This New Moon Solar eclipse takes place at 28 degrees 56 minutes of Aquarius on 17 February at 21:39 UTC.

Feabhra: Mí Na bhFaoilli / February: The Month of the Leavings of Winter

As I continue to wrestle with my Instagram addictive stimming tendencies I am often torn between the utter tat and deeply informative nature of the platform. I follow a wonderful account @james_donegal_irish who talks about the Irish language specific to County Donegal where he is from. There are two names for the month of February he tells me. Feabhra and Mí na bhFaoilli. This second phrase I am less familiar with. It can be translated into many meanings one of which is the Leavings of Winter or hospitable or joyful. The return of joy or hospitable times.

This eclipse is certainly marking the leavings of winter. Where I am in Ireland there is what we call the beginnings of a “grand stretch in the evening”. This stretch of the light as the day extends to 5pm will continue to grow in the coming months. We can feel the hopeful return of the light with the winter slowly wrapping up. There will be some return of hospitality with the return of a visible Venus in the night sky. Venus now in Pisces her rulership of exaltation.

This solar eclipse takes place at the last degrees of the sign of Aquarius. It is the first in a new series across the Aquarius Leo axis of our charts. Bringing fated new beginnings and endings to these areas of our lives over the coming 18 months or so. This first eclipse is co present with Mars and Pluto in Aquarius while also in a separating square to Uranus in Taurus.

The ruler of the eclipse, Saturn recently entered Aries in the early hours of Valentine’s Day. He immediately runs into Neptune, their conjunction becoming exact on 20^th February. This begins a new 36 year cycle for Saturn & Neptune. Neptune may be dissolving Saturnine boundaries or frameworks that had previously seemed permanent and insoluble. Think of the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. Saturn is weakened in Aries, however there is mutual reception between Saturn and Mars each being in their respective domiciles. A little like a planetary house swap. Both with the ability to communicate and provide support to the other. Perhaps there are new motivations that were once abstract ideas, now solidifying at the time of this eclipse.  

Tagann an solas ar ais / The light returns

The Saturn Neptune conjunction has been hotly anticipated by astrologers for some time. Those generations with the Saturn Neptune conjunctions in their natal charts (1952/53 and 1988/90 babies) may be coming to the fore in a particular way. The 1952/53 babies will have this opposite, and the 88/90 babies, square their natal conjunctions. Activating and resonating across time. These planets are in the new moon phase of their meeting where a new seed is beginning to germinate. An impulse to initiate action, driven by instinct in a very youthful, individuating part of the zodiac.

This weakened Saturn with support from Mars will continue lifting the Neptunian veil on the power structures at play in our world. Distinguishing what is real from what is fake may become particularly hazy during the conjunction. Ultimately it will act as a liberatory force. This solar eclipse is separating from a square with Uranus. Uranus currently occupying the last degrees of fixed earth Taurus. A finishing up of the electric, eccentric and unpredictable in this Venus ruled sustaining sign. There will be further material evidence of the morally ethically and violently corrupt power systems at play. As always Solar eclipses tend to bring new solar figures to the fore while eclipsing others who were previously prominent in public life.

Véineas Le feiceáil / Venus is Visible

Venus exalted in Pisces became visible just before this eclipse. She has entered her Hesperus or evening star phase where she tends to be more deliberate. The results of her combustion cazimi stages in Capricorn in early January may take material form. She is within a degree of conjuncting the north node at the time of this eclipse. This may aid the materialising of the Venusian topics of your life. Decisions may be made and applied at this time. We may desire greatly the sweetness of Venus who is extra sweet under the rulership of an exalted Jupiter. Venus is finally free of Saturn who is now safely tucked away in Aries.

Exalted Jupiter is separating from a trine with Mercury in Pisces at the time of this eclipse. Mercury will shortly be turning retrograde in Pisces. A timely review of the Mercurial in the place that Saturn inhabited since 2023. Mercury is not super comfortable in Pisces and so this upcoming Mercury retrograde may be particularly confusing. Pisces is not known for its frank direct manner. Mercury in this place is buoyed by an exalted Jupiter and so it is a good time for creative forms of communication. It might be useful to approach things in a less direct manner and to offer yourself compassion when the inevitable mix ups or difficulty in focussing occurs.

This eclipse reflects the likelihood of explosive events, the unveiling of (more) dark secrets, with more examples of systemic violence.  The news may be disturbing at present however it is a moment of facing this knowledge with the question of what to do next with it. The rotting systems and structures of the old can no longer stand. The ideas they represent fall through our fingers and are washed away. What will replace them? This will play out on the world stage but also in each of our individual lives. New beginnings will occur in the Aquarius part of your chart. It will feel particularly strong if you have fixed sign (Aquarius, Leo, Scorpio and Taurus) luminaries or angles in your chart.