Just as the “Three Weeks” begin mid-Tammuz and last until Tisha b’Av, the other side of the Jewish Year carries its own contraction, from the 10th of Tevet until Tu b’Shevat. After the radiance of Chanukah, we retreat inward, waiting. The energetic year truly reawakens on Tu b’Shevat, when the tiny seed destined to become the Etrog of Sukkot is said to be born. In this sense, Tu b’Shevat quietly initiates the entire High Holy Day cycle. First comes intention, then growth—very much the logic of a Fixed Air month.
This Shevat brings two monumental transits: Neptune and Saturn both enter Aries. The long era of Neptune in Pisces—marked by confusion, distortion, and shape-shifting realities—begins to dissolve. What replaces it is not immediate wisdom, but momentum. Aries is Cardinal Fire: initiating, assertive, and impatient. Action replaces ambiguity, even when that action is rash. Aries does not ponder; he performs.
The last time Saturn and Neptune were together in Aries was 1703. That year saw the founding of St. Petersburg by Peter the Great, and in Jewish history, the Naqib al-Ashraf revolt in Jerusalem, when the city’s inhabitants—Jews included—rose up against crushing Ottoman taxation. Authority was challenged, structures were rebuilt, and nothing returned to its previous form.
But why is this conjunction different from previous Saturn-Neptune conjunctions in Aries? See the post: THE EZEKIEL CONJUNCTION.
Chodesh Shevat begins with a New Moon at 28° Capricorn on January 18, with Mercury conjunct Mars and sextile Saturn in the final degrees of Pisces. The message here feels clear: We’ll try it your way one more time—but with conditions. Saturn may be weary of vagueness, but he still rewards patience paired with clarity.
The Sun enters Aquarius on January 19, following harmonious contacts with Neptune that lend Aquarian idealism a boost of imagination.
January 20 is astrologically dense: Venus conjuncts Pluto in Aquarius; Mars trines Uranus and sextiles Saturn; Mercury sextiles Neptune before entering Aquarius. The pieces are being rearranged—but the deck is not yet cut.
January 20–27 forms a decisive window. The Sun and Mercury both conjunct Pluto, and Mars enters Aquarius on January 23, heading toward his exact conjunction with Pluto on January 27. This is pressure toward irreversible change.
On Shabbos Bo, the Moon in Aries squares Jupiter in Cancer, stirring a Cardinal tension between expansion and protection. Personally, this may demand bold effort. Collectively, it may signal the visible deployment of power.
The First Quarter Moon in Taurus arrives January 25. Hours later, Neptune enters Aries for a long stay lasting until 2038. Patience becomes an overrated virtue. In Jewish astrology, Aries corresponds to the Tribe of Yehuda—the lineage of kingship and ultimately Moshiach. Initiative now carries mythic weight.
Mars conjuncts Pluto January 27, a classic signature of revolution. With unrest already visible in parts of the world—including Iran and the United States—this period may mark a decisive inflection point rather than a final outcome.
Mercury and Venus conjunct in Capricorn January 29, highlighting the quiet beauty of practical wisdom.
On Shabbos Beshalach, the Cancer Moon trines Saturn in Pisces, offering emotional steadiness amid change.
The Full Moon in Leo falls on Erev Tu b’Shevat, February 1. Warm hearts and cool heads prevail. Those who participate in a Kabbalistic Tu b’Shevat Seder may feel an added resonance: consuming the fruits of the earth as a means of uniting heaven and matter—an unmistakably Aquarian act. As "taste" is the action of Aquarius, the Tu b'Shevat Seder allows us the opportunity to "taste and see that the Lord is good".
Uranus stations direct February 3 at the final degree of Taurus, preparing for his re-entry into Gemini in April.
Mercury enters Pisces February 6 and remains there through mid-April due to the upcoming Mercury Retrograde (February 26–March 20, spanning Tekufat Nissan). Inspiration runs high; clarity less so. This is fertile ground for imagination, but it demands disciplined communication.
Parshat Yitro is read February 7, as the Moon moves through Libra. The Ten Commandments arrive under the sign of justice and balance.
Venus in Aquarius squares Uranus in Taurus February 8—the final echo of the Aquarius-Taurus tension that has defined the years since 2020. This is the closing note of a long chapter of radical conservatism and rebellious disruption. What comes next will speak a different language entirely.
The Last Quarter Moon in Scorpio February 9 invites honest reckoning: do our desires truly align with our ideals?
Venus enters Pisces February 10, softening the atmosphere and re-opening the heart.
Saturn enters Aries February 13, remaining until 2028. The last Saturn-in-Aries period (1996–99) coincided with the birth of the Dot-Com era and the rise of personal branding. With Neptune newly in Aries and Uranus soon to enter Gemini, the technological and cultural landscape is poised for another profound reinvention.
Shabbat Shekalim falls on February 15, with Parshat Mishpatim and a Capricorn Moon squaring Chiron in Aries. The message is unmistakable: we are not whole until all of us are whole.
The Sun squares Uranus February 16 as Mercury trines Jupiter, sending us crackling, optimistic energy as we step into Chodesh Adar. And that is a blessing—because when Adar enters, joy increases. After the long work of boundaries, belonging, and brave beginnings, we are ready to receive it.
