If you were expecting some kind of sun sign nonsense, forget it. This is real astrology. See the section above. Please note: this forecast is expressed in terms of Universal Time (UT). Current UT date and time appear at the top of this page. (To update display, use your browser's reload/refresh button.) 

Most of early February - from the 4th through the 12th, at any rate - is full of the kind of geophysical stress factors that augur storm and seismic warning signals. It all starts within 30 hours of Luna reaching maximum declination north of the celestial equator on the 5th. This is followed in short order by the full moon SuperMoon at 20 Leo on the 8th, coming less than twelve hours after Luna's perigee (closest approach to Earth) for the month. On top of the usual plus or minus three day window associated with the full moon itself, tack on an extra 30 hours of vulnerability either way of the Moon's southward equatorial crossing on the 11th. Add it all up, and the upshot is that you can pretty well count on the period from the 4th through the 12th bringing an upsurge in strong storms, flooding and moderate to severe seismic activity (including volcanic eruptions and Richter 5 or greater earthquakes).

As always, alignments of this sort take place on a planetary scale and can have a planet-wide footprint. While it's more or less impossible to rule any part of Planet Earth beyond the reach of a SuperMoon alignment, the astro-locality map of this one does offer a few hints as to where the greatest risks lie. The February 8 alignment seems to show the strongest storm and in some cases seismic potential through the Mississippi and Ohio River valleys, up into the Great Lakes and across eastern Canada; as well as southern Mexico, western Europe and Africa, central and western India, and all of New Zealand. Not to trivialize its likely storm association, this appears to be an especially potent SuperMoon where seismic activity is concerned.

With this kind of astro-meteorology index, it's a safe bet that weather-related travel delays, power outages and communication breakdowns can easily approach headline status starting early in February. Since Mercury is retrograde from the 4th through the 25th, much of February is prone to snafus of this sort - but not due just to the occasional stretch of bad weather. There's a hefty human error factor at work February 4-25, which eases up after that but isn't entirely down to normal background levels until March 18 (when Mercury passes the point where it's retrograde began). Whoever makes the best provisions for Murphy's Law and such will fare best during this period: double-check everything, assume nothing, follow up on everything. And when traveling, pad your schedule as much as practicable to allow for delays due to weather, human mischief and even the occasional act of God.

While atmospheric and seismic upheavals have a way of capturing headlines, they're not the only scene-stealers afoot in February. There's also the Mars-Saturn opposition of the 3rd, which is within a degree or two of being exact all the way from the 1st through the 7th. Always an indicator of tension, this is the same aspect that was in effect during the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 - and more recently, NATO's 1999 air war on Serbia. Look for more international saber-rattling, cross-border raids and other forms of military confrontation on the geopolitical scale. On the more personal level, be aware that people tend to have shorter than usual fuses at times like this. Either steer clear of trouble, or be prepared for a boatload of it. (A good time to sharpen your defensive driving skills, double-check the security alarm, etc.) This kind of alignment is bound to coincide with an up-tick in crimes of violence . . . including another of those now all too common senseless mass shootings. Similarly edgy though not so harsh is the Mars opposition to Jupiter on the 19th: give or take a few days, that's a time to watch for outstanding athletic performances on the plus side. On the negative end of things, superlative acts of terrorism are a possibility as well, as ideologues go nuts over the righteousness of their cause and use it to justify extremes of inhumanity.

Luna reaches maximum declination south of the equator on the 18th, ushering in a period of heightened storm and seismic risk from the 17th into early on the 20th. This particular risk window merges immediately into the one for this month's new moon, at 5 Pisces on the 23rd. In effect from the 20th through the 27th - picking up an extra day due to the Moon's northward equatorial crossing on the 26th - this is February's second major interval of enhanced risk for strong storms and moderate to severe seismic activity (including volcanic eruptions and Richter 5 or greater earthquakes). As usual, it's a good idea to check your stock of emergency supplies at times like this, to make sure you're prepared for Mother Nature's worst - just in case. (You might want to check a little closer if you live in a seismically active or flood-prone area.) Making allowances for weather-related delays during this period would also be prudent - most especially in coastal and low-lying areas subject to inundation, heavy precipitation, etc.

Though not in the same class as the SuperMoon earlier this month, this new moon is similar in that it's on a planetary scale. Consequently, the storm and seismic risks it raises can manifest practically anywhere on Earth. That said, a look at the astro-locality of this particular alignment shows a strong focus on the western US and the eastern third of Brazil in the New World; as well as Scandinavia, eastern Europe and the Middle East, Japan and just about the whole of eastern Australia.

The heliocentric Jupiter-Pluto opposition on the 16th is the prime milestone for major equity markets this month. Around this time, it will probably be obvious that the first quarter or two of 2001 will represent a bigger economic slowdown than anyone might have guessed just a month or two ago. If you're a short-term investor, you should be in cash already. Long-term investors on the other hand are apt to find some good buying opportunities this month. Except for a couple of flat spots in mid-summer and mid-autumn, the second half of 2001 offers decent growth in equity markets - and increasingly in commodities as well. With this in mind, the panics likely around the time of the big planet oppositions to Pluto (heliocentrically this month, geocentrically in May, August and November) can signal some especially good buying opportunities. Just be sure you know what you're getting into: hedge fund fiascoes, currency and commodity manipulation (and miscalculations in same) also have a way of making a few people wildly rich and a lot of people bankrupt at the same time, under the aegis of this type of planetary alignment.

Energy price shocks look like a prime player where the February economic scenario is concerned. On the one hand, severe winter storms stress the demand side of the equation; while on the other hand, political tensions and transportation problems are apt to put a crimp in the supply lines: the 7th, 19th and 23rd - in each case, give or take a few days - are likely sore spots in this regard.

  

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