Musings On... the New Moon in Aquarius

Elizabeth Anderson
Feb 13
3 min read

Tuesday, February 17, 2026 2:01 AM HST

Quite a New Moon, this. To understand it, let’s first give it context.

Saturn has been slowly making its way through the last degrees of Pisces, and as of today has arrived at 0° Aries. This is monumental, because in just a few more days, (February 20) it will make an exact conjunction with Neptune in this degree.

But what has been taking place while Saturn finished up its time in Pisces? Saturn confronts our lives with blockages and obstacles, forcing us to dig deeper in order to find a way to move forward. Success is hard won, and the confidence we cultivate in the process is lasting.

Pisces motivates us towards the spiritual, the mystical, and the creative. It teaches us how to move and breathe with the lifeforce of Love. Saturn in this sign can feel like stagnation, depression, a lack of creative flow, and in the extreme, difficulty accessing spiritual connection. It requires us to turn compassion inward, to Love ourselves in spite of our circumstances, and to live according to our faith rather than our feelings.

The Full Moon in Leo two weeks ago, dropped hints, love notes, and reminders of what it feels like to be in that creative, life-giving, inspired flow. To be in Joy.

Now here we are, Saturn has pushed through the last degrees of Pisces and into Aries, soon to meet up with Neptune. This is unprecedented. There isn’t any historical record of these two planets meeting up on this very first degree of the zodiac. Life is pioneering new territory, (or so ancient it is beyond the reach of human memory) and so must we.

Enter the New Moon in Aquarius. Along with it comes an annular solar eclipse, (this will not be visible in Hawai’i, as it occurs while the Sun and Moon are below the horizon.) An annular eclipse happens when the Moon moves in front of the Sun, but doesn’t fully block our view of the solar disc. The effect looks like a ring of fire. Remember, eclipses usually bring about endings and new beginnings. The period between two eclipses (about 2 weeks) is a potent time for observing what's naturally leaving and entering our lives.

Saturn is one of the rulers of this New Moon, and Uranus, in a tight square to the New Moon, is the other. “Lord of Earthquakes and Lightningbolts”, Uranus is usually anything but subtle. Often unexpected, the effects of this planet tend to turn things upside down. The point is, that when the apple cart spills, and we have to pick up all the apples, we have the opportunity to sort through them, and toss the ones that have spoiled.

Uranus teaches us to rearrange our lives according to the truth of our values. Sometimes that’s uncomfortable, even frightening. It is also the path to freedom. Aquarius motivates us towards this end… to stand in our truth so that we can be free.

In contemplating this New Moon, I began thinking about the ancient Hawaiian practice of kapu. To place a kapu on something or someone was to place a restriction. Hula dancers would undergo strict training during a time of kapu. This allowed them to be free from distraction, and focus on their goals. When the time was right, they would ceremonially break the kapu, and be released from it into freedom.

Saturn’s retrograde into Pisces has felt like a time of kapu to me. By “restricting access” to our normal flow, we’ve had to focus. We’ve had to double down on the practices that keep us grounded and steady, so as not to fall into depression or spin out into anxiety. This Aquarian/Uranian energy, so often thought to bring breakthroughs, feels to me like the lifting of kapu. We are free to move forward.

Of course, every good beginning starts with a review of the past for learning purposes. So, naturally, we’re headed into a Mercury retrograde period… in Pisces of course!

As of yesterday, Mercury entered the territory it will review during the retrograde. Themes emerging now will play central roles for a season (Mercury retrogrades last about 3 weeks. This one will station direct on the 8th degree of Pisces on March 20th, well after eclipse season has passed.

We’ll get to spend some time digesting what all this means.

For now, I wish you a Happy New Moon in Aquarius.

May you know your truth, may you follow your truth, and may the truth set you free.

Dates:

February

17 New Moon in Aquarius

Annular Solar Eclipse

18 Sun in Pisces

20 Saturn conjunct Neptune

25 Mercury Retrograde

March

2 Mars in Pisces