today is my saturn return! honestly i feel like my big test was the past 3.5 years of my life. absolutely brutal but i’m proud of how much i’ve grown and i feel freer than ever, free to decide the next chapter of my life

cheers y'all 🍻

[ ASTROLOGICAL POSITIONS ON 10 MARCH 2026 ]

☉ Sun | 19° ♓︎ Pisces

• Keywords: vitality, transcendence, integration

☽ Moon | 12° ♌︎ Leo

• Keywords: emotional pride, creative fulfilment, vitality

☿ Mercury | 24° ♓︎ Pisces [℞]

• Keywords: subjective thought, mental review, intuition

♀ Venus | 10° ♈︎ Aries

• Keywords: relationship autonomy, direct affection, initiative

♂ Mars | 6° ♓︎ Pisces

• Keywords: subtle action, strategic non-resistance, compassion.

♃ Jupiter | 15° ♋︎ Cancer [D]

• Keywords: domestic expansion, nurturing growth, emotional breadth

♄ Saturn | 3° ♈︎ Aries

• Keywords: formative will, structured identity, new responsibilities

♅ URANUS | 28° ♉︎ Taurus

• Keywords: material liberation, value revolution, final instability

♆ Neptune | 1° ♈︎ Aries

• Keywords: spiritual rebirth, ego-dissolution, visionary impulse

♇ Pluto | 5° ♒︎ Aquarius

• Keywords: collective empowerment, social reform, deep transformation

i just fell in love. my sun, mercury, venus, mars, saturn & neptune is transiting the 3rd house while my jupiter is in my seventh house right now my uranus is transiting my fifth house too. my moon transits my twelfth house. whole lotta third house energy.

some natal transits of mine—jupiter sextile sun, sun opposite sun, moon square mercury, moon trine uranus, venus square pluto, mars sextile pluto, pluto sextile uranus,

both of our transits include venus conj. uranus,…

if astrology isn’t real then why am i always miserable when the moon is in a water sign

Hey y'all, in this video, I dive into the significant astrological shifts happening this year, particularly with the outer planets and their collective energy. I emphasize the importance of understanding how these transits can impact our personal lives by looking at our natal charts, and I guide you on how to use Astro.com and Astro-Seek to pull up your charts. I specifically discuss the influence of Pisces energy and how it relates to our personal lives depending on which house is in Pisces. I encourage you to explore your own charts to see where these energies are manifesting in your life. So, take a moment to check your chart and reflect on how these transits might be affecting you.

Using Astrology Chart Calculators for Personal Insights

Objective

The steps below outline the process to effectively use astrology chart calculators to understand personal astrological transits and their impacts on individual lives.

Key Steps

Step 1: Accessing Chart Calculators 2:47

• Choose between two recommended astrology chart calculators:

  • https://www.astro-seek.com/ (preferred)

  • https://www.astro.com/horoscope

• Navigate to the home page of the chosen calculator.

Step 2: Selecting Chart Type 3:13

• For Astro.com:

  • Click on Charts and Calculations.

  • Select Extended Chart Selection.

Step 3: Inputting Birth Data 3:23

• If you have an account, log in to access saved birth data.

• Enter your birth information (date, time, and location) if you do not have an account.

Step 4: Choosing Chart Settings 3:44

• Change the default house system from Placidus to Whole Signs if preferred.

• Select any additional options (e.g., Lot of Fortune, Chiron, etc.) as needed.

Step 5: Generating Your Birth Chart 4:13

• Click on Calculate to generate your birth chart.

Step 6: Viewing Transits 4:22

• After generating your birth chart, look for the Transits option.

• Observe the current planetary positions (green glyphs) in relation to your natal chart.

Step 7: Analyzing Transits 5:13

• Identify how current transits (e.g., Moon in Gemini) affect different houses in your chart.

• Reflect on personal areas of life impacted by these transits.

Step 8: Using AstroSeq for Chart Calculation 8:47

• For AstroSeq:

  • Go to the Birth Calculator.

  • Enter your birth information.

Step 9: Customizing Chart Options 9:08

• Choose settings similar to Astro.com (Whole Signs, additional points, etc.).

• Click Calculate to generate your chart.

Step 10: Understanding House Meanings 10:26

• Familiarize yourself with the meanings of each house in your chart to better understand the impact of transits.

Step 11: Observing Significant Transits 12:02

• Note significant transits that may create pivotal moments in your life (e.g., Moon conjunct Sun).

• Reflect on how these moments relate to your personal experiences.

Step 12: Keeping Track of Current Transits 20:25

• Regularly check current transits and their implications on your life.

• Use this knowledge to navigate emotional and practical challenges.

Cautionary Notes

• Ensure accurate birth data is entered to receive correct chart calculations.

• Be aware that interpretations of transits can vary based on individual experiences and chart placements.

Tips for Efficiency

• Save your birth data in both calculators for quick access in the future.

• Regularly review your chart to stay updated on significant transits and their potential impacts.

Sun sextiles Moon

In today’s transits, the Sun ☀️ at 3° Pisces ♓️ 50’ forms a sextile aspect with the Moon 🌕 at 6° Taurus ♉️ 57’. Our basic sense of who and what we are aligns and blends well with our non so obvious maternal instincts in a dreamy and practical way that seems luxurious. Find your sense of self today. Decide who you are and who you are not today. Do some cleansing and clearing today. Notice who hasn’t shown up recently today. Do not allow people to take advantage of you today. Start a new habit today.

Moon sextiles Mars

In today’s transits, the Moon 🌝 at 23° Aries ♈ 30’ forms a sextile aspect with Mars ♂️ at 22° Aquarius ♒ 50’. Our maternal instincts and feminine pleasures align and blend well with our sense of motivationary energy in an impulsive yet detached way. Find a new thing to blame today. Discover the ways you have blamed yourself today. Transform your stagnant energy today. Rely on help from the collective today. Define what is the collective today. Have a vision today. Clean your house today.

LMFAO, passed my driving test when the moon was in my third house and as I’m typing this my mom is like you see, everything happens when it’s supposed to happen 😭😭

Éclipse Solaire en Verseau III, 17 février 2026

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Éclipse Solaire en Verseau III, 17 février 2026

🍾❤️‍🔥 happy Saturn in Aries! 🔥♈️

let the shenanigans begin!! i already feel more real and awake

Energy Update: Mercury Rx, February-March 2026

On Thursday, 2/26, Mercury enters its first retrograde of 2026. This retrograde runs from 22°-08° Pisces; during this retrograde, Mercury will conjunct the Sun, Moon, Venus, Mars, and the North Node, and trine retrograde Jupiter in Cancer. This will be a complicated and meaningful retrograde as all of our personal planets are activated.

The Basics

Mercury, the planet of communication, technology, and travel, is the fastest-moving planet in our solar system and retrogrades three to four times every year. This means that Mercury’s retrograde cycle is “business as usual” and isn’t something that should be feared. However, it is a change in the energy signature of one of our personal planets, so it’s worth paying attention to and making adjustments where necessary.

Retrogrades don’t mean that the planet ACTUALLY is moving backward, of course. It is a shift in our perception of the planetary movement through our skies. In this way, our perspectives can become slightly skewed during these times, making it easy to miss key details or communicate ineffectively.

During Mercury’s retrograde, Mercury traces its path backward in our skies, and it is considered better to go over your work rather than start something new. Mercury passes over these degrees in the sky thrice: the first time during its pre-retrograde shadow, the second time while it moves backward during its retrograde, and again a third time while it moves forward in its post-retrograde shadow. Because of this, we all get the cosmic opportunity to relearn and refocus on certain things that are going awry in our lives.

By comparing the degrees of Mercury’s retrograde to your birth chart, you can understand how Mercury’s retrograde cycle might affect you.

Mercury retrogrades affect some people more than others. By order of significance, these people are most likely to be affected by a Mercury retrograde:

One can assume that the more of these factors in play, the stronger you may experience the effects of a Mercury retrograde cycle. This isn’t to say that what you experience will be bad or wrong – some people experience a lot of freedom from Mercury’s journey. The more open you are to giving up control and staying open to the ever-changing landscape of a Mercury cycle, the easier it will be.

The Nitty Gritty

This is a simple retrograde (in that Mercury remains within one sign, mutable watery Pisces) that grows more complicated when you consider that Mercury is about to conjunct the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, and Mars (both of our luminaries and all of the personal planets) during their retrograde cycles. This indicates that this retrograde is intensely personal and will have a lasting impact on our lives.

Some Mercury retrogrades can be quite out there - mostly abstract concepts that we can opt into or out of at will. This will NOT be that kind of retrograde.

There are many layers to this retrograde. Let’s start with the basics. This retrograde will run from 22°-08° Pisces, putting pressure on any planet in your chart between 22°-08° of Pisces and Virgo, firstly, Gemini and Sagittarius, secondly, and the other water signs thirdly. We are focused on the personal planets and luminaries here (and should look at Jupiter and Saturn too), but the outer planets are insignificant unless you have an outer planet at 08° or 22° of Pisces or Virgo, in which case it could be significant. It also could not be.

Pisces is sign #12, ruler of the 12th house, and ruled by Neptune (modern) and Jupiter (traditional). It is the placement of Mercury’s fall and their exile. This fish swims in all directions, making it difficult to choose a thought and stick with it, and thoughts struggle to escape the unconscious nature of the 12th house. We can expect communication to be heavily impaired for the entire time Mercury occupies Pisces, and especially when they are in their retrograde phase.

Mercury’s retrograde always impairs communication; Mercury’s retrograde in the sign of their exile AND their fall turns this up to 11.

That’s just the astrological weather; we need to find a way to live in it.

If you can handle having to repeat yourself thrice (and perhaps still being misunderstood), Mercury retrogrades don’t HAVE to be bad.

Sitting so close to the Sun, Mercury is our most personal planet, governing the realms of thought, communication, travel, and technology. All of these things are altered during their retrograde cycle. This can look like miscommunications, typos, people speaking without thinking first, travel delays, detours, intrusive thoughts, and technological difficulties; all generally considered “bad things”. But it can also look like deep thoughts, realizations, meaningful conversations, directed change, and intense problem-solving.

Mercury retrogrades are very much in the eye of the beholder. Mercury retrogrades can vary much in the eye of the beholder.

I know that’s not grammatically correct. That’s the point, here. (Mercury’s not going to retrograde in Virgo, so we shouldn’t worry about “correctness”)

The point is that you get the choice in how you greet and move through a Mercury retrograde. Inevitably, some things will go wrong. Especially if there’s technology involved —so, you know, pretty much everything these days. It’s not about you, it’s not personal.

Mercury retrogrades are the antithesis of modern capitalist society. They are all about the journey. Mercury is one of the great travellers – Hermes (one of Mercury’s many faces) was one of the few beings who was able to walk into the land of the dead and leave again. When Mercury retrogrades, the paths shift. We can view this as liminal — a fallow phase — but it can also be a time of great adventure and opportunity. You will find that different retrogrades will bring up various themes, based upon your current life experiences and how the retrograde interlocks with your own birth chart.

This isn’t the time to force things; it’s the time to read the currents and go with the flow (or step out of the way!).

If Mercury prograde (direct) is the in breath, Mercury’s retrograde is the inevitable exhale that must follow. We weave in and out of Mercury retrogrades all year long, which is why I call this a business-as-usual aspect. The problem is the “Out to Lunch” sign on the door, even though it’s only 9 am. Or maybe “On Vacation”. This is a problem specifically because we live in a Hustle Culture that demands constant effort and often immediate results.

Mercury retrogrades are the perfect time to schedule a staycation and use your PTO, or a for-real getaway if you can handle a bit of uncertainty in your travel itinerary. Expect major airline delays and road closures, though. It’s time best spent editing and refining. Sometimes, it’s best spent in the solitude of your bed, catching up on sleep, or out puttering around in your garden.

Mercury’s retrograde unfolds in three phases. First, Mercury passes from 08°-22° Pisces in forward motion, starting on 2/11; this is known as Mercury’s pre-retrograde shadow. Then, on 2/26, Mercury retrogrades and begins its backwards path from 22°-08° Pisces; this is their retrograde phase. Finally, after Mercury stations direct on 3/20, they move from 08°-22° again in forward motion, marking the post-retrograde cycle. This can be seen as a lesson played out in three parts. We should note that the degrees of Mercury’s station, 08° and 22° Pisces, hold special significance as Mercury will hold each of these degrees for a number of days, much longer than Mercury normally remains in a degree.

In fact, Mercury will be in the sign of Pisces for a staggering eleven weeks. For perspective, Mercury can remain in a particular sign for as little as two weeks.

Grab a life preserver, because general everyday communication is about to get really fucking soupy. No one will know what is going on, and it will be all unconscious emotions, all the time.

We will be especially stressed as Mercury conjuncts our most personal planets*:

2/28 - retrograde Mercury conjunct Venus 22° Pisces
3/7 - retrograde Mercury conjunct the Sunn 16° Pisces (Mercury cazimi/combustion)
3/15 - retrograde Mercury conjunct Mars 10° Pisces
3/17 - retrograde Mercury conjunct the Moon 09° Pisces

*The Sun and Moon are obviously not planets; forgive me this misuse of the term to make writing easier

We should note a couple of things here. One, although often maligned, Mercury cazimi, the point when Mercury meets up in inferior conjunction with the Sun, happens every single Mercury retrograde. It’s a day to avoid giving a big presentation or launching your new software, but otherwise it’s as business-as-usual as Mercury retrograde gets. It’s the most Mercury retrograde day of the entire retrograde; the nadir of this energy hole, if you will. Secondly, Mercury will conjunct Venus at the very beginning of their retrograde and Mars at the very end; and indication that personal relationships are being put under the microscope for further review.

We could go down a serious rabbit hole here (Mercury, though its native sign of Gemini, rules the rabbit hole - especially a rabbit hole where you find a giant shesha smoking catellpiar at the end, not a rabbit) about how we are entering a new era (28 year Saturn cycle that is ending as Saturn enters Aries; the sign AFTER Pisces). Saturn enters Aries on 2/13, 13 days before Mercury’s retrograde proper but within the retrograde window (inside of the pre-retrograde shadow).

We should also note that this retrograde overlaps with an eclipse season that is going to be a REAL banger.

Astrology never exists in a vacuum (best joke ever because space is a vacuum): you cannot just look at Mercury and predict anything. We’re gonna have three planets plus the North Node in Pisces (Mercury, Venus, Saturn, NN), and that Saturn leaves Pisces for Aries. Then it will be the Sun, Mercury, Venus, and the North Node. The Sun enters Aries in March, and Mercury and Venus do so in April. Mars will move through Pisces and into Aries in the months ahead. Then, finally, the North Node is going to exit Pisces for Aquarius (the lunar nodes always move in retrograde motion) later this year.

Pisces is about to become an empty sign for the first time for the first time since 2011 when Neptune entered the sign.

Clean up on aisle Pisces. That’s what this feels like.

To our benefit, Pisces is a water sign, which tends to help with the clean up, and the South Node remains in Virgo, which is also an indication that it is time for a good clean up. It’s worth remembering that every conjunction to the North Node is an opposition to the South. We are about to enter eclipse season. Clean up now, or risk the chance that eclipse season will do it for you.

The retrograde will likely feel most challenging as it begins on 2/26 in the middle of the eclipse window, and this energy will peak around the lunar eclipse on 3/3 when the Sun will be in close conjunction to both retrograde Mercury and the North Node, and the Moon will conjunct the South Node in Virgo. Second to that, the day of cazimi (2/7) will be the most challenging day, at least in theory.

The last thing to note is that the retrograde ends on the single most powerful day of the year, 3/20, the day of the Spring Equinox, when the Sun enters 00° Aries.

This is a powerful GO signal, with the full force of spring energy behind it. This is a sign that all of the digging we will need to do in the cold, Piscean mud can pay off.

This is a very grow-through-what-you-go-through moment, at least for me. That may be my inner Taurus nature coming out.

There is a light at the end of the tunnel, but you won’t see it for quite some time. You may not even see it moments before the way clears.

The thing about Piscean times is that they often involve some level of suffering. I think it’s an end-of-winter/end-of-a-cycle sort of thing. The change is hard; stepping from the darkness into the light of the 1st house requires introspection (at least) and often some sacrifice.

It’s okay if it doesn’t feel okay. It’s not supposed to. It’s sort of by design. Difficult transits exist to show us what isn’t working; they are a reminder that few people change when things feel easy - even if things really need to change. The right sort of Mercurial person can ride most retrogrades with some level of ease, but sooner or later, it’s going to getcha.

That’s why I write these. When we have awareness that Mercury is retrograde, we might be able to walk away from the dysregulated asshole in the grocery store whose taking their bad day out on you. It allows us to have greater empathy for our partner, who worked retail all day during Mercury retrograde. It allows us empathy when we, almost inevitably, blow up, shut down, say the wrong thing, make the same dumb action we know we shouldn’t, impulse-buy something, or get mad at someone being a dummy on the internet.

All the stupid, silly, very human ways we communicate poorly. All of the time.

That goes doubly for any of you who love or have to work with a Mercurial somebody. Give them a break; I promise you, they are trying. (spoken as a highly Mercurial person married to a Gemini born when Mercury was retrograde)

It’ll be okay. It just very often doesn’t feel like it will be during a retrograde.

Blame Mercury. They don’t mind. But also, blame them for the good stuff that happens during this upcoming retrograde. I dare you to. Watch your whole life change.

Standard retrograde advice applies: proofread twice before you hit send, and for the love of all of the gods, make sure you are not sending that nude to Silvie, your boss, but instead to Silvie in the mailroom. Breathe. Fuck off and go have some fun, but make sure you don’t leave your responsibilities unattending to before you go. Take the detour. Save it; no one is listening anyway.

Try not to take it personally.

That will be very difficult given the 12th house involvement and the involvement of all our personal planets.

Your very closest human has a life you are in no way involved in. It’s not about you. Isn’t that amazing? Isn’t that freeing? Don’t you love them all the more for it?

When you can understand that, you may be able to understand Pisces. Somewhere in that ocean, Mercury isn’t exiled or fallen anymore. But damn is a deep dive.

Well, how the Fuck to I Magic About This Shit?

There are always a hundred different ways to do magic about and with the energy of Mercury’s ever-repeating retrograde cycles. There is the caveat that traditional astrology cautions the planetary magician against working with planets during their retrograde cycles, but we are MODERN planetary magicians, amiright?

As Mercury’s domains are communication, thought, travel, and technology, any magic to control or appease Mercury into having an easier time with that area of your life during a retrograde is certainly warranted. You can ward against Mercury Chthonia’s effect on your particular computer, for example, or maybe for your business or your server. You can mitigate sales interruptions if you sell primarily online. Cast spells to keep your silver tongue or make your competitor slip up at the spelling bee.

Things can get cloudy during the retrograde, which can be used to your advantage magically, either in a beneficial way for you or a Malefic way if directed towards others.

All of that said, Mercury is a guide and a messenger. Mercury can be called on to get into (or out of) tight spots and for all kinds of subterfuge.

Mercury is a natural trickster, and they favor those who are bold in tongue and somewhat sneaky in action. Talk to Mercury. Out loud. Listen with your inner knowing, or use any means of divination. In Picatrix, Mercury is associated with dream work.

Mercury is also the lower (human) octave of luck and inspiration. They can create and solve a wide range of problems.

As one of the personal planets, Mercury’s energy is quick, adaptable, and available to everyone. They make a great wingman. Light a candle for them on a Thursday, in their planetary hour, and tell them your troubles. Tell them your dreams. Tell them anything that comes into your mind. Bonus points if you share a cop of coffee (chicory coffee would be even better) with them.

Read More:

To All The Mercury Retrogrades I’ve Loved Before
A Road Opener For Mercury Day
How to Work With Personal Planet Retrogrades
Practices to Support Yourself During Mercury’s Retrogrades

The Details

2/6 - Mercury enters Pisces
2/10 - Venus enters Pisces
2/11 - Mercury enters pre-retrograde shadow 08° Pisces
2/12 - Mercury conjunct North Node 09° Pisces (1)
2/13 - Saturn enters Aries
2/16 - Mercury in Pisces trine retrograde Jupiter in Cancer (1)
2/17 - Solar Eclipse 28° Aquarius
2/18 - Sun enters Pisces
2/26 - Mercury retrogrades 22° Pisces
2/28 - retrograde Mercury conjunct Venus 22° Pisces
3/2 - Mars enters Pisces
3/3 - Lunar Eclipse 12° Virgo
3/7 -  Sun conjunct retrograde Mercury 16° Pisces
3/9 - retrograde Mercury trine retrograde Jupiter (2)
3/10 - Jupiter stations direct 15° Cancer 
3/15 - retrograde Mercury conjunct Mars 10° Pisces
3/17 - retrograde Mercury conjunct Moon
3/18 - New Moon 28° Pisces, retrograde Mercury conjunct the North Node 08° Pisces (through 3/24)(2)
3/20 - Sun enters Aries (Spring Equniox), Mercury stations direct 08° Pisces
4/1 - Full moon 12° Libra
4/3 - Mercury in Pisces trine Jupiter in Cancer (3)

Do you like my work? You can tip me over on Ko-Fi, sign up to be a monthly supporter of my writing, or purchase an astrology report written just for you.

this playlist is for the moon in libra trining all the aquarius in the sky, i hope you like it🪽🌬️

mercury square uranus

your thoughts and the universe’s thoughts might not really match up today. that’s ok because the universe will guide you. but the downside is it will just laugh at your plans.

i have moved sextile transit posts to patreon. please join us there if you can! trines will also be moving soon!

Moon Squares Black Moon Lilith

In today’s transits, the Moon 🌕 at 4° Virgo ♍ 49’ aligns in a square aspect with Black Moon Lilith 🌚 at 5° Sagittarius ♐ 0’. Our maternal instincts and desires clash with the mystery and fulfillment of it all in a practical yet adventurous way. Set out for new horizons today. Set apart what is and what is not today. Focus on your feminine today. Protect your femininity today.

Two mother figures at odds with one another. The light. or rather illuminated mother figure - especially since we are still dealing in the full moon period - and the dark mother. This should give us an interesting day.

February 2026 Important Dates

ALT

AKA my notes on The Astrology Podcast’s February Forecast, hosted by Chris Brennan and Austin Coppock.

The chaotic energies of January will continue into February, as the planets in our Aquarius stellium (Sun-Mercury-Venus-Mars-Pluto) will each square Uranus in Taurus.

February 1st - Full Moon in Leo
This lunation will really highlight the Aquarius and Uranus energies we’ve been dealing with, shedding some light on what may be in store. It’s also a precursor to themes broached by the solar eclipse later this month.

February 3rd - Uranus stations direct
This is the last time Uranus will station in Taurus for the next 84 years, finishing off a chapter of radical changes in the Taurus sectors of our charts which began in 2018-19. All the inner planets will be squaring this now-mobile Uranus, bringing unexpected disruptions, shocking changes, breaking barriers–a liberating but also volatile energy. This is the beginning of closing arguments for Uranus in Taurus, which will conclude for good in April. (July 2025 was our first foray into Uranus in Gemini if you’re wondering where to look for hints about the next chapter.) We may have the final note on something involving money & currencies (ex. crypto, the dollar, precious metals at all-time high prices), basic necessities like food and agriculture. Upcoming Mercury-Mars conjunctions echo those during the 2008-9 financial crisis and 1929 stock market crash.

February 5th - Mercury square Uranus
This can involve unexpected news & communications.

February 6th - Mercury Enters Pisces
Due to the retrograde, Mercury will be in Pisces until April 18th.

February 8th - Venus square Uranus
Unexpected events involving women or relationships. Uranus can be favorable or unfavorable changes, so don’t plan too hard and prepare to go with the flow.

February 9th - Eclipse season begins (not pictured)
About a week before an eclipse, the Moon squares the Sun (last quarter moon, in this case), with the most dramatic events and effects beginning to take place. We’re crossing the event horizon, entering the storm we must sail through.

February 10th - Venus enters Pisces
This begins one of the most positive aspects of the month. Not only is Venus exalted in Pisces, but she begins forming a trine to Jupiter in Cancer, with reception (she’s in Jupiter’s sign) further strengthening their connection. We will have some beauty and harmony going on in between the more difficult aspects. Additionally, this is the first time in a few years that Venus will get to transit her exaltation without Saturn around to bog things down, and as she’s getting further from the Sun, she’ll become more visible (and therefore stronger/more direct in influence) through this transit.

February 11th - Mercury enters pre-rx shadow (not pictured)
8 Pisces is the degree that they’ll walk back to during this retrograde, so something from this time is events that we’ll have to re-do or reevaluate during the retrograde.

February 13th - Saturn enters Aries
This wraps up the 2-year+ transit of Saturn in Pisces and puts us in Aries til April 12th, 2028. He’ll station retrograde this year from July 26th - December 10th and in 2027 from August 9th to December 23rd. We’ll be feeling more responsibility, weight, and heaviness in the Aries parts of our charts (and for those born under Saturn in Aries, a Saturn return!). Saturn first dipped a toe into Aries from May 24th to September 1st, so look back to that time for a preview of what the next 2 years 2 months will be about. Austin notes that the pace will be exhaustingly rapid in Aries, as slow, mature, wary Saturn is in fall in fast, young, impulsive Aries. Bad matches, embarrassed leaders (Bill Clinton’s 2nd term was under Saturn in Aries), slow institutions moving quickly and incompetently.

Chris also notes that gun control and second amendment stories have been historically tied to Saturn Aries periods, as detailed in an article by Patrick Watson. Perhaps Republicans will now be on the side of gun control and other constitutional amendments because they don’t like how people are using them now. Sometimes people in power do things simply because they can. Illusory, deceptive Neptune is also copresent for this transit, bringing a house-of-mirrors bent to this Saturn in Aries transit. Saturn in Aries pushes the limits of individuals versus structures, and rather than giving us new rules, may ask “what are the limits of these rules?”

February 16th - Sun square Uranus

February 17th - Solar Eclipse in Aquarius

ALT

Eclipses generally involve the fall of powerful people, the death of major figures, and sudden rise of previously obscure figures. Additionally, momentous events are begun from humble beginnings during eclipses. The seeds of much bigger events are planted.

This eclipse is ruled by Saturn, who’s on the verge of a significant conjunction with Neptune discussed below. The Sun and Moon (28♒) are closely square Uranus (27♉), bringing even more of Uranus’s unexpected disruptions than usual. With Pluto in Aquarius as well, AI events will likely increase, as well as power plays from above, especially tech companies’ control over media and people. This is also accelerating the Pluto return of the United States.

For personal charts, this is the beginning of a series of major beginnings and endings in the Aquarius and Leo areas of our charts as the eclipses will center around that axis for the next couple years.

February 18th - Sun enters Pisces

February 20th - Saturn conjunct Neptune

ALT

The last Saturn-Neptune conjunction in Aries was in 1989, and the next one will be around 2061, so this is a pretty monumental transit. Austin brings up the fall of the Berlin wall and events in Russian history like the October Revolution (1917) and the death of Stalin (1953). One of these historical themes is the collapse of old world orders and emergence of new ones, the changing of alliances among major players and the foundation or breakaway of new states. These planets became close to a conjunction in June-August of last year during their first foray into Aries; something that almost happened then will come to completion now. Austin predicts we’ll be in the space between the old world collapsing in the new one emerging (the next part of the Gramsci quote he’s paraphrasing is “now is the time of monsters”).

Chris is also fond of describing Neptune-Saturn as a “reality distortion field” where we can’t tell what’s true or not. Things that aren’t true may nonetheless have significant impacts from the power of belief. We also see popular uprisings under this aspect, such as the independence of many Latin American countries, as well as shadowy machinations, new boundaries being drawn, and ideals and beliefs like new religious communities (or cults or theocracies) forming. Utopian ideals rise and fall, as do empires.

February 22nd - Venus trine Jupiter (not pictured)
This is the most positive aspect of the month, and would be quite powerful if not for all the other craziness going on. People will work together towards shared values, with sweetness and compassion.

February 26th - Mercury stations retrograde

ALT

Mercury is in both fall and exile in Pisces, making this a particularly confusing time of miscommunications, but Venus applying to a conjunction will help to alleviate some of the difficulties. Overall, confusion will multiply.

For individuals, standard Mercury rx stuff applies: revisiting or reevaluating situations, running into people or things from your past, being introspective and rethinking things in your life. You can see it as a 3-act story: doing something once, having to turn back, and doing it again in light of having backtracked it. This is the perfect time to rethinking the Pisces part of your chart, after Saturn and Neptune have left and are not coming back.

February 27th - Mars square Uranus
In world events, sudden violence like assassinations, guerilla warfare, new technologies implemented or technologies breaking, protests, and generally back-to-back news stories occur around these transits.

February 28th - Mercury (rx) conjunct Venus
Venus lends a hand to help with technical delays and fix snafus, Chris thinking especially a woman or female figure stepping in to fix something. Austin warns that it might look like things are gonna be ok, but only temporarily (or illusorily) so, as there’s another eclipse and then some headed our way in March.

Venus and Mars have also started to emerge from under the beams of the Sun by the end of the month, so we’ll also start seeing what those underground moves in silence were really about.

In today’s transits, the Sun ☀️ at 12° Aquarius ♒️ 54’ 47” aligns in opposition to the Moon 🌕 at 10° Leo ♌️ 59’ 47”. Our sense of illumination and basic ego clashes with and opposes our maternal instincts in a detached yet intense way. See you wrongs today. See your future in the stars today. Love your family today.

Energy Update: February 2026

February is a “3” Universal Month [1 (2026) + 2 (February) = 3] in a “1” Universal Year.  The energy of the month is dominated by our first Mercury retrograde of 2026, Saturn re-entering Aries, and the beginning of eclipse season.

The Set Up

We begin the month with a major planetary pileup as the Sun, Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Pluto are all in the fixed air sign of Aquarius. Additionally, retrograde Jupiter is in Cancer, Saturn is in Pisces, retrograde Uranus is in Taurus, and Neptune is in Aries. By the end of the month, the Sun, Mercury, and Venus will have moved on into Pisces, and Saturn will have entered Aries. Mercury will also retrograde, and Uranus will station direct.

The Nitty Gritty

February is one of the biggest months of 2026, energy-wise, as it includes three major astrological events: the first Mercury retrograde of the year, the beginning of eclipse season, and Saturn’s return to Aries. These events will dominate this month, creating vibes that will feel deep and intensely meaningful, but also at times unfathomable. All eyes are on Pisces and the two signs on either side of it (Aquarius and Aries). We are on the precipice of something, right at the very edge. Some of us are going to want to free jump and get the inevitable over with, while others will pull back in fear. This is going to create a big divide, and it looks like each side cannot understand the other.

Pack your very best patience if you can, and try to find some middle ground. It may not be possible.

Saturn enters Aries

If you’ve been following along for a while now, you might remember that THE big astrology of last year was many of our planets (the Sun, Mercury, Venus, Saturn, and Neptune) crossing over the border between 29° Pisces - the end of the horoscope - and 00° Aries, the beginning. This represents a major ending and the beginning that necessarily follows. Notably, both Saturn and Neptune crossed over into Aries and then stationed retrograde, reversing their paths right back into Pisces soon after, where they remained through the rest of this year.

This was the setback. Two steps forward, one step back.

Now, on 2/13, Saturn will re-enter Aries and stay there. Happy Saturn Return to all of you Saturn in Aries folks! Anytime Saturn changes signs is a big deal, as it only does so every 2.5 years. Each time is a new start, a new day, complete with new challenges represented by its sign placement. But only once every 28 years, Saturn crosses the threshold of the horoscope and enters 00° Aries once more. This isn’t just a beginning, it is THE beginning.

This is the cosmic right time to start a significant project if (and this is a big if) you are personally willing to put in the hard work to get it done. Triflers need not apply. If there is one piece of advice that should reverberate throughout all talk about astrology its that you should not, under any circumstances, fuck around with Saturn. You WILL find out, and it will not be pretty. I don’t want to hear any of this “but Saturn is my bro” nonsense, because the planet of consequences is nobody’s friend. That isn’t to say you can’t work with Saturn, or even reap extreme benefits from doing so - consequences can be rewards just as much as they can be punishments - but Saturnian work should never be undertaken lightly.

A caveat to all of this: Aries is the sign of Saturn’s fall, which is a fancy way of reminding y'all that Aries is the opposite sign of Libra, Saturn’s exaltation. In Aries, Saturn can make people extremely foolish. People can start thinking that they can do it all themselves, and that they don’t need other people after all, or at all, really. This goes doubly for Americans in particular, but also for anyone who was raised in a Western culture that overly prizes individualism over collectivism. Through Saturn’s exaltation in Libra, we can see the very plain message: we all benefit from working together.

We are seeing this playing out horribly in American politics right now, as the MAGA-dominated ruling elite are valuing might-is-right (definitely a Martian/Aries ideal) and extremism, things associated with immature Saturn in Aries behavior. Immature Saturn in Aries says “only I matter”, and everyone will have to grapple with this reality - to a greater or lesser degree - over the coming years.

The biggest issue with this immature Saturn in Aries behavior is that the consequences still come. How quickly those people hit that wall will depend on many factors, many of which are related to levels of privilege. When Daddy has all the money in the world, you can afford to fail at a business venture. When we make people in power immune to prosecution, they can afford to maim and kill. I speak of these realities because they are all a part of the harsh, Saturnian experience. Sometimes Saturn in Aries demands physical violence (that is, again, the martial Aries way) and sometimes it demands the balancing of scales, through the courts, the way of Libra, Aries’s cosmic opposite.

Both of these things will likely be strongly in play over the next two and a half years. That should not come as a surprise to anybody whose been paying attention.

These battles stretch far beyond the individual for most of us; Saturn isn’t a personal planet, after all. But we still have to live in this world. The best way to manage Saturn in its fall is to get back to the nitty-gritty, the day-to-day activities that get you through this shitstorm, but also the ones that bring you joy or solace. Saturn in Aries can be overly individualistic in its worst form, but it does give us a deep, unending energy to fight. To resist. To be resilient in the face of adversity.

It’s easy to fall into the trap of seeing planets in their detriment as all red flags and danger signs. Certainly, some astrologers will paint this in that light. But each sign placement of Saturn is necessary; it is a part of the endless circle of life. Pisces in Saturn made many people overly complacent, revealing the bad actors. Now we know who they are. You can’t move forward until you’ve culled the ties that are holding you back. That is what this transit is made for. It’s not pretty, but it IS necessary.

Our Lights: the Sun and the Moon

As the Sun moves through Aquarius, it squares off with Uranus in Taurus on 2/16 (incidentally, for the last time before Uranus enters Gemini later in the year). It is otherwise unaspected until it enters Pisces on 2/18 and conjuncts the North Node on 2/27 during the middle of eclipse season. What’s going on doesn’t feel overly personal, at least not until Mercury retrogrades at the end of the month.

The month begins with a full moon at 13° Leo on 2/1. When the full moon falls on the 1st, we can interpret that as a sign of intensity in the month ahead. The energy, rather than waning, as is typical in the cycle from full to new, will either gain in intensity or stay at a sustained high. This makes a great deal of sense considering that our new moon on 2/17 is a solar eclipse. This is our event horizon, sucking us down and into the unknown of the eclipse cycle.

Still, I’m getting ahead of myself.

Our full moon on ½ sits at 13° Leo, widely conjunct to Mercury (19°), Venus (18°), and Mars (06°) - this day, of any day in the entire month, might feel especially personal. The Sun is in its exile, opposed to the Moon in the sign of the Sun. Emotions can get quite volatile under the light of a Leo full moon, especially for people who are caught up in their own egos. This is the height of midwinter, when some people forget that they will ever see the Sun again.

I’m not a big one for Imbolc, which is usually celebrated on the 1st or 2nd of February, but I think a lot of the ideas that go along with this holiday will be useful here. Be your own light. Make your own light. Do what you need to do to remember that things will get better, spring will come again, and nothing lasts forever in our ever-turning world. Leo is a fire sign, so candle magic or fire magic are highly augmented during this lunation, as is all work with the Sun, weak as it is in the Northern hemisphere during this time.

Whether you view the Sun as the child, eternally born in the spring and set to die at the winter Solstice, as a friend and/or foe who gives and takes life at will, as a living god in their myriad of forms, or anything in between - this is one of our two Sun-days of the year. And this one falls on a Sunday. This is highly auspicious.

Eclipse Season and our Solar Eclipse at 28° Aquarius

Our eclipse season begins on 1/17 with a solar eclipse at 28° Aquarius. This is what all of this fuss all month is about (well, this AND Saturn). This is an off-element eclipse, meaning that the lunar nodes are still on the Pisces-Virgo axis (water/earth), but this eclipse is in Aquarius, an air sign. This makes this eclipse a bit precognitive; later this year, our lunar nodes will switch to the Aquarius/Leo axis, and we are getting a bit of a sneak peek into what is yet to be.

Circle 2/17 on your calendar because this is going to be a huge deal. As well as being a solar eclipse, the Aquarius new moon is (almost) always the day of the lunar new year (this upcoming year is the year of the Fire Horse), and this year it also coincides with Fat Tuesday, the end of Mardi Gras/Carnival, and the last day before Lent. I know some of y'all are already rolling your eyes because you don’t believe in the lunar new year, or you are not a Catholic. That’s not really the point. We’ve got a major confluence of cultures: witches (new moon), most of the Eastern nations (lunar new year), and Catholics all over the world, all in synch with one another, focused on one single day. A day that is also eclipsed.

That’s a significant part of the earth’s population all focused on one day. That doesn’t happen very often - on 1/1, during significant religious holidays, and during the eclipses and equinoxes. Note that each of these are also strong, power days.

It’s also worth noting that the Sun and Moon will be tightly square (within 1°) to Uranus in Taurus. Uranus is the modern ruler of Aquarius, and the great unmaker, which seems relevant here. Sun square Uranus, technically exact the day beforehand, is one of our Red Flag days of the year. It’s likely this energy will carry into the eclipse, so the day should be approached somewhat cautiously. Avoid explosives, physically and metaphorically.

All of this makes it appear this will be an overcharged, energetic day. Those who enjoy significant amounts of energy will love this; those who get overwhelmed, not so much. Where do you fall on this scale? Do you tend to get really turned on by eclipse energy, or do you feel overwhelmed? Do you have planets within 05° (23° in the air/fire signs to 03° in the earth/water signs) in conjunction, square, opposition, or trine to this solar eclipse?

If you want to fuck around with eclipse magic, this is the day to do so. This energy can be used to shift fate and light a fire in your own life. Expect any energy cast within 12 hours of this lunation (exact at 7:01 AM EST/UTC-5:00) to take off running, and account for that in your magic. This is not for the faint of heart; if you are not prepared to find out, DNI. Many planetary magicians warn against working with eclipse energy, and with good reason. I don’t necessarily agree with them, but the advice remains sound.

Despite the new moon, this is not the day to call in solar energy; remember that the Sun is being eclipsed by the moon, which is physically moving in front of the Sun and blocking its light. This eclipse will not be visible to most of us, but that does not negate its effects.

If working on the eclipse proper isn’t your thing, you have two weeks post-eclipse (until 3/3) to do magic that is empowered by eclipse season without the wild magic edge of working with the eclipses more directly. This is the eclipse window, sometimes called the eclipse “portal” (which I kind of hate because of its association with the new age crowd, but it’s not the wrong word either).

Standard eclipse season advice applies: eclipses act, at least partially, like time out of time. Metaphorically, we could call it Vegas: what happens in eclipse season stays in eclipse season. That gives you some idea of how magic in relation to eclipses needs to work; it is supercharged by the eclipsed energy and our connection to the lunar nodes, but it also needs to break containment, somehow. The lunar nodes are often called the Nodes of Fate; historically, they were known as the Dragon of Fate. The North Node/Head of the Dragon points toward the future, and the South Node/Tail of the Dragon points towards the past. This isn’t really the “what comes around goes around” woo modern idea of fate, and it doesn’t negate free choice. (Nothing in astrology negates free choice for fuck’s sake)

But it is an opportunity to access the predestined fate you were given at the moment you took your first breath. Whether you do so, as always, is up to you.

There is a famous saying among astrologers: trust what arrives or leaves during eclipse season - those doors are opening or closing for a reason.

The two biggest dates during eclipse season are, of course, our solar eclipse on 1/17, and our lunar eclipse on 3/3 - but second to that, we should include the day that the Sun enters Pisces on 1/18 and the day the Sun conjuncts the North Node at 09° Pisces on 2/17. Those are days to do solar magic with eclipse energy, if you so desire.

I will write about this upcoming eclipse season in the weeks ahead - stay tuned!

Mercury Retrogrades 22° Pisces

On 2/11, Mercury enters its pre-retrograde shadow at 08° Pisces, unofficially beginning our first Mercury retrograde of 2026. I say “unofficially” because the average layperson only considers their retrogrades proper, the days that Mercury moves in backward motion, to be of note. But Mercury’s retrogrades (and all retrogrades) happen in three parts: the pre-retrograde shadow, the retrograde proper, and then the post-retrograde shadow. Without acknowledging all three parts, we are missing the whole lesson of retrograde cycles.

As Mercury retrograde, it will pass over 08°-22° Pisces three times in total: first moving forward in its pre-retrograde shadow, a second time in retrograde moving backwards, and a third time as it moves forward once more. This puts a significant emphasis on 08°-22° Pisces and any planets (in the skies and in our charts) that make a strong aspect (conjunct, square, or opposition firstly, and trine secondly) to it. This lesson is told in three parts.

I will use the tried-and-true hole-in-the-ground metaphor.

1. (pre-retrograde shadow) Oh, I fell into a hole in the ground. I didn’t even see it here. It definitely isn’t my fault because I didn’t know there was a hole.
2. (retrograde) FUCK! That same hole! Why is it still here? I guess I need to climb out again, and maybe I should look out for it next time.
3. (post-retrograde shadow) Hey! There’s that fucking hole! It felt like shit to fall in, and I had to climb back out, and it took all day. I will walk around it this time.

At least, that’s best case scenario. Some people never see, and some people never learn.

In this way, retrogrades are a time of retrospection. They tend to slow time down and give us space to turn inwards. They are better used to rethink, reconsider, and reconstruct (sometimes even deconstruct) than to start new things or move forward. Each planetary retrograde’s effect falls within its domain; in Mercury’s case, that is communication, technology, and travel. We can expect the effects of this retrograde to fall somewhere within these domains.

As a personal planet, Mercury’s retrograde affects everyone to a greater or lesser degree. They are most likely to impact those with planets in Gemini and Virgo (Mercury’s natural rulership), those born when Mercury is retrograde, those in the fields of Mercury’s domain, and those whose natal birth charts are strongly impacted by the current retrograde.

We should also note that Pisces is the sign of Mercury’s exile and Mercury’s fall, the “worst” placement for Mercury in the horoscope. This retrograde will be especially deep and emotional, something that doesn’t bode well for the planet of communication. Expect miscommunications, tech snafus, and travel delays, just at baseline.

I’ll write more about this particular retrograde as we get closer to 2/26, the day Mercury retrogrades at 22° Pisces; stay tuned!

Our Personal Planets (Mercury, Venus, and Mars)

I’ve already talked about Mercury extensively, so I won’t focus on them other than to mention that they enter Pisces, the sign of their exile and their fall on 2/6, where they will remain for most of the next three months. This is the long game; people are going to be uncommunicative and dysregulated for a hot minute, so we might as well dig in and pack every bit of patience and understanding that we can manage. Communication gets rough every time Mercury enters Pisces, and we are experiencing a retrograde on top of it.

The upside is that Venus also enters Pisces on 2/10, and Pisces is the sign of her exaltation - the BEST placement for Venus. This helps to even the score a little bit, vibes-wise, because Venus is universally loving and forgiving in Pisces. Mind you, although everybody deserves to be loved (I won’t budge on this point, sorry, not sorry), not everybody deserves to be forgiven. We do need to watch out for people pleasing and being taken advantage of while Venus is in mutable water.

Venus and retrograde Mercury meet up in conjunction on 2/28, solidifying this point. Sometimes love flows best with distance and boundaries. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

As for Mars, he is finally falling behind the faster-moving planets and remains in Aquarius all month long. This isn’t the best Mars placement; we may be too slow (Saturn) and too fast (Uranus) at the same time. This will likely be background noise compared to the other, more pressing planetary aspects.

Looking Ahead

March looks somewhat easier than February, but it does include our second eclipse on 3/1 and most of Mercury’s retrograde proper, so it won’t be “easy”. Emotions will be heightened but mostly unconscious; it’ll be a good time to pack your proverbial umbrella to help avoid other people’s storms. Things will start to settle out more as we enter Aries season on the Spring Equinox, on the same day that Mercury stations direct.

The Details

2/1 - Full Moon 13° Leo
2/3 - Uranus stations direct 27° Taurus
2/6 - Mercury enters Pisces
2/10 - Venus enters Pisces
2/11 - Mercury enters pre-retrograde shadow 08° Pisces
2/12 - Mercury conjunct North Node 09° Pisces (1)
2/13 - Saturn enters Aries
2/16 - Mercury in Pisces trine retrograde Jupiter in Cancer (1), Sun in Aquarius square Uranus in Taurus, Venus conjunct North Node 09° Pisces
2/17 - Solar Eclipse 28° Aquarius
2/18 - Sun enters Pisces
2/20 - Saturn conjunct Neptune 00° Aries
2/22 - Venus in Pisces trine retrograde Jupiter in Cancer 
2/26 - Mercury retrogrades 22° Pisces
2/27 - Sun conjunct North Node in Pisces 09° Pisces
2/28 - retrograde Mercury conjunct Venus 22° Pisces

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In today’s transits, Uranus at 27° Taurus ♉️ 28’ forms a sextile with Neptune 🔱 at 0° Aries ♈️ 5’. Our sense of freedom and genius inventions align and blend well with our idea of sacrifice in an impulsive yet practical way. Look out for a change in how things were today. Look out for new ways to be yourself today.

Personally, *I* wouldn’t do it this week but if you happen to have a strong personal planet in Cancer or Capricorn around the degrees mentioned and are old enough to want to spend the rest of your life with someone…maybe. If you have personal planets in Aries or Libra though, DNF.