And so we've reached the end of another year.
As Pisces dawns over the horizon the sun completes another journey through the zodiac and we submerge ourselves in the sign's ethereal depths, diving for closure like pearls. Pisces is never quite what it seems, but this season may be particularly unusual. With this year's cast of characters already dominating the skies, we feel less of the cosmic oneness the season typically commands and find ourselves instead in an uncanny realm where nothing remains unexamined.
The sun crosses the threshold on February 18th while traditional ruler Jupiter conspires with Uranus. Uranus has remained a driving force in this year's astrology, continuing its reign of chaos in stability-loving Taurus. But in this aspect with the Greater Benefic, we may yet learn that scarcity is merely a state of mind. This becomes ever more clear as Mercury squares off with the Planet of Reform on the 26th: make a point to evaluate your priorities. Mercury rules commerce and trade, and while this aspect could indicate further supply chain issues or market restrictions, it may simply be that these measurements of abundance are antiquated. Instead of letting your knuckles go white in an attempt to right course, ask yourself which way the current flows. Jupiter, the King of Wealth and Generosity, remains in ethereal Pisces until May asking us to ride the changing tides without question. Instead of looking to the past for precedents--especially as we close out the heavy Capricorn influence of the last few years--we'll need to be wholly present in our intuition and values to make judgements on security during this time.
The New Moon in Pisces reminds us of this divide between past, present, and future on March 2nd. As our inner and outer worlds align, we're allowed a glimpse into the strange Uranian landscape ahead. Lunar transits always require an additional degree of flexibility as the subconscious swells and intuition attempts to steer us forward but this is a day to expect the unexpected. Yet trust may not be easy to come by: Mercury and Saturn in conceptual Aquarius demand justification, or at least validation, which may not yet be clear. Hours later, Shadow King Pluto eclipses both Mars and Venus, the masculine and feminine centers of our chart. Remember: there's a difference between abstinence and paralysis. Whatever choices you make, make sure they're your own.
The Sun shines brightly on Jupiter on the 5th reminding us again that the soul has its own riches. We live in a material world, but money is not the only measure of a man. Fortify your spiritual reserves while they're abundant, bank as much joy as possible, and choose to live well regardless of what's to come.
Venus and Mars move into Aquarius in lock step, an act of unity which assures us that integration is the key to the future. Action is meaningless without value and intuition is our greatest weapon. Release the past--including the authorities, priorities, and prizes that ruled it--and embrace the unknown. You have more power than you think but you'll need to clear yourself to access it. Mind and body, conscious and subconscious, desire and value, all must be in alignment.
The boundaries which separate these forces may break down easier than you think, especially as the season's modern ruler, Neptune, aligns with the Sun on the 13th. Neptune has developed a reputation amongst New Age devotees as the Planet of Psychic Awareness but like all modern planets it's got some tricks up its sleeve. In order to access these concepts we first need to break down the barriers of reality which keep us confined in the mundane and Neptune can act as an energetic acid bath. As Neptune continues its slow march towards Aries--an ingress we'll see in 2025/26 amongst other monumental transitions--these annual solar conjunctions encourage us to shed layers of ego that will be too heavy to carry in the near future.
The Full Moon in Virgo on the 18th gives us another chance to purify ourselves before the renewal of the Solstice on the 20th. Like all opposing signs the dichotomy of Virgo and Pisces is a fascinating study in inversions, but this moon is always a potent reminder of the relationship between body and spirit. With the Sun sextile Pluto you may be surprised at the number of ways you sabotage your own relationship to health. Embodiment is crucial to integration and spiritual growth but we often construct boundaries to our own wellness which prevent us from accessing our strengths and talents to their fullest extent. Use Venus and Uranus, here in an unusual inversion of reception, to explore the strange and unusual links between your physical and ethereal realities.
You may have set resolutions for yourself in 2021 around the physical--to strengthen and tone your body, to reduce your resource consumption through conscious saving or nutritional evaluation, to restore yourself by cultivating a stronger relationship to activities and practices that bring you joy--but winter isn't over with the turn of the calendar page. If you've faltered on your resolutions, renew these vows with the Full Moon and allow the dawning of Spring to help you turn this leaf.
Next week’s members’ post will focus on the US Pluto return which adds a sense of gravity to the season completely outside business as usual. With everyone going on in the world right now there’s been an incredible buzz around the transit. I expected US-based astrologers to find some interest in the event but the fate of the United States and its transitioning power is a matter of global interest. Next week, we’ll examine the US chart at the time of its conception as well as the return chart and some factors which may shed light on exactly where this places the country as an entity during the upcoming cycles.
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