Planetary news this week: Pisces season and a Virgo New Moon 🌙
Astrological update for the week of February 19-26, 2024
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Pisces season begins with the Sun entering Pisces Saturday February 18 (EST) or Sunday if you’re in Europe, Asia, Africa or Oceania. We have been in a strongly Aquarian time for the past few weeks, with the Sun, Mercury, Venus, and Mars (and Pluto!) all in that inventive sign of detachment and mental focus. The Sun's movement into Pisces, the sign of spirituality, creativity and magic is a welcome respite from some of the energetic excitement of Aquarius and helps to bring us in greater connection with our own inner being.
Pisces seeks the state of flow: the zone, the sense of being absorbed into something greater and more blissful than anything we can experience with our mind or personal emotions. This week the Sun will be followed by Mercury moving into Pisces, so we can anticipate craving more of a state of greater harmony with one-ness and less of an electrical experience of nervous energy that we sometimes get under Aquarius.
Mercury in Pisces February 23. Just as the Sun shifting from Aquarius to Pisces signifies the enhancement of flow and wonder, Mercury moving into Pisces requires that we begin to use more of our creative brain (Pisces) and less of our more rigid logical sensibilities (Aquarius). Mercury’s travel through Pisces (until March 9) is ideal for artists, writers, musicians, or lovers of art and spirituality. It is less suitable for lots of details or anything requiring tremendous focus.
If you are in a situation where you must study, or prepare long legal arguments or contracts, you may find yourself needing some space during your workday to let your imagination take you into uncharted territory and fuel the voice of your inner wisdom. Logic takes a back seat under this influence, but creativity can go a long way to enhance our world with wonder.
Virgo Full Moon February 24. This week’s Virgo Full Moon adds a nice touch of Earth to help us balance the electrical excitement of the three planets in Aquarius and the expansive transcendence of what is now four planets in Pisces. Both Aquarius and Pisces are idealistic: where Aquarian idealism is intellectual, Piscean idealism is emotional. But Virgo is not idealistic - Virgo is the ultimate realist, calling on us to give attention the tiniest mundane details rather than soar above the clouds.
Because the Virgo Full Moon seeks perfection, or at least continual improvement, the theme of envisioning a path to a life which is more ideal is the theme of this Full Moon.  It anchors us into a practical reality where we are able to make the small changes that can ultimately result in the satisfaction of the larger Aquarius/Pisces vision. In any case, this lunation will impel us to seek more from our lives – to align with our center of Spirit and from there, create change in the material world in which we live.
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.
Monday February 19. There is a lack of fire in the skies this week. The fire element inspires and motivates action, and the fire planet (Mars) is in cerebral Aquarius along with Mercury, Venus and Mars. The mind is super-active, as I mentioned above, and the Cancerian Moon and Pisces Sun need moments of peace in which to recharge.
Fortunately the Moon cooperates in this on Monday, aiding in the emotional balance that we need when Aquarius pushes us too far into the mental realm. (Moon trine Saturn 8:02 pm, Moon sextile Jupiter 10:00 pm.)
Tuesday February 20. Tuesday could bring some emotional discomfort with a lunar challenge to Chiron. When the Moon is in Cancer we feel things more deeply, and the positive impact of this is that we are more easily able to understand our feelings. Chiron draws out the old wounds which we usually try to cover up with coping strategies or other feelings, but for a few hours in the late morning on Tuesday we have the opportunity to dig into those old feelings and see what they reveal.
The rest of the day will feel pretty balanced, but it is good to be aware of a Venus/Mars dance that culminates on Thursday that will begin to filter into our consciousness. This will likely energize our relationships and possibly speed up a connection which has been dormant. It could also expose some dissonance in a relationship or other interpersonal tie. (Moon square Chiron 11:45 am, Moon sextile Uranus 4:45 pm.)
Wednesday February 21. Wednesday morning is ideal for anything creative or which taps into our inner sense of spirituality. Our dealings with others are more sensitive, and our intuition is at a peak. This may end rather abruptly when the Moon enters Leo at 1:40 pm EST and the focus changes to our own self-worth.
Under the Leo Moon we need to find a way to feel good about ourselves so it’s not surprising that our focus turns from others (Cancer) to our own needs (Leo). Leo is generous of heart and spirit, but the ultimate purpose is to fuel our self-worth by doing something noble. Watch for personality conflicts in the afternoon (EST) that could linger late into the night and early morning on Thursday. (Moon trine Neptune 6:37 am, Moon enters Leo 1:40 pm, opposes Pluto 3:37 pm. But also, Moon opposite Venus and Mars just after 3 am on Thursday, EST.)
Thursday February 22. The self-orientation of Leo, which will be filtering into every person’s consciousness because of the Moon presence there, could cause some difficulties in interpersonal relationships on Thursday. This may begin Wednesday afternoon, and could linger throughout the day if our relationships are not in balance. If we do enjoy a balance of give and take in our personal connections, Thursday’s planetary conditions will energize these connections and inspire some creative action.
It’s a good day to find something fun to do with someone you really like, or love. (Moon opposite Venus 3:02 am, opposite Mars 3:12 am, Venus conjunct Mars 7:14 am, square Jupiter 9:39 am, trine Chiron 11:16 pm.)
Friday February 23. Mercury makes the shift from Aquarius to Pisces in the morning EST. Let’s celebrate by doing something magically creative that day. The Leo Moon is restless in the wee hours of the morning (or later in the morning UTC) but then settles down to allow the inspiration of Mercury in Pisces to penetrate our minds and infiltrate our thoughts. (Moon square Uranus 4:18 am, Mercury enters Pisces 7:28 am.)
Saturday February 24. The Moon enters Virgo just after midnight Saturday, followed by the Full Moon at 12:30 pm EST. (See the details in the intro.) Full Moons are like a see-saw from one polarity to another; in this case we have practical Virgo on one end and dreamy Pisces on the other. We can prepare for this Full Moon by linking the two; for example, organizing and preparing (Virgo) a Full Moon ceremony to lift the spirit (Pisces).
A Venus/Jupiter aspect is embedded in the Full Moon that can lead to great joy AND great excess. Enjoy it, but remember Virgo’s admonition for moderation. (Moon enters Virgo 1:37 am, opposite Mercury 4:51 am, Full Moon 12:30 pm, Moon opposite Saturn 8:24 pm, trine Jupiter 10:49 pm.)
Sunday February 25. The Venus/Jupiter aspect culminates in the early morning but will linger throughout the day. The Moon will remain in Virgo until Monday afternoon so it is advisable to continue to be cautious in action (Virgo) while celebrating abundance in heart (Venus/Jupiter). (Venus square Jupiter 4:01 am, Moon trine Uranus 5:04 pm.)
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.
