Planetary news: Mercury in Aquarius and the Pisces New SuperMoon

Astrological update for the week of February 13-20, 2023

artist unknown?

Mercury in Aquarius. Mercury left the solid, practical sign of Capricorn for Aquarius on February 11th, joining the Sun and Saturn in the sign of the collective. Aquarius is a very dry sign – ruled by both Saturn and Uranus, Aquarius is the quintessence of rational thinking and logic, so when the planet of the mind (Mercury) is in the sign of logic (Aquarius), there is an emphasis on reason and detachment (Saturn rulership) as opposed to the feeling and intuition of the water signs. Aquarius is symbolized by the “water bearer” though, reflecting the wisdom of life that flows from the heavens, through intuition and the higher mind (the Uranus connection).

While Mercury is in Aquarius over the next few weeks it will interact with virtually every other planet in the sky – some harmonious and some challenging. But this highly active Mercury suggests that the mind and mental functions will be highlighted over this period and we may be flooded with new ideas which can lead to some mental exhaustion. Mercury in Aquarius can be very electrical which can lead to overload, so spending some time in quiet contemplation will help to balance out any tendency towards overthinking and a mind that won’t stop racing.

Sun enters Pisces, and the third New SuperMoon in a row. This week brings the Pisces New Moon on February 20 just after the Sun enters Pisces. This is the third New Moon at perigee (closest to Earth) in a row, beginning the season of Pisces and an emergence of heart-opening compassion and the illumination of imagination. With the New Moon at its closest point to Earth, and at the first degree of Pisces, it may be easier to tune into our heart’s desires as we chart our course for the next month. Intentions planted at the New Moon can come to fruition, and the SuperMoon can make these instincts stronger and more clear.

We have had so much Saturn over the past couple of years, with Saturn going through its two rulership signs of Capricorn and Aquarius, but Saturn will soon (March 7) enter Pisces. The melting of the Saturnian structures into the ocean of divine wisdom and creativity in Pisces could create some confusion and will require an effort to maintain balance. What better time to put this into place than this Pisces New Moon by opening the heart to the mystery while keeping our feet fully on the ground. This will require a great deal of intentionality because there is a lack of Earth in the sky right now, and Earth is the element that encourages us to embrace reality and the details of our lives.

Here’s what else you need to know this week ((Dates and times are for the Eastern time zone, here is a time zone converter to adjust for your locality.)

Monday February 13. The week begins with the Moon in Scorpio, and it is very busy on Monday, interacting with Venus, Neptune, Sun, Saturn and finally Pluto before moving into Sagittarius at 8:31 pm. A busy Moon, especially in Scorpio with its intense emotions, suggests a day with a lot of ups and downs which will require us to rebalance if we find ourselves off-center. Fortunately, the Sun is approaching an alignment to stable Saturn which will culminate later in the week, and the Moon will “translate” that aspect today to provide some needed anchoring. (Moon trine Venus 5:16 am, trine Neptune 9:48 am, square Sun 11 am, square Saturn 3:53 pm, sextile Pluto 6:51 pm.)

Tuesday February 14. On Valentine’s Day we have Venus, planet of love, approaching a conjunction to Neptune, planet of higher love and compassion. In fact we could say that Tuesday offers a culmination of the expansive power of love which isn’t a bad thing to have on a holiday which can be fraught with sadness and dissatisfaction. The Moon cooperates too, with mostly harmonious aspects all day and with the Moon in Sagittarius we tend to feel more expansive and optimistic. This is a great day not only for our personal interactions, but also for any kind of creative endeavor (Moon sextile Mercury 3:39 am, sextile Ceres 8:03 am, trine Jupiter 11:56 am, trine Chiron 7:33 pm, opposite Mars 9:06 pm.)

artist unknown?

Wednesday February 15. That Venus/Neptune aspects culminates in the morning and begins to wane during the day, but will still be evident in our interactions with others since the Moon will re-activate the alignment. We also have a Mercury/Ceres trine to facilitate the healing of any rough edges which may have emerged over the previous few days. Ceres teaches us to take care of ourselves and the fragile balance of body, mind and spirit and Mercury here provides the mental focus to figure it out.

The Moon will enter Saturn-ruled Capricorn just before midnight, and the alignment of the Sun to Saturn also builds today to provide some much needed Earthy stabilization which will last for a few days. (Venus conjunct Neptune 7:25 am, Moon square Neptune 2:05 pm, square Venus 2:42 pm, sextile Sun 7:03 pm, Mercury trine Ceres 7:24 pm, Moon sextile Saturn 8:05 pm, Moon enters Capricorn 11:59 pm.)

Thursday February 16. Today we enter into peak stability with the Sun conjunct Saturn and the Moon in Capricorn. If you need to organize anything, or accomplish a goal, today you have plenty of focus to do it! Be sure you schedule some down time in the afternoon EST when a Moon/Jupiter aspect will demand a bit of freedom, and watch for some hurt feelings in the evening. (Moon square Ceres 10:30 am, Sun conjunct Saturn 11:48 am, Moon square Jupiter 3:10 pm, square Chiron 9:46 pm.)

Friday February 17. Friday would be an excellent day for planning or visioning of any kind with Mercury in innovative Aquarius combining with optimistic Jupiter to expand the mind and facilitate something new. The Capricorn Moon provides the structure within which to build onto these new ideas, and the vibes are generally quite positive until late in the evening EST when the Moon and Pluto meet at the 29th degree of Capricorn. This suggests the culmination of something which is ready to be released, and the slate being wiped clean before the Moon enters Aquarius just after midnight EST. (Moon trine Uranus 12:55 am, sextile Neptune 3:15 pm, sextile Venus 8:06 pm, Mercury sextile Jupiter 9:13 pm, Moon conjunct Pluto 11:17 pm.)

Saturday February 18. Today the Moon enters Aquarius just after midnight to transition us into a mood of awakening and new ideas, and then Sun enters Pisces and begins the shift into Pisces season (see the introductory paragraphs for more information). We also have a Venus/Pluto aspect building to culminate on Sunday which will help to strengthen our connections with others and deepen the meaning of our relationships.

Finding the balance point between the mental awakening of the Aquarius Moon and the Pisces dreamy longing for a peaceful flow is a theme over the next few days as we head into the energies of Monday’s New Moon. (Moon enters Aquarius 12:34 am, trine Ceres 10:21 am, sextile Jupiter 3:50 pm, Sun enters Pisces 5:34 pm, Moon enters Mercury 5:35 pm, sextile Chiron 9:42 pm.)

Sunday February 19. The culmination of a harmonious pairing of Venus and Pluto today makes this the perfect day to work out relationship bugs or to simply spend time with someone you love in a way that makes you happy. The Aquarius Moon longs for friendship and the companionship of shared ideals, and is largely cooperative today.

The Moon enters Pisces just before midnight and opens the door wide for the energies of the Pisces New Moon to come flooding in just after midnight. Venus will enter Aries just afterwards, reminding us that even while we submerge into the waters of divine magic (Pisces), we are still individual beings (Aries). A Mercury/Chiron aspect will be building to facilitate the power of the mind to heal which will help prevent us from losing ourselves completely in the pools of compassion. (Moon square Uranus 12:41 am, trine Mars 1 am, Venus sextile Pluto 12:04 pm, Moon conjunct Saturn 9 am, Moon enters Pisces 11:56 pm.)

On Monday we will have a new post, but the New Moon occurs at 2:05 am EST that day and its energies will linger for a few days afterwards.

I hope you have a wonderful week, filled with the magic and heart of the Pisces New Moon. ❤️

For the interface between astrology and current events, follow me on Twitter. To engage more personally, I’m on Facebook too. Love the art? You’ll find it on my Pinterest board here.

Yes! I do readings. Learn more here.