February 1st marks the midway point between winter solstice and spring equinox. In some climates, the very first seeds of the new year will be planted. Across the northern hemisphere, the return of sunlight is appreciable. The festivals of Imbolc and St. Brigid, held at this time, have long included the element of fire, to signify the return of warmth and light. In 2023, the full Moon, in the fire sign of Leo, will take place on February 5th. As it waxes, we’ll encounter several encouraging alignments and Venus will enter Pisces. On January 20th the Sun moved into Aquarius, followed immediately by a new Aquarius Moon on the 21st. Aquarius is one of the signs with positive polarity, giving it an outgoing orientation. On Tuesday the 24th, that budding Aquarius Sun will sextile Jupiter in Aries, and on Sunday the 29th, it will trine Mars in Gemini. Mars is the planet of action and ruler of Aries, and it has just emerged from its retrograde phase in Gemini. Aries and Gemini are also signs with positive polarity. Aries is the cardinal fire sign that excites and invigorates the planets as they pass through its domain, and Jupiter is of course the planet of optimism and expansion. It is now picking up speed, after re-entering Aries back on December 20th. The Sun’s connections with Jupiter and Mars signal a boost and forward momentum. That said, winter is still upon us, and a cosmic reminder of the delicacy and fragility of new endeavors will take the form of Venus in Pisces.
The planet most associated with the Divine Feminine is Venus, namesake of the Goddess of love and beauty. Her descent into dreamy Pisces, from January 26th to February 20th, will soften the atmosphere. In Pisces, the emphasis is on subtlety. Hallmarks of a Venus Pisces transit in particular can include a more relaxed way of moving through the world, a heightened appreciation of music and art and extraordinary astral travels. On February 15th Venus will conjoin oceanic Neptune. The time leading up to and following their connection will carry copious doses of the psychic and psychedelic signatures of Pisces. Venus and Neptune will offer imagination and interpretation, as the masculine Sun, Mars and Jupiter rev engines from yang signs. Though the two sides may seem contradictory, blending their wisdom is the key. Adding its two cents and perhaps some quick thinking, Mercury, still hanging back in Capricorn, has a final trine to Uranus on the 29th, under a Taurus Moon that will trine Pluto. As mentioned, the 29th is the date of the Sun Mars trine, making it a five-star day for insights and breakthrough ideas. An overarching vision may come in handy when the Sun squares Uranus on the 3rd, Venus squabbles with Mars on the 4th and the Leo Moon reaches its full phase, after its Uranus square, on the 5th. Those days leading up to the full Moon are this cycle’s bumpy patch. Overall however, the air and fire sign combinations coming in, along with Venus’s visit to gentle Pisces, suggest that progress is now not only possible, but probable.
