Monthly Astro-Forecast; New Moon in Pisces

The new moon at 4° Pisces falls on February 23rd, in the afternoon here in the UK. Whilst a new moon in Pisces generally brings a softening and deepening of connections, this new moon makes close connections with several other planets which add dynamic energy and perhaps some manifesting power. A new moon in Pisces here in the northern hemisphere is a spring of clear water rising from the earth of Capricorn and the sometimes harsh air of Aquarius, adding soul and empathy to our practical goals. This new moon might be a seed point for healing, with a helpful aspect to wounded healer Chiron in Aries. A healing crisis may be triggered in the coming days, painful at first but ultimately transformative. Awkward aspects to both Venus in Aries and Jupiter in Capricorn may bring up issues around entitlement, around demanding our own way or getting in the way of others doing the same. A helpful aspect between the new moon and Mars in Capricorn adds energy and drive to whatever intentions we might be setting, the power to actually act rather than getting lost in Piscean daydreams. All of these energies unfold as the moon waxes.

Overall the Pisces energy can dissolve away the harshness of the two preceding signs, softening rigid thinking and allowing some empathy and compassion to flow in and shift our perspective. The Pisces energy is especially strong around 26th February when the Sun and Mercury (still retrograde) meet in Pisces and then on 8th March when the Sun reaches Neptune. Mercury begins the lunation still retrograde in Pisces then retrogrades back into Aquarius on March 4th, asking us to bring deeply entrenched thought patterns into consciousness and begin the working of transforming them. Mercury stations direct on March 10th and arrives back in Pisces on March 16th. This shadow period as Mercury travels back to the point at which it turned retrograde is a time of integration, a time to consolidate and synthesise the energies which have surfaced during the retrograde phase. And then act on them, otherwise, they will sink below again until they come back to haunt us again during the next retrograde cycle.

There is still plenty of Capricorn energy around, with Mars meeting the South Node in that sign a couple of days after the new moon, reminding us of all the energy we've invested to build our experience and our security. There might be lots of voices seeking to maintain the status quo "because that's just how it is" around this time. Then there's a break of a few weeks before Mars meets Jupiter on 20th March and Pluto on 23rd March, activating ongoing issues around entitlement and power structures. Once again we are likely to see those who have power clinging on to it for dear life even as those who don't point out ever more loudly that how it is doesn't have to be how it stays. The dynamic of how it is and how it could be is triggered again around March 14th when Chiron forms a square to the nodal axis, awakening an ongoing process of healing our inner and indeed outer warriors.

Water and earth, such a fertile combination

There's also some Taurus energy coming in during this lunation, with Venus coming home to that sign on March 5th and meeting Uranus there on March 8th. Venus in Taurus is oh so comfortable but Uranus is having none of it and will jolt us out of that comfortable rut without a second thought. We are asked what we truly value, and how those values influence our decisions, the life that we lead. On March 20th the Sun moves into Aries, marking the Spring Equinox here in the northern half of the world and the astrological new year. We move into the active phase of the year ready to create the life we dream of and maybe even change the world while we're at it.