1st: Imbolc, Snow Full Moon in Leo
14th; Valentine’s Day
17th: New Moon Solar Eclipse in Aquarius, Lunar New Year of the Fire Horse
Under the influence of the Wheel of Fortune, the card of the year, we are encouraged to hone in on the minute shifts that take place as the seasons turn. This is where the magic happens, where we can position ourselves to take on the incoming highs and lows associated with Fortuna. This February, we can best do this by tapping into the energy of thawing. By definition, to thaw is to release from a frozen to a fluid state. Though February pertains fully to the winter, it is fast and it is fiery, alighting all in its wake.
On the first, this fire begins as a flicker, with Imbolc and Candlemas. Per the Friends of the Forest, Imbolc is a time when earth stirs from its winter slumber and light begins to return, symbolizing the awakening of both nature and spirit.The holiday is overseen by Brigid, the goddess of fire, poetry, healing, and fertility. The candles lit on this day, representative of our tender inner light, gently and steadily melt away old narratives, fears, and doubts. This time is also symbolized by the womb, and the blessing of seeds. This ties in well with the ancient Roman celebration of Februalia, a purification period associated with Vesta, a hearth goddess. Historically and presently, February is a great time to pursue new projects and initiatives we’ve hesitated to go after before, that we’d like to see bear fruit in the year ahead. The first also brings the Snow Full Moon in Leo–the culmination of snow leopard energy that we can use to bound through the snow with fire and confidence. On the fourteenth, we experience Valentine’s Day, the modern version of Lupercalia. Love is the force that ensures health growth and development, transforming potential into the manifest. Finally on the seventeenth, the New Moon Solar Eclipse in Aquarius takes place, as well as the Lunar New Year of the Fire Horse. Darkness encapsulates the sky, which we can paint with infinite possibility. With the energy of the Fire Horse, we are not concerned with marring the perfect ideal of untread snow. Rather, we mean to leave traces of ourselves wherever we go, even if that results in a trail of melted puddles. With fire hoof prints we reveal the earth’s bare skin, exposing her to the sun she needs to grow green pastures in the spring.
Mapping the Heart Spread
Below, I use an original tarot spread called “Mapping the Heart” to show us what love looks like in February 2026.
Aorta: How Love Flows Through our System ~Judgment~
Our higher self, connected with our divine purpose and calling, sounds a trumpet loud and clear, right into the ear of a deadened part of ourselves long held dormant. We may have let go of a quiet dream, always kept safely in our hearts–maybe it was too vulnerable, too risky to express it before. Love flows through our system in the form of awakening, resurrecting, thawing what was frozen since the emotional Ice Age. This blue, cold, shivering aspect of the self does not awaken alone and untended–on either side, the divine feminine and masculine principle greet it, offering wisdom and fertility to bring it back up to speed. Some gentleness and gradual scaling of responsibilities is required, but after a period of recovery that carries us to Spring, this part of ourselves will be able to hit the ground running.
High Point: Intellectual or Ideological Aspect ~Queen of Cups~
This month, the intellectual side of love is represented by the Queen of Cups. She reminds us to remember our “why” and keep it as our focal point as we work in tandem with Judgment’s call of the trumpet. Though in the short-term it may feel easier to resist the call, in the long run we will feel more fulfilled and individuated if we can summon the strength of the Queen of Cups. She is in charge of a deeper emotional fulfillment, satisfaction and joy than can be found in a momentary surge of gratification. Love means committing to our why, because when we dig down, we know we are worthy and capable of fulfilling our heart’s desire. Our desire is not an external pipe dream we have to chase after–it is already in the palm of our hands. All that’s needed for it to manifest is consistent attunement, by tuning into our emotional intelligence.
Left Wing: Mother Principle ~Reverse Six of Cups~
On the emotional side of love, we find ourselves longing for what we knew in the past. This is because we are looking for a map or a guide we can follow. We hope to follow prior paths in order to recreate what we understand love to be. This could be in regards to a partnership, a family system, or referring back to a time we know we loved ourselves well. But while our heart’s desire may have remained the same at its core, we have evolved our needs and wants over time. We’ll want to refer to the somatic and intuitive techniques offered by the Queen of Cups, to ensure we are meeting our present self’s needs and the conditions which make us feel loved. Our heart, our sense of wellbeing, of pleasure in the day to day, of being cared for–these are some measures by which we can understand if our heart is fulfilled by the Mother Principle.
Right Wing: Father Principle ~Reverse Emperor~
On the active side of love, we feel uncomfortable in our seat of power. Some part of us became deadened or frozen, perhaps because we felt that we abused our own authority in the past. Alternately, a decision of ours resulted in some kind of disaster, and instead of transmuting that lesson, our inner Emperor was put on ice. Judgment’s trumpet is calling us to resurrect the Emperor-ie our personal sovereignty and responsibility in our lives, lest that role be fulfilled by others. As our inner Emperor begins to thaw, we are encouraged to familiarize ourselves with the scepter, by grasping it once more. In this way we can grow into the person we want to become. We can maintain a steady hold over our spiritual wealth by directing our energy in the direction of our heart’s desire, even as the Wheel of Fortune turns. When we form a practical plan, with a routine and steps to fulfill it, this makes our soul feel most loved by the Father Principle.
Heart’s Center: How our Heart Feels ~Three of Swords~
Out of love, Judgment’s trumpet seeks to resurrect our frozen aspects so that we can awaken to our full power, which we will need to manifest our heart’s desire. Yet this part has remained frozen for a reason–for it has learned to associate growth with pain. At some point it was easier to numb this part than to feel the pain, and in this way we were able to insulate ourselves. It is true that pursuing love can be painful, but it is also deeply rewarding, and greets us with an intimacy with ourselves and others that the soul craves. Out of fear of being hurt again, we may have numbed a part of ourselves, but what we’ve come to understand is that we have become so much stronger than we once were, and learned so much during all this time. We are more resilient, more able to take on painful truths and struggles. When we tap into the Queen of Cups, our why, though it may be tempting, we will not want to numb this part of ourselves out again. We will want to rise to the call, and face life, in the name of self love.
Low Point: The Grounding Force ~Eight of Pentacles~
We feel most grounded in love when embodying the Eight of Pentacles. We feel we are in steady bloom when we enter a flow state, which we can liken to blood pumping through the heart. In flow state, we feel most alive, and can feel the love we hold for ourselves. In cyclical fashion, it is from this love that flow occurs. The expertise we seek–whether in learning to clutch the Emperor’s scepter again, aligning ourselves with our why, answering Judgment’s call, tuning in with ourselves, or tapping into courage in the name of growth–is attained by doing the work. We show up for ourselves time and again, learning through failure, melting away fear and self doubt with the steadiness of a candle. Each day we thaw a little more, and rediscover the fun, joy and pleasure that had been numbed along with the pain. This is where we find our satisfaction, and the fulfillment of our heart’s desire. For the love we seek is not a one-time accomplishment or achievement–it is a state of being that flows through us, warms us and enlivens us.
May we each tap into the love we seek.
Love,
Angel Intentions
