AstroCast: February 18 - March 3, 2013

**Times where noted are for the Pacific Time Zone; degrees where noted are rounded to the nearest whole degree.

The ocean of inspiration beckons when the Sun enters Pisces in the still dreaming hours of morning on February 18th.  He brings his light into the deep waters of consciousness where lies the potential for ego boundaries to be dissolved into the pure bliss of being.  Making an immediate conjunction with Pisces-ruler Neptune, which becomes exact on February 20th, the Sun under such ethereal influence could generate the feeling of being at one with the greater whole that is life on this planet, in this universe.  The loss of form into the vastness could become so overwhelming that we may seek opportunities to dull it through escapist activity of all kinds.  Practicing yoga, meditation or other spiritual discipline, however, would offer a much healthier and productive way to manage the surging tide of consciousness that cannot be contained by corporeal boundaries.  Our attention may turn to matters of unconditional love with symbolic gestures occurring at the mundane level in highly personal ways, or the archetype of dissolving boundaries could manifest at the socio-political level via breakthroughs in immigration reform.  With four planets now in this compassionate sign, it is a great time to play in the field of imagination, bring our dreams to light and truly live them.

Perhaps to give us some sense of grounding as we reach for the heavens, Saturn has been gaining strength as he slows down in preparation for turning retrograde on February 18th at 12 degrees of penetrating Scorpio.  During his five-month retrograde period we’ll have a chance to review our relationship with power and to face our fear of not having control.  Can we become deeply involved with others and be truly present with them regardless of how they act?  The opportunity to become an authority of intimacy may rest in our willingness to be authentic, to let another witness us be completely open and honest about who we are, what we think and what we feel.

Another planetary shift happens when Mercury stations retrograde at 20 degrees Pisces on February 23rd affecting all forms of communication, incoming and outgoing, and how we process information, or misinformation.  Our thoughts may turn inwards, and under Pisces’ influence, may become even more free and imaginative, although finding words to express what is going on in our minds may be challenging!

The emotional need for purity faces off with the will to be all-embracing as the Full Moon at 7 degrees Virgo opposes the Sun at 7 degrees Pisces shortly past noon on February 25th.  This annual planetary confrontation reaches across the great divide between the micro and the macro, giving us the opportunity to see that purity does not necessarily require one element to be completely separate from another in order to maintain its integrity.  In Virgo’s world, the Moon needs order to function but often creates boundaries of containment making everything satisfactorily labeled and identifiable.  Routine makes her happy and she develops highly refined techniques to make her way through life.  Her modesty belies her natural uncertainty of her own worth, as well as her reluctance to be self-assertive.  By contrast, the Sun in Pisces sees purity in virtually everything as the all of creation co-mingles, merges and thus transforms from exquisitely guided contact.  The sea of humanity has progressed over the ages due to the willingness of each individual to share of herself with another without fear of losing her own integrity.  The discriminating Virgo Moon must transcend her notion of purity in order to embrace the Pisces Sun’s way to purification through the consummation of all to experience oneness.  The Pisces Sun, which can get so overwhelmed with the formlessness of Being, can benefit from the Virgo Moon’s sublime talent for seeing the Divine in each grain of sand, each drop of water.  It gives her the unique ability to stay connected to Earth, to ground her experience in practical reality.  Working together, the energies of the Sun in Pisces and the Moon in Virgo have the potential to manifest for us the parallel transcendence of body and spirit.

Challenging this delicate dance is Jupiter at 7 degrees Gemini forming a square to both luminaries within hours of the Full Moon.  This challenging “T-square” configuration calls upon us to deal with issues of faith and confidence.  We must be vigilant against negative thoughts that may ride in on any bit of information to thwart our enthusiasm.  While tension may be prevalent, it could also provide the fuel for us to make that leap of faith to knowingness.  Venus joins the sea of Love in Pisces by evening to inspire total giving in relationships.  Romance is elevated to a spiritual art form during her three-week presence here and her conjunction to Neptune at 3 degrees Pisces on February 28th further intensifies her evolved sense of love and way of relating.  Venus’ refined influence on art and beauty during this time can also be profound.  That may be a better place to focus her attention – the consequence of being so fully giving to another indiscriminately could lead to disillusionment.  She needs to honor what she values most and be clear about the values of others in order to attract the exalted connection she seeks.

On February 26th, retrograde Mercury backs into a conjunction with Mars at 19 degrees Pisces, revisiting this signature of 18 days ago.  This planetary pair representing the voice of assertion is softly muted in Pisces where the focus turns from what the self wants to what is desirable for the greater good.  Together, Mercury and Mars have the potential to be outspoken and relentless in pursuing the answers they seek; infused with Piscean sensitivity and compassion they will most likely be travelling the fertile grounds of the imagination in their spirited mystical quest.

Lest we all become totally spaced out with so many planets in Pisces (five now!), the Sun trines Saturn on March 1st at 11 degrees Pisces/Scorpio to add a dose of pragmatism and much needed grounding.  We’ll have the opportunity to tap into our instincts to see what needs to be done and have the discipline to do it.  The expression of Saturn’s energy is generally conservative and process-oriented in nature; in Scorpio it could be drawn into powerful and possibly taboo areas that need to be mastered.  With this supportive aspect to the Sun, which is at the midpoint of the cluster in Pisces and thus draws in more of the Piscean intuitive strength, Saturn could take a calculated risk and tap into that bounty of consciousness for the 3-D map he needs to navigate through the dark reaches of the soul.