It’s Valentine’s Day next Sunday, and what a show the cosmos has in store for us. This week could be positively transformational.

However, it’s clear that we’re going to have to work for it, and there will be challenges and tests. Romantic partnerships in particular will be affected, and if you’ve been waiting to move up to the next level or to heal deep-seated issues between you and your partner, this promises to be a memorable week for love.

The week begins with a romantic conjunction of Venus and Neptune. Astrologers usually describe this as the “rose-colored glasses” aspect, and there is some risk of idealizing your partner. Well, why not? We delude ourselves about so many things when it comes to our loved ones, what’s wrong with a brief fantasy of perfection? Still, the point here is to love your partner, human failings and all. I’ll come back to this in a minute.

On Wednesday, Mercury enters Aquarius, the sign of his exaltation. If you’ve felt like life is moving too fast, hang onto your seat, because it’s going to get even faster now. Inspiration and new ideas come streaming in at the speed of light.

Also on Wednesday, Mars forms an inconjunct with Jupiter, activating a Yod with Mars and Saturn at the base and Venus and Jupiter at the apex. This is an extremely rare formation and very interesting, because Mars and Saturn are the malefics — the bad guys in astrology — while Venus and Jupiter are considered the benefics. Moreover, both Mars and Saturn are retrograde, the only two planets currently in reverse.

The conjunction of Venus and Jupiter is said to be the luckiest combination in astrology, and this is even more true in Pisces, as Venus is exalted in the sign of the Fishes, and Jupiter is its co-ruler. This is our call to higher love and opening our hearts to receive wealth and abundance. However, the Yod formation suggests a block of some kind, a “hump” to get over before all those good things flow to us.

Mars sextile Saturn is good for setting immediate ego gratification aside to accomplish difficult tasks. Since both planets are retrograde, we can’t expect to move mountains, but to make steady progress, a little at a time, until the job is done. It’s also likely that projects we undertake at this time have something to do with the past — clearing accumulated clutter, eliminating toxins from our bodies, and confronting tasks we’ve put off for months, if not years.

That sounds all well and good, but when we concentrate too much on work, what needs to be done, and “reality,” we shut the magic out of our lives. This isn’t intentional; indeed, I’d say it’s a negative side effect of modern industrialized societies. In order to go to work day after day and to live in crowded cities, we have to shut our sensitive, intuitive side down. After years of doing so, many people become desensitized, and it’s as though their minds have gone to sleep. Higher love can’t exist in such conditions.

There’s another inconjunct this week, between Mars in Leo and Pluto in Capricorn. This is a heavy handed combination that subjects the ego’s need for creative expression to oppressive authority. This suggests censorship to me and may be at the root of Google’s problem in China. The aspect peaks on Friday, and there will be a third and final round of it on April 10. Also on Friday, Mercury trines Saturn, a great aspect for finding a practical use for all those outlandish Aquarian ideas.

Mercury opposes Mars the following day, fueling arguments and creating breakdowns in communications. This seems like a small thing, but we need to be very careful with this one, given everything else that’s going on. Events this weekend could be overwhelming, and it won’t take much to get irritated with others. If you do get in an argument, hopefully it will be short-lived, as the New Moon is just a few hours later, and it holds much healing power.

At 25 degrees Aquarius, the New Moon will be tightly conjunct Neptune and Chiron. This is our cue to start anew by embracing our wounds. Earlier in the week, with Venus conjunct Neptune, we’re called upon to accept others, as they are. Now, we’re being called to accept and love ourselves. That’s more than just 80s Me-Decade psychobabble. Opening our hearts to love depends on it, and what better time is there to walk through the portal of love and healing than on Valentine’s Day?

Sunday’s aspect list is long, and I’ve covered most of it already. The one wildcard is Pluto. I just wrote of his inconjunct with Mars, but that means he’ll be sextile Venus and Jupiter, and that suggests an “out” of some kind. Maybe it’s about our true power as human beings, not just the illusion of power we get by sitting in the executive’s chair.

Wishing you nothing but true love,
Pat