❤️ The Astrology of Valentine’s Day ❤️

Every year on February 14, astrologers scratch their heads as love is celebrated worldwide: why choose a season when the Sun in in Aquarius, the sign of cold, austere Saturn, to celebrate lovers and romance? Let me tell you a bit more about the context of Valentine’s Day, why we celebrate love and romance on this day of the year, and what kind of astro weather you can expect on V-Day 2023!

The origins of the celebration itself are unclear, although it is named after a Christian saint (or possibly multiple ones) who suffered martyrdom. One legend has it that a priest, Valentine of Rome, kept celebrating unions in secret despite Emperor Claudius II’s ban on marriages for young men, whom he intended to send to war. Another legend has it that the day was named after Valentine of Terni, a bishop who helped Christians escape Roman prisons. After falling in love with a young woman, Valentine sent her the first Valentine’s day card, signed “your Valentine” - hence the expression still in use to this day! Both Valentines were beheaded by order of Claudius II, and were canonised by the Church. The legend grew, resulting in the tradition of celebrating love and lovers we observe in many countries to this day.

Another explanation comes from the pagan celebration of Lupercalia, a festival that was celebrated around mid-February in ancient Rome. Lupercalia was a fertility festival centred around the god Faunus. Unmarried women of the city would gather and touch the sacrificial remains made during the day in hopes of increasing fertility for the coming year. According to the legend, they would then place their names in an urn which would then be picked by the city’s eligible bachelors. These pairing would often result in marriages. As with many pagan traditions and festivals, it is plausible that Christianity later assimilated them into existing Christian myths and traditions, hence why the season kept its undertones of romance, commitment and love.

For astrologers though, Valentine’s day seems like an ill fit. Although the planets in our solar system will always be in different signs from year to year, the Sun will always be in the same spot (same sign and degree). This can give us the “flavour” of that day. With the Sun in the late degrees of Aquarius, a cold and harsh sign ruled by Saturn, it may seem odd to celebrate love and romance… Unless?

My own interpretation of this lies in the “polarising” nature of Aquarius and Saturn himself. In our day and age, few celebrations are as polarising as Valentine’s Day. Loved by some, hated by others, Valentine’s Day simultaneously represents an idealised version of love, an opportunity for people to display a certain image of their relationship status to all, but also a day described as “fake” and “consumerist” under capitalism. Talk about contrast! No matter the reaction, Valentine’s Day rarely leaves people indifferent. If anything, I actually find this extremely Saturnine, and more specifically in line with the Sun in Aquarius. In this sign, the Sun is debilitated, meaning he’s in the sign opposite to his domicile. When planets are debilitated, their natural expression is constricted by an unfamiliar environment. In Aquarius, the universal, king-of-all, “popular” Sun has to deal with rejection, separation and difference — with a cold, fixed energy that polarises. I think this placement is very apt not for the concept of Valentine’s Day, but for what is actually is in our modern world: an exercise of choosing between adhering to a norm, celebrating something “mainstream” (which also comes with its anxieties!), or feeling left out, and even openly and loudly criticising the “fake” and consumerist dimension of it. Either way, it’s almost like you need to pick a side, even if it’s not particularly interesting or relevant to you. Either “for” or against”, no middle ground. How Aquarian!

Now onto the astrology of Valentine’s Day 2023: what’s in store for us? Let’s have a look at the sky!

This chart is interesting for several reasons. On Valentine’s Day 2023, the Moon will be in the early degrees of Sagittarius, meaning she will be moving towards an auspicious, benevolent trine aspect to Jupiter, the Greater Benefic. This is a lovely and passionate aspect in fire signs, which can also instigate bold actions and grand ideas: grand gestures for this Valentine’s Day? It could also indicate making very optimistic and large-seeing plans… if a bit unrealistic at times. We’ll come back to that shortly.

The other interesting aspect is the Venus-Neptune conjunction in Pisces, the sign of the goddesse’s exaltation. This conjunctions is full of cozy, cheesy heart-eyed romance… We love that for Valentine’s Day! Generally speaking, Venus' presence in Pisces bodes well for this day, as the planet of love, pleasure and beauty is exalted and highly potent in Pisces. However, this conjunction also comes with a word of warning: if Neptune can represent beautiful illusions and dream-like fantasies… It’s highly likely that the come down will be as brutal as the illusion is sweet. After Venus passes the conjunction, it’s likely that we realise things are not what they seem. Think of it as having too much sugar: sweet and exalting at first… But eventually nauseous. There is a possibility that grand plans or idyllic promises could be made on that day, but not really followed through. My word of advice: dream big on that day and dive into the magic and romance, but keep some discernment and remember that anything decided on that day is highly unlikely to last or go through exactly as you envisioned. Enjoy the moment while it lasts, and that’s it!

The other interesting thing on that day is the Sun-Aquarius conjnction in Aquarius… Talk about a cold, stern one! Although Saturn is heavily affected as he is “combust” (within 8° of the Sun), He is otherwise highly dignified in the late degrees of his own domicile. This means that this harsh and austere energy is meeting the dreamy, fantasy-like energy of Venus and Neptune… Great contrasts at play here! This could symbolise a down-to-earth, not very fun energy (like an old man reminding you of the harsh realities of life) meeting a playful, almost naive idealist. You may feel torn between these two energies during Valentine’s Day of this year, between the need to pay attention at what’s going on and the cold truth of life’s difficulties, and fantasies of escaping the real world towards a more alluring, fun and full of promises one (even if delusion comes to meet you on the other side…)

This day might be met with a brutal change of mood: after her lovely trine to Jupiter, the Moon will move towards an opposition from Mars in Gemini. Ouch! Your grand plans and idealism might suddenly get contradicted with harsh words, or obscured by details you didn’t notice at first. Back to reality… Remember that this opposition from Mars is only temporary, and that the Moon’s next aspect (a square to Venus) will come to sweeten the deal for a time.

Overall, you are encouraged to spend that day as you please: whatever happens, remember that this too, shall pass, and even though the energy of the day will be quite contrasted with high highs and low lows, you will make it through the ebbs and flows! I wish you a lovely week as the Sun makes his way through the last degrees of Aquarius. Mwah! 🫶