A Bridge to Innovation
We begin the month with a new moon in Aquarius on February 1. The sky will appear dark to our eyes but teeming with the potential energy of a new lunar cycle.
Our focus shifts from the receiving energy of the balsamic moon’s last few days to preparing for action.
“New moon energy replenishes our physical, mental, spiritual energy,” says Miraval Astrologer Lynn Carroll-Rivera. “We recharged, and now we begin to rev up again in sync with the energy-building of the waxing moon.”
In this lunar phase, the moon and the sun conjoin in the sky, setting off a new cycle of light. New moons are tremendous opportunities. They represent fresh starts and are a powerful time to set intentions.
“The motion ahead is inner-driven,” Lynn points out, “and not at anyone else’s bidding. In the sky above, the sun, moon, and Saturn enter the hopeful, positive, reaching-out-into-the-world vibe of Aquarius to create a bridge toward innovation.”
Building Community
You can use this rush of life-force energy to take action. “Aquarius energy is one of networking, building community, connecting with other people who have similar goals and intentions,” says Lynn. “It’s not a time to do things by yourself. It’s a good time to join with others.”
So, don’t spend too much time in isolation (unless you are quarantining and doing your part to keep friends and family safe).
Evaluating Alliances
Think about who is in your tribe. Take stock, and take attendance. Be open to the idea that your past alignments with people and ideas might change. Don’t make assumptions. “Uncertain times like these,” Lynn notes, “make strange bedfellows.”
Flipping the Script
Rebels and rule-followers alike, pay attention! Purposefulness is a significant theme in this lunation. Saturn was the ancient ruler of Aquarius before Uranus was discovered in the 1700s, a time of rebellion, revolution (French, American, Industrial), and enlightenment.
Tonight’s new moon echoes a prominent pattern that ran through 2021: Saturn square Uranus—the two rulers of Aquarius facing off.
Saturn’s old, established, and responsible way of doing things pairs with Uranus’ new, innovative, and liberation-oriented approaches. These are in hard aspect to each other; an adjustment must be made to reach balance.
Conventional Saturn is in that progressive sign of Aquarius, so it is more inclined to make traditional rule-followers feel the urge to rebel.
Uranus, that planet of awakening and experimentation, is in conservative Taurus, which might influence people who are usually more progressive to rethink their values.
The stars have flipped the script and forced us to innovate and find new paradigms. “We can’t stay in our old content containers,” says Lynn. “This speaks even more to the point of being more intentional about who shares your long-term dreams, ambitions, and values.”
Two Steps Forward, One Step Back
Saturn rules this lunation, so its square with Uranus in the progressive sign of Aquarius gives us a non-linear progression. It’s a time of trial and error, which is how we evolve.
The age of Aquarius is a collective one, and it’s about co-creating, collaborating, and working together to ensure we survive and thrive. “This new moon cautions us,” Lynn says, “that a new paradigm must include collaboration for wellbeing as well as the individual taking authority and responsibility for oneself. That can be a delicate balance, and that’s where the confusion lies.”
This is a time when we can experiment and try new things to see what works and what doesn’t. What are the new rules for society? How do we emerge after isolation? What are the best practices for keeping us healthy, wealthy, and wise?
“It’s no longer me vs. you, “ says Lynn. “We are way past that as a species—it’s about our collective sustenance.”
It’s a good time to ask yourself:
What are my new rules?
What is working for me and what is not?
How do I work with others to emerge from the escape room of our current crisis?
Energetic Swings
February is a big month for shifting energy. Chinese astrology gives us a new cycle with the year of the water tiger, and western astrology offers a change in motion for our retrograde planets.
“Whenever planets are retrograde,” Lynn maintains, “it’s like they are milling around inside of us. They create energy that goes inward. When they go direct, we take the awareness they bring and begin to focus on how that manifests outwardly.”
Uranus, a planet of consciousness, is direct for the first time since last August. We now take whatever awareness has been simmering since late summer and bring it to the surface. It’s a time to scrutinize and renegotiate, especially attitudes towards work and career.
Changing Gears
We spend a lot of time wringing our hands and talking about planets going retrograde, but it’s worth giving a few moments to what happens when they change course. When a planet transitions from retrograde to direct, it slows down and appears to come to a halt before moving in the opposite direction. It pauses in this shadow phase and nudges us to do the same as we prepare for a directional change.
Venus entered this space on January 29 and Mercury follows suit on February 3. Later in the month, they will resume their forward movement.
Until then, we can replenish.
If the retrograde energy was spinning inward, now, it prepares to turn outward. Mentally, we can move out of the retrograde period of reviewing into the new moon’s gathering gaze that urges us to assimilate our learnings. When we engage a new gear, we will be ready to move forward with purpose.
Source material provided by Lynn Carroll-Rivera, Astrologer at Miraval Austin. Book a private session with Lynn during a Miraval Austin visit to learn more about astrological significance and guidance.
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