St. Valentine is coming to town—and for a change, we aren’t dreading the Hallmark hoopla of his arrival. With omicron putting the kibosh on New Year’s Eve kisses and Venus nose-diving into an unceremonious retrograde this past Dec. 19 to Jan. 29, love has not been in the air or the stars since 2022 began. (And sorry, the multi-cam Megan Fox-MKG proposal was not enough to give us a contact high.)
Fortunately, Feb. 14 brings a bright spot on Cupid’s calendar, at least where astrology is concerned. The planets are aligned for pleasure and decadence this year, whether you’re power-coupling or celebrating the spirit of universal love with a Galentine’s (or Palentine’s) party.
Below, six reasons why Valentine’s Day 2022 could be the love reclamation you’ve been waiting for.
1. The moon plays theater director in Leo
If there were ever a year to embrace the shameless schmaltz of V-day, well, hi, 2022. The moon, which directs our desires, will be in “big flair, don’t care” Leo—a clear directive to pull out all the candy-coated stops on Feb. 14.
Dressing up should be mandatory, no matter who you’re celebrating with. Pull out the pre-pandemic formalwear, apply lashes and post a series of revenge dressing selfies. Or treat yourself to some revenge shopping as a Valentine’s gift.
Exactly how many votives can you fit in a studio apartment? If you’re not comfortable going out, lean in hard to Leo’s thespian vibes. Turn a stay-at-home date into a theatrical performance that screams “Bennifer 1.0” with a side dollop of, “this would probably go viral on OnlyFans.”
Here’s a lucky little bonus: At 10:26 PM EST, the almost-full Leo moon cozies up to healer-feeler comet Chiron in Aries. Time to drop the “L-word” on bae, or bring up a future fantasy, perhaps as post-coital pillow talk. If you’ve been stewing in regret about someone you let go, carpe diem and reach out! Before the clock strikes midnight, try your level best to mend those fences and get your Cinderella Story back on track.
2. Jupiter pumps up the poetic vibes in Pisces
Live-out-loud Jupiter—a magnanimous planet, if ever there were—is making waves in Pisces for the first half of the year, raising the volume on our fantasies. (A good thing, since “the ‘cron” basically left us with little more than our imaginations this year.)
Don’t stem the tide on your lust! Just make sure you serve these ideas, er, suggestively. Pisces prefers a passive approach to anything “full frontal.” Think: teasing touch, coyly mentioning how you’ve always wondered what (fill in the blank) would feel like. Even if you already have the silk scarves square-knotted to your bedposts back at home, you want the kinkier stuff to feel co-created.
Pisces is the sign of “sweet surrender.” And yeah, Jupiter says it’s okay to use as many achingly beautiful romance clichés as we damn well please in 2022. But hell, why not raise the bar? Since Pisces is the ruler of poetry, you can woo with savvy stanzas, whether you borrow them from a lusty laureate or pen them yourself like a modern-day Nikki Giovanni (Gemini).
Here’s a stanza from Giovanni’s poem, “Resignation”, to grease the wheels:
I love you
like the habit I picked up in college
of sleeping through lectures
or saying I’m sorry
when I get stopped for speeding
because I drink a glass of water
in the morning
and chain-smoke cigarettes
all through the day
because I take my coffee Black
and my milk with chocolate
because you keep my feet warm
through my life a mess
3. Venus and Mars form a power couple in Capricorn
The modern-day power couple fantasy takes many forms beyond standing padded shoulder to padded shoulder with your highly accomplished boo. But with love planets Venus and Mars landing in a super-close connection in Capricorn this Valentine’s Day, your vision of love could take a turn toward the traditional. (This urge gets even stronger on Feb. 16, when this planetary pair meets at the exact degree of Capricorn under the light of a Leo full moon!)
What love goals are on your 2022 wish list…or agenda? Couples who are feeling in sync will get a thrill talking about the long-term vision of your relationship during the primi pasta course. By the time the tiramisu arrives at the table, you may have your five-year plan mapped out on a bar napkin.
Single? Fete the 14th with a Valentine’s vision board party. Gather IRL or virtually with friends who are looking to create the kind of relationships you find inspiring. Clear the air with a little venting, then turn the tide in a positive direction. What kind of partner do you want to attract? Put your focus there, then break out the magazines, scissors, glue sticks, and poster board.
4. Mercury heads back into Aquarius after its January retrograde, offering a do-over
Are you feeling more “fauxmance” than romance this year? Keep it in the friend zone if that’s your pleasure. Not only will the Sun be in laid-back Aquarius (as it is every Feb. 14), but social Mercury shifts into this impossibly cool sign on Valentine’s Day too. This is Mercury’s second visit here in 2022, offering a do-over from its retrograde through Aquarius this past Jan. 14 to 25. No need to repeat the same lessons if they burned ya last month. Just continue along your path and, if you can, use Aquarius’s gift of humor as “medicine” for moving on from that pain.
Again, that Leo moon can help out here. An ironically over-the-top celebration with friends can make 2022’s V-Day one for the history books. Pick a theme: ’90s prom, The Princess Bride, or dress as your favorite pop star—and make it costume mandatory.
5. The Lunar Nodes are in Taurus and Scorpio, adding sensuality and sizzle
As we advised back in November near the lunar eclipse in Taurus, it’s time to start having sex again. That “call to action” has only grown stronger since Jan. 18, when the lunar nodes (two points in the sky that direct collective karma) shifted into Taurus and Scorpio until July 17, 2023.
Touch is back again, in the most seductive way! Taurus, which rules the senses, is all about embodiment—the erogenous companion to erotic Scorpio. Permission granted: Activate your raw instincts and lure your inner freak out of hiding. But maybe tell the Leo moon to turn the cameras off for this part of the celebration.
6. There’s a candy heart for every zodiac sign
Since no V-Day would be complete without a scoop into the jar of conversation hearts, we pulled a classic for your sign. Luv ya!
Aries
Dream Big
Taurus
Squeeze Me
Gemini
Ask Me
Cancer
Love Bug
Leo
Hot Stuff
Virgo
Real Love
Libra
Sweet Stuff
Scorpio
Charm Me
Sagittarius
Hot Lips
Capricorn
You Shine
Aquarius
Text Me
Pisces
Say Yes
Identical twin sisters Ophira and Tali Edut (a.k.a. The AstroTwins) are ELLE.com’s resident astrologers. They have written several astrology books, including Momstrology and Supercouple, and star as the astrological matchmakers for Prime Video’s Cosmic Love. The Eduts have read charts for celebrities the likes of Beyoncé, Karlie Kloss, and Emma Roberts. For their spot-on predictions, books, and online courses, check out our horoscopes coverage or visit astrostyle.com.
