February 2023 Horoscope: All Quiet On The Cosmic Front? 

Is this thing on, universe? The February 2023 planetary lineup is relatively uneventful—blessed by the fact that there are no retrograde planets in the sky! (Wait…cognitive dissonance moment…)

Going into February, we remain ever-optimistic as Sagittarians—and we're keeping the door open for Cupid to fire some compassion-tipped arrows around the world this month, too. Love is in the air! We're now in our first full solar calendar month of the Year of the Water Rabbit (which started on January 22), and the cuddlebunny vibes should be hopping. 

Interestingly, we've just emerged from the Year of the Water Tiger, going from a ruling animal who's a predator in the wild to one who's prey. The Rabbit's power is its sensitivity—when you're adorable and defenseless, that's a survival skill! But careful that this new er, hare-raising cosmic climate doesn't tip into anxiety and hypervigilance. The Rabbit is ruled by dreamy, escapist Neptune. Now that we've changed our ferocious stripes and slipped into something fluffier, we may feel a lot more vulnerable.

Make like the multiplying rabbit and commune! There's power in numbers, at least with the right people. Aquarius season is underway until February 18, a time for friendship and teamwork. Caveat: This pluralistic sign doesn't want us to unite at the expense of our individuality. Can we come together without losing our authentic selves? Aquarian challenge accepted!

Aquarius embodies the tension popularized by Esther Perel's work around people's reconciling dueling drives for connection and autonomy. We'll all be pulled to reconcile that paradox within ourselves this month.

This is why it's always struck us as so astrologically incorrect for Valentine's Day—at least in its traditional form—to fall during Aquarius season. Is it somehow karmic that humans should celebrate love during a time that we're meant to focus on our individuality? Just four short days later, the Sun moves into wind-swept and romantic Pisces. A teensy calendar nudge and this Hallmark holiday would be right on brand.

This month, V-Day will serve up a Sagittarius moon, making us all even more adventurous and independent. Decadent Sagittarius will happily inhale the chef's tasting menu, sparing no expense. But this is more an environment of laughter and fun, not heavy sentiment or tear-jerker trappings. If you've got the time and the dime to travel, a quick romantic getaway could be lovely under these globe-trotting moonbeams.

Fear not: You can still get sentimental. Venus is cozied up in close conjunction with fantasy planet Neptune (their exact alignment is February 15), and both are in Pisces. That ought to compensate for the Sagittarius moon making everything into a crass, fifth-grade joke right when someone makes an earnest, heartfelt confession.

Other chances to celebrate love this month? You could try the February 5 Leo full moon, when our hearts are open and affixed to our sleeves. However, this full moon will be in a tricky T-square to the Aquarius Sun and destabilizing Uranus in Taurus. Drama has a strong possibility of breaking out today, especially if you're not good at sharing power or compromise. 

But hey, there are other things in life (and February) besides romance. The Leo full moon is an ideal moment to put one of your talents on display or to engage in some much-needed fun.

Does that sound frivolous? Think again. Fun actually triggers the neurotransmitter oxytocin (aka the love hormone), which is shown to have major stress-reducing effects that we all sorely need. Given our worldwide pandemic PTSD, this seems like a no-brainer antidote to start reclaiming the joy and spontaneity that Leo and Aquarius both specialize in. (Recommended reading/audiobook: The Fun Habit: How the Pursuit of Joy and Wonder Can Change Your Life by Michael Rucker.)

Enjoy February's cosmically uncluttered calendar, friends. March will come in like a lion and go out like one, with two of the year's biggest transits—Saturn in Pisces and Pluto in Aquarius—both happening next month. Enjoy the brief respite before these big transitions begin.