Your present situation is being heavily influenced by the rare, once-in-29-year visit of Saturn, the taskmaster planet whose job it is to help you find and develop your inner strength and character by presenting you with a series of challenges. Saturn periods can be difficult because of Saturn’s “tough love” methods, but thankfully, Saturn only visits us two or three times in a lifetime, each time with a two-and-a-half-year stay. Before this, the last time you coped with Saturn, it was from September 1980 to August 1983.

Saturn has been visiting Libra since October 2009, with only a brief break when Saturn retrograded out of Libra and back into Virgo from April 7 to July 21, 2011. Ever since Saturn returned to your sign in July 2011, he has not left your side. You may feel there’s been no relief. One way Saturn often works is to isolate you by removing all support around you so that you will develop your own inner resourcefulness and independence. Often when this happens we feel that others don’t understand the difficulties we face, and that lack of empathy often intensifies the feeling of isolation. (To counter this, surround yourself with only supportive people for now.) Saturn teaches the value of long-term planning and of being realistic and practical. Visits from Saturn are always sobering periods, but they also are ones that we grow in maturity and wisdom.

You would feel the most direct rays from Saturn if your birthday falls from October 15 to October 23. If your birthday falls earlier, in September or from October 1 to 14, you have already dealt with the most severe tests of this planet, and in that case, Saturn is now moving away from your Sun and you are starting to feel a bit better. If you were born in September, you are currently wrestling with Uranus, which is a whole different influence involving your partner, and I will get to that later when we talk together about romance. It’s unusual to have both of these big planets exerting a direct influence at the same time. There is a benefit to this, however, because more often the influence of these two planetary heavyweights is drawn out over the course of many years.

Although Saturn won’t leave Libra until October 4 of this year, this month all Libras, of every birthday, will get a needed break. Saturn will actually be friendly to other planets, which is welcome news. You are in the home stretch, dear Libra, about to be done, and once Saturn speeds out of Libra in October, he will not be back until 2039. In the meantime, you appear to be committing to something important – perhaps it is a long-held dream – that will require patience, study, and preparation. It may be a goal to buy a house, start your own a business, or write a book. Other Libras may be having their first child or, if in a later stage in life, waving goodbye to a child who is leaving their nest. Any new commitment or change in lifestyle that happens during a Saturn trend usually requires a major adjustment.

Saturn will now retrograde starting on February 7 and continue to slide backward until June 24. While retrograde, Saturn is a little weaker, so you may actually get a chance to catch your breath. Saturn is currently IN Libra, but RULES your fourth house of home, so if you were involved in a renovation or sale, progress will slow until the end of June. This is good to know. If you have tried to sell your house to no avail, it’s time to see your broker to decide about how to change your asking price. You may want to take the house off the market while you think about your next move. Be ready for a big push at your next most favorable time for home matters, the full moon, July 3.

This month you can make some progress, despite Saturn’s move backward. You might make a solid decision that you find agreeable for home or family matters on February 18, when the Sun and Saturn will be so beautifully oriented.

Now let’s start at the top of February, and let’s look at your prospects for romance. You need a little fun, friendship, and a richer love life, and happily, that is precisely what the universe has planned to give you.

The month opens on a lyrical note. Love will be in the air, thanks to the new moon of January 23 that started scenting the air with tender feelings, and those feelings will still be prevalent in early February. It’s time to push back from your desk and socialize, dear Libra. Other zodiac signs would need more of a push, but Libra loves to get out and see people, so by your very nature, you are more likely to get the full flavor of this opportunity. If you are single, the first week of February would be your best for trying your luck at meeting a new romantic interest.

One of your happiest, most exciting social moments of the month will occur on the full moon in Leo (18 degrees), February 7. It appears you’ll be attending a luxurious event then, filled with many friendly people, within five days on either side of the date. You may find that you have a big event on this day, February 7, or over the weekend of February 4-5, or over February 11-12 (or both)! I suspect that Friday, February 10, or Saturday, February 11 might have extra importance to you, for the moon will be in Libra on those days and you’ll be in high spirits. No matter, all these days are wonderful!

You may be attending a wedding, engagement, anniversary, or birthday party, or be at a beautiful seminar, conference, retreat, or other event that will bring many warm and like-minded friendly people together. Your eleventh house rules not only friends and associates, but also your deepest hopes and wishes, so a desire you have long held may now reach fruition. It’s a special week, and I hope you will make it as big as it can be. Treat yourself to a wonderful, memorable experience, dear Libra. This full moon of February 7 and thereabouts is your time to indulge in fun time for you.

If your birthday falls on or within five days of October 10, you will benefit most from this full moon – chances are you will have something special on your calendar. If you have planets at 18 degrees (or within five degrees) in Aries, Leo, Sagittarius, Gemini, Aquarius, or Libra, you will feel this full moon as well, and will have a good chance to see an exciting fulfillment and culmination of events at that time too. I can’t see everything in your chart, dear Libra, but this full moon sure looks like a pampering one for you!

If you are attached, February 9 should be a standout, when Venus, by then in Aries, will conjoin with the planet of surprise, Uranus, also in Aries. Your partner is about to surprise you in a way that delights you. This is a highly electric, exciting day, and because your ruler, Venus, is involved, it makes it extra special. If your birthday falls on September 24, this meeting of Venus and Uranus will be extra special.

This year Valentine’s Day falls on a Tuesday, February 14. (Dear Brazilian readers, I know your Valentine’s Day falls on June 12. You can, if you like, have a very romantic February anyway!) The day before, on February 13, Mercury, the planet of news, will be in perfect angle to Saturn, the planet of stability, both in the very last degrees of Aquarius. This means February 13 or 14 would be a great time to make a marriage proposal or accept one. The moon will be in fire sign Sagittarius, a perfect spot for your air sign element, so you’ll feel carefree, happy, and ready to enjoy the evening to the fullest. If you don’t have a sweetheart, then go out with friends. There is no reason to stay home, and although you may think the world is coupled up, it is not. There are more single people than married in the US.

Your most romantic days of the month: February 1-3, 7, and 9 (both gold-star), 10, 11, 16 (great day), 24, 28, and 29.

Your work life will become busy as soon as the new moon, February 21, arrives in Pisces 3 degrees. This would not your ideal time to switch positions, as you would generally need a new moon or special action at the top of your chart, in your tenth house, not in your sixth, where this new moon is located this month. That said, if you are out of work and would love to have a job similar to the one you lost, this new moon would help you do that. If you are currently employed, you can certainly garner plum assignments from this moon – at least two! (The new moon is in Pisces, a double-bodied sign that suggests two!) If you’re self-employed, you can now generate some excellent new business that will work toward raising your profile in the industry after the work is completed.

Mars is currently spending an unusually long time in your twelfth house of confinement, suggesting that you may be interfacing quite a bit with hospital or medical personnel, for yourself, or a partner, or a beloved relative. Saturn in Libra is considered a drain on health too, so it’s vital that you attend to health matters in a timely fashion and do all you can to stay feeling tiptop. Mars will continue to light your twelfth house of confinement and medical matters for a while, with progress for you due in stages, first at in mid-April (when Mars stops retrograding), then in early July (when Mars moves into Libra), and then much more progress due in early October when Saturn finally leaves Libra.

If you need surgery, you have Jupiter in Taurus, a perfect placement for successful medical surgery. Mercury will retrograde next month on March 12 to April 4, so you would be best to attend to health matters now.

At work, if you are working on a new product or service that must be kept secret, Mars in your twelfth house suggests you will have to continue to work on it in confidence until you properly launch in mid-July, your best time to do so.

The new moon, February 21, will, as said, bring up matters in your work and health sector, and will be special because it is in such lovely aspects to Saturn and Jupiter. Any new assignments you pick up after this new moon will have a long-term benefit to your career AND bring you a nice bonus or profit.

This new moon will conjoin Neptune, and that is a key element to understanding not only this new moon, but your long-range future, so let’s talk about it.

This month, on February 3, Neptune will move out of Aquarius and into Pisces for the first time in your lifetime for Neptune has not been in Pisces since 1847-1962. Now that Neptune has arrived, he will remain in this part of your chart a momentous fourteen years, until January 2026. That is staggering news, and it’s nearly impossible to fathom ten years ahead, let alone fourteen. While most recently Neptune was in Aquarius, 1998 to 2011, he added a soft and vibrant effect to your love life and to your interaction with your children (if you have them). Neptune was comfortable in the fifth house, so you may have had a number of beautifully romantic experiences over the year. You will not lose that effect – you carry those memories within you forever.

Now, with Neptune moving to your sixth house this month, you will direct your inspirations, experiences, and ideas toward special projects that you create or that others choose you to work upon. You have a chance now to create breakthrough work that is highly individual, creative and unique. Neptune is also associated with humanitarian efforts, so with Neptune’s new presence in your sixth house, you may be increasingly drawn to doing this type of not-for-profit, voluntary, charity, or community work.

The new moon of February 21 will stimulate Neptune, for the mathematical degrees of the moon and of Neptune nearly match, so you will get to see Neptune in action this month. The perfect project may come up now to light you to action, so keep your eyes open for an opportunity to express your talents in a new and very powerful way. Jupiter, as I mentioned, will be involved with this new moon, so you can be sure a generous fee or commission will be there for you.

If you were born late in your sign, say, near October 15-22, you will benefit from this new moon in what is called an “out-of-sign trine.” That only means that this new moon will be divinely friendly to you, and that the opportunities will be stronger and more apparent for you.

This same new moon will also help you become more fit and healthy. If you have not yet started work on your resolution to get in shape for 2012, this new moon, February 21 and the two weeks to follow, will be your call to action. You can now sign up with a gym, or if you are a member already, go to new classes or a package of training sessions. With four heavenly bodies in Pisces, you may want to investigate water-related sports, such as swimming, skiing or ice-skating, or dance, like Zumba or ballroom dancing. Planets in Pisces also rule Eastern disciplines like yoga, tai chi, or karate, where philosophy and spirituality blend with the physical aspects of the workout. These are just some examples, but you can develop any program, large or small, involving exercise, diet, or medical tests or procedures to improve your present health.

Neptune inspires, but it also has another side, for Neptune can send in his famous fog and confuse matters. In your house of health, Neptune can make a certain health matter hard to diagnose, so you may have to be patient when various tests are ordered, and some of the same for multiple times. Also, with Neptune here, you might notices a sensitivity to a certain drug, so always ask about possible side effects, and also possible dangerous interactions with other drugs or foods. You may not notice any effects from any of this, but because Neptune is about to stay in your health sector for fourteen years, it will be good to get into the habit of asking these questions, so that you can always stay safe.

You have an outstanding day coming up for all “sixth house” matters, involving new work projects / assignments and health, and that is due on Sunday, February 26, but will be helpful to you February 23, 24 (both weekdays), and over the weekend of February 25-26. The Sun and Jupiter will be in close communication on your behalf, and this bodes so well for all sorts of matters that involve your health and healing. You may have an operation on one of these days, or schedule a new medical procedure that is vital to your future.

This same stretch of days, February 23-26, will be sensational for generating business or for being assigned to an assignment that will, if done correctly, be a big plus in helping you get ahead. These days would be perfect for an interview, presentation, or the launch of publicity or advertising campaign (yours). Use these days, too, to hire a subordinate at work, such as an assistant, intern, or bookkeeper, or at home, such as a nanny, babysitter, housekeeper, or landscaper.

The month will end on another very positive note, lucky you. Pluto will meet with the Sun, linking your work with home and real estate on February 28. If you hope to set up a well functioning home office, this would be your day to make your most important decisions. You may also want to sign a lease if you are a retailer in the throes of changing address for your store, or a manager moving your company.

See? February is shaping up to be a great month on so many levels! You can improve your health and fitness, nab some amazing assignments, or generate new business if you are self-employed. Best of all, you have some sparkling aspects that run through the first half of February for your love life, just in time for Valentine’s Day!

Admittedly, it will be hard to make progress in entirely new areas while the competitive, energetic planet Mars is retrograde, but you can backtrack on current projects and find ways to make them better. You can also forge a victory from a past association or garner more business from former clients. Mars is your guardian planet – your “ruler” – so his movements have greater weight and effect on you than other planets.

Mars is currently in Virgo, so you will be asked to pay a great deal of attention to detail. Depending on other planets your natal chart, you might be good at working on tiny details or not – you would know if you are stimulated by tasks like this or avoid them at all cost. If you are not talented at detail, and you are self-employed, you always have the option of hiring people to help you. If you work for others and feel you need help, you might be able to enlist help from co-workers, perhaps by bartering tasks that you might be good at and your co-worker is not, assuming your boss will allow this kind of trade among workers.

Along with Mars going in reverse, Saturn will too, beginning on February 7. Saturn rules your tenth house of fame and achievement, so you may have to bide your time for your quest for a new job until Saturn regulates its speed, June 25. Remarkably, only one week later, you will have a powerful full moon, July 3, that will activate your house of honors and awards. This tells me that you might stage talks for a new position, but not see a development until early July. This timing seems perfect, for by then Mars will be in top form, and Venus will be too, an important element in the puzzle, because Venus rules your money. In all ways, you want to be ready to accept a new position in early July, but not before that. In the meantime, you will be able to take a number of short-term projects that should pay well enough to keep you going while you wait for the big one to come in. Still, there are exceptions – you have several stellar days for career talks in February.

First, note the days when Sun and Saturn will be moving toward being in perfect sync, February 16 and 17. Saturn, as said, is the planet controlling your professional achievement sector. Mercury, by then in Pisces, will also be speaking to Jupiter. A confidential meeting, perhaps with someone high level from your past, could help you aim for a new and exciting position. (Saturn and Mars retrograde points to benefits from VIPs you know from earlier days.) You can also sign papers on this day – it’s superb.

Next, circle February 24, a Friday, when the moon will be in Aries, and the Sun will be in perfect angle to Jupiter, the great good fortune planet, now in your house of earned income. The Sun will be in your friendship house, so the high-level friend who will be so helpful at this time is likely to be someone you consider a friend or close colleague. This will be a very strong day. If you have a creative idea to present, you will do well – and likely walk away with funding, if not immediately, then soon. You will have one more jewel to use for career talks.

Your third time of the month to circle in red on your calendar will be February 28, when the Sun and Pluto will trade signals. Again, the topic is likely to be money, and again a friend is likely to turn the key on an opportunity.

Aries who were born late in the sign are feeling the pressures of Saturn opposed to the Sun for most this month. This is nothing new – you’ve been grappling with Saturn for a while now, so it’s more of the same. You need not worry that things will get harder – you are currently boxing with Darth Vader.

If your birthday falls on April 19, you are feeling the most direct rays from Saturn during February. Because you were born at the end of the sign, normally you would be ready to bid Saturn adieu, but because Saturn is now retrograde he will travel first back, and then, later, forth, over your Sun until Saturn is gone by October 4. (By June, Saturn will retrograde as far back as to touch those Aries born on April 11 and later. If your birthday falls in March or April 1-10, you are done with Saturn.)

The new moon of February 21 will help you pull back a little and think about what you need to be happy and to reflect a little on your next move. Neptune will make his monumental move into Pisces for the first time in this century. Neptune has not been in Pisces since 1847 to 1862, so this is a new and very inspirational influence. It’s just what you need to light your mind with waves of fresh inspiration – exciting! You will be ready to focus on a creative project dear to you, for you have all the talent you need to make a success of what you hope to create!

You need a little diversion from all the tasks you’ve been doing – a little love and fun – and the full moon in Leo, 3 degrees, will give you that, for sure, on February 7, plus or minus four days. This will be a highly romantic moment, the only full moon in your love sector of the year, and with Venus in Aries, you’ll be a good position to kick back and let Venus make your charms much more visible.

All Aries will do well at the full moon of February 7, but those born on or near April 7, plus or minus five days, or who have planets in Aries, Leo, Sagittarius, Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius at or near 18 degrees, will do best. It’s absolutely a point to take a little time off, and that moment should please you!

One very special day will be February 9, when Venus in Aries will conjoin Uranus in Aries. What a dazzler of a day! This could be the one day you meet someone quite exciting! It’s a wow of a day, and if you were born early in your sign, within days of March 22, you will get a double dip of pleasure. (If you have planets in fire – Aries, Leo, Sagittarius – or air – Gemini, Libra, or Aquarius – at or near 2 degrees, you will too.) I love this day for you! In fact, you may even receive a beautiful gift.

Valentine’s Day brings the moon to fire sign Sagittarius, perfect for you! Mercury will play a pivotal role this week, as Mercury will be in fine angle to Saturn – perfect for making long-term promises that stand the test of time – and Jupiter, bringing you the power and determination to make happy, optimistic plans for the future. If conversation and communication is the cornerstone to true love, Mercury will be your guardian angel this evening and bring both to a new and heightened level. Socially, and romantically, you are loved, dear Aries, and you will know this for sure from all who surround you. If you don’t have a sweetheart or a spouse, go out anyway. There are many people in the same situation, and you never know, on a night so supportive, you might meet someone special. Your friends adore you – let them take good care of you.

Even before Mars shut down for a rest late last month, he began to move ever more slowly during December and January, so you will have to be patient. You may see progress in early March, so don’t let up on efforts. You may have to push yourself more to keep motivated, but you do have a good chance of seeing success. Forward ho! Keep those wagon wheels rolling.

If you need a good day for a career effort, choose February 24-28. On Friday, February 24, you will have Jupiter to help you give a fine presentation or interview for a new position similar to the level of the one you had before. Or, if self-employed, you would be able to generate new business on Friday, February 24. (If you work weekends, then by all means, pitch over February 25, your best day.) For negotiations involving large sums of money, choose February 28 when Pluto will signal the Sun.

Early February might be a good time to take a little vacation. The full moon will light your ninth house of distant travel (Leo, 18 degrees) on February 7, so you may leave earlier in the week and be returning home from an exciting location within five days of the full moon. There is nothing like a long trip to put the bounce back in your step! Alternatively, you may finalize a deal with a foreign company, or you may be taking steps to go back to college for an advanced degree. Other matters may be taken care of now too – you may get a passport or green card, or you may finish jury duty. If you work in the media, you may get your book published or an important segment readied for broadcast. Lots of positive things will be happening within four days of February 7.

If your birthday falls on December 9, plus or minus five days, you will benefit most from this lovely full moon, or if you have planets in Sagittarius, Aries, Leo, Gemini, Libra or Aquarius at or very near 18 degrees.

Let’s look at your outlook for romance this month, which seem to have had more twists and turns than a best selling spy thriller. First, the eclipses have had an enormous influence on your love life (or, a business partnership). The first test to your partnership came December 21, 2009, the second one on June 15, 2011, and the third on December 10, 2011. If your birthday falls December 10-23, then you felt one of these eclipses; if your birthday falls in November, you may have noticed changes near November 25, but the eclipse that fell on that day was a positive one that brought opportunity, while the others were more emotional dates, because they were full moons. Depending on what happened as a result of all those eclipses, you may be happy or not-so-happy about love, but in any case, things will improve for your love life in time.

As said earlier, Mars is now retrograde, and Mars is the natural ruler of your fifth house of new love. (The fifth house also rules pregnancy and creativity, so in all these areas, there appear to be delays.) With Mars now looking back, not forward, until April 13, you may see your new relationship stall a little, or you may deliberately slow it down if you feel you’ve pushed it forward too fast. If you want to have a baby, the new moon at the end of the month might trump the retrograde Mars because it is so very fertile – a Pisces, Taurus, and Cancer new moon are often the very best for conception.

Sometimes a retrograde planet will bring a change of mind, so with Mars retrograde in your new love sector, you may decide this person is not for you, or conversely IS for you, despite previous doubts. Still, you need to go slowly. I would not want you to move quickly with the ruler of your house of love in retrograde. Mars rules the expression of physical affection, and so this month and next, you might find that your chemistry together is lacking or completely off. It is also possible that your new love has to travel for work, so you may not see one another at all, and that’s fine – actually, that would be a good manifestation of Mars retrograde.

The happy part about February is that Venus will be in Aries, a fire sign that blends divinely with your Sagittarius Sun, from February 8 to March 5. Venus is not an assertive planet, as Venus teaches the wisdom of sitting back and letting others come to you. This is how Venus got the reputation of being the so-called “lazy planet” – she teaches never to get desperate, to give admirers room to decide they cannot bear to be without you and come to you. Venus will help you use your considerable powers of attraction to bring the right person to you. From February 8 onward, it would be a great time to upgrade your appearance by changing your hair, buying new clothes, and for women, choosing new makeup colors.

If you have no one to love, you have the perfect day for a surprise, chance meeting on February 9, when Venus and Uranus will meet in your fifth house of true love in the adventuresome sign of Aries. This day will be charged with fantastic electric energy! Look your best!

Then, on Valentine’s Day, February 14, lucky you, the moon will be in Sagittarius, favoring you above all others! I like this day because during that entire week, Mercury will be so chatty with other planets, in the most positive way. Mercury rules your seventh house of close, serious relationships, which, of course, includes your spouse, or if dating, the possibility for engagement and marriage.

Here is what is happening that week, and keep in mind there is always an aura around the dates I am giving you, so don’t get stuck on one day. You can add a plus or minus of at least one day. (If you live in Asia, Australia, or other time zone that is 12 hours earlier than the US, then add one day. For example, in Australia, my mention of February 13 becomes February 14.)

February 13: Mercury will combine forces with Neptune, exuding a beautiful aura, just perfect for a week that holds the day for lovers, February 14. (This would not be a day to sign a contract but for love and romance, it’s divine.) On the same day, Saturn will work with Mercury too, so promises in love will be promises kept.

February 16: One of the most wonderful days of the month, when Mercury joins Jupiter, your ruler, in the most optimistic, expansive, happy day to make an agreement or a promise. Give this day three gold stars. Remember, you will feel the growing energy of this day on February 14. You may get an outstandingly generous gift on February 14, 15, or 16. Could it be a diamond?

Now, let’s talk about your home and family situation, which is about to become a huge hub of interest in weeks, months – even possibly years to come!

This month, on February 3, for the first time in your life, Neptune will move into your fourth house of home and is set to stay for fourteen years. Neptune has not been in Pisces since 1847 to 1862. Neptune rules creativity, so you may now become very interested in interior design, art history and furniture design, architecture, home textiles, landscaping, or other elements of home design. It may start with a redo of your apartment or house, and your interest may spread to a desire for an entire career in this area. Or you may be ready for a career switch and have always wanted to delve into this area. If so, Neptune will help give you the inspiration you need to be a success.

For now, you will need to make absolutely sure you have flood and other water damage or gas insurance for your home, whether you own or rent. This is a long trend, fourteen years, and when Neptune shows up, he will want to bring the sea with him into your house. Keep him out. Make sure your windows have secure, tight gaskets around the edge of each window so that the rain can’t ruin your floors. With your aspects, never leave a window open when you go out, and especially when traveling. Change your fire detectors so they’re up to date, with fresh batteries and the newest model, and make sure it has a CO2 detector feature too.

Ask your plumber to check all the pipes in your house to be sure they are in good shape. Once, when I was having my bathroom painted (I love to have my rooms painted frequently), my painter told me one pipe was in bad condition. I immediately invited my superintendent up who said – “You have hours, not days. Call a plumber NOW!” The plumber came later that day, and as he looked at it, it fell apart in his hands by barely touching the pipe. Fortunately, the water was turned off when this happened.

It may not be wise to buy beachfront property in the coming fourteen years. In the future, whenever Neptune will be visited by an angry planet, you could have water-related problems. At the very least, ask neighbors when the last time there was a bad hurricane or other natural disaster that could bring heavy water damage to your neighborhood. Check the safety of the well water, to be sure there are no problems with toxicity. By taking these simple steps, you can keep yourself safe.

Still staying with the topic of home, now let’s look at the month’s beautiful new moon, which just brims with real estate opportunity for you! If you were thinking about moving, you will have one of the best new moons of the year to help you. If you need support from your family, it just might be there if you ask for your favor after the new moon appears.

This home and family-related new moon will appear on February 21 in Pisces, 3 degrees. This new moon is very sweet. It will be in ideal angle to Jupiter, your ruler (which is very significant, for it means this new moon can help you in a bigger way than other signs, because Jupiter is your guardian planet). If you hope to list your house for sale, I would do it beginning February 21. Don’t wait to do so next month, as Mercury will retrograde from March 12 to April 4, not a time to make any important actions. If you act now, keep in mind that Jupiter usually brings money with him wherever he goes – you could make a tidy profit.

Saturn will be very comforting on this new moon February 21 too, which suggests that if you sign a lease or close on a house anytime within a week after this new moon arrives, you are likely to love your decision for many years into the future.

There is one day I just love for you, for home, real estate, or family-related actions, and it is February 25, when the Sun and Jupiter will be in perfect sync. This is a four-star day for signing a lease, closing on a house, assigning contractors, or even for having a party. If you have to make a decision for a parent who needs your assistance, do it on February 25. This works both ways – a parent may be helping YOU. Jupiter is currently visiting your house of work-projects, so if you want to set up a home office this month, I think that’s a great idea. Aim to have it open for business by Saturday, February 25.

There is one more excellent day, when Pluto in Capricorn in your money and wealth house signals the Sun in your house of real estate on Tuesday, February 28. Again, it looks like you’ll have negotiated a good deal, and it would be a perfect day to take action on any sort of home or real estate decision, including the rental of a summer cottage.

Mars is in Virgo in your solar eighth house, but RULES your eighth house of other people’s money, so somehow money – or a holdup of funds – seems to be involved in this situation. There is not much you can do about this, other than to be patient, for you will need to let the process work its way out and take as long as it needs.

There is another planet that is also affecting your finances. Saturn, now in your second house of salary and other earned income, is about to go retrograde from February 7 to June 25. This too will slow down your efforts to gain more money, but only temporarily. I am sorry to have to report this, but keep up your efforts to find ways to improve your cash flow anyway, because once Saturn leaves Libra on October 4, things will improve fairly quickly and all the work you are doing now to find more cash will pay off. I know October sounds like a long way off, but it will be here before you know it. Once Saturn leaves, Saturn will not be back to your earned income sector for many years, until September 2039.

There will be one day when news about money might come in a completely unexpected way and possibly make you quite happy and excited. That would be when Venus and Uranus are conjunct in Aries in your eighth house of other people’s money on February 9. You may get an unexpected check, or win a small prize, or receive a gift that touches you. See what happens.

Last month, you may have been working very hard on projects, and as you begin February still have some details to sort through. During the first three weeks of February you will have the brilliant Sun and your ruler, Mercury, to help you tie up loose ends and keep projects humming. With planets moving into Pisces at month’s end, near February 21 and later, you will need to move into collaborative mode. Although it was wonderful having Mars in Virgo, which allowed you to work on your own without being dependent on others to get things done, be conciliatory and cooperative now. Mars will be back, and when he is fully awake in late April, you will enter the best period of the year. Just hang on – your time is coming, and you won’t lose anything by waiting.

The full moon February 7 (Leo, 18 degrees) will light your house of behind-the-scenes talks, and there are several different ways this full moon may play out. A piece of information that you didn’t know about, but that may prove interesting, may surface now at the full moon, plus or minus four days. This full moon is not making any direct aspects to other planets, so the outcome will depend heavily on how a Leo moon at 18 degrees will fit into your own chart.

The twelfth house, where this February 7 full moon will appear, rules not only secrets, but also your health and wellbeing, especially in the psychological sense. You may decide to enter therapy to discuss a problem that has troubled you, or you may schedule surgery, go into rehab, or have physical therapy. Or you may help someone who is in the hospital or otherwise infirm. Full moons usually bring resolution quickly, which would be very welcome. Keep your health strong in the early month in any case, for you might feel your energy flag a bit. Once you get into mid-month you will be feeling much peppier.

Mercury is your ruler, and will be very chatty all month, and quite friendly almost all the time. The days when Mercury will meet with other planets will be significant, for you will find special opportunity. The week in question will be February 13 to 18, so let’s talk about that too.

First, on February 13, Mercury will send Saturn a positive glance, adding stability to all that you do. Yet on the same day, Mercury will meet with Neptune too. Neptune and Saturn have very different influences. Neptune is soft, while Saturn is firm. Neptune dissolves and cleanses, while Saturn sets structure and hierarchy. Neptune, as the planet ruling the sea, is wet, while Saturn is dry. Neptune is intuitive and instinctive, while Saturn is objective and factual. Usually, when Mercury is so friendly to Saturn, it is ideal for signing a contract, but with Mercury and Neptune together on the very same day, I say, wait. Sign nothing on February 13.

Still, the link between Neptune and Mercury will make you highly creative and imaginative on February 13, and Saturn will help you create a plan for a major project or sale of a creative piece of work.

The fact that Mercury and Neptune are coming together near Valentine’s Day is sweet, for this is will be a glamorous vibration. Someone special whom you love or care about very much may send you a very romantic message or, better yet, you may hear a confession of love transmitted in person, and when you do, it may be quite an unforgettable moment.

Later, on either February 16-17, you will have a standout day when Mercury will signal Jupiter in your ninth house of travel and international relationships. This would be an incredibly positive time to travel or to make a deal with anyone, but especially someone based overseas. If you are speaking to officials in academia or reporters, editors, or producers in the media, you will do equally well. This will be a spectacular day, and things should go really well for you. If you need to sign a contact, do so today, or better yet, wait until February 25, your best day of the month on so many levels! (More about February 25-26 in a minute.)

On February 21, the new moon in Pisces (3 degrees) will occur in your marriage / partnership / collaboration sector, and it will be one of the best of the year for forging an alliance. This new moon will reach out to both Jupiter and Pluto, making this a heavenly time to get engaged or married. If you are already married, you may want to set up new goals or take a memorable, possibly life-changing vacation together. I love that idea of traveling together – it’s a theme that will keep coming up now. All new moons bring two weeks of energy, although the first week is the stronger of the two, so keep that in mind.

This same new moon of February 21 can be used to help you set up a business alliance, and if you do, it would be special, as Pluto and Jupiter will be perfectly harmonious with this new moon, which is rare, and always spells success. Go forward – whatever you are discussing now is unusual and important – and proceed with talks.

If your birthday falls on August 25, plus or minus five days, you will be in a position to benefit most from this new moon.

Next month Mercury will go retrograde from March 12 to April 4, so you will want to act in February to avoid all dealings in the second half of March.

February’s last weekend, February 25-26, will be the sweetest and happiest of all, thanks to the Sun’s signal to Jupiter. Again, this would be a glorious time to take a trip – see if you can go somewhere, as your time together would be divine. If you have to travel for business, your trip will likely bring outstanding profits. Whether for business or pleasure, the accommodations should be superb. This is a powerful day, when all sorts of international talks go well, or when you can have a memorable meeting with an authority figure in academia, publishing, or broadcasting.

There’s more – on Tuesday, February 28, Pluto, now in your solar fifth house of true love, will reach out to the Sun and create a sparkling background for love. If single, this day would be the right day to be out and about, showing your face to the world. If you have already found true love, you may now decide to bring a new baby into the world or devote yourself fully to a creative project that becomes your “baby” in a different sense.

Most romantic dates: February 3-4, 8, 9. 12, 16 (gold star) 17, 18, 21, 24, 25-26 (four-stars), 27, and 28.

As you see, this month strongly accents your ability to form powerful bonds with at least one other person. You can grow in mastery over your creativity, or form a very powerful alliance for your future.

Neptune’s greatest gift to you will be to greatly expand your imagination and your creativity, and as such, you are the prefect sign to accept those gifts. You will be encouraged to express yourself in completely new ways, to be innovative and experimental. If you work in the creative sphere, this shift of Neptune will, of course, seem like a miracle. Suddenly the world is listening to you, dear Pisces, for you will be setting the tone.

This shift of Neptune to Pisces will instantly put you in the spotlight, for when a major outer planet enters a new sign, that planet begins to influence everything – not only your own personal life, but also in society. Fashions will be affected, as well as popular culture, politics, and the prevailing opinions and approaches of the times. This new trend will feel comfortable and “right” for you – this is, after all, about all things Pisces. Your confidence will grow in the coming fourteen years that Neptune spends in your sign, and with each victory, you will feel more comfortable about pursuing the ideas that are closest to your heart, and perhaps are the most daring. While it will take a little time for Neptune to settle in, in time Neptune will bring a host of opportunities to you to investigate, all perfectly suited to your personality.

If you feel you are not at all creative, think again, for all Pisces have that divine spark within. You were born with the ability to see the world in ways that are different from others. Individuals can be creative in many differing ways – it all comes down to the way you think, the way you perceive reality, and in the way you, as a Pisces, are able to make unusual connections between disparate, seemingly unrelated themes that that others fail to see and that you connect, seeming effortlessly. You can work in any field and be creative.

Pisces is considered the most imaginative sign of the zodiac. Your intuition is sharp, and one of your greatest talents is in knowing what the public will want down the road, before any research shows where things are heading. Pisces just knows, but as said earlier, you often have no idea how you know, or where the thoughts come from – you just do. You are known to be a right brain learner, taking in the world through your right, visual brain, rather than the more analytical left-brain. As a Pisces, your subconscious is very strong and dominates your thinking. Your mind picks up tiny signals that others miss, and somehow your mind is able to make sense of those bits and pieces and instinctively organize them into a whole. Your ability to predict what is coming often baffles others and proves you right time after time. Some call you psychic – you say you’re simply being observant.

Until now, Neptune has been in objective, fact-oriented Aquarius since 1998, filling your twelfth house of privacy and introspection. With your ruler in your most private part of the horoscope, you most likely had a role that kept you mainly behind the scenes. No more. Now your ruling planet about to come out and into the brilliant sunlight – and you will too. The twelfth house, where Neptune has been based for fourteen years, is symbolic of the primordial waters of creation, and is also symbolic of the time prior to your birth, as you were being formed within your mother. You are ready to be born now in new form, dear Pisces. Your identity will be refreshed and reinvented. Suddenly many eyes will be on you. Your appearance may change and be upgraded, and your face may start to be recognized by a much wider audience.

Your image may be known on TV, or in important print or Internet media, and you will likely become known by those in your industry or the world at large. Soon everyone will want your take on a variety of issues, including questions of style, beauty, politics, art, and design. You won’t have to wait too long to see Neptune’s power to bring exciting opportunity and change.

On February 21, a new moon in Pisces 3 degrees will appear and Neptune will orbit very close. This is your moment! Take all fortunate breaks that come up at this time seriously. Don’t ask others their opinion about whether you should do this or that – you know yourself well enough. It is your decision.

Two heavyweights, Jupiter, giver of gifts and luck, and Pluto, the planet of pure power, will walk with Neptune at this new moon, like two dignitaries accompanying Neptune to his new place of honor. Pluto is about mass influence and financial gain, and Jupiter brings happiness, expansion, and his own brand of financial good fortune – when together, your luck will become bigger and more powerful. This all suggests that you will amass a cadre of staunch supporters. Pluto is in your house of community and friendship, so you seem to have a constituency who will want you to gain in popularity and position.

Jupiter is currently in your communications house, so your talent in these arts, to write, speak, edit, direct, act, sell, translate, perform, or manage any other part of the communication process, will come together to bring success.

Lately you may have had your share of detractors or critics. Perhaps it has not been many, but only one person. Mars, now in the seventh house, is aching for a fight, for Mars is now in the place in the chart where sometimes competitors come out and make their feelings known. You may not have felt this, not unless your birthday falls within the two weeks of March 7 to 21. If your birthday falls within those days, but especially on or near March 12, you know what I am talking about. You may have had a challenger or difficult partner, in love or business. You could not ignore this person, so you were forced to strike back. Pisces is often thought to be too meek for battle, but now, if anyone underestimated your will to stand up for yourself, they will be sorry.

Mars is now retrograde, a situation that started on January 23, and will continue until April 13. Think back to January 23, what happened within three days of that date. Mars is the natural ruler of your second house of income, so money may have formed a big part of the discussion. Funds due you may be delayed, or disputed, but again, more likely if you were born near March 12, plus or minus five days. Watch again on April 13 when the same discussion will come up, but at that time, you’ll get more information.

Saturn has been pressing on you and causing you complex problems with money and credit. Saturn will leave in October, thank goodness, but for now, Saturn is about to retrograde too, from February 7 to June 25. Saturn becomes weaker in retrograde, which in this case may be helpful. He won’t have so much bite, and you can take the time to rethink and reorganize financial affairs. You might renegotiate an ongoing contract too – see how this fits into your life.

Still, there will be immediate upbeat news about money. Venus will move into your income sector from February 8 to March 5, and that alone will help your cash flow.

Watch Thursday, February 9, when you may receive very good news about money. Venus will conjoin Uranus then, in your house of personal income. You are likely to hear such happy financial news, you will be thrilled. It’s alternatively possible you may receive a gift – one that you love.

The full moon of February 7 in Leo 18 degrees, will light your solar sixth house of work assignments. That week is likely to be a busy one. All full moons have an area of influence that extends four days before and after the date the full moon appears, so keep that in mind. Expect one or more work projects to come to fruition. Leo, the sign where the full moon will appear, is a luxury sign, so perhaps the product or service you will be working on is expensive or exclusive in some way. If you are speaking, perhaps you will appear in a private club or other esteemed venue. It sounds like you will find this moment quite gratifying! The special part is that you will have a chance to make a good sum of money as a result of what comes to fruition.

Keep your health strong this week, as you may lower your resistance if you are stretched too thin.

Romantically, Venus will still be in Pisces, lucky you, from February 1 to 7, favoring you above all others. If you are single, your charisma will be strong. Consider going out over February 4-5 – the moon will be in Cancer so these two days should be heavenly. By then, Neptune will be in Pisces, so the stage will be set and the cosmos will roll out the red carpet for you.

If you are attached, Valentine’s Day, February 14, may be very sweet this year. Mercury is the planet that governs your spouse or steady date, because it is the planet that governs your solar seventh house of commitment, marriage and established partnerships, and collaborations. Mercury will be chatting up other planets. Those conversations will benefit you. Keep a very important point in mind when I tell you about these lovely Mercury aspects – all aspects have a plus or minus of one to two days from the day an aspect “hits” so that means that you will still feel their glow on Valentine’s Day.

On February 13, Mercury will dine with Neptune, helping to set the scene for a very glamorous, sparkling message that may come that day or the day after. On the same day, Mercury will meet with Saturn, so promises made will be promises kept. On February 16, you will have Mercury in perfect angle to Jupiter, making this a wonderful day for a romantic trip or for sharing feelings and dreams for the future.

The month will end on a spectacular weekend, February 25-26, when Jupiter and the Sun will be in sync, and together will cook up sensational opportunities for you. That weekend is worth four gold stars! You may travel, near or far, or you may just have a great time when you find that just about everything goes your way. Your good fortune will begin Friday, February 24. If your birthday falls on these days, you will be doubly fortunate.

On February 29, when Pluto and the Sun align, you will get outstanding help from a high level friend. It’s a wow of a time. Pisces, you’ve suffered through certain parts of 2007-2011, but now, you come into your own.

Pisces born within five days of February 21 (the new moon), or near February 25-28, will not only love February, but can look forward to a whole year ahead of fresh starts and wonderful opportunities. Jupiter, Pluto, and Neptune will each contribute gifts – your time is coming, dear Pisces! Rarely have you seen a year like the one that is to start!

Romance will be best: February 1-7 but 4-5 will be most special, February 13, 14, 16, 17-18, 21, 22, 24-26 (gold star), and 28.

You need to see more progress in your career. You seem to have been frustrated with the pace you’ve seen, and the money questions you have on your mind now are tied to that slow progress. The problem you face is that Mars, the ruler of your house of fame and honors – your tenth house, the area that astrologers look to first to see your growing mastery over your work in your chosen field – is now retrograde. Instead of seeing progress, you are probably seeing a setback or at the very least a need to backtrack and correct or gather more information, if you are to advance.

Mars will be retrograde until April 13, so you have a ways go. Be patient. Bucking this trend won’t help – you will have to painstakingly reassess what you are doing to see if you can find a better way to approach your professional goals. It may be as simple as finding a better way to convince clients to move ahead, even though they are exhibiting jittery behavior in this fragile global economy. You will have help from the planets, so don’t assume that Mars tells the whole story and that you necessarily have to wait quietly and do nothing until Mars regulates its orbit in mid-April. Some very special aspects are due this month, so stay with me.

I have a friend who turned down a position she thought was a good one in December, right around the time Mercury was retrograde and we experienced the monster eclipse of December 10. That is never a time to take a new job – too many things are changing and it is impossible to see the road ahead. She’s a Cancer, and she is torturing herself that she should have taken the job. As her friend, I try to show her the aspects. She loves astrology and actually has been studying the stars, so she could see and understand what I was seeing – intellectually (but maybe not emotionally).

I always step back and always let my friends make their own decisions. As an astrologer I can’t choose for her, or for you, dear reader. My friend’s aspects were dreadful in December (as were yours), so the job would have turned out to be a nightmare. She would have run into all sorts of difficulties trying to save a sinking ship (I suppose that’s the reason they were willing to pay her such a large increase in salary), but that risk would have had been a bad one. The deck was not stacked in her favor. Her chart showed she might have ruined her reputation if she could not turn things around for the company. Chances were that no one could bring that company back to former glory without major surgery.

Thank goodness my friend turned down the job. The position has not been filled – apparently other applicants saw this position as a no-win situation too, but that doesn’t stop my friend from beating herself up about whether she should have taken the job or not. Cancer has been under stress financially lately, and I feel what she regrets is not the position itself, but the higher salary. Of course, if she could not fulfill VIPs’ expectations, her new job would not have lasted very long, and she would have given up a good job for a trip on the Titanic.

Only Cancer does this to themselves, second guessing decisions they made along time ago, long after they gave their final answer and closed the door. Dear Cancer, if you did the same thing – turned down a job you had doubts about in December – congratulations. If you are still wondering if you did the right thing, you did. If you took a job in December, no doubt you are plotting your escape. The good part about life is that we can start over if need be. Like your Mom used to say, where there is life, there’s hope. You can always look for a new opportunity.

Whenever you take a new position, look not only at the aspects at the time of your decision but also at those that are coming. I told my friend I didn’t want her to be struggling with new clients in a new job at a time when Mars, the ruler of her house of fame, honors, and achievement, would be retrograde and asleep at the switch until July 3.

This month, however, there will be a few gifts from other planets to help you score several successes, despite the challenges inherent in Mars retrograde. Venus is now moving into your tenth house of prestigious career and honors starting on February 8 and staying until March 5.

Venus will embrace Uranus at this very lofty spot in your chart on February 9. Uranus often brings news that arrives like a lightning bolt, seemingly out of nowhere, so the news is often exciting. Uranus also happens to rule your solar eighth house of the type of money ruling commissions, bonus, fees, and other lump sum payments. His partner in this aspect, Venus, brings popularity and applause – and money too. This means February 9 should be a standout day for you, on so many levels, and you should come away happy. You can garner respect, and also make a tidy sum of money. Be sure to present ideas to clients or bosses on this lovely day.

When discussing your career outlook, we should always look closely at where Mars is moving in your chart, because, of course, Mars rules Cancer’s solar tenth house of career victories. Mars is now spending an unusually long time in your short distance travel sector, your solar third house. This tells me you will need to reach out to clients by writing to them, advertising, calling, and making appointments to see them face-to-face in their offices or over breakfasts or lunches.

If you have your own business, then do publicity in addition to advertising – all these things are ruled by the third house too. If you don’t have a website for your business, create one, and if you do, update it. This area of the chart will require assertive communication from you, so if you do put in a good effort, Mars will see that you have results that please you. If you write for a living or produce media segments or shows, you will have lots of projects and be in high demand. If you work in sales, then you may want to get on the road to see clients who are just slightly out of your city – not too far away, say, not more than 100 or 200 miles away (because the third house is involved), and to put more emphasis on former clients, not developing new ones, until Mars regulates his orbit in mid-April.

Saturn will go retrograde on April 7, another sign you may have to refine your current strategy to make it more effective for the dynamic environment you are operating within. Saturn rules your seventh house of committed partners, and in sales, your partner may be your client, or if you are an agent, the talent you represent. Now that Saturn will remain in retrograde until June 24, clients seem to be waffling and unusually indecisive, unsure what to do and perhaps not giving you the directive to move ahead.

When you meet with clients and other business people, you will have to lend a convincing air of authority in all your dealings now, because if YOU begin to waffling too, there’ll be no hope. It will be the blind leading the blind! If you don’t believe in your product or project, it will show. In that case, you will likely need to look for another job – it’s always important to believe in your company. If you DO believe in your goods or services, then show it as clearly as you can in all that you do, in the way you present yourself. You need to transmit a feeling of safety and security to your clients when you talk to them, which can only be done in a genuine way.

The seventh house also rules your committed, close romantic partner, so if you were planning to get engaged, say, for Valentine’s Day, something may occur elsewhere in your life or your partner’s life that may cause you to put those plans on hold for a while. Saturn will go direct at the end of June, so maybe you will switch your engagement for your birthday. If you are already attached, something may occur in your partner’s life that he or she interprets to be a temporary setback.

Saturn RULES your seventh house of partners, but is currently IN your fourth house of home. Cancer has been thinking quite a bit about housing or the care of an older relative such as a parent (both are ruled by the fourth house of home), and now that Saturn is about to retrograde, you again may have to refine your thinking about a housing, real estate, or family situation. Retrograde planets sometimes convey a need to redo or rethink a plan in the days that circle the date of the retrograde, so watch the days near February 7 for clues.

If you are trying to sell a house, to no avail, huddle with your broker and decide what to do next. If you can afford to take your house off the market until the end of June, that might be your best bet, for that would allow you to wait through the Saturn retrograde, but I would also suggest you change your selling price or stage your home differently. Getting expert advice is always a good idea under a long retrograde period. You might be able to sell your house at the full moon, April 6, but you would have a better opportunity to get your price in mid-October.

In love, your outlook could not be better! Pluto rules your house of true love (fifth house) and is currently orbiting into a beautiful angle to Jupiter. Those two will “hit” next month, but like two friends who run into each other on the sidewalk, they may not yet be close enough to shake hands, but they can certainly see each other now and wave to each other! Both planets are in earth signs, so you will need to remain realistic in love, with your feet on the ground at all times, to give yourself the most advantage in love. With Jupiter now visiting your eleventh house of friendships and groups, you would do best by relying on friends to help make introductions. It’s also wise to join clubs and groups, both professional and social in nature.

When it comes to love, the end of the month will be your best. I realize that Valentine’s Day is February 14, but I like the last week of February better for love for you. It doesn’t matter, does it? I see you happy, and that IS what matters! Why do I feel that Valentine’s Day is so-so? The moon will be in Sagittarius, which will likely have you working late. Be flexible if that should happen. It is nice that Mercury will combine with Neptune in time for Valentine’s Day – you may get a sentimental message that you find truly touching.

Once the new moon appears in your expansive ninth house of travel on February 21 in Pisces (3 degrees) – a divine placement for you – ruling international people and places, broadcasting and publishing projects, and university study and all other kinds of intellectual stimulation – you will be in your element. Four heavenly bodies will gather in Pisces in that house, and along with the Sun, new moon and Mercury, the group will include Neptune, the planet of inspiration. If you are a Cancer born on June 21 or within four days of this date, you will be doubly blessed by this outstanding new moon February 21.

You and I have to talk about Neptune! Neptune will move into Pisces on February 3 for the first time since 1847 to 1862. Neptune will remain in Pisces until January 26, 2026, a period of fourteen years! As you see, no one alive today has ever experienced Neptune in its home of Pisces – this could not be better news for you! This suggests that in coming years, you will get a chance to travel more than you have, and the area of the media or university study or teaching will become more prominent for you – and bring more opportunity. You may become more interested in studying one of the arts, such as art history, or in devoting yourself more fully to music, for Neptune is famous for his association with music. Neptune also encourages dance, poetry, and design, so this move of Neptune may reinforce a desire you’ve long held to go deeply into the arts – now Neptune gives you the permission.

There are other benefits to Neptune’s move this month. Finally, for the first time since 1998, once Neptune enters Pisces on February 3, he will leave Aquarius and your financial eighth house, a very hard place to host Neptune, a planet that is known to soften reality. This is lovely when you are dealing with the study of art or doing some important travel or writing, but very difficult when you are trying to manage taxes or appropriate funds! If you found that money was hard to manage over the past years, you were right. Those days are over – Neptune is leaving Aquarius for good on February 3, never to return.

Neptune is the planet of music, the arts, dreams, inspiration, and imagination, and will be sublimely compatible with your Cancer Sun. Although Neptune asserts its influence very slowly and gradually, you may get a little preview of how divine it will be for you on February 21, when Neptune conjoins the new moon, due to usher in two weeks of glamour and happiness for you. Both Saturn and Jupiter will be highly supportive of this new moon, adding a measure of stability and optimism. Friends will have a larger part to play in your life after this new moon appears, and if you are dating, you may start to think in terms of “forever” and gradually move toward commitment. Travel will be heavenly, and if you can go, I heartily recommend it!

I feel your most joyous romantic weekend will be February 25-26, when Jupiter will be in perfect agreement with the Sun. What a beautiful five-star weekend that will be for you! Your ninth house of travel will be brilliantly lit with four planets in gentle water sign Pisces at the time, and at the same time, elsewhere in the sky, a golden triangle will appear, linking Pluto in your seventh house of partners, to Mars your third house of travel and communication, and to Jupiter conjunct the moon in your eleventh house of friends, fun, and events.

You may be going to a gorgeous wedding or festive party during that weekend, or you and your partner may travel to a highly romantic spot, one that you took much care in choosing. If so, what you do could be one of the most important weekends of 2012 for romance and thrilling love. The universe has not forgotten you, dear Cancer. In fact, it is about to shower you with sparkling silver dust over February 25-26. Accept any invitation you receive!

Two days later, February 28, when Pluto works with the Sun (a Tuesday) you will have another stellar night for stepping out. Pluto will work with the Sun, and so this night will favor those Cancers who are attached. Earlier on this day, you will likely see financial talks go well, and that is sure to put you in a jovial mood. As you see, dear Cancer, in February you have so much going for you!

Your happiest romantic dates this month include: February 1, 3, 4, 5, 12, 13, 14 (maybe), 16, 25-26 (four stars), and 28.

Everyone, of every sign, will have to be patient, however, because many planets are retrograde. Mars started retrograding on January 23 in your eighth house of other people’s money (ironically, the same day as the new moon), and that usually spells delays, snags, or a setback involving finances. As a few examples, you may have hoped to be wired an amount of money (that may not come) from a venture capital group, or find that the refinancing plan to your mortgage may take a little longer than you expected. If someone owes you a large amount of money, you may have to wait to get it, or your ex may suddenly stop paying child support on time because he or she may run into financial difficulties. If you are due an insurance or divorce settlement, it may be held up for a while. Mars will reactivate on April 13, a time to watch carefully for big news. I will explain.

Planets are the most powerful when they hang like lanterns in the sky – not moving backward or forward, but are just still – brilliantly lit but just hanging still in space. In the case of Mars, this will happen within three days of January 23 and April 13. (Astrologers call this the “station” or “stationary period” of a planet about to move retrograde or direct.) You might feel that something that happened last month near January 23 was fated, inevitable, or inescapable. Those start and stop periods – what I call bookend periods – of retrograde planets are very, very strong, so you must always watch those days closely, no matter what planet is involved.

Think back to the time near (within three days of) January 23 to see what happened to you, if anything, particularly in terms of finances and conflicts. (Mars also rules injuries, which may have happened then or that you may have been discussing, say, in a court case.) Because Mars was starting to retrograde last month on January 23, you now may have to go back and rethink your strategy or ask a client or judge to change things. Prepare to make future changes. In that case, be ready to watch what happens on the date that Mars goes direct, April 13, plus three days. Sometimes when a planet goes direct, there is headline news, and it’s very dramatic. You have to wait and see. If you have no aspects to Mars at 23 degrees Virgo, you may not have seen any effect.

In the meantime, this month, with Mars retrograde, you will need to push yourself to stay motivated and on top of these things, especially in regard to financial and contractual matters, because Mars is IN a financial house, but naturally RULES your solar third house of contracts and agreements – both are subject to delays. If one door closes, you can find another one to open – even if you have to pick the lock! The third house, where Mars retrograde is currently based, also rules advertising and promotion, so if you were to be involved in one of these activities, see if you can delay the start date until a better time, late April, after the new moon April 21.

During the Mars retrograde, from now to mid-April, is not the best time for you to sign contracts, but many of us have no choice, for waiting could be problematic. See if you can do a temporary contract that is made permanent later. Ancient astrologers wrote that anything started with Mars retrograde seems to fall flat without the proper energy to propel to a successful, profitable conclusion. It is best not to initiate, but to respond.

I need to do more empirical research on Mars retrograde periods. If you would like to comment on your experiences as we go through this period, I tend to tweet on Twitter every day and my tweets are also linked to my Facebook page.

I am “Susan Miller Astrology Zone” on Facebook. On Twitter I am @AstrologyZone

As long as I am telling you about retrograde planets, I might as well drop the other shoe. Beginning February 7, Saturn will retrograde too, in your ninth house, ruling university study, broadcasting and publishing ventures, long distance travel, and relationships with people abroad. One of these areas may need tweaking, due to circumstances beyond your control. This house also rules all legal matters, which also may come back for more discussions, appeals, changes, and so forth, until Saturn is due to go direct June 25.

OK, don’t get mad at me when I tell you that Mercury will also go retrograde March 12 to April 4. As you see, things are not going to move as quickly as you had hoped. Just when you assumed you could finalize a deal or a plan, you’ll hit one delay after another. It might cheer you to know that everyone will be in the same boat. It’s rare when the universe speaks this clearly, underlining its message several times: slow down! It suggests things are about to shift, but we just can’t see in which direction they will shift just yet. During times like these we all have to look closely at every piece of evidence – every tiny remark, a fleeting look, certain words that are chosen as opposed to others – as tiny clues. It will take time for the whole puzzle to come together to allow you to see the big picture.

This month, just on the day that Saturn will turn retrograde, February 7, you will have a full moon in Leo (18 degrees) in your seventh house. This full moon makes no key aspects to other planets, so how it will affect you will depend on how this full moon fits into your own natal chart, and of course, I can’t see that from where I sit.

I can say that something is coming to culmination, and a relationship will be very important to you and very much on your mind. It may be positive, or not, for the seventh house rules those who support you, love you, and want to commit to you, as well as those who criticize or want to harm or compete with you. My antenna is up because February 7 is the same day that Saturn goes retrograde in your very legally oriented ninth house. You may have to prepare for a lowlife character to come out. Once you see that person, you can deal with him or her!

If you are interviewing for a new position, test all your references by having a high level friend call them to ask about you. You need to be sure those trusted references are saying the positive things about you that you would expect them to say. New positions are hard to get, and with this full moon that could go either way, I am simply asking you to be careful. I do like meetings on full moons because they are decisive, especially if this is a meeting that might conclude many previous conversations.

The seventh house is the house of marriage and collaborations, but also the house of open enemies who are on the attack, perhaps to take a piece of your territory, a portion of your money, or to claim credit for work you did. How do you know which is which? The seventh house will bring a secret enemy out in the open if you have tough aspects to that house (that I cannot see here). If this applies to you, it won’t take long for you to see and identify this person, for they will howl loudly. If you hear nothing, it means you have no open enemies. (Don’t worry, your chart suggests no secret enemies at all.)

In a very real sense, a full moon is a cleansing aspect, flushing out anyone who may not be on your side. You’ll know if this applies to you, but if I were you, I would not worry one bit. Being given information by a kind universe is always helpful, for it allows you to protect yourself. If you have no one who is jealous of you or wants to discredit you, then you will see not much happen.

There is a middle course, and not involving a “secret enemy,” which in itself sounds so ominous. If your romantic partner seems unhappy about something, your partner will now speak up at that full moon February 7. If you love each other, you can talk things out and bring your relationship back to an even keel. You are always in control – you can decide what to do, for you have free will.

Although I have spoken about possible difficulties that might come up at this full moon of February 7, I want to say strongly that this full moon could be a time of celebration and closeness with a partner too. This day falls very close to Valentine’s Day, so you may get engaged or married on February 7, or over the weekend of February 4 or 11. All full moons have a period of influence of a plus or minus of four days looping in those dates too.

If you are single and hoping to find love, there’s good news! Venus will enter fire sign Aries, a very compatible place for you, dear air sign Aquarius, from February 8 to March 5. Venus will glide through your short distance travel sector, making your quick trips lots of fun, and could even bring an unexpected meeting with someone with whom you share great chemistry. Venus in such a compatible sign makes this a great time to freshen your appearance with new clothes, a haircut, or other new look.

February 9 is an outstanding day for love that I would like you to watch, when Venus and Uranus, your ruler, will combine forces. That day is sure to be fun, as your ruler is involved, writing your name in the night sky and bringing lots of electricity and surprises. Love may be very exciting, especially if you travel on that day – to another city – or if you are simply out and about in your neighborhood doing errands. Believe it or not, you need not be on vacation to meet someone – it can happen anywhere, in the supermarket, the post office, or the card shop, as a few examples, for the third house rules your close vicinity too.

Mercury rules your solar fifth house of true love, and lucky you, Mercury will be rolling out the red carpet for you during the week of February 13-16, just in time to make Valentine’s Day (February 14) special. I know that my Brazilian readers won’t celebrate Valentine’s Day until June 12, but you are such a loving group – if you like, you can celebrate our holiday too, this week!

I say your outlook for love is great during February 13-16, for these reasons.

On Monday, February 13, Mercury will link to Neptune, and possibly cause you to receive a very tender, sentimental message from someone who loves you very much.

On Tuesday, February 14, the moon will be in Sagittarius, a sign that blends beautifully with yours.

Then, on February 16, Mercury and Jupiter, giver of gifts and luck, will bring more happy experiences – traveling together to a romantic spot, or receiving a beautiful card or a beautiful, generous gift. All the dates I give you have a plus or minus of one or two days, so as you see, Valentine’s Day should be a standout.

Do you want to give a party? Then choose Friday, February 24, or Saturday, February 25, when the Sun and Jupiter will meet on your behalf and create one of the most sensational two days of the year for a celebration at home. (It must be at home, not a restaurant, to unlock your luck.) You can give a party for 100, cocktails for twenty, pizza for ten, or a romantic dinner for two – you decide!

Your most romantic date nights include: February 1, 2, 3, 7, 12, 14, 15, 16, 23, 24, 25, 28, and 29.

Now let’s talk about your money, for there will be some amazing shifts in the heavens this month. From November 11 and continuing until July 3, you have had (and will continue to have) Mars in your eighth house, forcing to strategize or question certain money matters. Mars often brings disputes, so you may not agree with how an insurance company has decided one of your claims. Or, in another example, you may be in court over a divorce, child support, or other case and although you thought the case was simple, the other side is making a federal case out of it. It may be that your employer sent you the wrong amount on a commission check, or there may be errors on your credit report, as this house rules that too. On the smallest level, you may be busy getting your papers together to do your taxes.

Mars in your eighth house is also causing you to spend a lot of money, but it may be to buy real estate or to fix up your home – either is a great idea now, and I will explain why later. Let’s keep focused on what is happening in your money houses. Mars may be in your eighth house of other people’s money, but there’s a lot of activity about to happen in your second house of personal wealth, possessions, and earned income.

On February 3, Neptune is heading for Pisces and will settle in your solar second house of earned income a very long time, until January 2026. You’ve never experienced this planet in this house in your lifetime, as the last time Neptune visited Pisces it was 1847 to 1863. This is a new influence for everyone of every sign, so we all will be finding ways to take advantage of it. Neptune likes to be in Pisces, for it is the sign it rules. In that sense, Neptune will be coming home. This means Neptune will exert its finest influence, for Neptune is strong in this sign.

There are two possible, very positive manifestations of Neptune in Pisces. First, Neptune will encourage you to give money to charities in the coming years. I say that because Neptune asks us to be empathetic and to give freely of our time or money, to help those who suffer. As an Aquarius, you are always interested in finding ways to help humanity. Now you will have not only an opportunity to do so, on any level you choose, but you may feel a driving need to do so. You may write the check OR you may volunteer to help raise the money needed, and perhaps do so by taking on a leadership position in the charity. No matter how the money arrives, the charity will benefit, in great part because of you.

You may also start to make good money from an artistic venture that you created too – that is not only possible, but also likely, for Neptune also rules all of the arts.

Neptune does have a downside in that Neptune brings the mist or fog wherever he goes and will obfuscate facts. When dealing with financial matters (the place Neptune will be training his energy) this can be problematic. You must, from now on, work with a lawyer on all your future contractual arrangements. Don’t even THINK about signing anything without one – that small contract that you think is “just routine” probably has a clause that could cause a financial catastrophe. You don’t want to invite Neptune’s flood! (Actually, thinking about this, you may want to get homeowner’s or renter’s flood insurance too, with Neptune influencing your second house of income and possessions for the next fourteen years.) You need to read financial statements and get better at financial management, even if you think you’re a whiz now!

Neptune has been in Aquarius since January 1998 and you may miss him now that he is leaving. Over the past fourteen years, Neptune has stimulated your imagination and enlarged your capability for expressing your creativity. Neptune may have also encouraged you to bring your ideas to market. Influential people accepted many of your visions and opinions over the past fourteen years, and that had to be gratifying. You emerge from this period much more confident in your own visions, and that’s valuable. This excitement won’t end – it will just be different, in that you are now about to see material gain from your efforts.

With Neptune in Pisces as of February 3, you will move into the second stage of gestation, where the ideas that you seeded during 1998-2011 will start to sprout and bring you profits and security. If you are a scientist and you have worked on a new drug to cure a certain disease, the move of Neptune into Pisces may now mean your drug will soon be given government approval and be given the green light to move to market. Or if you are an engineer, new software that you created will now become ready to launch. If you have painted a body of new work, soon you may have a gallery opening and see a bonanza of sales.

Neptune moves slowly, so it may take a long time for you to see the upbeat effects of this planet in your second house – it could happen instantly or it could take years. Either way, keep working! Success is not only very possible but likely, something you may see as soon as this month! This month! Wow, why do I say that? It all has to do with this month’s new moon!

The new moon of which I speak will appear in Pisces 3 degrees on February 21, will light your second house of earned income and possessions, and will appear very close to Neptune. This same new moon will also send amazing vibrations to both Jupiter and Pluto. Jupiter is in your fourth house ruling real estate and also the “end of all matters” that have been going on a while. Pluto is in your behind-the-scenes sector ruling confidential talks. You may ask for a raise and get it, or you may negotiate for a new position with a higher salary. You may make a big purchase now – and it may be for a valuable piece of art.

With Neptune so close, you do have to work with your lawyer to find, delete, or change troublesome clauses. You both also have to decide what is NOT in the agreement. Neptune has the power to make things invisible, so what you are not thinking about could be more troublesome than thorny items you do see in the contract.

As said, Jupiter is currently in a real estate house and is making this time an excellent time to buy, sell, renovate, update, repair, or change your space in any way. Jupiter is in Taurus, ruling flowers and greenery, so you may order new landscaping – it would turn out beautiful with Jupiter so near. Start looking at estimates now, with the aim of launching your plan in late April, after Mars is direct.

You seem to have considerable family support now too, as your fourth house, so beautifully aspected, also rules help from parents. If you need help with your rent or part of a down payment on a house, it looks as though your parent may want to help you if you ask. Some Aquarians are living at home in this difficult global economy, and it looks as though you have a very loving and understanding family who welcomes your arrival.

After June 11, Jupiter will leave and you won’t have his amazing help in real estate matters for another twelve years – not until 2023. It’ll soon be time to act, and with Mercury retrograde March 12 to April 4; you won’t want to initiate anything then!

February 25 will be outstanding for all residential, property, and family matters. The Sun and Jupiter will have a meeting on your behalf, and news should be sensational! This behooves you to look at your options, even if you aren’t sure you want to act just yet. Sometimes the universe says, “You are on the air! You have to go on stage now, ready or not!” This seems to be the case in regard to your home-related matter by late April. Dear Aquarius – be ready!

Getting away would do you a world of good. Many Gemini have been in stressful situations ever since the difficult lunar eclipse in Gemini came by on December 10. The time near December 10 may have been stressful, or you may have seen difficulties hit one month to the day later, on or within four days of January 10.) You may have suffered with your health (as there was a lot of emphasis on your physical body) or with a romantic or business partner. It is also possible an aggressive detractor, competitor, or other combative person troubled you.

Even if your birthday does not fall specifically at 18 degrees of Gemini, with a birthday on or near June 8, you may have planets in one of the mutable signs of Gemini, Sagittarius, Pisces, or Virgo on or near 18 degrees that have been triggered by the December 10 eclipse and caused you concern.

As an aside, if you have your natal chart, you can look to see which planets are in what signs and houses. If you have your precise time, day, month, year, and city of birth, you can ask me to write a book about your chart. Just order the adult natal chart, as opposed to the one for babies, in the yellow-blue cover book (at the following website: http://www.MyPersonalHoroscope.com)

There will be more eclipses in 2012 in Gemini and the sign 180 degrees from yours, Sagittarius. Each in its own way, the eclipses will help to transform you and give you insight and maturity so you can grow in wisdom. What matters now is that you give yourself rest and something to look forward to doing.

Generally, if you are a Gemini born on June 8, plus or minus four days, the full moon on February 7 will help you. News should be very positive. You may be asked to sign papers, but if you don’t feel ready, you may have a little time to decide what to do. Mars is retrograde, which is not ideal, but it is often difficult to wait for Mars and other planets to improve because that won’t happen until late April. Sometimes we need to make compromises with the planets, and as a whole, February is a positive month.

Saturn will also go retrograde on the same day as the full moon, February 7, and will remain in that mode until June 24. Make a note to watch the days that circle both the start and end dates – February 7 and June 24 – because what gets delayed near February 7 may advance to a breakthrough in late June. Always watch the time when any big planets go retrograde and direct, because it is the time when the planets will speak most clearly to you – there will be all kinds of code you can discern in the message. The more you observe, the better you will get at this!

Near February 7, some money owed to you, or funds that you are trying to raise, may be held up. It may be a fee, bonus, court settlement, inheritance, child support, divorce agreement, or other source of funds. I am sorry to say that one of these areas may bring news of a delay of payment or a need for a renegotiation. The tide goes in, the tide goes out, and this is a natural part of life. Once you get to the end of June, things will improve regarding this situation.

Mars is now spending a lot of time in your home and family sector, so you may have a desire to improve your living situation, but you may have had difficulty finding the time or the right situation to enact those plans. Mars is retrograde, a perfect time to do repairs, but not launch new plans. Fix the windows, the roof, the floors, or any other part of your home or furniture that needs attention.

Furthermore, Mars is spending a lot of time near 23 degrees Virgo, so if you were born on June 13 (plus or minus one day) you may have had a difficult time with caring for a family member or found you were disputing with a family member or else with a landlord, architect, contractor, or other home-related person. Or you may have faced obstacles or other difficulties with a housing matter. If you have any planets at 23 degrees Sagittarius, Pisces, or Gemini, chances are that you have felt tension. Mars is now moving away from the position it was in late January, so you will notice things get a little better for a while.

Later in the month, your career will be on fire. The most important new moon of the year for professional progress will appear on February 21 in Pisces, 3 degrees, and light your tenth house of honors, awards, achievement, and fame. After that new moon appears, you will have a chance to score a major victory. Jupiter will be in perfect angle to that new moon, which is outstandingly lucky for you! You’ve not seen help like this in ages! How things will play out is that it seems a backroom deal that takes place behind closed doors – one that you might know about or might not be privy to at all – will work to help to advance your interests. It appears that someone in power is impressed with you and wants to help you. Have faith, dear Gemini.

The work that you do for a living is about to become much more creative and expressive. Something extraordinary is happening this month in that Neptune, the planet of imagination and creativity, is moving to Pisces on February 3. Pisces is Neptune’s home base, and Neptune has not been in this lyrical sign since 1847-1862. No one alive today has ever experienced this trend! Neptune will spend fourteen years in your prestigious tenth house of fame and honors, and in that time will stimulate your imagination in a powerful way. You may change the type of work you do or veer into a more creative realm of your present industry. For example, Gemini often likes to write, so if you are a reporter investigating news, you may switch over to writing novels or screenplays.

There is another way Neptune may affect you, and it’s exciting – you may become very well known in the media, with your face “out there” for everyone to see. Neptune rules images and the more intuitive right brain. You may be on TV as a host of a show or as the subject of the news in the media. This may happen if you’ve never been on TV or in print media – somehow others are going to know your face. This may happen suddenly or very gradually. Neptune will sharpen your instincts in coming years, and your vision of what you want to create in the future will become more articulate. Neptune tends to work slowly and subtly, but again, you certainly have time to see this sprout up.

Two outstanding career days will be February 13 and February 16. On the first day, February 13, Saturn will beam supportive vibrations to Mercury. Mercury is your ruler, so this is an important day. Mercury will be in last degrees of Aquarius, and Saturn, in your creative fifth house, so you may be making a deal about a new creative project.

Then, on February 16, Jupiter will contact Mercury, making that day an outstanding day for a meeting or negotiation, for you will likely see professional matters advance in a big way. You may have a victory to report or a wonderful piece of publicity come out that will certainly help your success in the future.

The last even BETTER day is February 24, when news about your career or reputation may make you so excited you could want to shout your news from the rooftops. If you work over the weekend or may see a VIP then, I will add the superb days that follow February 24, February 25-26, as well, for those will be equally as stellar. Jupiter will be in perfect angle to the Sun, bringing you kudos at an extraordinary level. This stretch of days is sure to be worth four stars. Watch to see what happens in your career!

Excellent financial news is due to reach you on February 28 when Pluto and the Sun will unlock their treasures. Opportunity will be everywhere – it’s an ideal day for money talks with a banker, venture capitalist, broker you trust, or other financial person.

In terms of love, Venus will move into Aries on February 8 and your eleventh house of friendships, groups, and community – a wonderful development. Aries, a fire sign, blends beautifully with your Gemini Sun, and on February 9, Venus and Uranus will be in perfect sync. There are many ways this may work out, but it looks like a beautiful, very electric night is in store. It’s a perfect night for an exciting first romantic meeting or for being with friends, for lots of surprising fun would bubble up.

Valentine’s Day could be special, for Mercury, your ruler, will be in such fine form that week. On February 13, Mercury and Saturn will be in friendly conversation, so promises made on February 13, or February 14, Valentine’s Day, are likely to become bonds that last.

On February 16, Mercury and Jupiter will be in sync too, a lovely aspect, one that brings optimism, gifts, and happy feelings. You will notice these feelings by Valentine’s Day, and with the moon in your opposite sign of Sagittarius, if you are attached, it looks like your loving partner will take the lead. Again, that’s another good sign!

Your best days romantic days will be: February 2, 3, 7, 9-11, 14, 15, 16, 18-19, 24, 28, and 29.

As you see, the first part of the month will bring exciting times for social interaction. Then, on February 21, your attention will increasingly be directed to your burgeoning career opportunities – and they will dazzle you. Dear Gemini, this looks to be an exciting month, with possibilities for travel, career gain, and lots of romantic time too. You might just have it all!

If you work in a creative field, you are fortunate in that the new moon of January 23 was so friendly to Mars in your fifth house of artistic expression. Show your work to higher ups to get approvals or even funding. On March 12, Mercury will go retrograde, so you want to use February to your best advantage. Next month will be mainly social, but if you want to land a career victory, you need to be working at that goal now.

Mars will remain in your creative / love / romance sector until July 3, lucky you, and although his presence will be muted this month (due to his being retrograde from January 23 until April 13), he will nevertheless help you on some levels. The Taurus who will be in line for the most luck now with love and with creative projects will be Taurus with birthdays that falls between May 1 and May 14 (I allowed for a few extra degrees in my bell curve.)

All Taurus will have their turn, however, so if your birthday is not named, stay tuned. It will be. Everyone will get chocolates from Mars in your love-creativity sector, so just be patient. I will keep you posted. (Also, you may want to keep watching my posts on Twitter for nearly daily updates. Find me on Twitter @Astrologyzone)

Your home will be your big focus on the full moon in Leo, 18 degrees, February 7. (Alternatively, it may be that you will be thinking about a family member, most likely a parent.) Full moons bring closure, so if you decided to move or buy a house, you would see your plans reach a final decision point or action at this time. For example, if you have been renovating your house, you may see the contractors leave at the full moon, or conversely, if you are only at the start of your project and you’ve been collecting estimates from various contracting companies, you will be ready to give the order to begin to your one chosen firm. If you made an application to the bank to refinance your mortgage to get a lower interest rate, you would hear back from the bank that all is approved and it is time to close. Keep in mind that all full moons have a plus or minus of approximately four days, mostly plus – so watch February 4 to 11 for home-and-family news.

This full moon does not make any special aspects to other planets in the sky, which is unusual. That does not mean this is not a positive new moon – it is – but in order to see precisely how it might affect you, you would need to know if you have any planets at 18 degrees, or close to that degree (say from 15 to 21 degrees), in Leo, Aries, Sagittarius, Gemini, Libra, or Aquarius. If you do, you will benefit.

(If you have your time of birth, I can personally write a whole book about your chart, discussing all the planets and degrees, so for more information, just go to www.MyPersonalHoroscope.com. You would need the book with the yellow-purplish blue cover.)

On the same day as the full moon, February 7, coincidentally, Saturn will start to retrograde until June 25. Saturn is in your house of work projects, so you may face a temporary setback or need to redo parts of a large project, perhaps when the clients changes their mind on how they want it to go. Or you may hear that someone on your team – a co-worker or subordinate, such as a trusted assistant – suddenly quits to take another job, forcing you to scramble to find new recruits. It’s never a good time to lose a worker, but this month, with so much going on, it seems like the timing would be a bit stressful.

The sixth house, where Saturn is based, also rules the preventative measures you do to keep healthy, so you may have to do certain medical tests over, especially if your doctor can’t quite locate the problem that is causing your symptoms. Retrograde planets always suggest “redo” or “go back” but if this is the case, keep in mind that you are holding one amazing ace, in that Jupiter is in Taurus, considered an awesome place to have Jupiter for extraordinary health and healing. If you have any illness at all, this is where you want Jupiter to be! See specialists between now and mid-May, no later!

Saturn is currently visiting the sixth house, but this planet RULES your ninth house, a house that rules intellect and information. Your ninth house also rules university study and teaching, publishing and broadcasting careers and projects, and also your long distance travel and relationships with people in foreign countries. Each of these areas will work to teach, inform, and broaden your mind in one way or other. At least one of these areas will begin to slow down now that Saturn is retrograde.

Mars is also retrograde, and that can be troublesome, as Mars works as the booster rocket to all ventures and new relationships, giving a huge amount of energy and push to vital projects. Looking at your whole picture, it may not be so bad that Saturn is retrograde at the same time. By the time Mars is awake, and ramping up (it takes him time to be back in top form) Saturn will be turning too.

Mars retrograde is rare. This planet only retrogrades for several months every two years. When this happens, we all are better off going slowly and not rushing. All new ventures need the high-octane energy of Mars to push things forward, so now, with everyone in the same boat, you won’t lose any advantage by biding your time. The universe is speaking clearly now: Be patient. There are reasons to slow down, but those won’t be apparent just yet.

Romantically, this month could be a big one for you.If you are single, there is one day that might bring a fun meeting, but only if a friend sets you up with a date on February 9. It’s got to be a blind date – see what happens when Venus and Uranus cook up some romantic fun in your behind the scenes sector. Just make sure the person who intrigues you is not currently attached.

The new moon of February 21 (Pisces, 3 degrees) will be delicious in the social sense and will bring many new people to your circle. It will be a refreshing time when you find you will be getting out much more than you have in past months, and you’ll be enjoying the refreshing influence that only new friends can bring you. That new moon of February 21 will be conjunct Neptune, the planet of romance, dreams, and imagination, and that makes this one of the most romantic periods of the year for you. (It will be special around your birthday time too, so keep that thought in your pocket.)

If your birthday falls on April 21, or within five days of this date, you will feel the energy of this new moon in the most pronounced way – and enjoy the glamorous pixie dust that will be falling on you. Also, if you have any planets at 1 degree (or close to that degree) in Pisces, Scorpio, Cancer, Taurus, Virgo, or Capricorn, you will benefit too.

I mentioned Neptune, so let me tell you more about what is happening with this lovely planet. On February 3, this month, Neptune will move into Pisces for the first time in your life. The last time Neptune was in Pisces was 1847 to 1862, so no one alive today has ever experienced this lyrical trend. I am excited about it because Neptune is home in Pisces – Neptune rules Pisces. Neptune has been in Aquarius and in your tenth house of fame since January 1998 until now. Now Neptune won’t leave Pisces for good until January 2026.

While in Aquarius and your tenth house of fame, you were able to contribute far-reaching, brilliant new ideas, some so new it took the rest of the company time to catch up with your futuristic way of thinking. Now, on February 3, Neptune will move into your eleventh house of friendship, fun, events, and charitable causes. Venus is the planet of love and enjoyment, but Neptune is considered the “higher octave” of Venus, taking the love that Venus brings to a much higher level, into the realm of sacrifice – where you give up things for yourself so that your beloved can benefit. Neptune rules Pisces, the sea, where all the dreams of mankind mingle as one. There are no fences in the sea – it is symbolic of the collective consciousness.

Hence, with Neptune moving into your eleventh house, you may now decide to get involved in a charity, political cause, humanitarian effort, or community event that you feel strongly about, and that will allow you to spotlight the plight of those who suffer and need your help.

This same area of your chart, your eleventh house, will bring you many more artistic friends, and they will stimulate you in ways you’ve never known. After all, you’ve never hosted Neptune in this part of your chart before, and you will find it to be a lyrical influence that stimulates your imagination in exciting ways.

The expression of love in our society will change under Neptune in Pisces. Over the past fourteen years of Neptune in brainy, intellectual Aquarius, we texted in love, but we didn’t SEE each other. We imagined our lover, but we spent a lot less time touching our lover. This will all change now. Pisces is the most tender, empathetic, and giving signs, and now that Neptune is at “home” in Pisces, this planet will feel comfortable expressing its most romantic qualities. We have fourteen years ahead, and changes will not happen suddenly but gradually – and poetically.

From February 21, as said, you will see your social life pick up speed in a very noticeable way! The events you will be invited to are likely to be quite romantic, with a profusion of flowers and music perfuming the air, the soft light of candlelight or Japanese lanterns, and ladies dressed in silk or lace. Foods will be light and artistically presented.

One of your best nights out for a romantic evening will be February 24 and 25, when Jupiter will signal the Sun in your eleventh house of hopes and wishes. It’s a four-star date night, and I hope you will find a way to take full advantage. February 24 is a Friday, but the whole weekend has your name on it, for by Sunday, February 26, the moon will be in Taurus, and by the end of the day, Jupiter will meet with the moon. (The only caveat: Don’t stay out very late Saturday night, for Saturn will meet with the moon prior to Jupiter’s visit. In New York Saturn meets at 7:52 AM, but much earlier on the West Coast, a draining aspect. Stay fresh for a lovely Sunday.)

As an aside about a totally different subject – your home life – if you are in the market for a new place to live, or hope to find a beautiful new piece of furniture, all home-related actions bring exceptional results on or near February 24-25, when Jupiter meets with the Sun. You can find precisely what you want and be very excited and happy as a result!

While I love the dates I just mentioned as your best (February 24-26), I also love February 18-19. On that weekend, Neptune will meet with the Sun on your behalf, opening your heart. On both those days, February 18-19, the moon will be in Capricorn, a great spot for you, and Neptune will be spinning his heavenly vibrations.

If you feel you need to take time off for a stimulating trip abroad, you’d do well to be away when the Sun and Pluto are in good angle, February 28.

Your best days for romance: February 4, 5, 9, 13, 17, 18, 19, 21, 24-25-26, 28.

As you see, your personal life is growing in importance this month, and the actions you take to widen your circle of friends will affect you for many months and even possibly years into the future. You can see progress in your career, and in home or family matters, and you may be even able to sneak in a quick trip. In so many ways, this month is chockfull of opportunities, and although the universe will ask you to go slowly, you can still make lots of progress. You are the sign that teaches the rest to stop and smell the roses, so all in all, this could be a month that suits you just fine!

If you have been doing a major, high profile assignment over the course of weeks or months, this full moon would likely bring it to its logical conclusion. The fact that this ending is happening at the full moon in your tenth house of fame tells me that this project will work as a jewel in your crown and that you can trade against it in the future – you’ve established yourself on a new level.

There will be another great career day to watch, February 28, when your ruler, Pluto, will have conversations with the Sun on your behalf. It’s a powerful day – you’ll be on top of your game – use it to your advantage!

Saturn – now in Libra in a mild part of your chart (twelfth house) – has been edging closer to Scorpio. Saturn takes 29 years to revolve around the Sun and has made a long journey through Libra, now within one-half degree of Scorpio. On February 7 (coincidentally, the same day as the full moon), Saturn will turn around and back off and retreat deeper into Libra for a brief look back. Under normal circumstances, Saturn would have gone straight into Scorpio, but with this retrograde that won’t happen until October 4. (Saturn will retrograde until June 25, but then on that day will move forward in Libra before this planet moves into Scorpio on October 4.) Saturn will stay in your sign until September 2015.

Saturn’s hallmark is a time of planning for the future and learning at least one new skill that you weren’t sure you were ready to do. For example, you may assume you are not ready to get married and start a family, but when Saturn comes by, suddenly you feel a need to be settled and the long-term benefits of commitment and children start to look mighty good. You may move to a distant city, buy a house or condo, or go back to the university for an advanced degree – what you do will add shape to your life.

When Saturn moves into your own sign, it will mark the start of a major new cycle of maturity and growth. Whatever you choose to commit to will be something that cannot be easily undone later, which is the reason you are drawn to the challenge in the first place – it will have the power to help set up part of the foundation of your life. Saturn only visits us two or three times in a lifetime, so these are major marker points in life.

If you were born on October 23-28, Saturn is quite close to your Sun now, and even though Saturn is not technically in your sign yet, it is within one-half tiny degree, so you will feel his presence. Your first order of business should be to take steps to take good care of your health. The same advice would hold if you have any planets in Scorpio at 0 to 5 degrees. Give your teeth and bones special care, and have tests related to your reproductive organs (mammograms and Pap smears for women, prostrate exams for men).

Admittedly, Saturn is a stern teacher, so he is not popular, but honestly, I find him to be quite helpful. I started Astrology Zone when I had Saturn right on my Sun, as you will have eventually within the coming three years. Everything I have ever done that I am proud of happened when Saturn was visiting me. (I feel Saturn opposed to the Sun, as Taurus will have in October 2012 through September 2015, the harder aspect. With Saturn conjunct the Sun, you choose your goal to work on. With Saturn opposed to the Sun, as Taurus will have – and you had fourteen years ago – Saturn chooses for you.)

We are more than just a Sun sign, so it would be good to know your rising sign and about the other planets in your chart. Once you know your rising sign, you can read for that sign as well as your Sun sign each month here. If you are only reading for the Sun sign, you don’t have the whole picture (and if you are only reading for your rising sign, the same is true.) This way, if there is something going on that is very helpful in another part of your chart, you will know it and it may even soften the other parts of life. In astrology we always have to DO something to unlock the good, but at least you will have the whole picture and can make those decisions!

To know your rising sign, you need to have your precise time of birth. Try to get your original birth certificate, handwritten by the nurse at the time you were born. (In the US, we have the original “vault copy” of a birth certificate, and a computer version that you get at the Driver’s Motor Vehicle bureau. The DMV version is not helpful – you need the original birth certificate because the less expensive computer copy ($5.00) does not have the time of birth on it. Once you have your time of birth, you can have me write a whole book about your chart.

If you simply can’t get your time of birth, you can still order your chart, and I will default to Sunrise, which will put your Sun on the ascendant or rising sign. At the very least, you will know where many other planets are located in your chart (but without the time of birth, the rising sign may not be known.) Just order the yellow-purplish blue cover (Adult Natal Chart, as opposed to the version I write for little babies) found at http://www.astrologyzone.com

Directing our attention back to this month’s aspects, as said, Saturn will begin to retrograde on February 7, and because Saturn rules your third, contractual house, if you are negotiating a deal that is not yet finished, you may hit a snag in weeks to come. If so, you will need to patiently talk through the points that need to be discussed and make changes to the clauses that need to be rewritten. Depending on the complexity of the deal, discussions could go on for months – Saturn won’t turn direct until June 25 – but taking your time will work in your favor. Go with the flow of the universe, and you’ll be in perfect sync.

As a Scorpio, you like to see quick progress, but ever since Mars went retrograde on January 23 and will stay that way until April 13, your progress will be slow. Mars is considered the high-energy planet that can give any venture proper lift off. When Mars is retrograde, you find projects will sputter, clients are indecisive, and life becomes a bit off kilter. Mars rules your sixth house of work, so you may find a key project is delayed, or that the project needs to be tweaked to new specifications.

Mars may RULE your house of assignments, but Mars is currently VISITING your eleventh house of friendship and groups, so while this Red Planet retrogrades, you may feel a bit more motivated to see old friends to catch up. Good idea! Scorpio is a very private sign, and the last thing you like to do is to go to parties and or have social dinners with friends. Some Scorpios are shy, which is why they shun parties, but others simply view the whole socializing process as a waste of time. The universe doesn’t want you to stay home, dear Scorpio – not now. You can go back to your cozy cave later this year, in July, but for now, make a special effort to connect with old friends, and after mid-April, to make new friends. This year you will achieve powerful personal growth by opening yourself up to others’ ideas and influences.

Now let’s turn to thoughts of love! I have SO much to tell you, dear Scorpio! Soon you will see that the universe is speaking clearly – it is time to think about your personal life and find true love!

First, from February 1 to 6, Venus will be in Pisces, a perfect place for you. The weekend of February 4-5 should be lots of fun, so be out and about, trying your luck to meet someone special.

On February 9, when Venus and Uranus meet in Aries, in your house of work, you might notice a new co-worker or supplier who catches your eye and causes surprising tingles down your spine. The first glance could be surprisingly electric, so look your best!

Then, for many people in the world, Valentine’s Day is February 14, and lucky you, you seem perfectly positioned to enjoy this day to the fullest. Thanks to a communication of Mercury and Neptune on February 12, and between Mercury and Jupiter two days later, there is PLENTY of good vibes swirling around (when you included the tolerances of plus or minus two days – just in time to make Valentine’s Day a touching day.

Still, I feel that as the month progresses, your love life is about to get MUCH better! I love the new moon of February 21 for you – one of the most important of the year for your romantic life – and I also ADORE the weekend of February 25-26 for out of this world romantic experiences. I am getting ahead of myself here, as I have to tell you something else first, so you can put all the pieces of the puzzle together. Here goes – stay with me!

There is a big change happening in the sky on February 3 that is quite exciting. Neptune is moving into Pisces for a fourteen-year stay then, and from then on, you will host Neptune in your house of true love (fifth house). Neptune is the planet of dreams, inspiration, creativity, intuition, and imagination. It is also what we call the “higher octave” of Venus, taking the love that Venus sparks to a whole new level of deep and abiding love, where you love someone so much you are willing to make sacrifices to benefit your beloved. Neptune is happy in Pisces because Neptune RULES Pisces, so Neptune will express his most lyrical, graceful, loving side in this sign.

I would say that hosting Neptune in the fifth house has to be one of the best places in a chart to have this glittering planet, so you are indeed the lucky one! In water sign Pisces, Neptune will relate perfectly to your water sign Scorpio Sun, and work to bring back your belief in forever-ever love. It will take time for Neptune to start to show his influence, but you will notice that in time, you will want to forge a deep, spiritual bond with your partner that extends far beyond the physical. A purely physical relationship would never be enough for you with Neptune in the fifth house.

The fifth house is also the house of pregnancy, and the care of children too, and you will find an enduring inspiration from your children, no matter what their ages. Neptune brings a softening effect, and drops a veil over all of reality. It has been said that when you have Neptune in the fifth house, you don’t see love or children clearly, but you idealize them – that must be why I enjoy being a mother so much. I was born with Neptune in the fifth house, as you will have in the coming fourteen years. (You, like me, might have been born with this placement too, depending on your rising sign.) I freely admit I think my children are the best children on the planet, and they inspire me to no end. I love having Neptune in my fifth house! I can think of no better place to have Neptune.

If you have been disappointed in love in the past, Neptune will help you to bring back your faith in love. This planet of sea will heighten your feelings for someone you love now, or for someone you will meet in the future. Neptune is setting up residence to stay fourteen years – you have time!

The fifth house also rules your creativity, so you can see how powerfully Neptune will work over the coming years to bring out the best in your artistic visions and expressions. If you work with ideas, concepts, or creative projects, Neptune’s arrival may seem like a miracle. If you don’t work in a creative field, you may still take up a creative pastime that you become serious about and that gives you much pleasure. In time, you will likely start to show talents you never knew you possessed.

The new moon of February 21 in Pisces (3 degrees) will also light your fifth house of true love, making it the most important romantic new moon of the year for you. This new moon is as close to ideal as you can get. It will conjoin Neptune, and so it will bring forward all the inspired, romantic qualities I have discussed so far. This new moon will also reach out to Jupiter in the house of marriage, suggesting to me that many Scorpios will decide to get engaged this month. (This is exciting! I am so happy to write this!)

Saturn will be perfectly positioned to Neptune at the new moon of February 21, so Saturn will lend his gifts of clear vision, practicality, and longevity. Also, Pluto will be helpful too, so you may make a plan or a promise or sign a contract, or you may travel with your sweetheart / spouse to a place you find over-the-moon beautiful and romantic. I am so happy to have all this to tell you! If you are already wed, Neptune will help to bring back the love and excitement that daily life may have dulled over time.

With four highly fertile planets in your fifth house of pregnancy and birth, you have the single best month of the year to try for conception or, if you are pregnant (or your partner is) and near term, to welcome a baby into your family. Of course, not everyone desires children, so if that describes you (or even if you DO want children) you can also see a side benefit of having an outstanding creative project begin this month.

If you already have children, you are likely to see some very exciting developments in regard to at least one of them. You may be making special plans for one child (most likely the oldest one) or taking your children somewhere special this month. A vacation taken with your children would be incredible fun. Alternatively, you may see one of your children score a victory that makes you very proud, or see a talent emerge in your child you never know she / he had and that you’ll want to help that child develop. When I say “child” you must know by now that I mean a child of any age, tiny or out of college and working.

There’s even more happiness at month’s end. The most fantastic weekend of the month will happen over February 25-26 when Jupiter signals the Sun. All the romance and happiness that the new moon and that Neptune promises should come to fruition over this glorious weekend.

If you are a Scorpio born early in your sign, say, with a birthday that falls October 23-28, you will have a double dip of romance from this glorious new moon February 21 and in the days that follow. You may also benefit if you have any planets from 0 to 8 degrees.

Before I go, let’s talk about your home. Some Scorpios need to move, so if that describes you, you have a chance to do that early in the month, as the new moon of January 23 was to open a door on possible spaces that you would like. You’d have to jump on your plan early, as the new moon is currently losing light. In the first week, you can also make repairs, renovate, or buy a piece of new furniture, confident you’ll love the changes you make. Next month Mercury will retrograde from March 12 to April 4, so you won’t want to be making massive decisions about a space or about buying furniture or electronics then. Do so now!

Besides February 1-7, also have a look at February 9, when Venus will conjoin Uranus. Uranus rules your solar fourth house of home, so you may see the perfect purchase on that date!

Earlier I spoke about the monumental move of Neptune out of Aquarius to Pisces on February 3 (great news for you!) but since you and I are speaking about housing now, I want to make the point that with Neptune out of your house of home, you won’t have problems with water or flooding in regard to your home anymore. You may be saying to yourself, “What problems, Susan?” Ah, maybe because of some unique qualities of your natal chart, you didn’t notice the long-term problems with water in your home, but many Scorpios did. If you know what I am talking about you are going to LOVE having Father Neptune out of your home! No more water problems at home!