This week’s Full Moon in Leo falls on Valentine’s Day – fitting, since Leo is the sign of the heart.

The Full Moon always pairs opposite signs and focuses our awareness on opposing ways of being. With the Sun in Aquarius and the Moon in Leo, Friday’s Full Moon highlights the concept of the collective and team effort, versus individual identity and self-expression.

The Olympics are a perfect example. There are athletes who compete for championship in individual sports, and they often go home as national heroes. But they also are part of a team, and their goal is not just a personal win, but to help bring victory to the entire team and honor to their country.

For the past several weeks, cardinal energies have dominated the charts, correlating to fast change and a lot of movement. Jupiter is in a close cardinal T-square with Uranus and Pluto, ramping up worldwide tensions. At this week’s Full Moon, we’ll have almost as many planets in fixed signs, with the Sun, Moon, Mercury and Saturn forming a fixed T-square. This is like suddenly applying the brakes, and, though short-lived, it adds another layer of conflict.

In mundane astrology, the Sun and Leo are associated with national champions and competitive sports, while the Moon indicates what has the people’s attention. Indeed, the world’s focus is on the Sochi Olympics. There is, however, an undercurrent of tension between the United States and Russia, as well as ongoing concern about terrorism, a legitimate worry given the volatile cardinal T-square.

On Tuesday, the Sun in Aquarius squares Saturn in Scorpio. This is a classic configuration for clashes with authority and authority figures such as government organizations and police. With the Uranus-Pluto square, we’ve seen ongoing outbreaks of violent protests and rioting. The Moon-Saturn square in the chart for Friday’s Full Moon is troubling, as it suggests some grief and sorrow.

On a personal level, the Full Moon is a mixed bag. On one hand, the Full Moon in Leo is playful and perfect for a party. People are more amorous at the Full Moon, too, which could make for a lovely Valentine’s date. On the other hand, feeling the love in our hearts could require some mindfulness. The square with Saturn brings a somber note to events, and even established couples might find they have to work to set differences aside and enjoy each other.

Just like it sounds, the fixed signs – Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius – can be set in their ways and quite stubborn. On Friday, I posted a terrific article by Ruth about Aquarius in which she discusses some of the other traits of the fixed signs. Once they get ideas in their head, it’s hard to convince them that their thinking may be erroneous.

Mercury, the planet of communications, is well into his retrograde phase this week, and on Wednesday, he returns to Aquarius after dipping his foot into Pisces. So for starters, there is an increased risk of miscommunications, especially in situations where one person is trying to convince the other that they’re wrong about something. Using reverse psychology or some other underhanded method will make matters worse.

Authority problems indicated by the Sun-Saturn square apply to your boss, parents, and anyone else to whom you must answer. Saturn in Scorpio has a particularly painful sting. Words can be caustic and criticism especially hurtful. Throw in the Moon-Saturn square, and it’s easy to get into a “nobody loves me” mentality. If you let it, it can really drag you down.

That’s pretty much it for the bad news. The good news is that powers of the mind can overcome a lot, especially in matters of the heart. Challenging your own assumptions is a good place to begin. Jumping to conclusions is rarely a good idea, but this week, there’s more than the usual odds of being wrong. Depending on your personality, you also may need to monitor a need to be right and defend your position. Be mindful of what you’re telling yourself about the situation and try to be objective about the facts – and don’t assume you have all the facts. A critical piece of information could be missing that changes everything.

If you’re in a fundamentally sound relationship and your friend does something that irritates you or hurts your feelings, remember that you love and care about this person and he or she loves and cares about you. Repeat this over and over if you have to, especially if your natural inclination is to stew. And while we’ve got some aspects for impulsiveness, do your best to be patient. You may indeed need to have a firm talk with your partner, but if you feel the slightest resistance, postpone the discussion until the beginning of March. I know that’s a long time – which is why I wrote above that feeling the love could require some work. The thing is, I don’t believe this kind of work ever goes unrewarded.

In general, I advise giving others a lot of leeway while Mercury is retrograde. Even if it appears someone else is to blame, do your best to withhold judgment. For years, I’ve observed a weird phenomenon during Mercury retrograde periods that what one person says and what the other hears are miles apart, and yet both are right – and, typically, you don’t realize it until after Mercury returns direct.

In the Full Moon chart, the Sun and Moon favorably aspect Mars in Libra by exact degree, suggesting a possible “way out” of conflict. The Sun and Mercury are in close contact as well, and Mercury forms an exact trine with Mars on Sunday (February 16). Mars is about action, while Libra is about relationships and compromise. Still, you might have to walk a fine line to make this aspect work for you. Mars in Libra can be passive-aggressive, which often is a way to avoid direct conflict. Depending on your situation, the best strategy indeed may be avoiding a confrontation, but take care not to substitute indirect punishment. An example would be sidestepping an argument with a partner but then giving him or her the silent treatment. There’s not much that could make a Valentine’s Day dinner more miserable.

At its best, the contact from the Sun, Moon, and retrograde Mercury to Mars represents a path to resolving at least some issues and perhaps agreeing to set aside the stickier ones for now so you can enjoy a romantic evening.

If you don’t have a date, plan to get together with your single friends. Romantic love isn’t the only kind. Love is rare enough in the world that it’s worth celebrating wherever you find it.

Wishing you all much love and courage,
Pat

© Pat Paquette, RealAstrologers.com, 2014.