Valentine ’s Day is a celebration of romantic love which is celebrated annually on Feb 14. As astrologers we study the stars to understand the energy of each particular day. This is why we study the day of a person’s birth to understand their unique life path. In the same way, we can study February 14 to analyze the energy that underlies this holiday. You may already be thinking that a specific date each year is closely tied to a specific position of the Sun since the Sun moves approximately 1 degree per day. And on February 14th we find that the Sun is in or near the second degree of Aquarius. Aquarius is the span of celestial energy where we are compelled to rise above ourselves and enter the communal and eternal energy of the cosmos. Here we break out of our needs, wants and desires and seek to join a higher consciousness which we did not even dream existed. Romantic love is a manifestation of that kind of energy, in that it is selfless and all consuming. The deeper vibration of the 2nd degree of Aquarius lies in the Navamsha of Libra which is the natural sign of partnerships, harmony and balance. Yet in Libra, the Sun, which represents our sense of self, is weak and can either manifest as a lack of self-confidence or become that sense of willingly releasing a little bit of one’s self to make room for the other in your life.
In the lunar zodiac, we find that the second degree of Libra lies in Dhanishta; a lunar mansion which focuses our mind on doing what is right and proper and honoring the needs of others above ourselves. There is a repetition of the themes between the solar and lunar zodiac that helps to us to align our actions toward a deeper romantic connection.
Romance also has passion and we find the combination of Mars, ruler of Dhanishta, and Venus, the ruler of Libra in the second degree of Aquarius. While these are often characterized as the male and female energies it is important to remember that this description is not a gender reference but a description of an initiating and receptive energy which together creates harmony when balanced and when imbalanced will be mutually destructive. We only need remember that Mars is Fire and Venus is Water to understand that these forces must be carefully calibrated.
So armed with this simple examination of the light in St Valentine’s Day, I invite you to find the moment of expansion into bliss by seeking to serve your partner and enlivening the intention of highest love while the passion lifts you beyond your limited self.