark than feelings and emotionally charged issues started testing us to see what we were made of?

That two month steamroller-fest led into last November (2013)’s famously self-confrontational Scorpio solar eclipse. And now…in spite of whatever date February ends on, it’s last week will be inducting us all into this April’s Taurus solar eclipse ‘breaking down’ period.

As a matter of fact, now that I’m thinking about it, how our calendar is shaped (with February being this pre-shrunk month society likes to monkey with)…isn’t it interesting that the eclipse pattern would fall the exact day after February ends? That, combined with a Mercury retrograde period – they always seem to get us all more thinking about personal stuff – it’s sort of…insular.

And this insular sort of vibe is leading us into a Taurus ‘breaking down’ period?

Oh my.

Plus there’s one more fact you might want to know, one which isn’t apparent on the diagram. That last week of Pisces you’re looking at? What you can’t tell is that it’s all leading up to Mars AND Saturn going retrograde as the Opening Act to March.

That’s right…Mars goes retrograde on March 1^st and Saturn goes retrograde on March 2^nd. So again…if February were ‘shaped’ like any other month in our calendar (i.e., with 30 or 31 days), we’d be seeing these events on the path ahead.

Instead they’re out there…but somehow just beyond the horizon.

Are you beginning to understand what I mean about this is likely to be an odd month? It could be good - there’s nothing about it which necessarily says this all can’t be a metaphorical and metaphysical image of a month when you’re so busy getting things done that you never look up. Or when there’s so much which is just fine that the rest can just be let go of for a moment.

And maybe that’s all true. Maybe that is what’s going on in your life.

In that, maybe the question then becomes the Mars in Libra/Jupiter in Cancer question: does it behoove you to be so focused on your own stuff? Is it the balance of regard…the me/them, the I/thou, the ‘what I have to offer’ and ‘what the customer wants’ which ultimately leads to success, or is it just being out for Self?

That Mars is in Libra, that in advance of its March 1^st station/retrograde Mars will be slowing its general one-degree-every-two-days (more or less) to one-degree-every-seven-days just as life (the Sun) moves from the idea of the thing (Aquarius) into the confrontation with the (Pisces) emotional reality of the thing…the feeling what having all those emotions feels like…

Okay, so maybe it’s not that insular a time – even though there will be those who will try to hide their feelings.

Diana the Huntress, one of our metaphysical images of the Moon

in active mode, by Guillaume Seignac (oil on canvas, private collection)

Or hide from their feelings. For some, surely this will be true...alas. (And it so never works.)

All of this is what will initiate the being led towards the nexus of the Taurus solar eclipse? An eclipse all about the validity (or invalidity) of our values - you know, the ‘what we’re basing our life choices on’ stuff.

Ah, joy. (Maybe joy?)

One more note here – this February includes no New Moon. Considering how last month hosted two New Moons, that’s not shocking. Again, part of this has to do with the fact that our calendar month (February) is a bit unusual.

Then again, what does the whole of this say about us? If you want you can certainly take this to include how we run (“calendar”) our world and life. But even without that, the implication would seem to be there that all is not yet what it will become. Knowing that Mars is slowing down to go retrograde may mean we stop to take stock this month – of our Self or our life.

Or our career, spending habits, relationships, attitudes, social circles, priorities – whatever.

One way or another, we’ll all get to the self-examination soon enough…which sort of means that at some level February is about all that which will get us there. Take us there...Get us to look at that.

Considering how life seldom misses and opportunity to flex its muscles, that a goodly portion of the citizenry will be beginning to stumble into reflective mode (or causes to stop and reflect) also means that those who tend to prey on, depend on or enjoy the exploitation of others will also be active.

But not to worry…they’ll be given cause to reflect too.

And maybe that’s the bottom line: life is bigger than any of us. Life is the process of making something of ourselves so that we can participate and excel among others and thus improve the world which gives us the reason, ability and space to make something of ourselves.
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