FEBRUARY 16 TO 22, 2015

February 16 to 22, 2015 By Pam Younghans

Photo: Auroras fill the sky over Churchill, Manitoba, Canada, on February 13, 2015 (credit: Alan Dyer, posted on SpaceWeather.com)   THE NEW MOON on Wednesday this week is positioned halfway between Pluto and Uranus, at what is called the "midpoint" of the two planets. The midpoint between any two planets is said to carry the energy of both planets involved -- and so, the lunar cycle that begins this week is powerfully aligned to carry out the directives of both Pluto the Transformer and Uranus the Liberator.   This also means, of course, that the New Moon is  triggering the influence of the ongoing Pluto-Uranus square, which has already brought about major changes in many people's lives, and around the globe.   INTERPRETATIONS of the Pluto-Uranus combination are usually worded very strongly: Astrologer Robert Hand, in his book "Horoscope Symbols," writes that when the energies of Pluto and Uranus are combined, we have "revolutionary overthrow, total transformation, sudden changes that have long-standing causes at their root, extreme conditions, sudden and explosive events." In Noel Tyl's books about planetary midpoints, he writes that when the Sun comes to the Pluto-Uranus midpoint, we experience "the urge for independence and freedom, great tension, revolution." And the Moon at that midpoint brings "change through force, indomitable emotional conviction."   MY SENSE of this New Moon, when the Sun and Moon both align with that Pluto-Uranus midpoint, is that it is setting up the situations that will carry us through the energy shifts in mid-March.   Our next New Moon on March 20 is also a Solar Eclipse and occurs the same week as the last exact Pluto-Uranus square (March 16-17) and the Aries Equinox (March 20-21). Any one of these planetary events is a news highlight -- to have them all within four days of each other is the whole front page of the newspaper.   That week in March represents the mountain peak, or perhaps the rocket launch -- and for us to reach the peak or actually fire the rocket, we have to do our prep work ahead of time. The lunar cycle that begins this week is part of that prep work.   THE SABIAN SYMBOL for the last degree of Aquarius, where the New Moon occurs, is perhaps the longest of all the 360 symbolic descriptions: "Deeply rooted in the past of a very ancient culture, a spiritual brotherhood in which many individual minds are merged into the glowing light of a unanimous consciousness is revealed to those who have emerged successfully from their metamorphosis." The keynote description for this symbol illuminates its meaning further: "The ability for the person with an open mind and a deep feeling for self-transcendence to come in contact with higher forms of existence." THE WORDS "higher forms of existence" may evoke a different image for each of us. The Sabian symbol itself speaks of "a spiritual brotherhood," and I'm sure many who are reading this resonate with that phrase.   In my mind, this symbol reveals that this is a powerful time for us to connect with aspects of our own beings as they exist in higher-vibrational realms: our higher self, our soul, our Divine Self or Oversoul. This is also, in my opinion, a primary goal of this Time of Great Change, this time of shifting from the Age of Pisces into the Age of Aquarius.   Astrologer Dane Rudhyar, in his writing about this Sabian symbol, wraps it up with these words: "It is a symbol of spiritual group fulfillment -- of conscious totality of being." A lot to expect of a four-week lunar cycle! But perhaps not too much to hope for as a culmination of the past three years of working with the Pluto-Uranus square.   THE SUN enters Pisces just two minutes (!) after the New Moon is exact. The month of Pisces, every year, is a month to release, to surrender to the process, and to trust in the unfolding of life events, even when we cannot see or control the outcome. These directives are especially important this year, given the alignment of the planets and the upcoming Solar Eclipse on March 20, which occurs at the last degree of Pisces.   And yet, there is also a sense this week that the new has already begun. Mars and Venus both enter Aries within a day of each other, then align at the same degree on Saturday. As the first sign of the zodiac, Aries is always about initiating new action, taking bold steps forward, and being willing to go where no one has gone before.    HOW DO WE accommodate both the energy of Pisces and the energy of Aries at the same time, when they seem so different from each other? By using the best of both.   We must hold the Pisces perspective, that rises above the dramas and traumas of physical reality, that trusts in the unseen realms and lives more by intuition and flow than by logic and control.   At the same time, we must be willing, like Aries, to embrace the new, to courageously explore new frontiers, and to lead the way as needed.   And it is always helpful to remember to breathe, to get good rest, good exercise and healthy food, and to connect with Nature as much as possible.   In peace,   Pam   NorthPoint Astrology Blog: To read occasional posts and add your comments, please visit http://northpointastrology.blogspot.com/.