Planetary news this week: Intensity ramps up with Mars and Pluto

Astrological update for the week of February 12-19, 2024

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Mars enters Aquarius February 13. Mars, planet of will and desire, leaves practical Capricorn for idealistic Aquarius this week and immediately conjoins Pluto (see below). Mars will be in Aquarius until March 22nd, during which time we are likely to experience a broader perspective and a new ability to see and witness through a different lens of perception.

As the water-bearer, Aquarius pours the wisdom of a higher level of knowledge down to humanity. Under the influence of Aquarius we sometimes can awaken to new ideas. However, Aquarius is a fixed sign and rather inflexible and stubborn and with Mars in Aquarius the tendency to be stuck in our own opinions could prevent the collaboration we hope for.

The Mars Pluto conjunction February 14. Just in time for Valentine’s Day, Mars and Pluto collide for a fiery and passionate combustion. Whether or not this is a happy thing depends on a lot of factors, but one thing we can be sure of is that everyone will be exceptionally passionate about everything they do and will not back down easily. This will be a challenging time for arguments or anything requiring tact, since the Moon will be in Mars-ruled Aries igniting the flame.

Mars is a fiery motivator, and Pluto demands power and can be quite greedy about it. Fortunately, we can put fire to work for us and utilize its energies to focus the Will and create real magick.  When we connect our Individual will to the force for transformation represented by Pluto we can become powerful manifestors, but this requires the alignment of our own desires (Mars) to a wish for the highest good (higher octave Pluto).  This week is the perfect time to practice this balancing act.

Venus enters Aquarius February 16. Although Venus usually craves connection and attachment, under the influence of Aquarius she becomes more interested in autonomy and prefers to use the perspective of a bit of distance. Once Venus enters Aquarius there will be five planets in that sign of innovation and detachment, making this a very cerebral time rather than an emotional one. While Venus is in Aquarius (until March 11), our interactions will be more of a meeting of the mind than of the hearts.

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Here’s what else you need to know this week. (Dates and times are for the Eastern time zone, here is a time zone converter to adjust for your locality.) Here is a link to an ephemeris if you would like to check the degrees of these planetary placements.

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Monday February 12. You may already be feeling the fire of the Mars/Pluto conjunction, and with the Moon still in Pisces Monday morning that fiery energy will not have an easy outlet. This is a good time to go for a walk or do something which helps to balance the soul. Once Mars enters Aries (1:25 pm EST) any disruption will be at least easier to understand and help prepare us to kick out the jams, as we used to say back in the ‘70s. 😃 (Pisces Moon conjunct Neptune 7:11 am, sextile Mars 12:31 pm, Moon enters Aries 1:25 pm, sextile Pluto 2:35 pm.)

Tuesday February 13. Mars enters Aquarius just after midnight EST and could cause a literal awakening in the night. A lovely Venus/Neptune aspect filters through any jangled nerves, especially in the morning, and helps to facilitate creative solutions to difficult problems. There may be a few hours in the late morning when anger or resentment to past hurts emerge, but this will soon dissipate and make way for Mars and Pluto to shine through.

The combination of Mars and Pluto is the perfect time to imagine and create your idealized reality. Tuesday and Wednesday, when the conjunction is at its peak, are ideal days to utilize this energy to give birth to your dreams.

Wednesday February 14. The energies of Mars and Pluto peak just after midnight and begin to wane, but when the Moon enters Taurus and the fire would normally fade into the earthy comfort of Taurus, the Moon will set off both Mars and Pluto and reignite any conflicts or power struggles in the morning.

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This kind of fire can be a positive thing - it’s the passionate drive of Mars that inspires us to create and take action as well as intensify any romantic ideas for Valentine’s Day. By afternoon and evening, though, the fire will begin to die down and we can more easily reassemble our equanimity. (Mars conjunct Pluto 1:05 am, Moon sextile Sun 1:40 am, square Venus 5:20 am, Moon enters Taurus 10:02 am, Moon square Pluto 11:22 am, square Mars 11:56 am, sextile Saturn 11:56 pm.)

Thursday February 15. Today is a day of healing and rebalancing. The Taurus Moon continues to encourage stabilization, and Mercury (mind) and Chiron (healing) combine to facilitate the release of stuck energies. Later in the afternoon and early evening you may hit a few bumps in the road but these will soon pass. (Moon conjunct Jupiter 1:30 am, Mercury sextile Chiron 8:16 am, Mercury sextile North Node 1:17 pm, Moon square Mercury 3:35 pm, conjunct Uranus 7:26 pm.)

Friday February 16. Venus enters Aquarius, accelerating the Aquarian idealism and dispassionate approach to human interaction, and will almost immediately bump into Pluto (exact aspect is early Saturday morning). This could exacerbate any power conflicts, or any unresolved disturbances that may have arisen earlier in the week. This can be a challenge, no doubt, but it can also point to resolution of long-standing issues which is always a good thing.

The air element is strong Friday with the Moon entering Gemini, and ideas will dominate over feelings. This is a good day to think yourself out of stuck patterns but we may find our nerves a bit jangled, especially in the evening. When the mind is overactive, as it could be on Friday, meditation or calming walks in the woods can help to settle our nerves and clarify our thinking. (Moon sextile Neptune 7:55 am, Moon square Sun 10 am, Venus enters Aquarius 11:05 am, Moon enters Gemini 2:39 pm, trine Venus 3:01 pm, trine Pluto 4:11 pm, trine Mars 7:56 pm, Mercury square Uranus 10:52 pm.)

Saturday February 17. The Gemini Moon helps us to shake off disturbances fairly easily, and any tensions that built on Friday will wane throughout the day. (Venus conjunct Pluto 3:48 am, Moon square Saturn 5:56 am, sextile Chiron 9:17 pm.)

Sunday February 18. On Saturday we move from Air into Water, with both the Sun and Moon shifting into water signs late in the evening and opening the doorway to deeper emotional experiences and connections. Meanwhile the Gemini Moon facilitates conversation and thoughts of new adventures with a burst of creative imagination in the afternoon. (Moon trine Mercury 6:21 am, square Neptune 3:27 pm, trine Sun 10:20 pm, Moon enters Cancer 10:24 pm, Sun enters Pisces 11:13 pm.)

Looking ahead to next week we can expect emotions to dominate the energetic landscape and that will be a change from this week’s fire and air, but will help to settle any anxieties which may have arisen this week.

I hope you have a wonderful week! 💖 If you would like to know more about how your own chart is affected by these influences, consider a personal consultation.