revelations of the obscure

the february 2003 forecast

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jupiter and saturn are retrograde.

new moon/chinese year of the goat begins	12°09' capricorn	february 1
sun opposes jupiter	13°01' aquarius/leo	february 2
mars trines jupiter	12° sagittarius/leo	february 5
sun trines saturn	22°15' aquarius/gemini	february 11
jupiter opposes neptune	11°17' leo/aquarius	february 16
mars conjunct pluto	19°37' sagittarius	february 16
full moon	27°54' leo/aquarius	february 16
sun conjoins uranus	28°47' aquarius	february 17
sun enters pisces	0°00' pisces	february 18
mars opposes saturn	22°08' sagittarius/gemini	february 20
mercury translates light between jupiter and neptune	10°–11° aquarius	february 20
saturn stationary direct	22°08' gemini	february 21

all dates are based on pacific time.

once again, we have a short but potent list of planetary events this month. while january fulfilled its promise to be a month of build-up, february is likely to have more action. the planets are in “release mode”, at least some of them, and the focal zone of activity is the fixed signs: taurus, leo, scorpio, and aquarius. this means that people will feel pushed to take actions. the theme of the fixed signs is maintaining the status quo, or making changes that are based on that. not only is this what we see happening in the world around us, from bush’s stubborn pursuit of war to stagnant weather patterns, but we will find it in our own nature as well. there is something in our own lives that we are hanging onto with persistence, perhaps stubbornness.

this quality has its benefits, which are usually measured in terms of their success after the fact. if there is something which we are trying to accomplish, a big project which develops slowly through long-term effort, fixity is what sustains our determination to see it through. this can be observed as stubbornness, however, if we hang on too long, use fixity to extremes, or even if others just find what we are doing unpalatable. there is a fine line between persistence and pigheadedness, and it is often in the eye of the beholder.

bush’s bravado

bush may be showing more of the negative side of this pattern, as jupiter moves through his first house and neptune through his 7^th. he extends (jupiter) himself (1^st house), but does not receive the support (neptune) of other nations (7^th house). the collective consciousness of most of the world (neptune) is opposed to (opposite) his expansionism (jupiter) and forceful language (his mercury-pluto on his asc). if he continues to push forward ignoring all efforts of others, he will be seen as the rogue leader that some have already declared him to be.

while we can choose to be for him or against him and act accordingly, we must also be vigilant about such behaviors in our own lives. the fact is that the universe abhors this use of fixed energy: anything that we attempt to hold onto so covetously will be wrested from us, because the true path to our goals is zig-zag, not a straight, direct line. if we try to take the most direct route, we will be stopped, because we are not in harmony with the cosmos/tao/middle way. look at what became a challenge last september and is up for you now, since the end of january. the situation should be apparent. check to see if you are exhibiting any signs of attachment or holding on to the “way it has to be.” see if you are insisting on a particular outcome or method for accomplishing your goals. if you are taking any of these stances, you may be blinding yourself to greater possibilities, ones that will get you to where you are going more effectively. part of the zig-zag path is opening to opportunities to surge forward as well as accepting setbacks. there may be many ways to reach your goals, some you haven’t even considered.

how do we resolve it all?

there are still many unknowns now, because the cycle is not finished. jupiter will turn direct on april 4^th, while neptune’s cycle is only beginning. we will see whether this round of reaching out will meet with success after april 4^th. however, some of the issues and feelings surrounding them will remain until jupiter moves out of leo at the end of august. new challenges will arise at that time to change the focus to new situations. this goes for the potential war with iraq. while we’ve already passed one milestone without war starting, there is one more passage to make this month, between the 15^th and the 22^nd. the next big clustering of planets bringing about a crisis in action comes in may. this does not mean that there aren’t minor triggers in between, because there are — only that these are the most likely times for action. the last update on the timing for war suggests that bush will wait until after the hajj, which is occurring mid-month.

the rest of the planets

if you feel rushed during the first week of the month, don’t be surprised! we will have a grand fire trine of mars, jupiter, and the moon, which we will be feeling all week and culminating on the 5^th. it can be too much of a good thing: activity, success, expansion, interruptions. yes, everyone will want their work done yesterday, and there won’t be enough hours in the day.

saturn is also activated this month, as it changes direction, ending 5 months of hard work and steady effort in some area of our lives. something will be resolved in your life around the 21^st. it’s energies will be emphasized by mars on the 20^th, but this won’t be the only day we’ll feel it; in fact, you will feel it coming on most of the month, only culminating on that date.

there is one more thing: mars contacts pluto on the 16^th, making the potential for violence on that day even greater than it was with the jupiter-neptune culmination already occurring then. this contact tends to coincide with unilateral acts of violence such as terrorist acts rather than war, but it will make for one volatile package on that sunday.

these energies do not doom us to terrible events. we can each think better of taking such actions ourselves, even in the mildest way. they can gird us with determination to carry on, help us to understand how we must shift our direction slightly to go with the flow. indeed, going with the flow is what the pluto and saturn placements in the mutable signs are trying to teach us.

on the 17^th, uranus begins its new yearly cycle. heed the messages it communicates around that date (even through the end of march, since it is about to change signs) to see not only what the next year will bring, but what the coming 7 years hold in store for you.

bring as much optimism to each moment as you can muster in these times of flagging hopes. to paraphrase tolkien in the fellowship of the ring, we did not consciously choose to experience these times, and all we can do is to decide how we are to act in response to them. recognizing that this is part of the flux and flow of the universe gives us the perspective to carry on and the knowledge that these conditions too will someday come to an end. wishing you the best and brightest during february!