Aquarius solar eclipse & new moon 2026: freedom, trauma release & collective change
and Dickens invades my dreams
The Moon is New in Aquarius on February 17, 2026 at 4:01 AM PST
“A radical change is needed. At this stage, this change is individual and mental, and it should be seen against the background of humanity as a whole.”
The above is from Dane Rudhyar’s description of the Sabian Symbol for 28° Aquarius, on which the solar eclipse in Aquarius falls on Tuesday. The symbol is “A butterfly emerging from a chrysalis”. Surely, you sense that we are in the last stages of emergence from the confines of a dank darkness - during which our cells have been rearranged irreversibly.
Individuals are being expelled from their own confining substrates lately. Aquarius contains trauma inflicted at the hands of those who raised you - directly or societally. There may come a realization that your “people” do not have your back, not really. You may sense that they are holding you back - from what, you are not sure of yet. At one time, perhaps you assumed there was safety in the certainty of your conditions. Now you wish to fly.
Your recent dreams, aided by Mercury in Pisces, may be showing you the big picture of what is happening in the collective, as played out in characters and places drawn from your veiled lived experience. Perhaps you are tired of living a compartmentalized life, or carrying out your employer’s/parents’/spouse’s/friends’ agenda - playing it off as though it were yours, out of a sense of obligation or debt. The dreamtime visions may feature offices, hotels, churches, childhood homes, bodies of water, cars, or airports. The nocturnal inquiry is uncomfortable, yet we must engage.
This solar eclipse is an opportunity for amnesty. Any debt you feel you owe to the circumstances leading to your metamorphosis has been cancelled. You are free.
As you expand your new wings, you will find others attracted to your colors and patterns. They won’t question your pedigree, but they will ask you questions out of genuine interest, and to explore any synergy there. This, too, is Aquarius energy.
With Neptune in my first house, I am no stranger to messages coming through dreams. Last night I dreamed I was entering a classroom, and seats were assigned according to several different book titles. I was assigned to Dickens’ The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby. The vibe in the room felt tense and cruel, and I walked out of the classroom, only to find myself in another one.
In this other room, the professor was addressing the students, asking if they had questions and remarking that he realized the commitment was bigger than had been stated on the class description. We were creating something new, he said. Were we okay with that?
I looked around at the other willing faces and took my seat.
This eclipse coincides with the start of the Year of the Fire Horse, also on February 17th. Additionally, two planets, Saturn and Neptune, are settling into the first sign of the zodiac, the fire sign Aries, the warrior archetype. Your life may not read as dramatically as the fictional Nicholas Nickleby’s, but it requires bravery nonetheless. Welcome to the real start of 2026 - and whatever we are creating for our future.
Thank you for being here! I would love to hear about your dreams. Or reality, as it relates to these themes.
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Aries and Fire Horse energy came for me early, and I have several upcoming events:
I will be at the West Coast Willow Apothecary 2 year anniversary party in Seattle this Saturday Feb 14th, 12-2 giving free mini readings. Nicole, the owner, is going all out and there will be all kinds of prizes and witchy and herby fun!
Feb 15th, 11-1 PDT at McAllister Academy, online: Your Connection to Earth, Air, Fire, and Water
Fire, Earth, Air, and Water describe how we move through life: how we act, feel, think, and stay grounded.
This workshop offers a simple, calming framework for understanding stress, balance, and self-care—especially when the world feels demanding or uncertain.
Astrology + Acupuncture will be taking place on February 17 and February 19 at Saha Health in Kirkland, WA.
Booking Link: To make the booking, go to joinsaha.com, click on”Book Now”, select the 17th or 19th, and click the checkbox next to “Lunar New Year” special.
Your astrological birth chart is a unique blueprint of your emotional wiring, innate gifts, recurring patterns, and soul lessons.
Acupuncture brings this insight into the body. Where astrology offers language and meaning, acupuncture works directly with the nervous system and energetic pathways, helping release what the psyche has carried for too long.
Together, they create a bridge between awareness and embodiment — translating insight into felt change.
I love the acupuncture/astrology combo. Brilliant.
This post, like so many that you have written, feels like it was exactly what I needed to hear. I'm not sure how you do what you are doing, and creating, Maria, but I want you to know when I read your insights I literally feel them conversing with my "gut" or inner knowing...however that voice inside us is described. You startle me daily! I am listening. And so appreciate your boldness in all you are sharing with us. Thank you.