February hosts 17 dynamic aspects: Six conjunctions, five squares, two ESB (Ending Shadow Boundaries), one BSB (Beginning Shadow Boundary), one direct station, one new and one full Moon. This month, all of these vibrant aspects are made with planets in forward motion, and seven of the aspects actively involve Mercury. All in all, it will be an intense month, filled with precise and challenging mental exercises. (Find midpoints in parentheses.)

The first half of February continues January’s trend of the potential for mutual aid, teamwork, and cooperation between unlikely participants. This energy lends itself well to supporting nurturing with a substantial framework or structure; and to soften the discipline that you dispense with compassion and kindness. To continue to benefit from this cosmic endowment, find a way to apply altruistic deeds or spiritual concepts to everyday transactions. Continue to release grudges and ill feelings, and embrace the oneness and peace that calms your heart. From 2/18, the energy shifts to a powerful combination of motivation through discerning supportive shared principles that can benefit those with parallel ideals.

Venus, Jupiter, Neptune, and Pluto share the same degree of declination (punctuated by Lunar crossings every two weeks) between January 12 and March 15, forming a Grand Parallel. Much of what transpires during this time seems to be outrageous, and may be elaborate illusion. There may be confusing interactions that bring to bare shifts in philosophy occurring in your personal life - or in society that influence collective thinking - that are belied by subsequent investigation. Invoking your intuitive sense can help you to create inner strength. We are at a turning point in history that is difficult to discern now because we are immersed in it. All we can do individually is to act responsibly, and develop as much spiritual awareness as possible.

Within the same-frame time, between January 30 and February 14, Neptune is in the yearly overlapping shadow between its previous and coming retrograde cycles. Foresight and hindsight join hands as we look back over the esoteric/spiritual/mystical/illusory activities of 2005, and look forward to next year’s encounters. Keep an inner balance between unconscious and conscious thought-forms, and between spirit and personality.

2/1 Be aware of your ability to influence others, and exercise it with caution and responsibility. Avoid any temptation to mislead or to manipulate, as an abrupt turn of events can change everything. Mercury conjoins Neptune 17:07 Aquarius, 12:21 PM (=Pluto/North Node).

2/1 A good time to plan ahead and organize for future events that you know will bring extra stress to your life. The emphasis on planning is to be flexible. Your first take on the issue may seem naïve, however more information will be added pursuant to the situation over time. Action taken now may mar your ability to respond effectively, setting you up for possible embarrassment later. Be yourself, honesty will be remembered and revered. Mercury squares Jupiter 17:25 Aquarius/Scorpio, 4:28 PM (Mercury=Pluto/NN).

2/3 If you find yourself between two opposing factions, study the past four months’ history of both sides - therein lies the key to your survival. Survival can be physical or reputational. Your word may be questioned, and your honor may be at stake. Mars ESB 23:22 Taurus, 3:05 PM (=Saturn/Uranus).

2/4 A great deal of intensity is present in both personal and group processes, effecting changes in the expressions of strategies for individual success. As these dramas play out in the public arena, reactions to the dilemmas ebb and flow. First one situation peaks, and then another takes over in perceived importance. Values are affected, and much confusion keeps decisions from being clearly defined. Many situations are blown out of proportion, as stated facts tend to be out of context or misunderstood. Principles are questioned, but relevance may be diverted, as details given are of disproportionate importance. Grand Parallel of 2006 peaks at 12:55 PM GMT Sun/Mercury/Venus/Jupiter/Neptune/ Pluto parallel 15:32 S to 16:10 S, Moon contra parallel 16:10 N. (an orb of 38 minutes) ** see Ref.

2/5 Communicate in an honest and perceptive way with close friends or relationships before hastily agreeing to any major decisions. A great deal of emotional tension may tax your endurance. Your freedom may be curtailed, or it might take an extraordinary exertion of energy to cope with the process most important to you. Unrequited energy looking for cloture. Mercury squares Mars 24:13 Aquarius/Taurus (Mercury=Venus/NN, Mars=Saturn/Uranus).

2/5 Interruptions in energy occur that affect the status quo. Use humanity and compassion to align yourself with lasting values. Some may act as if they can get away with dishonesty to achieve their goals and their activities may influence many others. Plans rooted in deception may tend to unravel. Keep a watchful eye for untrustworthy situations, and safeguard your health. You may uncover talents in the mystical or creative arts. The Sun eclipses Neptune. 17:17 Aquarius, 15:44 South declination, 9:32 PM (=Pluto/NN).

2/6 Through conscious choices about challenges to existing situations, ethical practices will be acknowledged. Make sure that you are aligned with those who are above reproach, as their successes can become yours as well. New products and processes may come into view. Don’t expect everything to come together all at once – take baby steps, and be patient. Sun squares Jupiter 17:49 Aquarius/Scorpio, 10:16 AM (Sun=Pluto/NN).

2/8 As you value your freedom, extend that value to others’ independence and self-autonomy. A study and application of metaphysical principles or other comparable levels of consciousness can be liberating. Mercury enters Pisces 5:21 PM (=Sun Neptune /Uranus).

2/12 Projects that have been in the works are ripe for achievement or release. The responsible growth of your creative ideas can now be brought into fulfillment. Keep in mind that whatever this project is, it is still just a part of a larger whole. Dream big, but solidify what you have now. Then the next step can be to grow from there. You can afford to be magnanimous if you have adequately protected your assets. New contacts may be courted now. West coast: your creativity can be shown and grown in appropriate marketing. Make sure that you have fulfilled all contractual agreements. East coast: Be sure to elicit support from your family and ask for their help in promoting your plans and projects. New contacts may emerge from far away.

2/14 It will be easier for people to be up-front with their concerns. Look for subjects and values where you and others can find common ground. Avoid dwelling on differences. Neptune ESB 17:36 Aquarius, 3:15 AM (=Pluto/NN). This ends the overlapping Neptune shadow, which began on January 30 – a period of 16 days.

2/14 Be straightforward in all business dealings. Be vigilant about energies associated with groups or communities. Work on your own and loved ones’ self esteem. Vulnerability can be an issue that you can address with awareness. Just an untimely thoughtless word can be very damaging. Mercury conjoins Uranus 9:53 Pisces, 7:35 AM (=Neptune/NN, Mars/Pluto).

2/16 Keep your expectations reasonable, and be open to information that will eventually clarify future agreements. Add calming influences to your life. Be open to new relationships, especially of a spiritual or creative nature. Mercury BSB 13:44 Pisces, 3:05 PM, (=Mars/Pluto, Sun Neptune/NN).

2/17 Restless energy can be mistaken for a feeling of loneliness. You are primed for action, but need to center yourself and find purpose for your life. Practice lectures or other presentations, to make them the best they can be. Mars enters Gemini 2:43 PM

2/18 Open yourself to imaginative ideas and intuitive perceptions. Keep your temper, and show a little self-control. Become a witness to the growth of others, and add support to those you care about as they step forward on a new path. It costs you nothing to be supportive and polite to someone vulnerable. Sun enters Pisces 11:25 AM, (=Mercury Uranus/Neptune MC, Venus/NN).

2/18 Over sensitivity to emotional tension is present for all. The best thing is not to over-react to emotional stimulus. Work on inner levels to instill calmness and composure. A lesser Grand Parallel occurs today with Venus/Jupiter/Neptune/Pluto, peaking with the Moon’s contact around 9 PM from 15:40 S to 16:11 S.

2/19 Pay attention to your consciousness. You may be oblivious to a crisis right under your nose dealing with someone in your care, or someone with whom you have influence. A good time to recognize and develop spiritual or mystical abilities. You may be unduly alarmed at a perceived injustice. Carefully examine a situation before you act. Sun squares Mars 0:51 Pisces/Gemini 7:33 AM, (Sun=Mercury Uranus/Neptune Asc).

2/27 Processes dealing with the communication of creative imagination, mystical issues, or spiritual awareness can be successfully launched. Writing, speaking, or performing in unusual venues or with a new audience can be promising. West coast: dealings with peers or close relationships and their significance in the world. East coast: Finding a way to be of service, or to present a valuable new product can be promising. New Moon 9:16 Pisces, west coast 4:30 PM; east coast 7:30 (=Mercury NN/Neptune).

2/28 A simple, innocent conversation may lead to a more beneficial union. Coming together for expediency may lead to more serious relationships that are at least mutually supportive, though probably not enduring. Mercury squares Pluto 26:32 Pisces/Sagittarius, (Mercury=Moon/Asc NN).

** The Grand Parallel is what I call a grouping of four or more planets that stay at the same parallel for an extended period of time. Grand meaning vast - referring to an infrequent convoy of planets in close declination for an extended sweep of time. This is due in part to faster moving planets in shadow or in retrograde motion closely aspecting slow moving planets in that same declination degree. Jupiter, Neptune, and Pluto continue in that degree of declination for most of the year, and are activated every two weeks by the Moon’s alternating passage north and south. Interesting that this phenomenon occurred in the past in 1944, 1917, 1898, 1879, and 1861. This is a ripe area for research.

February comes from the Latin, Febris (meaning the fever of love), and was named for Juno-Februa, Greco-Roman goddess of fire, purification and healing. She was the mother of Mars, and patroness of the passion, or fire of love.

February’s birthstone is the amethyst -- the gemstone used in the rings of Catholic Bishops, and in many rosaries. It symbolizes spirituality, faithfulness, spiritual attunement, temperance, peace, and quietude. It is the stone associated with the 7th Chakra, the royal energy center, and has been used as an amulet for breaking bad habits and addictions. Amethysts were used in hand-fastings, showing faithfulness and stability. Valerian, the herb associated with February, quiets the nerves, allays pain, and promotes sleep.

Midway between the four points of the solstices and equinoxes are the Cross-Quarter Days, the fixed points of the natural year, represented in the Catholic Church by the four Gospels, and symbolized by a man (Aquarius), a bull (Taurus), a lion (Leo), and an eagle (Scorpio). These correspond to the four Pagan fire festivals. About halfway in the Sun’s journey through the fixed sign of Aquarius, is the man-point. The very powerful Cross-Quarter Days are all 15 degrees of fixed signs, and support the eighth harmonic division of the Earth’s orbital year. In concept, this correlates to the Lunation cycle, which is an eighth harmonic division of the Moon’s orbital month. The timing of the Moon’s orbit around the Earth varies from the timing of the Earth’s orbit around the Sun, which accounts for the offset of the calendar systems. The shifting of the Solar calendar with the addition of one day every four years, adds up to a range of 54 hours, or 4.25 days. This year, February 3 actually marks the true cross-quarter festival in the Celtic or Pagan calendar.

The beginning of February marks the pagan celebration of Imbolc, or Oimelc (both pronounced "ee-melc"), is also the festival of Brigantia, which corresponds with the festival of the Norse goddess, Brigid (in Ireland, the virgin goddess Bridhe) who embodies the three-fold nature of the goddess, and their powers of healing, smithcraft, & poetry/divination. In Greco-Roman mythology the triune nature of the goddess is maiden, mother and crone, and at the cross quarter the goddess is transformed from the barren hag of winter back again to the vibrant virgin bride of spring. Imbolc, which means "ewe’s milk", refers to the first lactation of the year, promising new lambs and a blessed spring. Imbolc is a time of commitment to the waxing Light of the coming spring, and dedicated to purification and cleansing.

February 2 is Groundhog’s day and Candlemas. Proverbs of many countries equate the weather on Candlemas with a forecast. An American folk tale tells us that if the groundhog sees his shadow, there will be another 6 weeks of winter - a correlation to the 40 penitence days of Lent. Candlemas is the Christian feast of the purification of the Virgin Mary. A Mass is said for the blessing of the candles and the return of the Light, commemorating when Jesus (who is called "The Light of The World") was first presented in the temple. This is in tradition with the Jewish religion, which states that the firstborn male belongs to God, and must be presented in Temple 40 days following his birth. Many Roman Catholics perform a novena (9 days of formal prayer), ending on February 11^th: the festival of The Lady of Fatima (which was the name of Mohammed’s daughter). Our Lady of Fatima is said to have appeared in Lourdes near an ancient Celtic healing spring (once in Islamic territory), which was associated with the goddess, Februa.

February 3 is also the feast day of St Blase (Blaise) was a martyred Armenian Bishop in the fourth century, who tamed and healed wild animals. On his way to prison for heresy, he healed a boy who was choking to death on a fishbone with a blessing that dissolved the fishbone. His feast day celebrates the blessing of the throats, using two candles. He is associated with the Slavic horse-god, Vlaise, champion of animals. Saint Blase is honored as the patron of wild animals, wool combers, and all persons who have ailments of the throat. Four healing miracles have been recorded at his shrine.

In 2006, February 28 is Mardi gras, which means Fat Tuesday, aka Shrove Tuesday (shrive: to confess and gain absolution), the final day of "Carnival" which comes from the Latin root, meaning "farewell to meat". The next day (March 1) is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent, the Christian season of penitence and renewal in preparation for the festival of Easter. Lent comes from lencten, the Chaldean word meaning "spring" or "lengthening" (of days). In Medieval Europe meat and dairy were to be shunned, and only one meal was eaten - in the early evening. Good deeds and disciplinary behavior were offered in thanksgiving for the sacrifice of Christ, and in acknowledgment of His death and resurrection. This has a parallel in the 40 days of abstinence that precedes the pagan festival of the fire-goddess of the morning star, Astarte. On Ash Wednesday in the Christian tradition, a cross is drawn on the forehead of the penitent with ashes made from palm leaves that were burned on Palm Sunday, as the symbolism of sorrow, regret, and humility, and a reminder of our humanness, and that we are worthy of redemption. The palm tree is the tree of life in the Babylonian Garden of Eden story, and symbolizes hope for the future. The Hebrew word for palm is Tamar, their name for the goddess, Ashtaroth, aka Astarte, Ishtar, and Venus-Hesperos (Evening Star). Astarte rescued and healed a palm tree uprooted from the Garden of Eden by a great flood.

The Chinese New Year of the Fire Dog took place on January 29, 2006. (I apologize for omitting this and the Islamic New Year from the January Report.) The dog is one of the animals of the 12-year zodiac. Each year gives sequence to one of the 5 elements of the Chinese zodiac – a 60-year cycle. This is the year of the Fire Dog. Fire emphasizes fierceness, enthusiasm, dramatic expression, magnetism, and spirituality. The year of the Fire Dog brings up issues of loyalty, friendship, honesty, and innocence.

In 2006, January 31 was the Islamic New Year, al-‘aam al-jadid. And ten days later (February 9) is the Islamic Day of Atonement, Aashura. When a cultural/religious calendar is based on the Moon, as are the Islamic and Jewish calendars, the dates vary from our present secular, Solar calendar, and their holy days are categorized as "Moveable Feasts".

February 11 is the celebration of the last apparition of Our Lady at Lourdes, at a grotto in France (1858), which was known for many centuries as a shrine of the goddess.

St. Valentine was a Martyred Roman Priest of the 3^rd century. St. Valentine's Day, February 14 holds sacred the number 5 (1 + 4). In ancient times, when a woman wanted to attract a lover or husband, five bay leaves were placed under her pillow on St. Valentine's eve. This holiday has an association with lovebirds, and their first matings of the year. St Valentine is associated with Juno, goddess of maternal and married love, and also with the Norse/Teutonic goddess of Love, Sjofn, who shares this feast day. In Scandinavia, they ran the Labyrinth on this day, as a test of love. Love is like perfume; you can't give it away without getting a little on yourself.

February 23 is also the Roman festival of Terminalia, which is associated with Terminus, god of boundaries, and Saturn, god of limitation. Its purpose was to encourage people to honor the boundaries of their neighbors. Statues of the god, Terminus were used as property markers, and may have been the forerunners of address markers, much like European house names.

This month’s full Moon falls on February 12, which is Abraham Lincoln’s birthday. Calling our only satellite "the Moon" is rather lacking in imagination – rather like calling your feline, the Cat, or your canine, the Dog. Because the Moon’s phases were so closely correlated with the monthly cycles of women, ancient peoples associated it with the feminine, and recognized within it the power of the Goddess. The Romans called the Moon Luna and Diana; the Greeks referred to her as Selene and Artemis; Egyptians called her Isis; and the Norse called her Freya. In the American Indian tradition, each month was named a magical name that culminated at the full Moon to honor and invoke protection from the changing spirit of the Moon. The Algonquin knew the full Moon in the month in February as the Snow Moon, as the heaviest snows fell in that month. The Inuits called the February Moon, Anningan. The Moon goddess in ancient Mexico was known as Coyolxauhqui, and in ancient China, she was known as Chang O. Hindus refer to her as Soma, and the Shinto Japanese name for her is Tsuki-Yomi.

The Moon is very important to us on the Earth, in a number of different ways. She is the major gravitational cause of our tides, both the tides of the oceans, and the liquid tides of our bodies, since our bodies are about 80 percent liquid. Blood being highly liquid tends to ebb and flow with the phases of the Moon. Gardening and fishing tips due to the phases of the Moons have been listed in the Farmer’s Almanac for many generations. Emotional states of mind are greatly influenced by these phases, as we see Great Britain’s Lunacy Act of 1842 giving allowances for crimes occurring at new and full Moon times - hence the word Lunacy. As a lawyer, Abraham Lincoln used the Full Moon as ample light to identify a suspect in a murder trial, dubbed "The Almanac Trial". Many authors and scientists acknowledged the power of the Moon over humankind.

"I think that a particle must have a separate reality independent of the measurements. That is an electron has spin, location and so forth even when it is not being measured. I like to think that the moon is there even if I am not looking at it."

Albert Einstein

"If the Sun and Moon should ever doubt, they'd immediately go out."

William Blake

"What was most significant about the lunar voyage was not that men set foot on the moon but that they set eye on the earth."

Norman Cousins

"The moon develops the imagination, as chemicals develop photographic images."

Sheila Ballantyne

"Oceanography is a terrific career because gradually we seem to be coming around to realize that we had better become as acquainted with the seventy percent of our planet that is covered by water as we are with the dark side of the Moon."

Peter Benchley

"Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth."

Buddha

"The moon is nothing but a circumambulating aphrodisiac divinely subsidized to provoke the world into a rising birth-rate."

Christopher Fry

"If man is not affected in some way by the Moon, he is the only thing on Earth that isn’t."

Robert Millikan, U.S. physicist, Nobel Prize winner (1923)

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