A transitional, potentially tempestuous weekend as militant
Mars shifts modes of operation from territorial Taurus to aerial Gemini on Friday.
On Saturday, the sun exchanges the airy Aquarius atmosphere for the emotional
depths of watery Pisces. Their mutable, i.e., easily adaptable, square is exact
early Sunday morning. That evening, Mercury in imaginative Pisces and Jupiter
in suspicious Scorpio form a rewarding trine. Rewarding to whom? Paranoids, prevaricators,
poets and publishers?

Aries

Go figure. No sooner do you start to shake off the safe-and-sane mindset imposed
on you while your Mars ruler was spending month after month in pragmatic Taurus
than the War God decides to attack the Pisces sun. Do you really need a hassle
to prove your mettle? No matter what the outcome of this challenging square aspect,
be grateful for the opportunity to stretch your wings and widen your horizons.
That the experience might also cost a few bucks is not such a bad thing. Think
of the tales you can regale your friends with.

Taurus

Now that insistent and irritable Mars has left your sign, you won't get
into or attract as much trouble as you have been. If the past six months have
been difficult, if you've been a target for cuts, bruises and insults, blame
the Red Planet. But if you've also felt more independent and exceptionally
sexual, you can attribute that to Martian aggressiveness as well. Now what? Play
nice; generous Jupiter, turning retrograde in your Scorpio house of partners for
the next four months, might not be willing to bail you out.

Gemini

Read for Taurus. It's probably a good thing that acerbic, adventurous Mars
spends only eight weeks in your sign, not six months. You'll get an infusion
of assertiveness, if that's what you want, but you probably won't
have to spill blood and guts in the process. A small skirmish over the weekend
may have revealed what the God of War is bringing to your table and whether the
maneuver can advance your cause. Since your Mercury ruler is turning retrograde
on March 2, make your “to do” list, order parts and supplies, schedule
repairs and trips ASAP.

Cancer

Hold back and let the first month in the Year of the Dog wind down before you
stir things up. It's better for a Moon Child to wait until the Pisces new
moon on the 27th before embarking on a new fiscal, philosophical or educational
course. Also make sure your plan is in place, the proper papers signed, before
Mercury turns retrograde on March 2 for three weeks. Although the Messenger wandering
through Pisces, a compatible water sign, shouldn't present you with a real
problem, it could interrupt the flow of information until Good Friday.

Leo

An inexplicable attraction to shy or elusive Pisces natives tends to occur whenever
your fiery sun ruler transits this mystical, musical water sign. Few experts understand
the whys and wherefores of this phenomenon, not unlike a semidestructive, but
delicious, habit you can't break. So feel free to enjoy, or perhaps regret,
whatever happens over the next few weeks. However, you should know that when the
sun and erratic Uranus meet on Ash Wednesday, you could be in for a really big
surprise. What are your plans for Mardi Gras?

Virgo

The events that occur during the two-month period between mid-February and mid-April
can have a major impact on your closest relationships at work and at home. That's
because this year, while traveling through your Pisces house of partnerships,
your Mercury ruler gets to perform its direct-retrograde-direct dance of destiny.
Think, how badly, how superbly did you behave on Valentine's Day? Mercury
doesn't flip into reverse until March 2, but the steps you take until then
will make a difference later on. Be careful.

Libra

Eventually the benefits of having energetic Mars in airy Gemini for the next seven
weeks will reveal themselves. However, this week, while the fiery sun and the
Red Planet aggravate what starts off as a romantic moment, it's likely that
your temper, rather than your passion, will flare instead. Don't let your
anger defeat your purpose. Libras should also know that prosperous Jupiter in
your Scorpio house of values and assets turns retrograde on March 4 for four months.
Consider paying off credit cards, cutting back on luxuries.

Scorpio

Adjusting to your Mars co-ruler's shift into Gemini, a flexible air sign,
might present a hiccup for Scorpions who resist changes they can't control.
However, now that Mars has left your Taurus complement, it's also likely
that your partner will change his or her position. The next few weeks will tell.
Meanwhile, protective Jupiter, turning retrograde in your sign on March 4, will
give you four months to reflect on, and possibly revise if not reverse, the direction
your life has taken since the jolly giant entered Scorpio for Halloween.

Sagittarius

It's mainly November-born Centaurs who'll be targeted by both abrasive
Mars in early Gemini and the powerful sun in early Pisces during their cantankerous
square this week. A simultaneous attack from mutable signs like yours suggests
that you'll be dancing as fast as you can, ducking the barbs a partner or
parent tosses your way. The Pisces new moon should signal a truce; nonetheless,
the sun's merger with disruptive Uranus two days later can make the atmosphere
at home positively explosive. Emotionally, it's earthquake weather; be prepared.

Capricorn

Despite the emphasis on warring factions, try to avoid any show of militancy on
your part. Focus instead on what you personally value and how to protect those
assets. While you still have magnetic Venus in your sign (until March 5), it would
be foolish not to use charm, tact and, if you happen to be stunning as well, your
good looks to your advantage. Mercury turning retrograde in spacy Pisces next
month can really screw with machines and the mail. Bring the car in for service,
back up your files, order supplies, etc.

Aquarius

Small skirmishes among neighbors, possibly in your family between siblings, will
soon pass. Ignore them. What you should keep your eye on instead is the big picture,
which, for idealistic Aquarians, consists partially of the rewards promised by
a well-meaning employer and your own vivid imagination. However, what you should
prepare for is a re-evaluation of those promises while expansive Jupiter in your
career midheaven is retrograde. The big picture may be revised in the interim,
so check out other profitable career opportunities.

Pisces

Pisces barely begins before you could find yourself embroiled in an altercation
with a neighbor, local tradesman or the U.S. Postal Service. Better to have another
argument with your sibling than go to war with your dry cleaner. If you can maintain
a modicum of cool, you'll be extremely effective expressing your point of
view. Artists and writers should take note. However, chances are you'll
do something crazy as the month ends. The Pisces new moon, Fat Tuesday and Ash
Wednesday might be extremely difficult days for eccentric or rebellious Fish.

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