This evening’s dark sky reflects the New Moon upon us. Yet, for all its darkness, a New Moon always provides us with a torch that we can use to set intentions as to what we want to create in our lives. With the New Moon aligned with Neptune, and Mercury opposing Mars today, energies are at once running high while being seemingly diffuse.  For more on what the New Moon may bring, see this post.

PHOTO © ALEX CARRILLO

Monday, February 8

What does today have in store?

* An urge to explore.

* A need to soar.

* A desire for more.

* A solution we hadn’t considered before.

* A day that certainly won’t be a bore.

Tuesday, February 9

Time is often an under-appreciated solution to a problem. I often wonder whether we overlook its superhero powers because it just seems like too simple a fix. Or maybe we shy away from electing it as our strategy because we know that when we give something time, it means we have to sit with our emotions, letting them take us on a journey that may lead to uncharted territories. Yet, it’s within this voyage, through the conscious and unconscious feelings that arise, where the jewels of realization and healing usually lay.

Today, embrace time. Sit still. Stay in your feelings. It may be amazing to see just where it takes you and how much less time it actually takes to move through challenging situations if we give ourselves permission to take the time to do so.

Wednesday, February 10

Generally, it takes Mercury two-plus weeks to change signs. But because of its recent retrograde cycle, this planet has spent nine-plus weeks in the-buck-stops-here Capricorn.

Today, as Mercury changes signs we may notice a shift in collective approaches to understanding as well as in the transfer of knowledge and information. That’s because the planet of communication is moving from orthodox and realistic Capricorn into unorthodox and idealistic Aquarius.

What we may notice as Mercury travels through Aquarius is that instead of ideas coming forth slowly and deliberately, they arise instantly, electrically, and almost out of nowhere. You know the picture in cartoons where a lightbulb appears over the head of one of the characters? That’s Mercury in Aquarius.

This Aquarian feeling is especially strong since today four planets are in the sign of the Water Bearer. So, if you’re feeling drawn to the song, “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding”, there may be good reason.

Thursday, February 11

Today Venus swims from Aquarius into Pisces where she’ll float until March 7.

When the planet of attraction moves into the sign of compassion, we are more drawn to feelings of empathy as well as the desire for unconditional love.

During this time, music, poetry and photography hold an even greater potential for inspiring our thoughts and dreams, and helping us to connect to that feeling that we are, at the core, all connected.

Friday, February 12

The Moon joins the Sun, Mercury, and Neptune in egalitarian Aquarius today. As we approach tomorrow’s New Moon, things may seem as if they are winding down. The end of the waning lunar phase (as the Moon moves from Full to New) often feels rife with a sense of letting go, as we feel drawn to release so that we can make space for that which we want to seed and grow during the Moon’s waxing phase (New to Full).

With Mercury aligning with Saturn, there’s a heightened ability to make our words work for us. Keep them real and they can help us make things real.

Saturday, February 13

This evening’s dark sky reflects the New Moon upon us. Yet, for all its darkness, a New Moon always provides us with a torch that we can use to set intentions as to what we want to create in our lives. With the New Moon aligned with Neptune, and Mercury opposing Mars today, energies are at once running high while being seemingly diffuse.  For more on what the New Moon may bring, see this post.

Sunday, February 14

With the Moon joining Venus in selfless and imaginative Pisces, and the Sun conjunct Neptune–the planet that rules Pisces–it’s a dreamy day. And also Valentine’s Day in the U.S.

With Pisces being the sign that yearns for unconditional love, this flower- and chocolate-filled day may be also replete with romanticism, idealization, and/or longing.

While we swim in the feelings-based Piscean stream, it may be worthwhile to hang on to an “is this realistic?” floatation device. This can help us to not get pulled in by undercurrents of disillusioned and sorrow-filled feelings that a strong sense of unrequited love can inspire.

PHOTO © ALEX CARRILLO

February 13, 2010: Aquarius New Moon (exact at 6:51 pm PST)

During this New Moon in Aquarius–which is aligned the sympathy-inspiring planet, Neptune–we may find ourselves turning our attention from our personal lives to larger collective issues. Inherent within, there’s a knowingness that we are not separate, that a connection unites us to those we hear or read about around the globe. If there were a theme song for the day, “We Are the World”—the 1985 pop-star-riddled ballad that raised money for humanitarian aid—may very well be it. The energetics of this day may readily inspire within us the awareness that we are not isolated beings, but rather global citizens, and that what happens on the other side of the world can feel as proximate–and relevant–as what is happening down the street. If we focus on integrating our thoughts and desires, we may find the momentum needed to take action in the service of helping a cause in which we believe.

Another potential manifestation of Neptune’s involvement with the New Moon is for an ushering in of disappointment that may be experienced personally or collectively. We may have hoped for something only to find that it wasn’t able to—or never really had the capacity to—manifest. It may also be that we see that what we had envisioned as having potential was more a reflection of our hopes and wishes than of a reality able to be born. Instead of letting disillusionment get the better of us, and abandoning our ideals, we can take the opportunity to reflect upon our visions and dreams, identifying which ones we can stay fully committed to even if we do so with a level of detachment.

This month’s New Moon falls at 25 degrees of Aquarius (Sun and Moon). While everyone experiences the energies of a New Moon, if you have planets or pivotal points (i.e., Ascendant/Descendant or Nadir/Midheaven) around this degree in Aquarius or the other fixed signs—Taurus, Leo, Scorpio—it may impact you more intensely.

New Moon Apothecary Suggestions

Aquarius is associated with the calves, ankles, peripheral circulatory system, and the body’s bionergetics. Pay attention to these parts of the body and areas of health around the time of this New Moon.

Energetic healing: With Aquarius the sign ruling subtle energies and alternative approaches, enjoying a healing method that focuses on your body’s bio-energetic system may be especially powerful during this New Moon. Some practices to consider include reiki, qigong, and acupuncture.

Yarrow flower essence: Neptune infuses an openness that allows us to be porous to all that surrounds, while Aquarian energy gives us a greater ability to connect and network with others on many levels. To channel these energies best, we need to ensure that we can be open and yet contain and circulate them, rather than have them overwhelm our own circuitry and psyches. If you feel notably sensitive to your environment—both physically and emotionally—in a way where you feel vulnerable rather than empowered, yarrow flower essence may be of benefit. It helps to bolster the aura, reinspiring the radiance that glows within, while enhancing compassionate awareness so that we can feel at once connected and protected. (Flower essences are made from flower-infused water and work energetically to restore emotional and mental balance. You can find them in natural food stores and holistic pharmacies.)