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Aquarius III The Knot begins on 8 February 2026 at 1:28 pm EST, as the Sun crosses into Aquarius this year. Austin Coppock called this decan The Knot, while T. Susan Chang called itThe Divided Mind. In the Tarot, it’s associated with the eight of swords, the card that the Golden Dawn called The Lord of Shortened Force. The ancient Greeks associated it with Osiris, the Egyptian god ruling in the underworld. By Chaldean order it’s associated with the Moon. This decan last nine days, twenty-one hours, and twenty-four minutes. Pisces I The Labyrinth begins on 18 February 2026 at 10:52 am EST.

I’ve written about Aquarius III before, in 2020 – 2021 – 2022 – 2023 – 2024 – 2025.

The Knot is about untying and undoing, as much as it’s about connecting and binding. While Saturn’s significations include both rope and chains… entropy is among those characteristics of Saturn, too, and a far more important one. Chains rust. Rope untwists to become string, then yarn, then thread, then fibers. Things decay in Aquarius III, not through misuse or poor storage, but through use and effort: everything wears away gradually, no matter how carefully kept and managed.

Osiris’ myth is probably too well known to describe in much detail here. Depicted as a semi-mummified pharaoh of Egypt with green skin showing on his hands, feet and face — and wearing the atef crown (rather like a winged bowling pin), he is the ruler of the underworld and the lord of death and rebirth. Osiris is the Greek pronunciation or transliteration of an Egyptian name rather like Wasir or Wsjr — various etymologies of Osiris’ name have been suggested, none very convincing. I like “one who sees the throne” myself, but I also like “the male principle of generation.”

What should be clear is that by the time the ancient Greeks encountered Osiris sometime in the 780s BC (that is, roughly 2800 years before the present), the Egyptians had been worshipping this god in roughly this iconic form of a green-skinned mummified pharaoh for at least 1700 years: enough time as between our own era and the Council of Nicaea where Christian leaders settled on their official statement of belief about the Trinity, and harnessed their religious identity to the political apparatus of the Roman Empire. The sheer longevity of Osiris worship would have impressed the Greeks — they would have had no trouble honoring him with their own rites.

But more than that. We should be conscious that when Osiris appears in Hellenistic Era sources (and in some cases even earlier!) that Greek speakers that had attended certain secret mystery rites would hear others speak the myths of Osiris, and silently or inwardly substitute Dionysius’s name for that of the Egyptian god of rebirth. There’s some evidence (not much!) that most Greeks of roughly the first century BCE to the first century CE probably would have known the mythic connections between the death-and-rebirth stories of the Egyptian deity, and the death-and-rebirth stories of their own god of wine.

My own spiritual practices derive considerable comfort from the Orphic (and possibly Dionysian) formula or password of reincarnation, “I am a child of Earth and starry Heaven: Give me a drink of the waters of Memory, that I may not die of thirst!” It’s possible to see an echo of the reincarnation formulas of the Egyptian Book of the Dead in this, and consider how the ancient Greeks might have marveled at, and imitated, the worship of Osiris in their own rites.

All of this means that the worship of Osiris precedes our own lifetime by more than forty-five hundred years — and the prescribed rites and ceremonies associated with his worship have changed at least a few dozen times in the intervening forty-five centuries, as temples were constructed, consecrated, maintained, fell into ruin, renovated and re-sacralized — again and again, until finally abandoned. Even into the late 1800s, though, elements of ancient Egyptian magic working with Osiris remained in Muslim and Coptic folk magic, and might even survive to the present day.

The dodeks or twelfth parts of Aquarius III are assigned to Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius and Capricorn. They can tell a story of a businessman who comes into a little money when a deal doesn’t go quite as well as expected: first he must balance his expectations (how much money he wanted to get) against the real value of his goods or services (how much he must do). Then he tries to be outwardly calm with the results of the deal, but still seethes a little inside. The fire of enthusiasm within has a tendency to die a little and he tells himself other stories about why it didn’t work out as expected. Finally, he locks the money he got in his vault (along with his emotional distress) and doesn’t carry out the grand plans he had intended for the money.

Dates to Watch

• Venus square Uranus, 8 February 2026 — not necessarily a profound change, but look to change up some of the regularities of your romantic relationships with some excitement; or be prepared to alter some agreements even if they’re basically sound. Try to avoid impatience, and allow discussions to settle before taking action (especially unilateral action). Inflexibility is the enemy in this transit.
• Venus enters Pisces, 10 February 2026 (5:19 am EST) — Venus is moving from a sign where she’s a tourist in a mildly hostile land to a place where she’s an honored guest entitled to all the privileges and joys the country can afford, and where Jupiter is in a position to offer her sumptuousness, luxury, and delight. Try not to hold her back from creative or loving connections, no matter how surprising!
• Saturn enters Aries, 13 February (7:11 pm EST) — Saturn and Uranus have been nearly conjunct, but in adjacent signs (and therefore “in aversion”), for more than a week — but now they’re going to be within a degree of one another and in the same same sign. Expect that the next six days are going to be intense and interesting as pretty delusions and fondly-held illusions collapse in the face of facts.
• Sun square Uranus, 16 February 2026 — often associated with sudden and unexpected things, like a carpool driver forgetting you on the morning commute, or fraught communications in your relationships or a sudden burst of passivity when you become more accident-prone because you fail to act in time. No distracted driving today, please — phones in pockets!
• Annular Solar Eclipse in Aquarius, 17 February 2026, 7:11 am EST — This is an eclipse on the South Node, usually signifying a falling-away or lessening of some issue over the next six months. It’s also an eclipse mostly over the South Pole and a few tiny segments of southern Chile and Argentina, and extreme southeast Africa and the Seychelles Islands. The eclipse lasts one hour and 57 minutes from first shadow to last — and the effects are thus to be stretched across one year and 346 days (or about 23 and a half months, in total). Eclipses in Fixed signs usually signal deadlocks and party-splits in the legislature; while eclipses in Air signs usually signal challenges in weather as well as confusion and failure of the political party in power (especially when it comes to treaties and alliances). Although eclipses usually only affect the territories and nations from which they are visible, the treaties governing Antarctica mean that the United States, Britain, Norway, Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, Russia, Italy, France, China, Poland, Chile, Belgium, South Africa, and Ukraine may all be affected by this eclipse.

Upcoming Moment

Although Saturn won’t conjunct Neptune until 20 February 2026 (at 11:18 am EST, at 0° Aries 45′) a few days into the Sun’s time in Pisces I, it bears mentioning now so people can get their ducks in a row. The big outer planets only conjunct once-ish every few decades (or up to three times over a few months if either planet goes through a retrograde), and Saturn meets Neptune only once ever 36 years. The last time was in 1989 as the Warsaw Pact and the Soviet Union were imploding; the time before, in 1950-51, China was switching dynastic allegiance from the Nationalist movement (whose successors now control Taiwan) to the Communist movement (still in power on the mainland). The time before that, roughly coincided with the Russian Revolution of 1917.

The three previous times suggest a significant shift in the way that power is centralized, aggregated and controlled — and what institutions hold and manage it. In all three cases, though, a beautiful and idealistic dream had to face up to its ugly realities and failures: the Soviet Union, like the Tsarist system that preceded it, held out hope for a Russia that bridged and connected Asia with Europe and provided great wealth and prosperity for its people — while each reality showed Russia could only deliver a fraction of that prosperity to a minuscule percentage of the elites. China shifted from a hope of a democratically elected government to replace emperors, to the reality of a single-party system that won control only with the business ends of rifles and re-education camps. The revelation of ugly realities is unlikely to appear all at once, or bring down nations in an instant — but be on the lookout for the collapse of propaganda and manufactured narratives in coming weeks.

House Delineations

The First House of self and self-presentation is Cancer, ruled by the trining Moon. Jupiter is present and exalted; the other Water triplicity rulers are inconjunct. The next ten days may be somewhat emotional, even if there are secret delights. Be alert to fulfilling your responsibilities, though, especially in shared relationships — you’re likely to be more blind to them than usual, and that may rouse arguments.

The Second House of money and possessions is Leo, ruled by the opposing Sun. The other Fire triplicity rulers are both inconjunct. Financial issues arise that require you to spend money on duties and expensive-but-boring tasks. However, these will be protective and useful in the long run. Don’t skimp on on practical preventions this week.

The Third House of extended family and intimate friends is Virgo, ruled by opposing Mercury. The South Node is present along with the Imum Coeli. Among the Earth triplicity rulers, only the Moon is available from the sextile. Making things with close friends brings both intimacy and trouble, but you may have to travel longer distances to talk with the people you really care about.

The Fourth House of home, household, and parents is Libra, ruled by trining Venus. The Air triplicity rulers are inconjunct (Saturn, Mercury) or square (Jupiter). Household matters require balancing financial obligations against personal honor and reputation, and travel or higher education plans, or religious tithes. Disconnecting or unlinking from duties that don’t benefit your household may be important, but some connections must remain ties that bind.

The Fifth House of pleasures and pastimes is Scorpio, ruled by trining Mars. The Moon, one of the Water triplicity rulers, is present but detrimented in the 18th Mansion; the other two, Venus and Mars, are trine from the eighth house. Sensual delights are possible — but to paraphrase Uncle Owen, you don’t get to go to Tosche Station and waste time with your friends unless your chores are done.

The Sixth House of daily routines, pets, and injuries is Sagittarius, ruled by inconjunct Jupiter. The Fire triplicity rulers are inconjunct (Jupiter), square (Saturn), or sextile (Sun). The lunar apogee is present, indicating that the Moon is slower now as she approaches Sagittarius, thus bringing delay and obstacle to work habits and plans. Personal ego fulfillment may prevent quality management of health issues, and what you hope to achieve quickly is likely to be done poorly. There are hard learning opportunities ahead.

The Seventh House of spouse, peer partners, and rivals is Capricorn, ruled by sextile Saturn. The Earth triplicity rulers are inconjunct (Venus, Mars) or sextile (Moon). Relationships are darkly practical at the moment, more focused on “what’s for dinner” and “can you go to the pharmacy while you’re out?” A romantic date or Netflix-and-chill may be possible, but you’ll need space and time for the slow burn.

The Eighth House of obligation, duty and legacy is Aquarius, ruled by inconjunct Saturn. Pluto, Mars, Venus, and the Sun are present, but the Air triplicity rulers are not: all three are inconjunct (Saturn, Mercury, Jupiter). Creative and aesthetic forces marshal their resources to loosen the ties that bind, while merchants rob your pocket even as they criticize the systems that condemn robbers, and leaders squabble about the difference between what is happening and what should be happening. Bureaucracies are unlikely to work well or fast at the moment.

The Ninth House of higher learning and long-distance travel is Pisces, ruled by trining Jupiter. The Water triplicity rulers are inconjunct (Venus, Mars) or trine but exiled (Moon). Saturn, Mercury and the North Node are present. You’re most likely to journey or travel for reasons of pilgrimage than business, at least for the moment, but recognize when your intellectual voyages are taking too meandering a path — consider diving directly in, instead. Similarly, your enthusiasm for the Great Mysteries may put you at odds with the facts on the ground.

The Tenth House of career and professional reputation is Aries, ruled by sextile Mars. Neptune is present. The Fire triplicity rulers are sextile (Sun), inconjunct (Saturn) or square (Jupiter). Your personal identity, no matter how carefully you protect it, is in some boss’s line of sight as a new and important approach to succeed. Be honest about what you know, and don’t, about the topic of any new work-project you’re asked to lead. Study the pitfalls and traps of any new program closely if it’s founded on wrong assumptions.

The Eleventh House of friends, associates, and allies is Taurus, ruled by squaring Venus. The Earth triplicity rulers are square (Venus, Mars) or opposed (Moon). Uranus is present. Challenging duties present obstacles to planned meetings of friends, but sudden or serendipitous connections are still possible. Hold time in your schedule daily for the unplannable get-together, like an afternoon tea or a drink after dinner with a neighbor.

The Twelfth House of both obstacles and opportunities is Gemini, ruled by squaring Mercury. The lunar perigee is present. The Air triplicity rulers are either square (Saturn, Mercury) or inconjunct (Jupiter). There’s often a disconnect this week between what you plan to do and what what you actually do. Traditional tasks are easy to complete, while novel or unusual choreography becomes difficult. You can learn to do new things, though — just remember to ask other to help you learn, and take more time to practice than you think you’ll need.

Horoscopes by Rising Sign

Decan I of any sign (usually covering the 21st of the month to the first of the following month) is free to all visitors; Decan II is only available to Patreon and Ko-Fi.com subscribers; and Decan III is available to Patreon, Ko-Fi, and MailChimp subscribers.

I recommend reading your Sun sign, Moon sign, and Rising sign for best results. I write them with rising sign in mind, but several people have told me they find that they do better with all three.

Cancer: You’ll need to focus your intellect, creativity, and ambition on completing some tedious but necessary work; but your communication and scholarship abilities may be directed at learning new things about religion and spirituality, and learning to express those thoughts in writing, audio-video, or other formats. Plan your big vision for the next ten years, but expect that the first three will be harder than you suppose. A friendly relationship can’t seem to get started without a lot of rescheduling of hangout time. Keep trying!

Leo: Hard to focus on yourself or your money matters when your attention is on what you have to do for others to get them to pay you. Your ambitions are correctly oriented, but remember to put your craft and aesthetic to work on the effort, too. Exciting travel plans may blind you to the risks you incur by getting on the road this time of year — but the reverse is also true: fear of winter hazards may be holding you back from a desired adventure; Going to see a friend in a warm, garden-like environment may be just the thing you need.

Virgo: Local affairs and family matters seem considerably less important when you need to be far from your home ground — whether for work or pleasure, personal discovery or professional growth. There are hidden responsibilities that you “literally forgot” and may have to ask for help in addressing… but first ask yourself if this is a practical issue that would be better if you re-thought the mission and vision that drives it… and do you have a hobbyist friend who might be in a better position to do this work for real, than you are? Learning to delegate to others, or to subcontract work, may help you take the next step in entrepreneurship.

Libra: You may want to gamify your household cleanup in the next ten days: you can buy new curtains for the bedroom when you’ve tackled that pile of laundry. You can get new pajamas once you’ve sorted the tax papers. Imagining small rewards for the completion of odious tasks may help make the chore more enjoyable, and help you “clear the board” of old projects. Put an index card with the delight on top of the pile, and add to your inventory of delights when you’ve completed the quest that goes with it. If there’s a lurking financial issue that’s giving you stress, do what you can to close it out these next few days.

Scorpio: E.Y. Harburg, famed for doggerel verse, once wrote, In spring, a young man’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love… and in summer, and in autumn, and in winter, see above. It’s rude to say you have only one thing on your mind in the lead-up to Valentine’s Day — and yet a darkly romantic evening with a beloved may be just the thing to warm up from the winter blues. Expect to go to some trouble, even though you stay in rather than go out — and recognize that our “romantic holiday” often has harsh boundaries of exclusivity imposed by Saturn. It might be a long night of talking instead doing.

Sagittarius: Defining your work habits will be both important and difficult this week, but you may find that it helps to re-define your own self and break free of a few ruts. Inviting friends to disrupt your routines will also bring unexpected relief from spiritual malaise. There’s an intense amount of neighborhood focus, and understanding the bureaucracies that govern your existence may yield rewarding insights. Home may have a chill to it that takes some time to thaw.

Capricorn: Partnership and its effects upon you are going to be an important topic in the next ten days, but it’s essential that you see the “we” of your keystone relationships in the context of your closest friends, neighbors, and web of familial connections. By Valentine’s Day, you’ll be in a position to draw a circle of protection around your personal household, but for right now, think about your neighborhood and how it’s affected by those just passing through. Financial matters may be explosively out of control at the moment, but it may be valuable to think about how you would manage your resources if you couldn’t leave the house all winter… what friends do you want to have hunkered down with you?

Aquarius: There’s going to be a lot to do that seems like drudgery for the next week and a half, but I suggest you do your best to elevate it and ennoble that work. First, remember that your task is not to suffer through it, but to do it and complete it and get it off your errand-list. Second, remember that there’s beauty in doing something well, and it takes the same amount of time and energy to do something beautifully as to do it in a half-assed way. Third, people pay well for jobs well done, and recommend and hire based on affordable quality that’s done with a minimum of fuss and audible complaint. Swallow your resentment, do beautiful work, and get the drudge-work finished: there may be unexpected rewards on the other side.

Pisces: Journeys, both inner and outer, may be a source of both entertainment and delight in the next ten days. Is the journey outward? Are you taking kids with you? How will you show them the right mix of educational and entertaining experiences? How will you find the time to have your own adult experiences, separate from them, that are both elevating and titillating? And if the journey is inward (through reading or spiritual retreat or college classes), how will you bring the fruits of that work back to your practical daily life and personal enjoyment? The long-term value of these experiences you’re about to embark on, may not be known for some time — but some hardships may appear this week that you should treat as a necessary part of the experience rather than an obstacle that prevents you from getting there.

Aries: Devote some time this week to the professional objectives you hope to achieve, and THEN identify the key contacts and networking allies that can help you get to them. You don’t have to write a business plan this week, even if you plan to be an entrepreneur in your field — but you do have to consider how your plans will affect your household and family, and make suitable plans. Look and the long haul: ten or more years out. Then set realistic goals for the first eighteen months or two years, knowing that you’re not going to achieve everything on that list and some will have to get bumped out to the three-year or four-year to do list. But in three years, you’re going to be three years older — where do you want to be when they’re done?

Taurus: Your professional reputation isn’t exactly at stake, but your knowledge and capabilities to marshal your friends and connect your allies into powerful action-oriented teams is going to get noticed this week… and you’re likely to be put into action. The attention may be somewhat destabilizing but you should remember your training, and go from each to-do item to the next with utter serenity. Clue your partner in where you can about your emotional states; they’ll keep your secrets responsibly. Remember that if there result isn’t pretty: it’s not the right result yet.

Gemini: Your longer-term plans and career objectives are about to be highlighted, but it may take a kick in the pants for you to learn what direction you should set for yourself. (Better a kick for better luck than a black eye, though!) Treat any unfortunate events as a lucky break that’s helping set you on a path toward even greater success, and you may find that the setbacks of the next ten days are actually a chance to make a powerful leap toward something better. What if there are no setbacks, though? Remember that your financial situation is always a garden worth tending, and set aside some resources for your rainy day fund — and call on your network, too, get a sense of the bigger picture that’s emerging, before you get too comfortable sitting pretty.

Colophon

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If you want to read some of my astrologically-oriented poetry, the largest collection is called A Full Volume of Splendor and Starlight, available through my Etsy shop, and containing poems and hymns to the planets, constellations, decan deities, and Moon Mansion angels. While not astrological, Festae contains hymns to some of the older Roman gods and spirits from the calendar created by Numa Pompilius, the second ancient King of Rome.

I use iPhemeris for my charting software, and screenshot it to make charts. I want to thank the team that develops iPhemeris for the addition of Terms and Decans to their charts. I also use Hugh Tran‘s Physis typeface to craft logos for this blog, as well.

I use Christopher Warnock‘s The Mansions of the Moon as the basis of my Moon placement delineations, and Austin Coppock‘s 36 Faces for much of my planetary delineations. Neither gentleman endorses me.