New Moon in Aquarius, Weak Fire Energy, and other Cosmic Updates for the Week Ahead

Why You May Receive Powerful Healing Energy but Struggle with Low Motivation and Other Challenges During the Next Seven Days

Please note that this and all my other forecasts are based on the sidereal zodiac used in both Vedic and Western sidereal astrology, not the tropical system used by most Western and some Vedic astrologers. All the astrological charts below are calculated according to the sidereal zodiac and Lahiri Ayanamsa.

New Moon in Aquarius on February 20: Time to Make Plans and Set New Goals

We begin the week with the New Moon which occurred on Monday, February 20, at 2:06 AM EST. Use World Time Buddy to convert this time to your own time zone as needed. The day of a New Moon and the day afterward are ripe with the energy of initiation. Now is the time to plant seeds for the future as we set new goals and intentions. By Wednesday, we will be in the Waxing Crescent phase when the Moon starts to reveal its new light.

In the early degrees of the Crescent Phase, the sprout is drawn up from the earth by the initial impulses of light. During the remaining stages of the Crescent Phase the plant goes through a strengthening process, mobilizing its energies against the elements of nature. (Lunar Phases Overview: Cafe Astrology.com)

The New Moon occupies Aquarius, the sign of the Water Bearer, and is conjoined Saturn, the traditional ruler of Aquarius. The Aquarius New Moon has a creative, inventive, charitable, and philosophical quality, and Saturn’s conjunction adds organization, efficiency, and productivity.

Understanding the Healing Power of the Moon in Shatabhisha

The New Moon occurs in the 24th nakshatra known as Shatabhisha, which spans from six degrees and forty minutes to twenty degrees in the Aquarius constellation. This part of the zodiac is said to oversee the “Cosmic Order.” The term Shatabhisha comes from two Sanskrit words: “shata,” meaning one hundred, and “bhisaj,” which means doctor, medicine, healer, or remedy. Thus, this area of the zodiac is referred to as “One Hundred Healers,” or “One Hundred Medicines.”

Lord Varuna, the deity in charge of Shatabhisha, is a source of immense healing power and wisdom. Therefore, the Shatabhisha New Moon reflects profound qualities of healing, hope, and grace. Shatabhisha is the main nakshatra of astrologers and healers. People who practice these professions will particularly benefit a great deal around this lunation.

The Star in the Major Arcana of the Tarot symbolizes the Water Bearer of Aquarius. It represents healing, wisdom, humanitarianism, optimism, and inspiration.

Planets in Status Quo and Weak Fire Energy During the Next Week

The planets are remaining pretty much status quo this week, and I have discussed their positions at length in previous articles: Pluto and Mercury remain in Capricorn; Uranus and Rahu remain in Aries; Ketu is in Libra; Neptune, Venus and Jupiter are in Pisces; and Saturn and the Sun are in Aquarius. The Moon moves through a new sign every two-and-a-half days.

I do notice that the fire element is weakly represented at this time, and will be until the Moon transits briefly in Aries from February 23 until February 26. Besides that, the only planets in fire signs are Uranus and Rahu, which can be further destabilizing. This fire imbalance has been going on for some time, since Mercury moved out of Sagittarius on February 7.

One potential mitigation for the weak fire energy this week is that fiery Mars will trine Mercury on February 22. Their harmonious aspect can signify an easy flow of communication, mental energy, and focus, which can also be helpful for all kinds of activities including creative endeavors, negotiation, and conflict resolution.

Beginning on March 12, the situation will start to change again when Venus enters Aries, and then on March 31, when Mercury enters Aries. After that we will have the Sun moving into Aries on April 14, and Jupiter will follow on April 22. By then, I may be writing about how the fire energy is too strong!

But for now, as the fire energy is weakly represented (and thus potentially blocked), some of us may need to consciously cultivate a healthier balance of the fire within ourselves. Its weakness can manifest as low energy, loss of confidence, guilt, self-doubt, digestive problems, headaches, leg pain, poor focus and motivation, resentment, anxiety, overindulgence, and difficulty moving thoughts into action.

If this energy is out of balance, we can strengthen the fire element with warming spices, teas, or essential oils of cloves, ginger, saffron, cayenne, cardamom, and turmeric; pungent foods and heated beverages; yoga, Qigong, and any physical exercise that raises the heart rate and pumps the blood and lymphatic circulation; certain kinds of breath practices like kapalabhati (breath of fire/agni prana); sauna or steam; soaking in hot springs or hot baths; digestive enzymes as well as systemic proteolytic enzymes; sunshine; burning candles, fires, and incense; meditating on the element of fire; and working with an acupuncturist, osteopath, or polarity therapist to balance the flow of your fire energy.

I hope that this article is useful, and I wish all of my readers a very blessed week ahead.

The winds of God's grace are always blowing. It is for us to raise our sails. (Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa, who was born with the Sun and Moon in Aquarius).