Image by Gerd Altmann
Horoscope: February 24 - March 1, 2020
Astrologer Pam Younghans writes this weekly astrological journal based on planetary influences, and offers perspectives and insights to assist you in making the best use of current energies. This column is not intended as prediction. Your own experience will be more specifically defined by transits to your personal chart.
Highlighted Aspects for This Week
All times listed are Pacific Standard Time. For Eastern Time, add 3 hours. For Greenwich Mean Time, add 8 hours.
MON: Sun sextile Mars
TUE: Mars conjunct South Node, Sun conjunct retrograde Mercury, Mercury sextile Mars
THU: Venus conjunct Eris
FRI: Sun semisquare Pluto, Mercury semisquare Jupiter, Venus square Pluto, Mercury sextile Uranus
THESE ARE TIMES of profound and ongoing change. It seems like almost every day takes us to a deeper level of transformation, personally and globally. With each expanded awareness, we move into a new world, one that is familiar but also feels somehow different.
These are the continuing reverberations of January's historic Saturn-Pluto alignment. Foundational social structures and personality patterns that we've relied on to keep life stable, but that are no longer sustainable, are in various stages of decay, to the extent that they are not aligned with our higher evolution.
THE NEXT TWO WEEKS – the last week of February and the first week of March – mark a time of important developments. This is because Pluto will be at the midpoint between Jupiter and Saturn, activating the energies of all three planets. (The midpoint is simply a point of the zodiac that is exactly halfway between two planets.)
Taking each of these planets individually, Pluto is a powerful catalyst for change, Saturn creates tangible form through consistent effort, and Jupiter magnifies whatever it touches, while also potentially offering a more hopeful perspective to the mix. Astrologer Noel Tyl writes that Pluto at the Jupiter-Saturn midpoint manifests as "tremendous perseverance; dramatic thrust of self; control of the situation; fearlessness; major change of situation."
We may feel especially focused with this influence, or some may be feeling overwhelmed, perhaps just from the sheer magnitude of the energies we are working with. If you are in the latter group, remember to breathe more consciously and deeply than normal, and to literally walk more slowly through your day. Set the intention to do everything at a 30 percent slower pace than usual. These practices reassure our brains that we are safe, simply because our bodies are more relaxed and we're spending less time in "fight or flight" mode.
ADDING MORE SPICE to the stew, we are just a few weeks away from the first alignment between Jupiter and Pluto, which occurs in early April. I mention this now because the two planets are separated by less than five degrees on March 1, and are getting closer to each other day by day. This means we are already beginning to feel effects of their combined energies.
When these two planets align, we become even more aware of the depth of change that is underway. If we're already engaged in a process of transformation, we may feel an acceleration. Old perspectives and beliefs can shift so quickly and completely that we may barely remember who we used to be.
Our challenge will be to maintain the stabilizing positive attitude and hope that Jupiter in Capricorn offers, while also being willing to dive deeply and fearlessly into the metamorphosis that Pluto requires. The old forms that are disintegrating are like the chrysalis that once sheltered us, but now only keeps us small, contained, and unable to fly.
IN ANCIENT MYTH, Mercury (Hermes) had the rare ability to cross the river Styx, enter the underworld, and then return to the realms of the living. This unique trait of the Messenger god symbolizes the mind's ability to explore the darkness and to return to the light.
This deep level of introspection is enhanced when Mercury is retrograde (appearing to move backward), and also when Mercury is in contemplative Pisces. This week, Mercury is both retrograde and in Pisces. It is the perfect time to go within, to face fears and darkness if needed, while knowing that the light is there for us to reclaim as well.
ASTROLOGICAL WISDOM tells us that Mercury's retrograde phase is meant to be a time of review and reflection on the past. This is especially true on Tuesday of this week, when the Sun aligns with Mercury, and Mars aligns with the karmic South Node in Capricorn.
The Sun always shines a bright light on the other planets that it touches, so we may receive special insights early this week, especially if we spend time in meditation or creative writing. But, with Mars activating the South Node, old control patterns are also activated.
Throughout this week, we will do well to step back from situations where we start to feel the need to use weapons of dominance or aggression, for these reactions represent the old patterns humanity is trying to evolve beyond. After we step back, we can call on one of Capricorn's positive traits to assist us: the ability to quietly observe from an objective position.
Our task then is twofold: firstly, to take a moment to reflect on what fear lies beneath our reactivity, and secondly, to then use our self-care tools to lovingly support the part of us that feels that fear. This skill of self-nurturing is part of what the North Node in Cancer is asking us to develop. Once we feel calm emotionally and also have a sense of renewed inner strength, we can then step back into the situation and deal with issues in a balanced way.
RELATIONSHIPS and alliances could be stretched to their limits as we near the end of the work week. Tempers may flare on Thursday, when Venus aligns with Eris, the goddess of Discord. We are more reactive than rational under this alignment, especially if we've been feeling ignored or unappreciated.
Venus then moves on to square Pluto on Friday. This aspect is also quite reactive, due to feeling controlled or dominated by another. Pluto generally acts as the psychotherapist, digging deep into areas of our psyches that we usually try to suppress or repress. Any lingering distrust, jealousies, and resentments are hard to ignore with this aspect.
THE POSITIVE SIDE of both of these challenges is that they give us the opportunity to face issues that have been undermining the health of our relationships. Getting to the heart of the situation may be uncomfortable, but the potential gift of these honest exchanges is greater integrity and intimacy with friends and loved ones.
To help us with this process, Mercury is in harmonious sextile to Uranus on Friday. This aspect encourages us to speak from our hearts as well as from our intuition. It enables us to hold a compassionate space that allows others to also share their truth, and helps us "read between the lines" so that we understand the spirit as well as the words conveyed by others.
IF YOU are watching the Moon's aspects to the group of planets currently in Capricorn, here is this week's list. All of these aspects occur while the Moon is in Aries. For a few hours around these times, emotions are likely to be more volatile:
- Moon square Mars: Wednesday, February 26, 12:32 a.m. PST
- Moon square Jupiter: Thursday, February 27, 1:22 a.m. PST
- Moon square Pluto: Thursday, February 27, 11:47 a.m. PST
- Moon square Saturn: Thursday, February 27, 7:25 p.m. PST
(the last two dates were corrected on 2/24)
*****
IF YOUR BIRTHDAY IS THIS WEEK: This may be a more introspective year than usual, even for contemplative Pisces. You are likely to spend a fair amount of time reviewing the past. This is your opportunity to gain important insights and also to see where you might benefit from forgiving both yourself and others. With each attachment you release, you open to new insights, new courage, and new potentials for your future. In many ways, this is a year of potential breakthrough, as you begin to see yourself through new eyes, moving beyond any victim or martyr roles and into more enlightened Self awareness. (Solar Return Sun conjunct retrograde Mercury, sextile Mars, sextile Uranus)
*****
LAST CHANCE! If you missed my "After the Tornado" webinar a few weeks ago, now's the time to purchase the video replay! During the class, I reviewed pivotal events in January and explained the planetary influences we'll be working with during the first half of 2020.
Along with the replay, you'll also receive a pdf of the slideshow and calendars showing the astrological aspects of import through June. If you're interested, please send an email with "Webinar Replay" in the subject line to
*****
For previous weeks of the Astrological Journal, click here.
About the Author
Pam Younghans is a professional astrologer, editor, and writer. She lives in a log home northeast of Seattle, Washington with her beloved animal companions. She has been interpreting charts professionally for over 25 years. If you are interested in an astrology reading, e-mail
