Pisces represents the melting of Aquarian ice, the appearance in England of snowdrops before the spring. It softens harsh realities, puts the kindness in friendship, the romance in loyal partnerships. In Pisces there are no boundaries, so we experience empathy, bonding, merging. We feel a desire for poetry, music and the arts, to bring us closer to our inner light, the experience of something greater, the oneness of all life.

In this New Moon chart, most of the planets are still in Aquarius, focused on clarifying what is to be done (Jupiter/Mercury/Mars together). But the Sun and Moon are reminding us that we need to be aware and sensitive to what is around us, because what is appropriate depends on circumstances as well as our perceived needs. This new Moon has a positive contact with Pluto, giving a sense of rightness about transformation, as well as the necessity for it.

This month’s chart has very few connections, so if you’re feeling fuzzy round the edges and somewhat less than clear, you are not alone. The good thing about such moments is that we can only deal with what we have, with what is going on now. So let’s focus on broadening our awareness into our surroundings, so that our daily living is seen against the larger background of the world.

New, and renewed, relationships

Venus continues as the evening star, and is very interesting this month. Every two years, its movement is retrograde for about 40 days, and the next two months contain that event. Venus represents the power of attraction that draws life together, and so sets her seal on how we experience relating to our world. This time the retrograde movement is mostly in Aries, and the Aries flavour of relating is very direct and fast, expressing first ‘how I feel’ and ‘what I want’, and perhaps reflects the worry about ‘protectionism’ on the national level.

It’s important to remember that impulsive expressions show only the front, so to speak, of what is there – there may be many other thoughts and feelings to follow, given time. Venus entered Aries on 3 February and then slowed down, ready to turn retrograde on 6 March. So from 6 March, for all contacts initiated during February, we are likely to be finding out about all those thoughts, feelings and priorities that were not obvious at the beginning.

At the New Moon, Venus in Aires is in a positive relationship with Jupiter and Mercury in Aquarius. This suggests that any contact begun for selfish reasons finds its real value when applied to that which also benefits others. Perhaps a united Europe, and even a united world – let’s hold the possibility of national priorities beginning to converge.

Understanding the healing nature of these times

At any time, when Mercury transits over another planet, our minds are particularly receptive to the qualities of that planet – that is to say, we think about, and talk about, those qualities. Mercury will transit first Chiron and then Neptune during 3-5 March. These two outer planets have been very close together in Aquarius for the last year, and this is a good moment to understand what exactly the principle is. Chiron, as the wounded healer, and Neptune, as the dissolver of barriers, together suggest the spiritual healing of old wounds – in Aquarius we are looking at humanitarian issues and community ideals. We could say they reflect the collapsing financial edifice, creating a situation that brings all nations together.

Mercury understanding could also bring to each of us just how we are individually involved, what we can do to help. Also we may get ideas as to what we personally need to let go, in order to avail ourselves of the spiritual healing that is on offer. This planetary combination continues for the next two years as both planets move towards the end of Aquarius, and Mercury will transit them both in February 2010 and 2011. Letting go of the past can be on-going - we need to discover how our emotional reactions in the past have formed judgements, which are keeping us hooked into old ways of seeing things. So, remember to ponder on these things, from Tuesday to Thursday, 3 to 5 March, keeping your mind quite open – and note any inspirations you get.

. . . a Pisces thought . . .

Pisces can dissolve all that we have been sure about, so that we can feel disappointed, confused or lost. One of our dilemmas as humans is how to balance these two ideas: that in the moment everything is fine and all is well in hand on the spiritual level, versus: wars and pain and loss, which don’t look very spiritually handled at all.

Pisces is that quality of humanness that is capable of being uplifted, and expanding. We may be breathing in the perfume of a rose, or listening to birdsong at dusk, watching a brilliant sunset, or gazing towards a mountain top in cloud, hearing the sound of ocean waves on the shore, or feeling the roots of an old tree, even feeling our body’s second wind when running, or the surge of joy when in full song, The heart that is not moved is trapped in the animalistic experience of being alive, and has lost touch with the human soul.

The experience of the opening heart gives joy so we can sense that all is well in the greater, spiritual life. The daily pains of living, and all that happens in the physical universe, are grist for the mill, egging us on to see through the material to that greater life. Only that view can reassure us, so we can relax into what’s going on without being defended and afraid. And learning to allow both levels of experience makes everything easier, and perhaps fulfils the human task of connecting all levels of existence.