THE ASTROLOGY OF 2013:

FEBRUARY - WIPING THE SLATE CLEAN

After the last five weeks of ultra- practical Capricorn Saturnian energy, Februarys
transits will launch us out into deeper water, leaving dry land behind. By the end of
2013s Water World, well have either learnt to float, surf and swim or have been
swept away by the rising tides.
By June there will be no fewer than 5 outer planets in Water signs:
Neptune and Chiron in Pisces - calm or deluded
Saturn plus the North Node of Fate in Scorpio - still waters run deep
Jupiter in Cancer - longing for home, roots and tribe

The Alchemical Process - Dissolution

We are undergoing nothing less than a true alchemical process (from the ancient
Arabic meaning The Art).This is not about turning lead into gold on a literal level. Its
a metaphor related to psycho-spiritual work where you recognise then reconcile
opposites within your psyche. You start off one way and end up another. This can
only happen by remaining active, participatory and curious-no effort, no result. It
requires waking out of the trance of normalcy, then mixing a cocktail of ingredients to
create a reaction for something entirely new to appear. One of the ways to work with
astrology is by applying what you know to your own life experience, using your life as
an experiment in becoming undivided. Not anyone elses idea of who you are or
should be but your genuine self, a self that is forged by you, an awakening of your
essential you-ness. The stages of alchemy are: calcination, dissolution, separation,
conjunction, fermentation, distillation and coagulation.
Since 2010 weve been thrust into the process of Calcination when our egos
were broken down, our sense of who we are - little me - was deflated and destroyed.
Our old, limited self has been reduced to ashes through circumstances out of our
control-recognise this, anyone? The purpose is to make space for a bigger Self by
getting out of our own way. Now in February 2013 were entering the next stage:
Dissolution. Emotions and tears melt us down and ego structures dissolve, as the
inner planets transiting through Pisces encounter Neptune, Chiron, Jupiter and
Saturn.
February Time-Line: Water, water everywhere!
30

January

Jupiter Ruler of Pisces turns direct

February Mars enters Pisces

February Mercury enters Pisces

18

February Saturn in Scorpio turns retrograde

19

February Sun enters Pisces

23

February 1st of 3 Mercury retrogrades in Water signs

25

February Full Moon 7 degrees Virgo/Pisces

26

February Mercury conjunct Mars

27

February Sun conjunct Chiron

28

February Venus conjunct Neptune

29

February Venus enters Pisces

As each inner planet enters Pisces, it will conjunct Neptune at 1-2 degrees ,Chiron at
7-9 Pisces, square Jupiter at 7 degrees Gemini then trine Saturn at 11 degrees
Scorpio.

Developing emotional intelligence is going to be the challenge this year at a

personal and global level
This is an energetic shift on a huge scale either deepening emotions, sensitivity,
empathy and family ties or inducing even more addiction, disassociation and
alienation, depending on individual choices.

February 2013 Pisces

Neptune and Pisces rule the invisible realm of consciousness, spirit and dreamseverything beyond our 5 senses. In our culture of materialism, individualism and the
rational mind, Pisces is a difficult sign to navigate. By ignoring the invisible,
addiction, depression, escapism and denial proliferate as Neptunes shadow of
separation anxiety. Successful passage requires consciously working with the Water
element through your feelings, by establishing a safe inner container. Dream work, a
spiritual practice and any act of creativity such as photography, writing or painting
will let you collaborate with deeper parts of your consciousness. The trine from
Saturn in Scorpio gives a reality check about keeping your feet planted firmly on the
ground through consistent discipline. The shadow side of this aspect is when you
meet darkness or challenges and you build even stronger walls against the pain.
Armouring your heart or going unconscious can seem a tempting option when
confronted with hunger, wars, natural disasters or financial crashes. Then Neptune in
Pisces falls into the passive, addictive mode.
As Mars, Mercury, Sun and Venus are submerged by the waters of Neptune in
February, expect an increasing flood of disinformation. You need your internal
guidance system in good working order to be able to distinguish between fact and
fiction. That means learning to listen and follow that still, small voice inside you, even
if it seems counter-intuitive.
When Saturn turns retrograde on February 18th until July, anything youve ignored,
denied or avoided since the beginning of October 2102 will be excavated for
your attention. Knowing this in advance, spend Februarys first half scanning those
parts of your life that need renovation.
The Full Moon in Virgo opposite Pisces forms a Mutable T Square between Sun,
Jupiter and Moon. This is about questioning our most fundamental beliefs,
withholding judgment and trusting that events will show the way forward. Our

edges are softened. Jupiter in Gemini, now moving forwards, reminds us that truth
is relative, that there are untold ways to perceive things and that having information
is not the same as having wisdom and knowledge. This Full Moon of completion
squares the Lunar eclipse degree (still operative) of 7 Sagittarius/Gemini of 28
November 2012 - what opened up for you then?

Look at the natal position of your own Saturn and Neptune in your birth chart
and the relationship between them for guidance on creating a strong, safe inner
container porous enough to allow your emotions to ebb and flow.

How might the Piscean Wave affect you?

If you were born between 1963/4, youre having your Chiron Return at the same
time as this Piscean inundation. This once in 50 year Return of Centaur Chiron to its
natal degree in your chart is one of the most significant turning points in your
life. Youve wrestled with hypersensitivity to suffering all your life, frequently
encountering situations where you move between rescuer and victim. Recapitulation
of your life so far and the possibility of re-birthing yourself as an adult come now,

invited or not. Chiron adds an urgency to the choice between taking responsibility for
your own destiny or projecting it onto others.
Born between 1982/83? Youre experiencing your first Saturn Return with a
trine to Neptune. This is where reality bites, sometimes quite hard. Have a long hard
look at where you are in terms of your earlier hopes and dreams then take practical
action to make adjustments and changes. Its no accident that people often leave
relationships, change careers or have children around the age of 28-29.The sign of
your natal Saturn shows how you deal with lifes requirements. With this trine to
Neptune, and Neptune making a sextile to natal Neptune, the overriding task is to reconnect with your private self, the vulnerable, idealistic child within.
If you were born around 1955, youre in the midst of your 2nd Saturn Return.
Older and hopefully wiser, its your chance to re-orient away from the overriding
concerns of the morning of your life such as forging ahead in your career, building a
family, looking for external validation to following your souls call. Passions or
hobbies become increasingly important and a whole new creative flow inspires you
as long as you let go of outgrown roles and goals. The release from the constraints
of the status quo can be liberating as you care less about performance and more
about your legacy. This dissolution brings you a transition time.
If you have your Sun or planets and points in Pisces, Cancer or Scorpio you
will resonate quite strongly to the influx of water. Fire and Earth signs could find the
confusion unsettling while the Air signs will seek to intellectualise the emotional
intensity.
Navigate the waters by leaving expectations, preconceptions or judgments behind.
Humility, openness and curiosity are your best allies in February.

Book a Reading with Lorna to help you navigate your own ship in 2013