February 2017 Monthly Forecast

Fired Up? The Fire Element Rules the Roost

The year of the Fire Rooster is underway and the Fire energy gets amplified in February with both Venus and Mars in Aries, a fire zodiac sign. Mars went into Aries on 29 January and stays there until 10 March. Venus goes into Aries on 4 February and due to a retrograde stays there pretty much until 6 June (except for April).

Essentially the theme of fire is strongly activated, and ‘fire’ means passion, excitement, libido, life-force, drive, enthusiasm and competition. How is your fire feeling? Do you feel as if it’s lit or as if it’s gone out? The astrology of 2017 on the whole is very fiery. It might push some people to exceed healthy limits with their fire, or conversely fire up people who tend to dim their passion down.

Angels or Devils – Who Controls the Fire?

In the devil card in tarot, the devil pushes the universal fire down. He holds a blazing torch of life-force but keeps it all to himself and has humans chained to his will, using their personal fire for his own fuel. In the lovers card in tarot, the angel in the card supports humans to be inspired and motivated to pursue their inner fire. They feel vulnerable and a bit exposed but the angel creates a supportive environment for them to experiment within and keeps the universal fire uplifted and accessible to all.

Jupiter, a planet that represents adventuring and exploring life-force/ ‘fire’, goes retrograde on 6 February, suggesting it’s a good time to become more contemplative and reflective about how we most want to use and assert our passions.

Full Moon Eclipse in Fire Sign Leo

On 11 February, the Full Moon is in Leo, another fire zodiac sign, and this is also a Lunar Eclipse. Eclipses help switch our perceptual wiring. One minute we are ‘being Leo’ a certain kind of way, but the eclipse helps us see the Leo energy differently, by momentarily blinkering the usual way. Leo is a zodiac sign associated with being in the limelight and having the courage to present personal ‘fire’ for others to witness and experience, and hopefully benefit from.

Anyone who has ever offered their specialty publicly has experienced the vibration of Leo – what it feels like to have the eyes of the audience/recipients assessing, appraising, clapping or booing. This is a time to review anything you want to put out, or already have put out, to others. A few tweaks could make all the difference, or a few more tools for confidence-boosting.

Venus and Mars in Fire Sign Aries

Venus and Mars spend the whole of February travelling together in passionate Aries. This could be a fun month for sparring playfully with a loved one or even a tricky month for real fights. Finding a safe way to let the charge out could lead to renewed inspiration, passion and pleasure. If Mars thinks he’s boss this month, Venus has got a thing or two to show him about being boss, and vice versa, until the masculine (Mars) and feminine (Venus) get a satisfying new balance with both feeling entitled to assert their needs and have their desires fulfilled.

Needless to say, in some instances, this all-cards-on-the-table Aries approach could reveal core differences which sees some connections calling it a day. Venus is about to go retrograde and when retrograde, she’s okay about withdrawing from any emotional bonds that are not quite resonating. She doesn’t go retro until 4 March, but from about 24 Feb, she slows down and gets ready for her review time.

From 4 to 19 Feb, Venus and Mars are dancing together, and this span of dates includes Valentine’s Day. If friendship and other relationship connections go well during this time, then the Venus retrograde from 4 March to 15 April could be a powerful period of deepening intimacy, but if we decide to move on, then the Venus retro is a good time to come up with new plans and take some time to luxuriate in self-nurturing replenishing practices such as spas, yoga, nature walks, creativity, dancing etc – whatever your thing is.

Fire Planet Mars – three powerful alignments

On 19 February, the 3rd quarter Moon is in Sagittarius, another fire sign, igniting more fiery vibes, encouraging exploration and experimentation. Mars, the planet associated with each individual’s personal fire, and also the ruling planet of Aries, makes some extremely powerful alignments after that date. Here they are:

• Mars square Pluto – 22 Feb (span from approx 14 Feb to 2 Mar)
• Mars conjunct Uranus – 27 Feb (span from approx 17 Feb to 7 Mar)
• Mars opposite Jupiter – 28 Feb (span from approx 19 Feb to 5 Mar)

All of these alignments are about liberation, courage, following what is true and right to one’s own personal ‘flame’, not the ‘false flame’ that seductive power brokers brandish to magnetise us to a group-mind that is trapped into hypnotic submission while thinking it is free, and that we see in the devil card (described above), as opposed to one’s personal unique passion flame that we see in the lovers card (also described above). The square to Pluto around 22 Feb brings a confrontation between the false flame and the true flame, and once we are connected to the pulse of the genuine self, the Mars to Uranus and Jupiter alignments help us follow it, with a roar if necessary!

This personal flame might be about love for another but, deeper still, it’s about love for one’s own path and creative desires that emanate from the essential self within.

Black Moon Lilith into Fire Sign Sagittarius

Black Moon Lilith moves out of Scorpio, where she has been for the past 8 months, into Sagittarius on 14 Feb helping us distinguish the true inner flame from the substitute flame. Many have felt quite trapped while Lilith has been in Scorpio, but once she’s in Sagittarius she has the fire element at her disposal to help her forge a path that feels true to self and therefore true to all. If ‘self’ is the core inner self connected to ‘the all that is’, not the ‘self’ in ‘selfish’, then it taps into a path that is true to all.

Yet there are different opinions on what constitutes ‘selfish’ and while Black Moon Lilith is in Sagittarius during this fire-themed year, we hustle with each other over this topic.

Inherent Core Value Differences Revealed

On 7 February, Mercury moves into Aquarius, and not a moment too soon for many who have felt weighed down by many difficult communication dynamics since early December. This time period really helped us see who holds what values and beliefs, and the extent to which we are in resonance or out of resonance, forcing us to look very realistically at certain life situations and bring the eye of maturity and wisdom to some hard realities.

We’ve needed to apply all the tools we use for resilience, self-control, responding not reacting, being powerfully centred in a storm and showing respect for self and others to withstand the great intensity that might have been necessary during these times.

Mercury over the past two months has revealed what was hidden. Have you discovered that someone you thought was on the same page as you turns out deep down to be coming from a radically different value system, so much so, you may as well be from other planets? Every value system has its place, yet some of the misunderstandings we encountered over the past two months might be attributed to different viewpoints or inherent ‘wiring’ as difficult to change as asking a tree to become a horse.

Fresh Starts – Mercury into Aquarius, Saturn & Galactic Centre

From 7 February, we are onto fresh starts with communication and connections after Mercury moves into Aquarius, the zodiac sign of liberation and like-minded fairness and mutual respect, where even if there are radical differences, obvious or hidden, it’s less easy for one value system to take charge over the other.

Also this month, Saturn is conjunct the Galactic Centre from mid-Feb to end-May, then again from mid-Nov to mid-Dec. Some relationships, soul projects/passions that we thought were forever, even across lifetimes, are put to rest. But others that we thought were dead suddenly reveal themselves to have deep enduring passion, and metaphorically leap from the cauldron of the birth-death-rebirth black-hole that the Galactic Centre is into new life, like the company of allies that come together in the Lord of the Rings to fight the darkness.

Happy Valentines Day and its celebration of love whether romantic or otherwise, and may February’s fire energies inspire your heart and soul passions! Michelle

February’s 1st Quarter Moon

For information on the 1st Quarter Moon in Taurus on 4 Feb, go here around that date. The interpretation will stay online until the next 1st Quarter Moon four weeks later.

February’s Full Moon

For information on the Full Moon Eclipse in Leo on 11 Feb, go here around that date. The interpretation will stay online until the next Full Moon four weeks later.

February’s 3rd Quarter Moon

For information on the 3rd Quarter Moon in Sagittarius on 19 Feb, go here around that date. The interpretation will stay online until the next 3rd Quarter Moon four weeks later.

February’s New Moon

For information on the New Moon Eclipse in Pisces on 27 Feb, go here around that date. The interpretation will stay online until the next New Moon four weeks later.