Gathering Strength of Heart

Gathering Strength of Heart

February 2025

Gathering Strength of Heart

Hello Agents of Evolution,

A couple weeks ago I got to visit the Everglades with my partner and some dear friends. "Cecile," as she has become known by the park rangers, was sunning herself by the side of the road. She is an American Crocodile, currently protected federally by the Endangered Species Act as a threatened species. Recent estimates have these spectacular creatures at about 1200 in population in southern Florida. Another possibly 2000 are thought to live in Central and South America but their numbers continue to dwindle. What magnificence they have brought to our Earth!

Working on acceptance of the situation as it is, seems to be my task right now. To quote Buddhist teacher Kaira Jewel Lingo,

"One of the things that can make navigating times of transition and challenge even more difficult is when we resist the changes coming at us or we think there's something wrong with our life, or with us, when the road gets bumpy. We may believe that life is not supposed to be this way. That if we plan and prepare carefully enough, or act in a meticulously organized fashion, or follow all the rules, we can stay in control and our life circumstances will remain smooth and predictable. But challenge and transition are a part of life. ... We can soften when we are met with uncertainty. Acceptance is a profound practice of surrendering, letting go, leaning in toward. Not pushing against or stiffening." (From her book, "We Were Made for these Times: 10 Lessons in Moving through Change, Loss, and Disruption.")

While in many ways February is one of the milder months of the astrological year, 2025's themes of confusion, chaos, deceptions, and helplessness (courtesy the Saturn Neptune conjunction) deepen. Along with them though, people's compassion, kindness, and faith in powers beyond what can be seen with the eyes, also deepens. I recently read a Jack Kornfield newsletter in which he encourages people to "take a long view. How long? As long as it takes. Trust. Remember, in all the cycles of existence... 'Hatred never ends by hatred. This is the ancient and eternal law.' ~The Dhammapada' "

I am very, very excited about supporting you through content and through readings as we serve as Agents of Evolution together. I know that it is in Beloved community that we will make it through these times. I'm looking forward to expanding my offerings on Substack – releasing more videos, writing more longform posts that will allow me to unpack some of the complexities I currently have to sidestep on Facebook and Instagram.

At the end of February I will be leaving my Facebook and Instagram accounts to lie fallow, and I may deactivate them altogether.

So please stay tuned to this monthly email newsletter!

Also, please sign up for a free subscription to my "Agents of Evolution Journal" on Substack if you'd like to continue reading my lunar forecasts. They will come to you via email.

My website will stay up, and of course you can always reach me by email to book a consultation.

Please read on for February's planetary weather.

May we walk in Beauty together...

 

February Astro Weather Highlights

As 2025 goes, February is relatively consistent, with relatively few spikes of celestial activity. That said, the Neptune/Saturn conjunction in effect this whole year slickens the slippery slope into hardship this month, and/or the accompanying activation of the compassion of the masses.

 

Quote from last month's forecast:

"January 30

Uranus stations direct

There's a Wolf in the Hen House

Awakened from a semi-sleep: unpredictability, abandoning traditions, disregard for rules, chaotic events. Also, strokes of brilliance, thinking outside the box, the excitement of change."

 

January 31 - February 1

Venus conjunct Neptune

Anesthesia

The awakening of compassion in the collective. Also, the anesthetic of love and compassion, for the pain of suffering. Also, being swept up in intoxicating currents such as watching a really good movie, falling in love, hearing music that washes your troubles away.

 

February 4

Jupiter stations direct

Growth in what prevails

With Pluto's involvement with Mercury and the last New Moon, there's been an elimination of areas of growth across the entire landscape, in all our lives. As Jupiter stations direct, the new landscape begins a new growth cycle.

 

February 12

Full Moon in Ashlesha

Snake Venom

This full moon occurs at an extremely sensitive point in the Sidereal (Vedic) zodiac, at the intersection of a water sign and a fire sign. Moon is in her own sign here, so her light shines strongly on a Sun in Dhanishta. The image of vipers guarding stockpiled gems in a cave comes to mind. The wealthy grow wealthier.

This will be the penultimate lunar forecast summary I will offer on Instagram. Please sign up for a free subscription to the "Agents of Evolution Journal" on Substack if you'd like to receive lunar forecasts and other writings of mine via email.

 

February 24-25

Mercury/ Saturn conjunction

Taking a closer look

Saturn and Mercury will be in a part of the sky (in Purva Bhadrapada nakshatra) associated with the fervor of conviction about a mission. People on all sides of all debates will be looking more closely at their convictions, analyzing their methods, doubling down on proving their own points. If you notice confirmation bias creeping in to your thinking on this day, know that your perception of the situation may open up/ loosen by the New Moon on Feb. 27.

 

Dec. 6, 2024 through Feb. 23, 2025

Mars Retrograde

This Mars retrograde period could be a long, clumsy tumble through tricky terrain. This will be a time for working with anger, frustration, irritation, annoyance. Mars retrograde can bring up the pout of frustrated desires in us. The more skilled we are at working with our own anger, the less damage we will be prone to creating.

This 11-wk period has tested most of us to the extreme. One thing I've noticed in working with my own anger this month is how instantly the fire of anger flares the moment it is indulged. One errant spark of flame in a forest can take down the whole forest. Working with Anger should remain an ongoing practice, especially until the Mars/ Pluto opposition completes, in late April 2025. Noticing all the unmet needs inside ourselves when our own anger flares, and being with them, doing what we can to satiate those needs ourselves can free us up for clear, clean, precise, skillful uses of fire when they are needed. (Unskillful uses of fire won't be medicinal to the situation – they will only serve to engulf the circumstances with more flame.)

 

February 27

New Moon in Shatabhisha

Healing the intractable

This New Moon sits with Saturn and Mercury. The healing councils that have formed over the past few years are now activated to attempt diagnosis of the systemic illnesses we face, working together to providing the many needed medicines.

This will be the final lunar forecast summary I will offer on Instagram. Please sign up for a free subscription to the "Agents of Evolution Journal" on Substack if you'd like to receive lunar forecasts and other writings of mine via email.