Happy Aquarius season! This month marks the first time that the sun and Pluto will both occupy this sector of the sky in over 200 years. Pluto, harbinger of chaos, destruction, and regeneration, will meet the sun here like a dragon meeting the harsh light of day as it leaves its lair. We are likely to witness massive upheavals in the arenas of wealth disparity. Are we the dragons, hoarding our wealth and violently protecting it? Or are we the townspeople, determined to wrestle our prosperity back from its clutches? Venus, a planet often associated with softness and receptivity, will be entering fierce and protective Aries on the 4th, concurrent with the end of Jupiter’s retrograde in Gemini. This Jupiter retrograde (and overall transit through Gemini), many of us have worked to find joy in our resistance, reflecting to ourselves and others the indomitable nature of the human spirit. The full moon in Aquarius’ fiery sister sign Leo on the 12th will likewise seek to lift our spirits in potentially full-bodied ways—hard conversations and bold acts of affection are equally possible. The Aquarius/Leo polarity is not for the faint of heart—both signs deal with ego, visibility, and integrity. Mercury and the sun will enter watery Pisces on the 14th and 18th, respectively, and Mars will turn direct in Cancer on the 23rd. This super-soaker end to the month could throw many of us for a loop, taking our hard-won optimism and testing our ability to keep it up when our emotions and nervous systems are pushed to their breaking points. These transits at the beginning of Pisces season will likely break (and open) our hearts. We will need to rely on this month’s lessons around community, integrity, and joy to restore the energy lost in these moments of despair.
ARIES
Aries energy is swift and daring, whereas Aquarius can be more calculated and patient. Aquarius energy (though they might not admit it) is very well equipped for leadership, and the sun’s transit through this sign and your 11th house this month could ask you to step up to the plate. Venus’ movement into your sign and 1st house on the 4th could bring romance front and center, and you might find yourself torn between duty and pleasure.
TAURUS
Your stubbornness, though it might drive people around you a bit mad, is one of your greatest assets. Taurus and Aquarius are some of the most self-assured signs in the zodiac, and Aquarius’ rulership of your 10th house of career and legacy indicates that your mutual stubbornness serves the greater good. This month’s full moon in fellow fixed sign Leo on the 12th will bring sensitivity into the mix, so be mindful about how you communicate about your goals with your family and peers.
GEMINI
Air signs, much like air itself, are energy conduits. Geminis often take the most impulsive and chaotic approach to this role, spreading gossip, ideas, omens, fears, and messages with wild abandon. The sun’s transit through your 9th house of freedom and exploration this month will be no exception. If anything, now is your opportunity to use these traits to affect maximum healing (or damage). This month, Aquarian influence could steady your resolve to say and do as you please, though your ruling planet Mercury’s movement into fellow mutable sign Pisces (on Valentine’s Day no less) might mark a significant shift in your temperament.
CANCER
Aquarius season likely marks a point of difficult transition for you. The sun’s transit through your 8th house is associated with death, sex, and money, and these unavoidable aspects of life will factor heavily in your development for the first half of this month. Mars will continue its retrograde through your sign until the 23rd when it will turn direct—perhaps take this time to examine the anger you feel about trauma in these departments and refine it into something useful.
LEO
Despite their self-protective nature, Leos are some of the sappiest and most romantic signs in the entire zodiac. Your sign is associated with both the sun and the heart, and the sun’s transit through your Aquarius-ruled 7th house of love and partnership this month will ask you to question your willingness to be truly known. The full moon in your sign on the 12th has the potential for either self-actualization or self-destruction. Channel your inner Simba and remember who you are, and where you come from.
VIRGO
If you are like most Virgos, your health and well-being are likely one of your core karmic concerns. Virgo rules the nervous system, and the sun’s transit through your 6th house this month will likely demand that you make significant changes in how you care for yourself. The middle of winter is here to show you your vulnerabilities so that you can find solutions that make you stronger. Your ruling planet Mercury will enter your sister sign Pisces on the 14th, followed by the sun on the 18th. These transits through your 7th house will foster healthier love and communication, which will feel much easier if you have provided your body and nervous system with peace.
LIBRA
Your fellow air sign Aquarius might bring older brother energy to your life this season, which could be a blessing or a curse, depending on your self-esteem and values systems. The sun will be transiting your 5th house of public image and creativity, and Venus’ entry into your sister sign Aries on the 4th will likely push you to be more assertive. If you are already feeling empowered, Aquarius is here to provide you with direction and clarity. If you have not met Aquarius’ strict expectations, and have spent the past year centering your own needs, you might get a very public crash course in community care this month.
SCORPIO
Many scorpions live in burrows that they build themselves for warmth and protection. The sun will be transiting your 4th house of home, comfort, and safety this month, and despite the festivities surrounding you, you might find yourself prioritizing your burrow and the safety it provides. Your traditional ruler Mars will continue its retrograde through fellow water sign Cancer until the 23rd, accentuating your mental and physical dedication to appreciating your home for the sacred safety it provides, or improving its appearance or functionality to meet your emotional and material needs.
SAGITTARIUS
Do you find that your dreams and ideas often have a lot of energy behind them, but fail to stick or fully materialize? If so, this month will present opportunities to firmly affix your intellectual and social goals to reality. Aquarius’ rulership of your 3rd house and the sun’s transit through it will press you to take play and exploration seriously, and the full moon in fellow fire sign Leo on the 12th will likely provide a capstone moment that asks you to demonstrate your commitment to personal and creative integrity.
CAPRICORN
Last month’s astrology likely brought the kind of energy that launched you out of karmic cycles that were harmful or degenerative. This month, the sun’s transit through your 2nd house will ask you to launch upwards and outwards toward financial and spiritual generation. The 2nd house shows us how to most effectively make use of our resources, and the Aquarian influence over this section of your chart encourages sharing these resources. Perhaps consider joining a mutual aid group or setting up a monthly donation—these efforts will likely come back to you tenfold as the year progresses.
AQUARIUS
Happy You season, Aquarius! Pluto’s entry into your sign late last year is probably becoming more and more apparent internally and externally, and you might be working to learn how to harness its darkness in service of the light. This could look like deep internal inquiries around your purpose and effectiveness; and if you have been led to despair as of late, hopefully the sun’s illumination of your 1st house will make it feel like you are turning a corner. You have so much to offer the world creatively, emotionally, and spiritually, and this month the universe will provide you with ample opportunities to demonstrate your dedication to your convictions.
PISCES
On the lighter side, Pisces is associated with kindness, beauty, and unconditional love. As the last sign in the zodiac cycle, you are well-positioned for a compassionate outlook because you can understand people from all walks of life that precede you on the wheel. However, there are less beloved, lesser known aspects to Piscean nature—self-destruction, deception, and shadow denial among them. The sun’s transit through your 12th house of mystery and illusion this month will likely aggravate the less desirable aspects of your personality, but will ultimately lead to the kind of self-examination that clears out dead emotional weight. Be both kind and honest with yourself, and the sun’s entry into your sign on the 18th will illuminate a new chapter that is more aligned with your true potential.
illustrations by Anneliese DePano
