The February full Moon follows Imbolc, the festival sacred to the keeper of the eternal flame, and, in the northern traditions, marries with the subtle but strong re-emergence of the life force from the heart and hearth of the dreaming winter world. In the north this sacred time focuses on the fire that brings alive the light present in the root of things and encourages respect for the fruitful darkness out of which it is born, and to which it returns – the hearth is swept, the ancestral flame, the first fire, is rekindled and the earth is fed with offerings to seed the year ahead. In the south this seeding is mirrored under the fierce fire of the summer sun in the swelling of the fruits, their maturation turning the fire inwards and bringing the land to a place of fullness as the light begins to re-enter the Earth.

With a full Moon carrying this energy of renewal forward, from the heart of Leo in the tropical zodiac and from the constellation of Cancer within the skies, we can use this as a time to invoke a creative energy within our lives and homes. What are the fruits of our gifts and talents that we can give to the world and enrich the heart with in so doing, and what is emerging from our own dreaming that carries and excites us with creative energy, promising fulfillment in its undertaking? The cosmos and our actions are most deeply aligned when we activate and enrich this creative energy within ourselves. It is a subtle fire, but, possessing great potential.

The heart of this lunation is embedded within a complex planetary matrix and also comes midway between the final two exact squares between Uranus and Pluto, a series of seven which, in reality, is one repeating aspect with a seven beat pulse drawn out over four years or more. It may feel as though we are enjoying a short respite from the drama of the world in this time, but, watchfullness is essential. The drama continues, if not overtly, then covertly, for sure.

The full Moon itself is at the head of a yod, fed by Mars and Chiron sextile Pluto. With the Sun at the reaction point in mid tropical Aquarius there is a sensitivity about the moment that requires balance, self awareness and care. Words can carry a strong effect at this time ~ we should be aware that we can both harm and transform with them. Think before you speak, but, speak with a well understood and clear purpose and belief and great good, and healing, can come from such speech. A good place to begin is at the sacred fire within the inner sanctum.

To the naked eye the Sun’s transit through the stars in the constellation of Capricorn at this time is invisible to us in the full light of day, but, the full Moon reveals its corresponding place by opposition. As the Sun sets on February 3rd the Moon rises above the eastern horizon amidst the stars in the constellation of Cancer, conjunct the fixed star Abucens. Jupiter, in retrograde motion in the sky, is close by, quite literally, as the largest planet in our solar system is now at its closest to the Earth in its cycle. If you have a clear night sky this will be a rewarding sight to see.

Abucens, next the Moon, will be somewhat overpowered by the lunar light, but, its influence is noteworthy. It is said to have the qualities of Saturn and Mercury, indicating a firm ‘drive, or directive, from behind’ and this can be both the indicator of sharp intelligence at work and a will to keep ‘intents’ hidden in the process. It can also indicate coercion.

If the positive side of this connection is worked with it very much aligns with and enhances the qualities of the Imbolc impulse. Abucens is known as ‘sheltering of hiding place’ and with the full Moon indicates strong psychic and emotional energy fueled by hidden, that is to say, protected motives, perhaps more ‘covert’ than sourced in the ‘unseen’. This can be as much the territory of the criminal mind as of the esoteric adept. Far seeing and even remote viewing is enhanced here but, equally, even though ‘covert operations’ can be undertaken, the planetary matrix favours these becoming exposed through the same means. In other words, while this is not an invitation to spy, whatever your undertakings, if it does not feel right, don’t do it!

In the public realm, with Sun in Aquarius at the reaction point of the yod, exposure of covert ops, underhand dealings and outright lies is likely to bring strong, vociferous and reactive backlash. We must all be vigilant in these times. Political leadership must be very carefully watched now for signs of hidden agendas, already very much a feature of our current world, but, with Jupiter retrograde and tied into the lunar influence Leadership is here under the spotlight ~ we could see heads of state being forced into the open through public pressure on matters of dis-information, grotesque waste and extortion, and issues of national security. Saturn’s role in this time is also to assert boundaries and keep control on just how much knowledge is allowed to come into the light of day and this augers tensions over places where international boundaries and diplomacy are already manifesting hot spots, as well as hot ethical issues featuring politicians and leaders. For all of us it also augers responsible use of time and energy.

From the personal point of view, the flip-side is that, if you are working within the esoteric this is a time to avoid outward displays; better to simply do the work while keeping your power and sources under wraps, well protected. In keeping with the afore-thought and self awareness augered above, a need for vigilance and careful observation of the ethics and the natural laws of your craft arises. Better still, this is a good time to engage in study, to build your craft,  a time to be creative within it, to nurture your sources, and to preserve their esoteric nature ~ around full Moon be careful to not let inner growth and knowledge go to your head, stay earthed and give yourself time to fully understand, integrate and consolidate your gains.

The creative work you undertake now will benefit from a sense of poise. Think about how it can be the vehicle for positive change in the world, as well as its inner purpose and timing in your own life ~ its time will come, naturally, and soon enough! This is the subtle end of the shift thats underway, both on a cosmological, global and personal level; the first signs are showing.

Uranus, close on the lunar south node through this lunation, supports this shift collectively and will trine this full Moon, pushing us from behind to break the innate patterns that have fed old ideas of leadership, the egotistical and destructive agendas in the past. We must trust to our own inner knowing and earth our higher nature, let it be the leader, a point that Saturn’s sextile with Mercury further emphasises at full Moon.

Chiron and Pluto maintain their yod, with Jupiter at the action point, until next full Moon on March 6th so expect the pattern breaking theme around leadership and authority to continue, if not come to a height at that time, especially as Mars will by then be gunning the lunar south node….but, more on this nearer the time.

It is well to remember that all this is taking place during a Mercury retrograde, the signature of a time to focus on inner work, to be more forgiving and attentive. Mercury will go direct at third quarter on the 11th February signalling the point in the current lunation at which we can more confidently begin to turn more of our personal attention and energies outwards, to share and build meaningful dialogue. The following new Moon on the cusp of tropical Pisces builds upon this, as Mercury’s sextile with Saturn returns, exact, and this will subsequently support action that accompanies and compliments truthful talk. In all of this, with Venus and Mars running side by side through tropical Pisces, the collective mood can work towards bringing truthfulness and compassion to centre stage with a courage and determination, surely the key to all meaningful change in a suffering world.

In other ways we may have reached too far as a species ~ as the Tao Te Ching says, “to let understanding stop at what cannot be understood is a high attainment. Those who cannot do it will be destroyed on the lathe of heaven.” To push home the point, the dangerous consequences of hubris are already rife within the world, and fighting fire with fire will only create burnout. The ‘lathe of heaven’ is already with us.

In many ways compassion and hubris are polarities within a spiritual spectrum of function and disfunction. As evident in their a-spiritual means as it is in their absolutism, the controlling hegemonies of politics, money and science continually court the dangers of hubris. However, in Taoist terms, “hubristic desire for control is evidence of lack of spiritual attainment” and this is the challenge, perhaps most clearly delivered through dealing with the damage that has already been done ~ we must continue to regenerate, re-group around and nurture a collective humanism that is aligned to the inner fire, the spirit of creativity and knowledge, and be vigilant with how we use our time and energy. The subtle fire of this time is strong medicine.