When it comes to your career progress, everyone is in agreement: You're on a roll and gaining ground every day. It is apparent that all the hard work you've put into your profession is starting to pay off.

Mars is now blazing at the very top of your chart, putting a very big spotlight on current endeavors. Mars had been retrograde since November 15 and that caused you to find it a bit harder to make career progress stick. All that changed from January 30 onward, for that is when Mars went direct speed. Mars will help you garner applause and respect for all you've accomplished so far and allow you to score new victories, especially in February. If you need support from a VIP for a future project, it looks like it's practically in the bag.

This month will bring an important turn of developments as you move closer to grasping the brass ring. The new moon eclipse on February 6 could bring new business or fresh assignments and new conditions in your working atmosphere, so be ready! It could feel like a tidal wave of new things to do!

You seem to be entering a new phase where you will need to set up more controlled procedures in the way you approach your work, in a way you've never done before. You may need to buy new computer or other digital equipment and need to install special software to allow you to organize many bits and pieces. In that respect, who better to do it than a Virgo? If you are a manager, you may need to hire additional personnel, too. Happily, the friendly solar eclipse in your 6th house of work methods due February 6 will help you get those important steps accomplished.

Since Mercury is currently retrograde until February 17, however, plan to interview potential candidates for the jobs you need to fill and also research the equipment you need to buy, but hold off acting on those decisions until you get to March. There is simply too much static in the air in February to allow you to make the right decisions on these matters. To sum up, it is not a good month to buy any expensive items or to hire any new recruits, as much as you may need to do so!

Think of this friendly solar eclipse due February 6 as a powerful blast of energy that will blow through your workaday sector of your chart (your 6th house). This is not the area of the chart that rules career fame and honors but rather describes the work you do that will allow you to later increase in power and prestige.

Since the planets will be in Aquarius, you may be busy working on the launch of an important new Website or online community. High-tech ventures will glitter now and bring good results as long as you stay focused on the details and closely oversee others' work, too.

Aquarius is also the sign of humanitarian efforts as well, so the matter on your desk may relate to a charity or a political or community program, or be directed toward helping a group that has been overlooked, is suffering, or is in need of help or updated thinking. Whenever Aquarius is involved, the needs of others are often addressed.

I am excited about the possibilities of this eclipse on February 6 for several reasons. First, the Sun - which is the center of attention on a solar eclipse - will orbit next to Neptune. Neptune will be on his best behavior and will be friendly to other planets. Neptune will increase your vision and creativity and help you come up with original ideas.

Also, Neptune is currently in "mutual reception" to Uranus, meaning that Uranus and Neptune will work together in a very warm way. It will be easy for you to rally others to your endeavor and to stitch together the expertise and talents of many to create a unified, powerful team effort.

An eclipse in any sector of a chart shows a very dramatic speeded up schedule, so no matter how much time you thought you had to get things done, you probably will have considerably less. Alas, that's how eclipses work, and why they can be tension producing. Good to know - right?

The fact that your ruler, Mercury, will be retrograde until February 17 will not help the situation, for Mercury is known to bring delays and a need to redo or rethink projects. So here you have a friendly solar eclipse shouting, "Do more! Faster! Hurry up, let's move, now!" You will, on the other hand, have Mercury retrograde shouting, "No, slow down! Go back! Redo! Let's rethink this!!" It's enough to make anyone stir crazy.

You would be wise to protect your computer data now, as Mercury retrograde in Aquarius could turn out to be a recipe for disaster. Be sure to back up your work, databases, applications, and email. Don't install any new software if you can help it, as things could go frustratingly wrong.

If you don't need a certain electronic item, don't buy it until March. Any electronic item you buy now may be a purchase that you later regret.

We also become very forgetful during Mercury retrograde because we usually have to juggle so much at once. That means we become forgetful and leave things behind. Put your business card on the back of everything you own in case you do, so that others can find you if they want to return it to you! (Don't depend on the kindness of strangers, however - be extra careful in the first place!)

The month ends on a more serious full moon lunar eclipse, February 20. It will arrive in Virgo, bringing a matter of great importance to culmination. If you were born at the end of August, this eclipse will speak directly to you.

This eclipse is a somber one, because it will fall almost exactly on Saturn - within three and a half degrees. That's close. Saturn makes us become very realistic, for with Saturn there's never room for illusions or fantasy. It's time to see things as they are, and no matter what happens, there won't be room for a lot of negotiation. I am so sorry to have to say this to you, dear Virgo. At eclipse time, February 20, you will see what I mean.

This eclipse may center you on a relationship and reveal something you never knew before about that person. You may see that person's true colors, and that might be disillusioning.

The job of an eclipse is to illuminate truth, and because the universe will be in a hurry at eclipse time, sometimes it may feel as though the truth is being hurled at you suddenly, out of nowhere. How rude! I certainly sympathize.

This will be a full moon eclipse, so you may feel quite emotional at the time, too. Still, this eclipse will be a watershed moment that will provide you with a window into your soul and your evolving needs, including what you want and value in a close relationship of any type.

If you are on the receiving end of someone's bad behavior, be philosophical. This is not the kind of relationship you want to stay in anyway, despite your initial high hopes. See yourself as an actor in a play - the audience will probably be cheering that our protagonist has finally escaped this difficult situation. What would you tell your daughter or son to do under the same circumstances? Using that filter, we can often see what needs to be done more clearly, for we love our children and would never want them to be in a bad situation.

Here is a key point: All an eclipse will do is set up a test to see what you will choose to do. Many relationships pass the test and become even stronger under eclipses. The outcome will always be up to both parties and their desire to have that relationship continue, whether in the romantic or business sense. Nothing is fated!

I think what makes a lunar eclipse generally hard to deal with is that they require a very swift shift in perception and they also demand a reaction. Most of us have over-crammed schedules to begin with, so add just one new responsibility or task to anybody's list and the result is usually a lot of tension - even if that extra task is fairly simple to accomplish. Alas, it represents just one more thing to do or think about.

For that reason, I strongly urge you to keep your schedule to a bare bones minimum, especially near month's end. Do what is important to you, but try to reschedule anything that isn't too vital to do right now.

Of course, if you were born later in the sign, say, after September 7 or so, you may not feel this eclipse much at all. You faced other eclipses last year - you may be done with their tests. If you know your chart, take a look to see if you have any planets at 2 degrees Virgo or Pisces, or close to those degrees, for those individuals will be touched.

Since you will be very busy during the month, with many pressing deadlines, you will need to take special care of your physical well-being. There seems to be nagging health issues that need to be addressed, and with Saturn moving over your Sun, you are clearly under strain, doubly so if you are a Virgo with a late August birthday. If you have a health matter come up, be glad to be alerted, because you can't work on solving it without knowing about it first. The sooner you know, the sooner you can take steps to correct it.

Saturn is now at 6 degrees Virgo, highlighting those born August 29, plus or minus five days.

Only four days after the lunar eclipse, on February 24, Saturn will oppose the Sun, bringing you another difficult, somber, low-energy day that may also provoke anxiety. Rest up, for when you are tired even small problems feel magnified.

February 24 would not be my choice for any big meetings, presentations, or interviews, as VIPs are likely to be uncharacteristically critical or in a distracted, depressed mood. Avoid having an operation or special medical treatment on that day too if you can - wait until early March if possible. (If not, well, don't worry about it.) I say put things off because your energy may be low. Have a quiet day and if possible book a massage - you will need pampering!

Lunar eclipses like this one always end things, but that can be good - some things or relationships need to end so that we can move on to live healthier, more productive lives.

Often someone makes a departure from our lives on a lunar eclipse like the one due February 20, and if this proves true for you, it would most likely be a woman. This person may quit, move away, or even break a friendship or (heaven forbid) betray a trust. There are many possible applications. See how this works out for you.

Never forget that you have Jupiter in perfect angle to your Sun, a huge advantage for your ability to heal and enjoy good health, as well as for increasing new love. Jupiter is the great healer and the planet of good fortune, so having Jupiter in Capricorn, in gorgeous angle to your Virgo Sun, will help you in so many other ways too, including seeing that you get help from all types of partners and experts.

On another point, Virgos born on or within five days of September 9 have also been experiencing difficulties from Uranus, which indicates that you may have had to tear away from a relationship or other situation (a job, a city, a business alliance) quite rapidly at some point over the past year, and when it came, it came without warning. Uranus orbits very slowly, so the scar that this breakup caused may linger. If this has not happened yet, it may still do so if something or someone in your life has been causing you a great deal of emotional pain.

Once you make a decision to go in a new direction, Uranus will not hold sway over you any longer - you will have made your brave choice and become even more independent as a result. That's the goal of Uranus, and you will have fulfilled it.

The pain of that ending will finally stop, although you will probably always bear a little scar. That scar will not be a symbol of defeat or suffering but a point of pride - of having lived through something, survived, and flourished.

As mentioned, the February 20 eclipse may change or end a relationship, but that would be true ONLY if it has been weak to begin with. Think back to discussions you had with one individual near August 28, when the last eclipse in this family of eclipses came by.

Eclipses tend to work on themes over the course of many months, with each one pushing conversations forward another notch. It's almost as if we can't possibly digest at once all the information that the universe wants us to process. Instead, the universe sends a set of two eclipses (as a new moon and full moon) every six months to allow for that.

Certainly this eclipse will clarify what you want for yourself in the future. So if one relationship has to end, it maybe a romantic or business relationship.

Let's now talk about romance this month. Assuming you are in a good strong relationship, or want to be, despite all the discussion you and I have had so far in this report, you may have a good outlook for love.

Here is my vote for a sparkling romantic date: February 1. What makes it so special is that Venus and Jupiter will have their annual meeting on this day, and it rates four stars. Each year these two benefic planets choose to meet in a different part of the chart. This year they will meet in your house of true love, and they will meet in Capricorn, the sign that loves you. Wow! You may feel as though Valentine's Day arrived early! It might! You may get engaged then, and only later tell friends.

If you are thinking about starting a family or adding another baby to your present clan, the planets will comply beautifully at the start of the month, too. It is time to think seriously about this - you have all the right aspects to bring the stork to your house soon.

Or, you can direct this exceptional energy into your creative projects with the same glowing results. Conception, birth, and all creative efforts will get a boost February 1, so as you see, the planetary energy being directed to you could be used in various ways. None are mutually exclusive. You may fall in love AND see exciting progress on a creative project, too! Financial news about your earnings should be excellent then as well.

Were you born on September 2, or within five days of this date? The February 1 meeting of Venus and Jupiter should produce quite a lovely opportunity to celebrate love.

Valentine's Day should be special too this year if your relationship has been going well, thanks to Jupiter in your house of true love, in effect throughout 2008.

If you want a great night to celebrate you love, I like the day prior to Valentine's Day even better, when the moon will be in the sensuous earth sign, Taurus. If you and your partner can't mesh schedules to have a romantic dinner on February 14, then plan to go out one day earlier, on February 13! Be the first to celebrate the day for lovers! You won't have problems booking the best table in your favorite restaurant either! Stay out past midnight and it WILL be Valentine's Day!

If you have not yet met the person you feel is your "true north," as a soul mate is often poetically referred to, then 2008 could be the year this happens. Certainly if you are not dating, this month you should circulate, especially on or near February 1, the most likely moment Cupid would strike!

Here's a review of all your best, most romantic dates: February 1, 5, 12, 13, 14, and 16.

In closing, dear Virgo, let me add a little encouragement. We don't mature in little gradual steps as much as we do in spurts. This is "catch up" time - a point when you think back to all you have been through, what insights you've gained, and what you really want to create in the future. If you've been mouthing words that your parents, lover, or others have given you to say, you'll tear up that old script and write a new one now, and it will be a life story that will more accurately reflect you and what you want most. Now that's a good thing in anyone's book!

Summary

The holidays have long been over, but in January you seem to have been having problems settling into a work routine. Not in February - you'll be back to your most efficient self and will be moving through many tasks with ease. You also will be in a highly innovative mode and will show others that you are very capable of thinking outside the box.

Mars, now positioned at the highest point in your chart, will help you generate a fistful of innovative, sound ideas. It is clear your career is going gangbusters. Higher ups have been grooming you for bigger and better things, and this month could bring at least one professional breakthrough.

The solar eclipse February 6 will show you entering a new phase, when you will organize your blueprints to launch a key project that will only add to your overall reputation as a leader and visionary.

The February 6 eclipse would also be the right time to address medical and dental issues and, if necessary, to schedule checkups, treatments, and procedures. Begin making appointments on and just after February 6. Eclipses occasionally bring up health matters that we never noticed or ignored. If you notice that a health issue does come up, you will have lots of planetary support to help you get the right medical advice to make sure you feel better and possibly to heal completely.

Thanks to the preponderance of planets in high-tech Aquarius, breaking technology may be part of the mix, bringing you options and possible solutions that simply didn't exist a few years ago. Inquire about "what's new" in medicine and dental care.

In terms of fitness and exercise, if your goal is to get sleek and fit in the New Year, investigate new classes, techniques, and new and critically acclaimed fitness videos that offer new, sound methods. Mixing things up this month will bring you faster results.

Protect against digestive problems, heart, circulation and blood chemistry, and anything having to do with fingers, hands, or wrists. If you have a health concern, you will be helped by the presence of the Sun and new moon. Stay optimistic - the right advice is nearby, so investigate.

Mercury will be retrograde until February 18, sure to obscure some facts. In truth, most of the month brings confusing aspects, not only from Mercury but also possibly from Neptune. It may be wise to get second and third opinions. Go the extra mile to make sure you have accurately understood what experts (and others) have said to you. Make sure too that others have understood what you have had to say.

With an eclipse in your own sign, you may put a number of assumptions under the microscope to decide whether you have been honoring a certain idea without knowing precisely why. A new perspective will emerge, all coming as part of the more mature "you" that is rapidly emerging. The life you are living today probably bears little resemblance to the one they were living just a few years ago. With Saturn in your sign, that speeded-up evolution will continue.

You have been through a number of eclipses that have caused sudden lifestyle changes, dating as far back in March 2006. Happily this eclipse this month will be the last of this series of eclipses. After this, you will be able to rest. Virgos born at the end of August will feel this eclipse most.

Due to the eclipse February 20, your love or other close relationship may continue to be a rollercoaster. Proceed cautiously. Not only is your partner behaving in surprising ways, you are changing too, so think of your relationship as completely dynamic. This doesn't necessarily mean you can't relate to each other anymore, but it does mean you will have to get back in better sync. Fortunately, Virgos communicate exceptionally well, a talent that will come in handy now.

With many planets in the Western part of your chart, others will have the upper hand, not you. Hence, your partner, not you, will choose the direction of the relationship this month, and this person, not you, would drive it forward (or not). Cooperation and conciliation will be the best way to blend your energies. It's unlikely you will get your ideas approved in unaltered state - don't waste time trying to fight a battle you won't likely win.

While one long relationship may bring a need for meditation or reconsideration, new romantic relationships hold excellent promise. That's not to say you should end a relationship if it hits a rough patch. Trying to find a center course is always important in established ties. If you have tried to fix your relationship to no avail and know you've been in this alliance too long, then this eclipse will make that clear and you will leave - forever.

Jupiter, the giver of gifts and luck, is now touring your love house in 2008, for the first time in 12 years, and will set up a whole new cycle for you. Things look wonderful for new love, and one of your first signs this will be true will occur on February 1. If you meet someone new on this day, you may stay together for a long time, possibly forever.

Lastly, Saturn, now in Virgo, is teaching you the value of being independent. You may say you find your greatest stimulation and excitement in life from your partner, and that seems true. Still, Saturn will urge you to turn inward to get to know the evolving new "you" better, too. Only by knowing ourselves we can ever hope to interact effectively with others. So while you may be focused outward on others during most of the month, spend a little time getting to know yourself a little better too, for only after you do will you know the right road to take. Insights you gain and talents that you develop during this phase will revitalize your spirit, now and in the future.