Aquarius New Moon Solar Eclipse: Dream it. Build it.
Dear Reader,
We’re in the final hour of the balsamic Moon—the last phase of its cycle—just before today’s New Moon and Solar Eclipse in Aquarius. If you haven’t already, I invite you to join me in closing out this lunar cycle (January 18th – February 17th) with some reflection on what’s been.
✎ What’s been here for you?
✎ What are you grateful for?
Guided by the Solar Eclipse in Aquarius
Today brings our first eclipse of the year—an annular “ring of fire” eclipse of the Sun. It takes place at 28 degrees of Aquarius on February 17th, at 1:02 pm Central European time, three days before the Saturn-Neptune conjunction in the first degree of the zodiac, which hasn’t happened in almost 6000 years.
Every solar eclipse happens during a New Moon, when the Moon moves between Earth and the Sun. But not every New Moon creates an eclipse—that only happens when the Moon is near a Lunar Node, where its tilted orbit crosses Earth's path around the Sun.
A Solar Eclipse is an extra powerful New Moon. In Aquarius, near the North Node of the Moon, we’re seeding major new beginnings in how we show up in community, who we are as a collective, and what future we’re building. The North Node pulls us forward—toward what's unfamiliar, toward who we're becoming. This eclipse is here to wake up our inner visionary and rebel, connect us with those who welcome our weird, and help us see what could be.
Eclipse season tends to move fast, sweeping us along the river of our lives. Eclipses often surprise and unsettle us—suddenly we’re somewhere new, on a path we didn’t expect. Things can feel turbulent and disorienting, and it’s easy to get caught up in the drama of it all. Find ways to center yourself instead, focus on what’s possible, and let yourself be moved toward what’s calling you.
Mars in Aquarius squares Uranus in Taurus
The eclipse is making a close square to Uranus, the great awakener, amplifying the disruptive quality of eclipses. We’re just coming out of a series of Uranus activations from planets in late Aquarius: Mercury, Venus, and the Sun all squared Uranus in Taurus during the first half of the month. What surprised you? What’s been revealed? Mars will follow on February 27th and, loosely conjoined with the eclipse, shake something awake.
Whatever hasn’t been built on solid ground is likely to collapse now. The fierce, liberating energy of Mars-Uranus can help us shatter the patterns of the past, break away from old limitations, and let go of what we’ve outgrown. While reactivity might run high, Aquarius supports us in keeping our cool, taking a step back, and seeing things clearly.
Saturn and Neptune conjoin in Aries
The eclipse is hosted by Saturn, the ruler of Aquarius, which entered Aries on February 14th and will stay there until April 2028. The planet of form and structure joined Neptune, the great dissolver, in Aries, where Neptune has been since January 26th and will remain until 2039. They traveled close together in early Aries last summer, when they first dipped into the sign of the ram, but they will make their only exact conjunction on February 20th, just three days after the eclipse.
Saturn and Neptune come together about every 36 years, marking profound collective change. The last time they conjoined, in Capricorn, was in 1989, during the fall of the Berlin Wall. When Saturn meets Neptune, illusions are dispelled, boundaries are dissolved, and borders are eroded. It’s a time when our faith can be tested, and new realities can emerge from what we couldn’t yet see.
But this isn't just any Saturn-Neptune conjunction. It takes place at 0 degrees of Aries—the point of the Spring Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere, when the new year bursts forth into being. The last time this happened was 4361 BCE, according to Heather Ensworth’s research. Now, at this potent threshold, we're being asked to actively dream beyond what’s been possible—and to build it, with spiritual maturity and integrity of action.
For those of you born with Saturn in Pisces, you’ve officially completed your Saturn return. Well done! If Saturn is in Aries in your birth chart, your Saturn return story began last year, when Saturn first dipped into Aries between May 25th and September 1st and gave you a preview of a three-year journey of hard-earned growth. Time to roll up your sleeves!
Venus in Pisces trines Jupiter in Cancer
Venus in Pisces is building towards a trine with retrograde Jupiter in Cancer, which will perfect on February 22nd and linger until the beginning of March, providing a silver lining to the dramatic astrology of the moment. Both Venus and Jupiter are in their signs of exaltation, where they find their highest, most generous expression—making this trine particularly special. Venus also has reception with Jupiter, as Venus is in Pisces, Jupiter’s sign, making their connection even more supportive.
When Venus and Jupiter are this well-placed, the returns on love are greater than usual. At the time of the eclipse, Venus is also conjoined with the North Node in Pisces, further amplifying the Venusian realms of love, beauty, art, friendship, and harmony. It’s a time when we’re invited to lean into the spiritual dimensions of our relationships—compassion, forgiveness, devotion—and tend to one another as family. Venus in Pisces opens our hearts; Jupiter in Cancer widens our circle of care. What we offer with an open heart now has a way of coming back to us multiplied.
Horoscope for the Aquarius New Moon Solar Eclipse on February 17th, 2026
The Solar Eclipse in Aquarius & YOU
To explore what this eclipse is waking up in your life, find the house of your birth chart that contains the sign of Aquarius. The areas of life connected to your Aquarius house are where you’re asked to start fresh, think outside the box, and build toward what you know is possible.
The last time we had North Node eclipses in Aquarius was from February 2008 to August 2009, the time before that from August 1989 to July 1991. You can look back at what was happening in your life then, especially in your Aquarius house. It might hold clues about what’s beginning to surface in that area of your life now.
This eclipse is the first chapter of a larger story—the first of six eclipses to take place along the Leo-Aquarius axis over the next two years. It will touch your life more directly if you have any planets or angles at or near 28 degrees of Aquarius, are in an Aquarius profection, or have the Sun or the Moon as a timelord.
The best time to set your New Moon intentions is from February 17th at 3:10 pm to February 19th at 1:02 pm CET. Write down what you most want to weave into your life this month, especially related to the wisdom of Aquarius and the topics of your Aquarius house.
✎ What have you outgrown?
✎ Where are you ready to break away from the past?
✎ What collaborations are calling you?
✎ What causes feel important to you?
✎ Who is matching your weird?
Eclipse season can be intense. If you’re feeling tired or overwhelmed, lean into rest and gentle self-care. Some simple practices that help me: writing morning pages, gentle stretches, body doubling, dropping into my breath, going outside, listening to birds, lighting candles, reading poems, sipping tea, going to bed early. What helps you?
Until next time...
I’ll be back as we approach the Full Moon and Lunar Eclipse in Virgo on March 3rd at 12:38 pm CET, marking the halfway point of this lunar cycle and bringing our second eclipse of the season.
Meanwhile, you can take any of the questions from this newsletter with you on your walk, into your journal, or wherever else feels right. I hope they tickle you and help you weave yourself into the mystery of this Aquarius Solar Eclipse.
*All dates are in Central European Time, so depending on where you are in the world, it might be a day earlier or later for you. If there's a link, click it to convert to your local time.