Astrology of the Week of February 28, 2022 : Pluto, Mars, and the New Moon in Pisces

This week brings some gifts and some challenges with a lot more Pluto and Mars activations, as well as a major shift in energy as Mars and Venus move into Aquarius. Buckle up, everyone.

Immediately following the U.S. Pluto Return, I, like many astrologers, woke up last week on Wednesday watching the first hours of Russia's war on the Ukraine in horror but without surprise. The Pluto Return has once again marked an overturning of a major power in our world. The gravity of the devastation is deeply felt personally and around the world, and while I want to remain hopeful, I have no comment to make other than that my heart is with those in the Ukraine right now. The astrology of this week shows further trials to come, but also perhaps small pockets of levity.

This Monday starts off with the Sun in Pisces making a sextile to Uranus, which feels innovative and like some of us might find new inspiration in familiar places, seemingly out of nowhere. Pisces tends to lead us into the depths to help us find what was hidden or mysterious in order to connect us to the All, and so while the luminary of the self is in this place, the sextile to Uranus, still in Taurus, might have us on personal and collective levels using resources we've had all along to our advantage. I want to believe that this will give those currently struggling under the weight of oppressive forces to pull from something beneath their feet to come up for air.

The next day, Mercury makes a conjunction with Saturn, which could help us build upon Monday's energy by creating structure to plans and communication. Part of me intuits that information is actually a key component of this war right now, and that as we move through Pisces season, this may become more apparent how and in what way. In our personal lives, this transit is a bit of a double-edge sword; there's a feeling of needing to play by communication rules, needing to withhold communication perhaps, while also having the ability to create structures and enforce rules through our communication, plans, and travel.

The New Moon in Pisces occurs in the morning or early afternoon on Wednesday, March 3, depending on your time zone, and this New Moon gives the part of our charts that contains Pisces a sense of revitalization. Pisces wants us to merge with the All, to feel the ways in which we are co-creators with the universe. Ruled by Neptune, Pisces encourages us to believe in our own dreams, to listen to our intuition. In the middle of a lot of information, communication, and power struggles, take a moment of quiet to check in with yourself and tap into what it is that you need to manifest in order to feel whole.

On March 3, both Venus and Mars make a conjunction to Pluto, which is some very heavy-hitting energy that is formidable and all about power. Venus's conjunction to Pluto on a collective level could have something to do with negotiations and relationships between officials; these are given an intense review in this time, and while Venus is in Capricorn, areas of finance and economics are likely to be the subject of some of these negotiations and major changes. Mars' conjunction with Pluto is explosive; these planets activate each other, with Mars adding action to Pluto's transformative, destructive energy. Keep in mind that destruction of what is an important question; we need to destroy some things in order to build something new.

On a personal level, we will be feeling these conjunctions for most of this week, and relationships and power dynamics will be up for review. With both of these signs in Capricorn, it's worth it to take a close look at your chart to identify in which houses these transits occur.

On the 5th, Mars and Venus enter Aquarius, and the energy should shift from being about what to about who a little more. Be ready to open up to new ways of thinking about our lives as a world and as individuals. This energy is about freedom.

Be careful to step back and look at whatever forces are at play in your dealings this week; do not underestimate anyone. We are in the age of Aquarius; the underdog and the least likely to succeed may just well rise up. Dark things are coming to light with the North Node in Scorpio, and as we move through this year and a half, major changes are par for the course (and especially with all of the Uranian energy flying around), and we are collectively grieving. Some things must end so that others may begin. This is a week to pick your battles wisely and to remember that not all destruction is bad; something beautiful grows after the loss of something distracting or toxic.