Almanac – February '10

“It was completely fruitless to quarrel with the world, whereas the quarrel with oneself was occasionally fruitful and always, she had to admit, interesting.”
–Soren Kierkegaard

Tips for almanac use: All the aspects can be felt in advance of the date of occurrence. It is good policy to view these as due dates for various energies and prepare accordingly for one’s context. Some slower interactions can be felt a month in advance, so it wise to read ahead and ritual up.

When we proactively manifest these symbols then the world doesn’t have to do it for us.

So February is already upon us. It’s not super active but the passage of time will still be viscous and dense. There is so much churning and yearning, but making way for whatever is brewing is no easy feat. We are looking for the grace to get over ourselves and fully embrace ourselves at the same time; purge and build at the same time. These are transformative endeavors.

Mercury sextiles Uranus on the 6^th, stimulating some frenetic mental states. This could be well used for envisioning how things could be made to work for the best. It’s good to be excited, just don’t commit to anything quite yet and watch for rebellious verbal tendencies.

Jupiter sextiles Pluto on the 6^th, asking us to recycle outdated and ineffectual belief systems. The idea is to keep trimming away the non-essentials but it centers on our world views and the release of foregone conclusions. Faith in the core is appropriate.

Venus conjoins Neptune on the 7^th, lending some inspirational musings to a rather pragmatic mix. Hopefully we are focusing on our deeper yearnings, particularly the divine sorrow that lies within, instead of how things could (theoretically) be if existence were something altogether different.

Mercury moves into Aquarius on the 10^th. This is an opportunity to take our ambitious but modest reformulations and turbocharge them. We must stretch towards the improbable to keep ourselves challenged and motivated, while keeping our expectations within reasonable bounds.\

Venus moves into Pisces on the 11^th, bringing some much needed surrender to the flow. This gives us room to get over ourselves and embrace the shared collective conundrum we call humanity. A spiritual perspective is sometimes the only one that can quell our existential escapism.

Mercury trines Saturn on the 12^th, bringing things back down to Earth. What’s working and what’s holding us back? We are being asked to suspend our belief in doubt and give things a fair try. Experience can show us how things have been but never fully how they could/will be.

Mercury opposes Mars on the 13^th. This is a volatile mix that could fuel the engines of creation and renewal or could blow up in one’s face. It largely depends on how well things have been going (as long as we avoid people looking to unload). If mental angst is still brimming, then make choices and take action to relieve the pressure healthfully.

The New Moon is in Aquarius on the 13^th. This is a rather strange lunation. It seems to demand that we follow our muses and allow ourselves to fill with awe. But we must embark on this journey with as little attachment to the time and place of our arrival as possible. Destiny can be understood only in retrospect, so don’t waste energy trying to achieve things before their times.

The Sun conjoins Neptune on the 14^th, asking us again to venture forth even when we can’t see where we are going. Alertness to the present and to intuition are crucial to navigating smoothly onward.

Venus sextiles Pluto on the 14^th, stirring up fears concerning the lack of guarantees for that which we hold dear and feel that we need in life. These concerns interfere with our enjoyment of the Show and are best acknowledged, respected and released.

Mars sextiles Saturn on the 15^th, feeding the fires of either determination or doubt (or some conflicted blend of the two). If we are doing things because of ‘shoulds,’ the motivation and energy will drain accordingly. It’s okay to gripe a little about the stuff we have to do, even if we’re the ones pushing ourselves to do it, but avoid getting caught up in either the griping or the doing.

Venus conjoins Jupiter on the 16^th. Music, dance and celebration are very good physical embodiments of enjoyment for this. This is a perfect time for taking a breather and relaxing out of the hyper-diligence of late.

The Sun moves into Pisces on the 18^th, starting us on a period of reflection and correction concerning where we find ourselves. This relates to how we are on the inside and how we have shifted even if the external has yet to respond to the internal changes. This may require taking space from people, ideas or anything else that is trying to play an outdated game with you; although this space may be purely figurative. This is the time to inhale into ourselves while we ruminate on how best to bring forth the newness.

The Sun sextiles Pluto on the 23^rd, bringing more remnants up for processing. The theme still emphasizes paring things down to their fundamentals. The non-word, essentialization, comes to mind. Focus on oneself.

Mercury conjoins Neptune on the 27^th, allowing us to de-clutter the mind and contemplate mental peace. This combination eludes facile words for it is the quiet point of awareness hidden among the multifarious vantages and truths. Contradictions cease to exist when relativity is extinguished. This can only be sought, but the benefit here is in the seeking while free from the burdens of arrival.

The Sun conjoins Jupiter on the 28^th, producing buoyancy and bounce, a perfect time for lightening our philosophical load while letting go of confused self-conceptions. The increased mobility this could yield is needed.

The Full Moon is in Virgo on the 28^th, pulling these musings down through us into a more concrete manifestation. This may involve cathartic release; physically, emotionally, mentally or energetically. Priming the way for the seeds yet to burst forth comes next. Synthesize, don’t polarize.

So yeah, it’s deep and cavernous and we seem to be passing points of no-return, or at least ‘not worth the return.’ But whatever it may look like at the moment, the pressure is building steadily and something’s got to give; better to make that choice then let it be made for you. And, of course, preparations should be well under way towards harnessing this boil; even if not quite physically manifest. We can’t do everything, but we can do what we can. Just don’t push yourself too hard because energy reserves need to be maintained.