February accents the Sun in the Air sign Aquarius, where we can find a larger world service, a wider view of a greater good for all, and a more ideal way to live. This sign sees how and with whom we can make a larger contribution, as well as the power of managing our own or others’ energies on various levels of human experience.

In the Northern Hemisphere, the light force is still at a minimum, though the days are getting longer. However, it’s nearing the end of Summer down under, and a time to work hard for the harvest to come. In the Northern Hemisphere, this is the time to get things in place for what you want to see grow rapidly in the near future, when Spring begins anew.

So February is the heart of Winter in the Northern Hemisphere, and the heart of Summer in the Southern. If you’re wondering how I reconcile the seemingly opposing energies between the hemispheres, when you’re done here please take a look at The Mirroring of the Northern and Southern Hemisphere Year Cycles in Astrology. It may help readers “down under” see how the important points of seasonal change, though opposite in physical manifestation, actually have similar challenges at each point of shift.

Aquarius is the sign of humanitarian based revolutions based on a higher human ideal. These are in evidence in many parts of our world, due to the advent of the Age of Aquarius with its requirements that we learn our place in the larger scheme of things, and see our interconnectedness with all the other life around us.

In decades to come, as we bring forth the energies of the Age of Aquarius in its preliminary forms, we will truly see that we are all “merest sparks in the ocean of light” and “merest specks in the ocean of life.” It is safe to say that the ongoing revolution of the human spirit, as it seeks to bring for the best in the human condition so we can assume our rightful place in the larger scheme of life and evolution, will continue until governments get out of the way and promote the independent spirit that we all share. EVERYONE wants to be free. That’s the Aquarian ideal.

In Aquarius we can catch a larger vision, a larger effectiveness, and a larger ideal. It's one of the "harvest signs," so continue to capture the momentum toward a greater life, a greater contribution, or greater group effectiveness. These Aquarius energies will prevail until the Sun enters Pisces at 8:57 pm PST on February 18, 4:57 am GMT on February 19.

This year’s Aquarius energy came in early via Venus which entered Aquarius on December 20, staying in that sign until January 13. Mercury entered Aquarius on January 16 and stayed in that sign until February 3. The Sun entered Aquarius January 20 and will be there until February 18/19.

The big news this year is that a) Mercury will retrograde back into Aquarius on March 4 and go stationary direct at 29 Aquarius on March 9/10, beginning a season of “graduation into a new realm of Being;” b) Saturn will enter Aquarius March 21/22, go retrograde at 2 Aquarius on May 10/11, and stay in early Aquarius until it retrogrades back into Capricorn on July 1/2; and c) Mars will enter Aquarius on March 30 and conjunct Saturn at 1 Aquarius on March 31, initiating the preliminary “spark” of a new 200 year era. That conjunction sets preliminary Aquarian patterns into action, launching energies anticipating the Jupiter conjunct Saturn at 1 Aquarius in late 2020. Mars will remain in Aquarius until May 12/13, when it moves into Pisces.

Here it’s important to remember that each year when the inner planets move through Aquarius, we get more information about the patterns developing since Jupiter set its own 12 year cycle of Aquarian energies into motion in 2009. That era was marked by the Solar Eclipse at 7 Aquarius conjunct Jupiter at 5 Aquarius in late January 2009, impacting the last Jupiter in Aquarius energies in a big way.

So a new Aquarian ideal is set into action in the Spring of 2020, and expanded into social forms by 2021. These conjunctions will create conditions to fill the voids created by the Solar and Lunar Eclipses in Aquarius and Leo 2008-09 and 2018-19. Everything transiting those points since then has triggered eclipse effects in subsequent seasons. Again, we saw an example of that in 2018, when Mars activated long wave Aquarius energies into motion this Summer and Autumn.

As Saturn is the worldly ruler of Capricorn and Aquarius, this is the time of year where Saturn has a huge influence on all the affairs ruled by the inner planets as they transit Capricorn and Aquarius. Saturn in Capricorn opens all Aquarius planets and angles to greater power, responsibility, recognition, authorship, and maturity.

As Saturn is at home in Capricorn, it is its own ruler in its own domain. That gives Saturn priority as the backdrop to our Aquarian experience this year. As Jupiter is now in Capricorn, we’ll also have Saturn as the backdrop to all transits through Pisces, and once Mars is in Capricorn, all transits through Aries. That means Saturn is a major player through April.

Now back to our birthday celebration of Aquarius!

Aquarius is the visionary of the future. Mythologically, this sign of the Water Bearer is the royal nobility of the King or Queen as they represent Divine Order in their realm. Aquarius is ruled by both Saturn and Uranus, so are here to embody the best of the old and the best of the new in the light of a greater world service.

Aquarius serves the All in the name of the greatest good for the greatest number. They bow their heads to no one, recognize no authority except their own, and embody a consistent independence from traditional bonds. It is said that Aquarians would feel more at home 200 years ago or 200 years from now, due to their extremely progressive yet timeless focus.

Aquarius, when freed of the chains of eccentric willfulness, bizarre behavior as a reaction to socialized expectations, and excessive coolness and tangential theoretical thinking, show their world how to make a greater contribution to their world, easily managing some form of Divine service to their society. When Aquarius' mighty impersonality and vision are leashed by the Higher Self, great works are created that will outlive the life of the creators.

Think Franklin D. Roosevelt, who gave us The Four Freedoms and The Second Bill of Rights for America and the World. He was a visionary who prevented class warfare during the Great Depression and mobilized an uneducated, semi-skilled population through visionary public works programs to create the greatest industrial and military power the world has ever known in the cause of democracy. Or Amadeus Wolfgang Mozart, whose music was brilliant, pioneering, and has been found to stimulate the human brain in ways that promote its natural genius. “The Mozart Effect” is now known to be a futuristic tool to promote neural functioning and the brain’s creative wiring. Arguably one of the greatest Aquarians of all time, Abraham Lincoln saved the United States while ending slavery in our country, offering us a vision of equality and “malice toward none with charity for all.”

Five other immortal Aquarians who made their mark on our world for all time were “the Man For All Seasons,” Sir Thomas More, Copernicus, who laid out the solar system as it is, the brilliant and courageous free thinker Galileo, the Indian sage Paramahamsa Ramakrishna, and Thomas Edison, who invented (among other things) the light bulb, phonograph, records, movie camera, fluoroscope, alkaline battery, mimeograph, dictation machine, the incandescent lamp, lighting generators, sockets, switches, insulating tape, electric motor, electric railway, and the stock ticker. Quite a quintet of visionaries!

Famous Aquarians of history in the political arena besides the august Presidents already mentioned include two Presidents that died in office and a third fading away. First, the precipitator of "Tecumseh's Curse," William Henry Harrison. Second, William McKinley, whose assassination paved the way for America's great Ecological President, a fearless Scorpio whose trust busting reined in big business for a while, Theodore Roosevelt. Our final Aquarian president was Ronald Reagan, the bad actor, criminal co-conspirator, and great illusionist.

Another timeless figure in this political group is perhaps the most famous signature in furniture history, American founding father John Hancock. Other political players include Susan B. Anthony, Simone Weil, Jose Marti, Rosa Parks, Adlai Stevenson Jr., Boris Yeltsin, Corazon Aquino, and Kim Jong-Il. Here a special nod goes out to the greatest revolutionary of the late 20th century, the venerable Gene Sharp.

There are quite a few notable authors, some of the best of all time. Among classic authors of history we find Francis Bacon, Christopher Marlowe, Lord Byron, Emanuel Swedenborg, Robert Burns, Charles Dickens, Jules Verne, Frederick Douglass, Charles Darwin, Lewis Carroll, Colette, James Joyce, Zane Grey, Gertrude Stein, Germaine Greer, Sinclair Lewis, William Burroughs, Bertold Brecht, Edith Wharton, W. Somerset Maugham, Virginia Woolf, S.J. Perelman, Sidney Sheldon, Amy Lowell, Brendan Behan, Betty Friedan, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Sholem Aleichem, Ayn Rand, and Georges Simenon.

More contemporary literary icons include Thomas Merton, Norman Mailer, Langston Hughes, James Michener, Boris Pasternak, Alice Walker, Judy Blume, Susan Sontag, Toni Morrison, John Grisham, Jules Feiffer, James Dickey, Jennifer LB Leese, and the Theosophical clairvoyant who discovered Krishnamurti, Charles W. Leadbeater.

Legendary Aquarian musicians include Franz Schubert, the Prophet Bob Marley,blues pioneers Lead Belly, Bobby “Blue” Bland, Johnny “Guitar” Watson, and slide guitar master Elmore James, jazz masters Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli, Jerome Kern, Arthur Rubenstein, Mario Lanza, Aker Bilk, soul brothers Sam Cooke, Dennis Edwards, Brian Holland, and Smokey Robinson, (who could also be a Pisces – birth time unknown), Kingston Trio founder Bob Shane, Don Everly, Brill Building hitmakers Carole King, Barry Mann, and Gerry Goffin, John Williams, James Rado, Etta James, Skitch Henderson, Hal Blaine, Barrett Strong,Richie Havens, Otis Blackwell, Gene Pitney, Aaron Neville, Charlie Musselwhite, Tim Buckley, Ray Manzarek, Leontyne Price, Terry Kath, Sergio Mendes, Steve Marriott, Marty Balin, Warren Zevon, Gene Vincent Doug Kershaw, King Curtis, Warren Smith, Bobby "Boris" Pickett, Sonny Bono, Jerry Goldstein, Stones producer Andrew Loog Oldham, and Chambers Brothers’ drummer Brian Keenan.

Extraordinary contemporary male musical stars include Genesis members Phil Collins, Peter Gabriel, and Steve Hackett. Other major talents features Heartbreaker Mike Campbell, Billie Joe Armstrong, Nick Mason, Graham Nash,Big Boi (Antwan André Patton), Dave Davies, Al Makay, Robin Zander, Eddie Van Halen, Axl Rose, Sonny Landreth, Tony Iommi, Al Kooper, Justin Timberlake, Placido Domingo, Gary Clark Jr., Ronnie Vannucci Jr., Michael Kelland Hutchence, Ron Townsend, Michael McDonald, Alex Harvey, Dan Seals, Steven Adler, Steve Perry, Alan Lancaster, Charlie Souza, Vince Neil, Billy Nicholls, Alice Cooper, Neil Diamond, John Donlinger, Rick Astley, Mike Shinoda, Brandon Boyd, Masaharu Fukuyama, David "Phoenix" Farrell, Christopher Drew Ingle, Garth Brooks, Joey Fatone, Kirk Franklin, and Jonny Lang.

The women of Aquarius feature some equally talented unique musical beings. Featured Aquarian females include Carolyn Hester, Melissa Manchester, Sheryl Crow, Florence LaRue, Melanie, Orianthi, Lucinda Williams, Sarah McLachlan, Natalie Cole, Roberta Flack, Alicia Keys, Natalie Imbruglia, Anita Baker, Kelly Rowland, Claudette Pace, Shakira, Sara Evans, and Teresa Teng.

In the movies, we have some of the most famous actors in history, including W. C. Fields, Clark Gable, Jimmy Durante, Paul Newman, Paul Scofield (who played Aquarian Sir Thomas More!), Jack Lemmon, Ernest Borgnine, James Dean, George Kennedy, John Forsythe, Victor Mature, Red Buttons, Ronald Coleman, Lon Cheney Jr., Buster Crabbe, John Barrymore, Lyle Talbot, Arthur Kennedy, Cesar Romero, Jack Palance, Lee Marvin, John Belushi, George Segal, Alan Bates, Dean Jones, Troy Donahue, James Franciscus, and Leslie Nielsen.

Legendary Aquarian beauties of stage and screen number some of the best: Lana Turner, Carmen Miranda, Jeanne Moreau, Carol Channing, Vanessa Redgrave, Katherine Ross, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Piper Laurie, Kim Novak, Tammy Grimes, Dorothy Malone, Mamie Van Doren, Claire Bloom, and Kathryn Grayson.

Notable directors include D.W. Griffith, John Ford, Milos Forman, Franco Zeffirelli, John Hughes, and the first woman director, legendary actress Ida Lupino.

More recent film luminaries include Mia Farrow, Bert Reynolds, Rip Torn, Jane Seymour, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Meg Tilly, Barbara Hershey, John Hurt, Bridget Fonda, Geena Davis, Matt Dillon, Nick Nolte, Stockard Channing, Joe Pesci, Pauly Shore, Natassia Kinski, Rene Russo, Gayle Hunnicutt, Ziyi Zhang, Laura Dern, Rutger Hauer, Linda Blair, Kelly Lynch, James Spader, Scott Glenn, Chris Farley, Denise Richards, Izabella Miko, Mena Suvari, Q'Orianka Kilcher, Elijah Wood, Diane Lane, Christian Bale, Michael Sheen, Christina Ricci, Margaux Hemingway, Molly Ringwald, Kerry Washington, Heather Graham, Kherington Payne, Patton Oswalt, Minnie Driver, and John Travolta.

In the world of television we find Aquarians from the classic past include Jack Benny, Ernie Kovacs, Garry Moore, Hugh Beaumont, Audrey Meadows, Anne Jeffreys, Lorne Greene, Donna Reed, Joey Bishop, Telly Savalas, Tommy Smothers, Hugh Downs, Bill Cullen, Ann Sothern, Vic Morrow, Harvey Korman, Dick Martin, Gale Gordon, Tina Louise, Eva Gabor, Farrah Fawcett, Robert Wagner, Suzanne Pleshette, Florence Henderson, Graham Kerr, Ann Jillian, Hal Holbrook, Tom Selleck, Sherman Hemsley, Bill Bixby, Garrett Morris, and Cybill Shepherd.

Modern Aquarian television icons include the incomparable Oprah Winfrey, standup funny guys Bill Maher, Christopher Guest, David Brenner, along with past and present stars Alan Alda, Mike Farrell, Stuart Margolin, Morgan Fairchild, LeVar Burton, Ellen DeGeneres, Michael Tucker, Jill Eikenberry, Michael C. Hall, Arsenio Hall, Vanna White, Joanna Kerns, Michael T. Weiss, Ashton Kutcher, Jennifer Aniston, Sherilyn Fenn, Brett Butler, Renee O'Connor, Mischa Barton, Andrew Keegan, Tiffani-Amber Thiessen, Maura Tierney, Justine Bateman, Seth Green, Victoria Justice, Lauren Conrad, Lee Thompson Young, Tatyana Ali, Brandy, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Jennifer Stone, Mariska Hargitay, Guy Fieri, Emma Roberts, and China Kantner.

A special nod goes out to some great journalists: Carl Bernstein, Ted Koppel, Edwin Newman, Roger Mudd, and Tom Brokaw, as well as television financial ace Louis Rukeyser.

Outstanding Aquarians artists feature Yoko Ono, Matt Groening, Jackson Pollock, Edouard Manet, Norman Rockwell, Gahan Wilson, H.R. Giger, Grant Wood, as well as multitalented Desmond Morris, accomplished surrealist artist, author, zoologist, and ethologist. Masters of movement include legends Maria Tallchief, Chita Rivera, Mikhail Baryshnikov, and Gregory Hines.

Speaking of masters of movement in another life arena, we find Aquarian sports legends who left their mark on history include Babe Ruth, Jackie Robinson, Hank Aaron, Nolan Ryan, Ernie Banks, Michael Jordan, Bill Russell, Jim Brown, Lawrence Taylor, Jack Nicklaus, Oscar de la Hoya, John McEnroe, Wayne Gretsky, Mark Spitz, chessmaster Boris Spassky, and test pilot Chuck Yeager. We also give a special nod to Max Baer the boxer, father to "Jethro" and apparently one of the nicest men ever to grace the ring, contrary to how he was depicted in "The Cinderella Man."

Other eclectic distinguished Aquarians feature the man who discovered Pluto, Clyde Tombaugh, the guy who invented mail order, Montgomery Ward, along with Gypsy Rose Lee, Edgar Bergen, Louis Tiffany, Chris Rock, Wolfman Jack, Ted Mack, Stonewall Jackson, Charles Lindbergh, Jimmy Hoffa, Alfred Adler, Alessandro Volta, Christie Brinkley, Yakov Smirnoff, Lisa Marie Presley, Paris Hilton, and the great Evangeline Adams, who brought popular astrology into the public eye early in the 20th century.

Of special note is that February 7 is the anniversary of the Beatles landing in NYC, and February 9 is the “birthday” of the British Invasion in the US and the day pop music changed forever! That was the day The Beatles first played the Ed Sullivan Show in 1964. On a more somber note, January 27 is also the anniversary of International Holocaust Day. We also give a shout out to National Freedom Day.

Finally, a big happy goes out to the countries of Cyprus, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden, and Syria, the states of Arizona, Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, and Oregon. Aquarian cities include Bremen, Brighton, Hamburg, Trent, Tucson, Anaheim, Bakersfield, San Bernardino, Ft. Collins, Jacksonville, Indianapolis, Topeka, Bowling Green, Louisville, Lansing, Flint, Jackson, Biloxi, Springfield, Omaha, Carson City, Camden, Manhattan Island, Columbus, Dayton, Salem, Corpus Christi, Ft. Worth, Galveston, Roanoke, Olympia, Yakima, and Milwaukee.