If January felt ridiculously slow and long, February brings us the quicker pace and versatility we need to start 2022 off right
Grace McGrade is an intuitive astrologer and host of the podcast “Bitchcraft: Spirituality for Bad People.” Her sessions include natal chart readings, transit readings, energetic clearings, and tarot readings
If January felt ridiculously slow and long with Mercury and Venus in retrograde, February brings us the quicker pace and versatility we need to start 2022 off right. February kicks off in rebellious, future-oriented Aquarius season, the sign of the water-bearer, the inventive activist who encourages us to focus on our mission for the planet at large. We are looking to our friendships and examining our global community for a revitalised sense of purpose and belonging. A New Moon in Aquarius on the 1st encourages us to set intentions for the future, and embrace friendship and interdependence.
Messenger planet Mercury ends its retrograde in the sign of Capricorn on the 3rd. Here, we can pair the revolutionary innovative attitude of Aquarius with some grounded action. We are focused on new experiences, community, and individuality, as we leave behind the cynical, work-oriented attitude of Capricorn. Both Mars and Venus stay stationed in Capricorn for February, making sure we keep the commitments in our everyday lives, and hold the boundaries we were asked to implement over Venus retrograde.
Mercury joins the Sun in Aquarius on the 14th, broadening our perspectives, and helping us see things from all sides. Here, our hopes, dreams, and wishes for the future occupy our minds. We enter a cerebral headspace, looking to connect virtually and physically with inclusive communities.
A Full Moon in Leo on the 16th beckons us to spruce up our sense of confidence and express our uniqueness, loud and proud. Pisces season starts on the 18th, infusing our spirits with a creative, dreamlike atmosphere. Pisces, the final sign of the zodiac, enhances our connection to our sense of spirituality, imagination and intuition. We go from over-thinking, to over-feeling, and our sense of empathy is enhanced. Anticipate the occasional emotional overwhelm, and try to focus your attention on restoring your energy.

ARIES//ARIES RISING
January was a month of stops and starts, emphasising weak spots in your friendships and sense of group purpose. You could be feeling a tad isolated and frustrated at the start of the month, but rest assured, a clearer sense of purpose is on the horizon. The 1st of the month begins with a promising New Moon, so get clear on your intentions for the future and the connections you want to make. With February emphasising your career sector and region of groups, a friend might offer a helping hand that allows you to execute your vision. With Mars and Venus conjoining mid month in industrious Capricorn, you are conscientious and calculated about your career moves, more than capable of carrying out any tasks that help you embody your own authority. Your public reach is expanding, as if your sense of confidence.

TAURUS//TAURUS RISING
The speed bumps of retrograde season are in your rear view mirror, and you are ready to move full speed on your journey to greatness. February is your month for expansion. With the somber attitude of Capricorn season behind you, tune your focus on your most heartfelt dreams and visions. Pay attention to what you want more of. Career matters are emphasised in February, and it is in your best interest to set intentions for where you want to apply your talents and share them with your global community. It is important you sharpen your attention toward what you want more of, rather than stay stuck on what you want less of. With Venus and Mars in your sector of foreign lands and higher understanding, a trip or spiritual journey may be in the cards.

GEMINI//GEMINI RISING
January was a month of hard lessons for you, beckoning you to sever ties with anyone who was draining your energy. You are trying on a more pragmatic, boundaried way of operating out in the world. Aquarius season brings you a slew of creative, inventive and innovative ideas – and you finally have the time and energy to execute them. Ask yourself, how can you rely on your existing network and connections to support your goals? The last two weeks of February imbue your romantic sector with a sense of magnetism, fantasy, and allure. You will have little to no effort in attracting exactly what you need towards you – so set your sights high and your standards higher.

CANCER//CANCER RISING
The retrogrades in no-nonsense Capricorn last month could have left you feeling jaded and cynical about partnership. But Aquarius season illuminates and invigorates your sector of intimacy, encouraging you to think about future relationships. The lovers and friends we choose to keep are intimate mirrors of our personal sense of self worth, and you have been doing important work in those areas. Perhaps its time for new mirrors. With Mars and Venus unifying in Capricorn for the latter half of February, giving and taking has an ease to it, and you seem to be in line for romantic relationships.

LEO//LEO RISING
The Sun is moving through rebellious Aquarius in February, adding some much needed electricity and connectivity to your sector of partnership. Utilise the New Moon on the 1st to jot down some intentions about the kind of relationships you want to see show up in your future, how you want to be seen and received. Aquarius represents the mind, and you like to make decisions based on your heart – so, February offers you plenty of choices. You are learning when to be calculated and cerebral, and when to follow your more risky romantic desires. Lessons learned in your relationship to self are illuminated by the Full Moon in your sign on the 16th. You are looking for spiritual commitment from your fellows, bravery, and follow-through. As we progress into Pisces season, you are beckoned to surrender into your imagination, and slow your pace.

VIRGO//VIRGO RISING
With last month’s retrogrades encouraging you to be more insular and introspective, your creative channels were open, as you revisited old inspiration and worked through projects previously discarded. The future-focused energies of Aquarius shine their light in your arena of wellness and self improvement. You are already a wellness expert, but February wants you to change your approach to living, to switch out the old for the new, and embrace change. Ask yourself how you can fine-tune your work health balance, and tune into your bodily needs. Pisces season enhances your spiritual side, and shines a light on your romance sector, encouraging you to drop your guard and surrender to love.

LIBRA//LIBRA RISING
With Venus, your planetary ruler, having been in retrograde motion since December, you may have been caught in a painful loop of the past, forced to reexamine old dynamics with a new outlook. February catapults you into a fresh perspective, as the Sun moves into rule-breaking Aquarius, illuminating your arena of creativity and fun. Finding commonalities in friendships is a real focus for February. You are in need of finding a new balance between pleasure and self improvement, gravitating towards new experiences and following your fun. When the Sun enters Pisces on the 18th, you are motivated to switch up your daily schedule, and commit to a new health regime.

SCORPIO//SCORPIO RISING
February shines a light on your home sector and illuminates where childhood influenced the way you perceive the world around you. It’s time to reparent yourself, and shift your outlook towards the abundance of opportunity around you. Stay open to new messages about how the universe wants to provide you with what you desire. It’s time to let go of apocalyptic thinking, and move into receptivity. The Full Moon in Leo on the 16th promises powerful career developments, and pushes you into the spotlight. For the last two weeks of February, your intuitive faculties are enhanced, and you can find yourself eerily attuned to the non-physical. Experiment with your ability to read people and situations.

SAGITTARIUS//SAGITTARIUS RISING
In January, you were forced a reality check when it came to your spending habits and self esteem. You are learning that the two are inextricably linked – and the more self worth you have, the more abundance you seem to invite in. Aquarius season beckons you to continue to improve your relationship to money, by casting your net even further and expanding your network. Charging your battery and investing in yourself by making calculated moves will add to your flow of prosperity. When Pisces season begins on February 18th, you are looking for holistic restoration from your home, hunkering down in your nest and daydreaming about your next moves.

CAPRICORN//CAPRICORN RISING
With Venus retrograde in the rearview mirror, you have uncovered some new desires, redefined your sense of worth, and restored your sense of clarity. Aquarius season challenges you to commit to your most rebellious ideas and find avenues to execute them. February promises to be a month of clarity, as you gallivant through new potentials for success and acclaim. With Mars and Venus moving closely through your sign, you are equal parts motivated to go out and get what you need, and manifest by just remaining receptive. We culminate the month in the sign of Pisces, adding an intuitive awareness to your thinking processes.

AQUARIUS//AQUARIUS RISING
Your season is reined in by the Sun moving through your sector of spirituality, into your sector of self. Here, you can feel the subconscious becoming conscious, and are encouraged to dream up the events of your next year. A New Moon on the 1st prompts you to jot down your wildest ambitions and goals, knowing the celestial weather is assisting your next steps. Mercury stations direct on the 3rd, easing your ability to share thoughts and ideas for the future. The Full Moon in Leo on the 16th culminates lessons learned in relationships, and encourages you to embody self confidence in your dealings with others. Pisces season imbues a glittering feeling of unreality to your day-to-day, and increases your appetite for escapism and enlightenment.

PISCES//PISCES RISING
Happy Birthday, early Pisceans! Your birthday season is on the horizon, but first you are looking for a sense of belonging, trying to discern what friendships and collaborators you wish to accompany you through your next year on earth. It’s been a cycle of endings and culminations, and before the 17th, you are resolving to get grounded and find little ways to nourish yourself in the day-to-day. Take time to conserve your energy before your birthday season rolls around. Pisces season imbues you with a necessary boost of self esteem and awareness, and you are ready to come out of your Aquarium glittering with uncovered strength and stamina.