Midlife Transits

Happy Birthday Aquarius. The sun starts out the month in your sign, as it always does in February. Time for a big birthday celebration. On the 7th, there’s the annual full moon in the sector that governs your relationship with your significant other; you may learn something about him or her around this time.

The sun moves into Pisces on the 19th and the annual full moon in this sign takes place on the 21st. Pisces represents your financial sector and also your possessions. (more…)

The month opens in Aquarius mode, with the sun and Mercury in this sign. Mercury in this position suggests that what you learn this month will be about people and not things, or at least that it would be in your interests to focus your fact gathering on the people you know and need to know.

The last third of the month, in contrast, is strongly Piscean. There’s a bit of a battle between your ruler Mars, which is hanging out in Virgo for as long as it possibly can, and the sun, new moon, Mercury, Venus, and Neptune, all of which spend some time in Pisces. Virgo loves processes, doing things step by step. (more…)

In February, Pluto reaches 9 degrees and starts moving really, really slowly. In your solar chart, Pluto is responsible for scrutinizing the idea of common sense (something your sign likes) and figuring out how to turn common sense into a moral code. That may seem like an odd thing for Pluto to do, but he’s taking the project seriously. There’s an awful lot of conflict in the world today, and times are tough economically, as you may have noticed. The planets want you to have a very firm grasp of your moral stance, because it may very well be challenged in 2012 by all kinds of weirdnesses you never anticipated might cause a moral dilemma. (more…)

Your living situation continues to get attention from the stars in February. There’s a full moon in Leo on the 7th that relates to your neighborhood and Mars continues to haunt the sector of your solar chart that relates to home and home improvement matters. If you have work to do around the house or a neighborhood project to complete, time to get on it. Note to DIYers: Virgo values quality over quantity and is a bit of a perfectionist; don’t expect your project to be completed soon. If you hire someone to do work around your house, get specifics, especially regarding the estimate and don’t neglect to handle issues that are structural but not visible. Check and double-check all work done. (more…)

The most practical planet in your chart right now is Mars in Virgo in your solar 3rd house. Mars may be the only planet actually interested in doing something this month, in being useful. Fortunately or unfortunately, he is parked in the sector of your chart that deals with daily life. Mars in this house often indicates that just dealing with everyday life takes up most of your time and energy. (more…)

Get the facts about your significant other. That’s the basic task when the sun and Mercury travel through Aquarius, the sign that represents your most significant and committed relationships. Now is the time to learn what makes your man or woman tick. The primary period for this information gathering lasts until the 13th. By the way, this is also a great time to go out and do things with your sweetheart (Valentine’s Day!), especially festive activities where a lot of people gather. (more…)

Every year in February, inner planets slide from your solar house of work and health into your relationship sector. During the first half of February (actually until the 19th), you get to do your Virgo thing and review how efficient and effective you are at your daily routines of job and personal maintenance. The pure Virgo type is the quintessential knowledge worker, because knowledge is what your sign likes to trade in. So this is when you ask yourself if you know what you need to know to do your job and run your life effectively. If you don’t, then in true Virgo fashion, you make a plan to correct any gaps. (more…)

This month the sun, Mercury, and Neptune move into solar 6th house of work and health. Venus and Chiron are already there, and a new moon will take place in this sector on the 21st. That’s a lot of emphasis on work and/or health. Put bluntly, your work (or health concerns if that’s your primary focus) will have a tendency to creep through your life like a spreading fog until it takes up all the space in your life. Do a reality check if this starts happening to determine whether work creep is really necessary. (more…)

Let’s start with Venus in your solar 6th house of work and health as of the 8th. The universe has been trying to nudge you toward changes in one or both of these areas, and it’s starting its 2012 campaign on that front this month. It’s not asking you to do much right now–just start off with something small. You can decide for yourself what an appropriate small thing would be, just as long as you get moving ever so slightly forward.

Now for some other highlights of the month. (more…)

We’ll start with the third house in your solar chart, the one represented by the sign of Aquarius. This is a house of casual interactions and get-togethers, such as with acquaintances, neighbors, relatives, friends, the people you see every day. Popping in for a drink with your co-workers might qualify. It is also, strangely or not so strangely, the house of the mind, and of mental stability. There’s big news in your solar third house this month. (more…)

There’s a big emphasis on your knowledge and information houses in February. Neptune moves into your solar 3rd house of information on the 3rd of February. He joins Venus there, and the sun and Mercury follow him into the sign on the 19th and 13th respectively. There’s also a new moon in Pisces on the 21st. The third house is the house of common sense, everyday knowledge, not advanced learning or anything.

The strange thing is that Neptune is a planet of uncommon sense and cosmic knowledge. (more…)

I hope you’re in the mood to see the big picture in life, Pisces, because Neptune’s moving into your sign on the 3rd and he’s not just about the big picture; he’s about the gigantic, cosmic picture. At some point during his stay in your sign, Neptune will try to cram and stuff so much insight and revelation into your head at once that you’ll feel isolated from ordinary folk who only see the ordinary picture. Unless you’re born on the first day of Pisces (around February 19), this won’t happen right at once. Instead, it will creep up on you, as it creeping up now. (more…)

Happy New Year Capricorn. As your sign continues to enjoy favor from planets in all of the earth signs, let’s start by talking a bit about the Jupiter in Taurus part of the equation. Jupiter is in your solar 5th house, the one associated with creative projects. With the sun in your own sign until the 20th, you have a double dose of energy relating to imagination, originality, and new ideas that Jupiter in Taurus can help you capitalize on productively.

If you’d like any of these potential ideas to pay off in a financial sense, then January is good for that also. (more…)

Happy New Year, Aries! The year opens with all the planets moving peaceably forward throughout the month–with the exception of your ruler Mars, which we’ll get to in a moment. So let’s tackle things topic by topic.

Topic #1: relationships. Saturn in Libra has been making a strong argument for continuing in an ongoing relationship–even if you don’t always feel like it. (more…)