2021 - A Funny Valentine?

THIS year so far hasn't exactly been a bed of roses. In fact, if the last 12 months were a bed of any kind, it would be better represented by a fly-tipped mattress after a night of heavy rain! Yet, despite all this, the heart still longs for affection, needs nurturing and seeks out new connections whatever barriers are placed in the way. Lockdown love and romance are a challenge whether you're married, in a relationship or on the market. But this year there are things we can all look out for to foster a better sense of emotional wellbeing.

Arc of Aquarius

St Valentine's Day this year follows the Aquarian New Moon that sees Mercury, Venus and Jupiter gathered together in that same sign to form a 'Stellium' - a rare and spectacular moment when several planets converge at a single point in they sky. It's all part of 2021's amazing Arc of Aquarius, overseen by this sign's twin rulers, Saturn and Uranus, as they engage in a dynamic relationship that ebbs and flows throughout the year.

Mercury Retrograde

While the planetary backdrop encourages us to adopt Aquarius' forward facing and progressive nature, this Valentine's weekend is all about embracing eccentricity and celebrating what makes us unique. There's no point in trying to pretend times are normal. And if we try to communicate our feelings in the usual ways, or with standard responses, we're likely to find ourselves in one way or another less able to make a connection. Mercury is retrograde after all! Whenever the messenger planet wings its way backwards across our skies, we must question assumptions, take extra care in what we say, and be ready to change our responses when new information comes to light.

Retrograde Mercury sometimes creates confusion, but it also helps us re-examine ideas and get to the root of some of our problems. Also, as it converges with Venus and Jupiter, we may find that by revisiting neglected parts of our emotional life, we can open up new and exciting parts of our world to more love and affection.

Aquarian New Moon

Relationships aren't static entities. They change and evolve whether we're fully focused on them or not. And there's much to suggest that, despite past misgivings or current doubts, there are ways we can grow the amount of love we experience in our lives. The Aquarian New Moon (on February 11), just ahead of Valentine's weekend plants new emotional seeds. And it brings a promise of something different in the weeks to come.

There are adventures waiting for us that we may not even realise have begun. And there's hope for the future, signposted in the heavens and exemplified by the brilliant work of scientists and doctors around the world.

Make a Plan

If we want to feel more loved and less vulnerable this Valentine's Day, the important thing is to think, plan, and act with conviction;and carry out our intentions with a belief that things can and will be better. We akso need to recognise that, while each of us has been impacted by the current crisis in different ways, we remain connected but unique. We have a common experience but individual understandings.

Generosity and kindness remain the principal tools to help us through the current crisis. The more we can give to our family, friends and neighbours, the more we will receive in return!

Progress

If we want to make more harmonious, faithful and loving connections this weekend, we must be willing to risk the possibility of making a mistake. In life and love we cannot let the perfect be the enemy of the good. And if we want relationships to grow, we have to allow for both the freedom to fail and the opportunity to 'fail better' as we learn from our mistakes. We need to recognise that we're all operating in uncharted territory and that, even if we falter on the journey, we can still make remarkable progress. We are all operating under the kind of stresses that haven't been seen for generations. But, just as it takes immense pressure to forge diamonds below the surface of the earth, the weight of the challenges we face now can help create longer-lasting alliances that really sparkle once let into the light. And as difficult and as isolating as this may at times feel, it has taught us all more about the importance of personal relationships, the value of heartfelt connections and perhaps realigned our future priorities to focus more on what truly matters in our heart of hearts.

A Bright Future

This Valentine's weekend is an opportunity to change heading and correct the course of our key relationships. But it's also a chance to revel in our individuality and commit to being true to our core selves. We cannot pretend to be something we're not, nor force others into positions they cannot realistically maintain. But we can free ourselves from the expectation that we must conform to ideas we're no longer comfortable pursuing.

Thanks to adjustments we make now - and the release this gives brings - we'll be ready to embark on a new, more rewarding journey unfolding in a bright emotional future.