The month of February 2008 is one where the energy of Saturn and Uranus are very prominent due to the fact that throughout the month there is a stellium in Aquarius. At times in the month this stellium is very tight, meaning that only 12 degrees separates the first energy point, in this case Chiron, from the last energy point, in this case the Moon’s North Node. Towards the end of the month, the stellium is really one create by sign since the planets involved are not as closely aligned by degree.
As the month begins, there is an eclipse that occurs on February 6th. This is the first of four eclipses that occur in 2008. Two are solar and two are lunar. This eclipse occurs with both the Sun and Moon in Aquarius and is a Solar Annular Eclipse. The eclipse will be seen in Antarctica and the southern regions of the Pacific Ocean. Specifically, you’ll be able to see it if you are at the South Pole in Antarctica; in various cities of Australia (Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Geelong, Hobart, Launceston, Melbourne, Newcastle, Southport, Sydney, and Wollongong); in Suwa, Fiji; Papeete, French Polynesia; and Auckland, Christchurch, and Wellington, New Zealand.
This eclipse is unusual. It begins and ends along the Earth’s sunset terminator. What this means is that the eclipse is traveling in reverse motion. Most eclipses travel from west to east. This eclipse will begin by moving east to west and slowly turning north before curving west to east at the end of its journey. For people who study eclipses, this is the 60th eclipse of the Saros 121 cycle. It began on April 25, 944. In this series, the first annular eclipse occurred on November 11, 1863. This Saros cycle will end on June 7, 2206.
When this eclipse occurs, there are six energy points in Aquarius (Chiron, Mercury retrograde, Sun, Moon, Neptune, and Moon’s North Node). This is the point where the stellium is the tightest because only 12 degrees separates Chiron, the lead energy point, from the Moon’s North Node, the last energy point. It’s also important to note that Pluto, Jupiter, and Venus are in Capricorn. While the three planets in Capricorn are not part of the stellium found in Aquarius, they are still in signs ruled by Saturn.
When there is a stellium involved, it means that the energies are very intense. A stellium can be viewed as an all or nothing type of situation. At other times, a stellium can be viewed as an obsessive/compulsive situation. Either there is so much energy streaming through your life right now that you are feeling tired all the time. Or, you may find that you are able to pull out your reserve energy at this point and really get things done. The ancients believed that eclipses hide matters from clear view. Perhaps you may be pushing yourself so hard that you’re not seeing all the good things in your life. It’s very important to try and take the time to relax.
This is a time period when you may be looking for solutions to your problems. The economic problems in the world, especially in the United States are not going to go away. Saturn often represents restriction and recession. Uranus often represents the unexpected happening. On one hand, you may be looking to things that you’ve done in the past to balance your life. Yet, the energy of Uranus in this stellium is suggesting that you also consider your future and a new perspective. What’s interesting about this stellium is that it actually represents how the various political candidates are running their campaigns right now in the United States. Some are saying its time for a change. Others are saying that things need to change so the old country can be brought back to prosperity. What is important is that you look at the actions you need to take now and accept responsibility for those actions rather than trying to find others to blame.
You need to be very careful because you may have those fears that life is changing too fast for you. You may desire some of the old things that were occurring in your life. And, some of those old things may not be quite as they seem. With Neptune as part of the stellium, you may be remembering the past with a false optimism that was not there before.
With Chiron as the first energy point in the stellium, you may operate from feelings of being wounded. You may feel that you were deceived. Mercury is also retrograde during this eclipse which means that you really do need to think back to other things from your past. Theoretically this is a time for new beginnings. But, you may not be willing to take those steps because of your fears. On the other hand, you may not be willing to take those steps simply because you don’t have all the facts.
It is fascinating on a metaphysical level that this eclipse is actually moving in the opposite direction of the usual eclipse path. Perhaps it means that we have to think about our past. Or, perhaps it means that by trying to understand what the possible endings could be, we better understand just how we need to move forward in our lives.
When Venus enters Aquarius on February 17th, there are still six energy points in Aquarius (Venus, Mercury retrograde, Chiron, Neptune, Moon’s North Node, and Sun). Venus usually rules your value system. When it’s in Aquarius, there’s a tendency to value freedom, both yours and others. The only time that the freedom of other people bother you is when their freedom interferes with your life style.
There is also value placed on trying new ideas, provided you’re not operating from fear. But at other times, you may feel that once the past is over, it’s done. So, for some people who actually have Venus in Aquarius in their chart, it’s very difficult to learn from past mistakes.
On a global level, this could be a time when people aren’t learning from their past mistakes. They may cling to old ideas. Or, they may try new ideas that are so alien from old ideas there is no real way to grow. This will be an interesting time period. If there are any military actions that occur there could be a real problem with that. Meaning, someone may start a military action when all the information, including past experience, indicates that this is the worst thing in the world to do.
This is also a time when the leadership in a country is confused about what direction to take when the population is concerned about the economy and wanting to be taken care of at home. There will be an increased push in the United States to return its resources to its own soil and do more to get out of the war in Iraq.
Mercury stayed in Aquarius the entire time for its retrograde motion and didn’t change signs. It seems that Mercury retrograde is more difficult when it does change signs because than you need to go back through various different thought forms in order to understand what type of growth you really want to do. However, when Mercury stays in the same sign during a retrograde period, it gives you a better opportunity to really understand just what the energy of that sign means to you. So, with Mercury in Aquarius, this gave you the chance to think about how the world is changing, becoming more global yet growing smaller, and affecting your daily life.
When Mercury goes direct on February 18th, you’ll be willing to take risks and move forward with new ideas. You may decide that there’s nothing to fear but fear itself. You may feel that you don’t need to hold on to past ideas and are really ready to let go. Still, this is a very intense period because of all the energy points in Aquarius (Venus, Mercury, Chiron, Moon’s North Node, and Sun). There is still concern about the real estate market and credit matters. It’s possible that some agreements regarding the valuation of currency between various countries are finally reached. These agreements regarding currency valuations will be important to you because they’ll affect the costs of goods and services you purchase and they’ll also have an influence on various interest rates.
The day after Mercury turns direct, the Sun enters Pisces. While the stellium is beginning to break up, there are still five energy points in Aquarius (Venus, Mercury, Chiron, Neptune, and the Moon’s North Node). Now the concern is moving to the stock market as companies are beginning to assess the impact of currency agreements which are being made on the international level. The stock market really doesn’t like the unknown and tends to have erratic swings when the information is confusing. However, if the currency agreements are made public, the impact will indicate a more positive stock market.
February ends with a lunar total eclipse occurring on February 20, 2008. A lunar eclipse occurs during the period of a full Moon. In this case, the Sun is in Pisces at 1° and the Moon is in Virgo at the same degree. What’s interesting about this eclipse is that Saturn will be near a very close opposition both astrologically and astronomically and shine very brightly at the time of the eclipse.
The event is visible from South America and most of North America. Observers along North America’s west coast miss the early stages of the partial eclipse because it begins before moon rise. Alaskans in Anchorage and Fairbanks experience moonrise during totality but bright evening twilight will make it difficult for them to view the event. Further to the east (east of Africa and central Asia), the Moon sets before the eclipse ends. None of the eclipse is visible from eastern Asia or Australia. It does appear from the map of the eclipse that the eclipse will also be visible in half (eastern) of Europe and parts of Africa, perhaps even Egypt.
Towards the last few months of 2007, the full Moon occurred near 1° of the signs involved. This is strange in that the full Moon usually represents the need to finish and let go of things that just don’t mean anything in your life anymore. But, the first few degrees of a sign usually mean that you’re learning about those energies.
There are five energy points in Aquarius (Venus, Mercury, Chiron, Neptune, and Moon’s North Node) during this eclipse. These energy points, especially Chiron, form a square to Ceres. This eclipse deals with the need for personal security. It focuses on global events and perhaps some treaties. In addition, due to its closeness to Saturn, it deals with the administration of nations and changes in legal structures that are necessary to take better advantage of the global changes.
Unfortunately there will still be concern over the real estate and financial markets. If you’re looking to purchase a home, you’ll find some real values out there. If you’re looking to refinance your mortgage, you may still find some good interest rates.
This eclipse does indicate that spending time with your family is very important. This is a period of soul searching. It’s a period when you look at those people in your lives that you love and appreciate what they bring to your life. You may feel that you really don’t want to do a lot of traveling right now. You may actually feel that you prefer to stay home. If that’s how you’re feeling, it’s not such a bad thing. This really is a month where you’ve worked hard and now deserve to relax and enjoy the love of people who care for you.