During February, two very interesting and opposing dynamics take place: Saturn’s approaching conjunction to Pluto in Capricorn and Mars’s conjunction to Uranus in feisty Aries. Essentially, this is a clash between authority and the individual, when the autonomous energies of Mars and Uranus will kick back against the stuffy, overly controlling, power-hungry energies of Saturn and Pluto. In one sense, this can be symbolized by Britain’s resistance to the EU’s attempt to bully and control it into submission, but hopefully by the time this goes to press, matters will have moved on and perhaps we’ll see another good example of a small power trying to break free to gain its independence. Whether it does or not is another matter, for Saturn and Pluto in Capricorn is ruthless in the extreme, and with Britain being a Capricorn country, this year is likely to be a tough one for the UK.

Don’t be surprised if such power themes are playing out in your personal life. Perhaps someone is rebelling against you, trying to break free or gain some kind of freedom. This could be a child, a spouse, or a colleague. On the other hand, maybe you are trying to gain liberty in the face of oppressive power. Perhaps you’re coming up against an authority figure, and you need to stand firm in your right to be you. However things shake out, this month is very much about leveling the playing field of power and allowing people their right to be themselves while maintaining your right to be you.

We could all benefit from identifying which side of the fence we’re on (and it might be both, depending on the type of relationship) and striving to do the right thing. The Saturn-Pluto conjunction can tempt us into darkness and cause us to lust after power and control, or it can lend us tremendous endurance in the face of hardship. Meanwhile, the Mars-Uranus conjunction can bring out the maverick in us — the rebel who seeks to upset the applecart just to be provocative. Alternatively, the Mars-Uranus conjunction can help us to bring about progressive change or to march to our own drumbeat without worrying too much about what others might think. Trying to manifest the higher expression of these extreme planetary energies is the challenge that faces us this month.