Jen: Welcome to the Big Sky Astrology podcast, with April Elliott Kent and me, producer and cohost Jen Braun. Hey friends, Jen here. Today is January 25th, 2021. And here with me as always is my friend, Astrologer, April Elliott Kent. Hey, April “Knock, knock?”
April: “Who’s there?”
Jen: “Bee. Eye.”
April: “Bee-eye who?”
Jen:”B I N G O and Bingo was his name-o!”
April: Oh Jen, you’re taking me back to happy childhood days.
Jen: Tell folks why I made that joke, April.
April: Well, we had this inspiration – actually, it wasn’t an inspiration so much as we’re just ripping off one of my favorite podcasts that sent out a wonderful little bonus to their donors. And it’s a bingo card associated with all their little catchphrases and so forth from their podcasts. And we thought, “Oh, we got to get in on that.”
Jen: Yes.
April: So we are putting together our very own Big Sky Astrology Podcast Bingo Card. And by the time you are listening to that, we will be emailing to all of our donors who have contributed to the podcast, this wonderful little bingo card. So you can play along as you’re leisurely strolling through our back catalog, as you’re listening to episodes yet to come, you can entertain yourself by marking off the times that we say the particular things around the card.
Jen: We’re not going to give any away early. You’re going to just have to wait and see.
April: Yes. So we’re very excited about this and very taken with our own cleverness at putting this thing together. So we can’t wait to share it with our donors and where we hope that you guys are going to enjoy it.
Jen: If you’re not a donor and you would like to check out the bingo card, you can go on over to bigskyastropod.com, kick in $5. You’ll not only get a year’s worth of Solstice and Equinox special episodes, you’ll also get the bingo card. B-I-N-G-O…
April: Oh, Jen we have a very full show sheet this week. Lots going on.
Jen: Yes, there is a lot going on… oh, we should say what day it is to us, maybe. Because here in the United States, we have Inauguration Day coming up, because to us in real time, it’s January 18th. So if anything happens this week, that you’re thinking on January 25th, when this podcast publishes, you’re thinking, “Gee, why didn’t Jen and April mentioned, X, Y, Z?” That’s why.
April: Why are they having so much fun and sounding so happy and upbeat about life? Well, now, you know. It’s because it’s still only January 18th. So what do we have first on our show sheet for this week, Jen?
Jen: This week, we have the Sun squaring Uranus, the Sun at 6°, 47 minutes Aquarius, squaring Uranus in Taurus. Of course, this happens on January 26th at 04:48 AM Pacific Time. April, this is the closing square from a conjunction that began April 26th, 2020. If folks want to listen to that episode, they can go back to Episode 22 “Taurus, New Moon and Venus Gone Wild.”
April: Well done, Jen.
Jen: Thank you so much.
April: I have no idea what we said about this planetary combination at those times. But what I would say this time is this particular combination of planets, however they’re interacting, ask us to get clear about and maybe decide who it is that we are, which is not like anyone else. Even the Sabian symbol for the Sun at this square is a really intriguing one, “A Child Born of an Eggshell.”And we’ve had this one before and there’s something really kind of alien sounding about it.
Jen: I agree with that.
April: And you’re the child being the Sun and born in an unusual way. And I think if we look at the Sun square Uranus, it is about those external forces that refine our sense of our personal identity. Uranus is an interesting one. And Aquarius is an interesting sign for that matter because we tend to think of both Aquarius and Uranus as being about groups, about the way that we connect with other people, the ways in which we are like them. But we also associate them with bucking the system and bucking the trends and being, unlike anybody else. And that’s true of the Sun, certainly. The Sun is our own particular genius and personality.
And as it comes into combination with Uranus, to the extent that we accept ourselves, it makes us able to reach out to others who are not like us. And the truth is, nobody is just like us. We are completely unique. But of course there’s experiential overlap. There’s Venn diagrams within which we overlap with other people. On a more mundane level, I think the Sun square Uranus just says, this is a couple of days, maybe between January 24th and January 27th, around the peak of the aspect, where we’re a little bit rattled, we’re not really maybe sure that we are exactly who we thought we were, or that we want what we thought we wanted.
Jen: Yeah. And closing squares are about finishing up and evaluating. Right?
April: Absolutely.
Jen: So kind of think back to the time around April 26 last year, and think about what started then that you’re may be finishing up now that has an unusual bent towards it. Because it’s Uranus and it’s Aquarius. Or something innovative or something unusual, maybe.
April: That’s a very good observation. It’s an opportunity to change our direction a little way and reinvent ourselves perhaps on some small level.
Jen: Yes.
April: Neptune will square the Lunar Nodes this week and actually on the same day, on January 26th at 06:12 AM Pacific Time. And Neptune will be at 19° 6’ of Pisces. The North Node of the Moon is of course in Gemini, the South Node is in Sagittarius at those same degrees. We’ve been talking a lot about the Lunar Nodes for the last year as they’ve gone into Gemini and Sagittarius.
Jen: We sure have.
April: Yes. And the work that we are trying to do within that nodal access. Again, the South Node about being release, and perhaps letting go of some of the negative attributes of a sign, and the South Node has been in Sagittarius. So we keep saying yes, hopefully society will be releasing the need that we can tend to have to want to feel that we know everything, that we’ve got all the bases covered and nobody can give us new information that is useful to us at all. We can be a little bit too entrenched in our opinions and our beliefs. And that the North Node in Gemini wants us to entertain new possibilities, to open our minds to new ideas and new information that’s coming our way.
Well, what happens when Neptune comes into the picture and makes a square? I think planets that are square the nodal access at what they call the bendings, is, Neptune in this case is trying to propel us, I think. It’s either going to propel us from the South Node towards the North Node, or unfortunately, in the other direction of turning away from new information that we see and saying, “Yes, I’d rather not know about that. I’d rather go into Neptune land about that.”
Jen: Yes. I have heard it’s like a choice point. And that our mission is sort of always to try to reach towards that North Node path.
April: Right. It’s not easy.
Jen: No, it’s not. Because the South Node is what’s comfortable to us.
April: Exactly. So back in May of 2008, this cycle began, Neptune made a conjunction with the North Node at 24°, of course.
Jen: That’s a long time ago.
April: A very long time ago. But think about what was happening at that time. We were getting ready to go into financial free fall, not only in the United States, but around the world. We also had a really groundbreaking presidential election. We elected an African-American president for the first time. There was a lot happening in 2008 around this time. Neptune conjunct the North Node says “Here is an ideal that we will reach together.” But it was also really hard at that time to see the road forward because everybody was pretty scared about the financial collapse and what was going on. It was hard to see that North Node in Aquarius future and collective vision.
In August of 2012, Neptune squared the Lunar Nodes as they’re doing now. And then in November of 2016 was opposed the North Node. So Neptune was on the South Node at the time of the 2016 presidential election. So it was just kind of interesting to see that these have all marked points of, especially in the US, around presidential elections, around turning points with the economy and that kind of thing. So it’ll be interesting to see what happens as we go into this Neptune square Lunar Nodes time.
Jen: So, is this like a closing square?
April: Yes.
Jen: Okay. Can you describe what a closing square is?
April: Yes. Closing square is the last part of a cycle. If you think of the lunar cycle, that’s the easiest way to imagine this. You have a New Moon and that is the beginning of the cycle. You have a First Quarter Moon, you’re a quarter of the way through, there is a moment in which you’re meant to act. The Full Moon part of the lunar cycle is where everything is illuminated and revealed. You can see what’s really going on, what the actions that you have taken at the First Quarter where that has landed you. And then the Last Quarter is another time to act, but it’s a time to act on the information that you have gleaned since the cycle began. When you first acted the First Quarter, you’re just acting from instinct and your best guess. But by the time you get to the Last Quarter, you’ve been some places, you’ve seen some stuff, you know what you’re up against. And based on that, then you can make a decision about which direction to turn. So that’s where we are with Neptune and the Nodes.
It says, we’ve been through, what’s it been, 12 years, 13 years of this cycle with Neptune trying to propel us one direction or another. And between this axis of information and knowledge versus opinion and belief and Neptune getting in the middle of it. And either revealing to us where we have been deluding ourselves and giving us more clarity or scaring us, frankly, to such a degree that we tend to, as you said, kind of default to the South Node position, because it feels safe and comfortable and familiar. It’s a consequential aspect, and it would be an easy one to miss – Neptune square the Lunar Nodes.
But it’s an interesting one this week, and we were talking about the Sabian symbols for this. Neptune is on 20 Pisces, “A Table Set for an Evening Meal.” And the North Node is at 20 Gemini “A Cafeteria.” So we’re talking about two very different dining experiences. Neptune is the empathetic one. It’s the one where we are sitting together, as we like to say, in fellowship with one another and making a ritual of it. And it’s a communion time.
Jen: Right.
April: Whereas the cafeteria’s Gemini in that it gives you a lot of options. You don’t have to sit down and just eat from what’s served at the table. You have all these different options, which is kind of great. It’s also a little less touchy feely. It’s a little less warm and communal. And then the South Node is on “Men Cutting Through Ice,” which we could say has some connection there because possibly they’re cutting through the ice to catch fish.
Jen: Yes. I think they all symbolize preparations of some sort, they’re preparing for something. When you’re cutting through ice, maybe you’re ice fishing, or maybe you’re preparing for an art exhibit because you’re doing an ice sculpture or building an ice castle or something.
April: Yes. So it’s an interesting set of symbols. And I guess what I’m taking away from all of this really is about how are we finding clarity? How are we leaving ourselves open to empathy? What is our disposition related to illusions that we may have held and disillusionment in lots of different ways.
Jen: And we should note that Neptune has moved on past the 19° point; as you said at the beginning, it’s at 19°6 minutes. Because for so long Neptune was between the 18th and 19th degree… from the beginning of October until pretty recently.
April: Oh right.
Jen: Then finally, there’s a new Sabian symbol here that we haven’t talked about for quite a while.
April: What’s the symbol?
Jen: “A master instructing his pupil.”
April: Right. So I guess we’ve had enough to tutelage now and now we’re ready for dinner. We’re being called to dinner.
April: I like it. I don’t care for cafeterias, so I think I’m going to side with Neptune on this one.
Jen: That’s perfect.
April: Alright. Jen, do you know what time it is?
Jen: What time is it?
April: Moonwatch…
Jen: Moonwatch…
April: Play it!
April: Yes, it’s Moonwatch. And this week we have a Full Moon on January 28th at 11:16 AM at 9° 5’ of Leo. This will be the moment in the lunar cycle that began with the New Moon on January 13th, in Capricorn, 23 Capricorn, where we begin to see the fruits of what we planted, the seeds of intention that we planted at that time in some small way, at least. I suppose I would say with the Full Moon in Leo, it’s the time to let yourself be seen and the importance of letting yourself be seen out in the world.
Jen: Because Leo is about self-expression?
April: Yes. And with the Sun being an Aquarius, there’s going to be so many planets in Aquarius over the next few weeks. And the emphasis is very much on the communal experience, what everyone is going through. And Leo is more about, “Well, how does the individual fit into that? What does the role that each of us has to play in whatever is unfolding around us?” And that’s not always easy to do. It can be a little bit threatening in fact. But there are some nice Sabian symbols associated with this Full Moon.
Jen: Very nice ones. The Moon is on 10 Leo, “Early Morning Dew.” The Sun is at 10 Aquarius, “A Popularity That Proves Ephemeral.” And both of those indicate something short-lived, something fleeting. Wouldn’t you say?
April: Yes, I would. And I’m getting a vision with that early morning dew where we’ve talked about before, Leo being so akin to the morning Sun as it rises and the beauty of that, and that it does kind of burn off that early morning dew, and you get this lovely haze in the morning Sun.
Jen: Well, and interestingly, I’m thinking now back six months when we had the Leo New Moon, because it was something about a rainbow…
April: A rainbow. Yes. Was it a morning rainbow? Was it daybreak?
Jen: Yes. That’s what it was, “a rainbow at daybreak.”
April: Yes, ah, good catch.
Jen: Now, we have dew, early morning dew.
April: Well, I’ll tell you, Leo would not like that popularity that proves ephemeral. So it’s good that that’s the Sun’s degree because Leo wants no part of that.
April: Yes.
Jen: Leo would like to stick around and be very popular for a long time.
April: Right. Now, as all of our lunations are just going to be for a while, our New Moons, Full Moons, Quarter Moons, there’s a lot of friction in this chart. The Sun is close together with Jupiter and also still conjunct Saturn, opposed the Moon, of course, as it always does at Full Moon and all of them are square Mars and Uranus, in Taurus.
Jen: It’s tense.
April: Yes. We will know more by the time this episode airs about what all of this Mars/Uranus symbolism has brought to bear. But we just know that this is a time we tend to be a bit rattled. And I just want to really encourage people to take care of themselves. Everybody seems a little jangly, most people that I’m speaking with.
Jen: Yes.
April: And the Full Moon is also a time that stirs people up quite a lot. Again, Full Moons are always to some degree about relationships and how we’re doing in interacting with the people around us. And there is this tension, the thing about you standing up and having your point of view and your opinion about things, and then feeling perhaps out of step. It goes back to that Sun square Uranus that we talked about at the top of the episode, of feeling out of step with the people around you. And that can be disconcerting. Make you feel a little bit off your game.
Jen: Yes.
April: Yes. So be careful.
Jen: This forms a T-square with Mars and Uranus in the middle between the Sun and the Moon and all those other planets.
April: Does it ever!
Jen: And the empty table leg that we’ve talked about before is in Scorpio. So would it be wise during this time to do something high=level Scorpio to get through?
April: I think it is where we will tend to land. I think the way that particular one works is like, we look for the exit strategy from all this confusion and tension going on with all of the planets that are in the T square. And then you default over into the quiet area of the chart, which in this case is that Scorpio area that then balances everything out. So you are a Scorpio expert here, Jen, what are some things that you might suggest to people to help them stay balanced and grounded during this week?
Jen: Well, I don’t think of Scorpio has grounded because it’s a water sign. So, do you think something with water might be nice? Maybe take a bath?
April: Yes. I think that’s great, actually. Bubble baths, staring at the water. And Scorpio is to me always to about going inside.
Jen: Yes.
April: It’s the inner world. I’ve always had the best luck writing during my progressed Moon in Scorpio, even the days when the Moon is in Scorpio, because it really turns you inward to find your power and your strength. So anything that helps you do that. Meditation’s good. I fall asleep with YouTube on, it’s playing either sounds of rain or the ocean. And it’s just so relaxing. Anything that takes you into a deep meditative space, whatever that involves sounds very good. It’s okay to retreat. And we’re in kind of a perfect environment for that. So many places are still in lockdown. I know where I’m at in California, it’s pretty locked down. So it’s actually a pretty good time to retreat into your little Pluto cave and take care of yourself.
Jen: That would be important right now.
April: Yes. Well, I think it’s sort of in a related vein that we come to Venus conjunct Pluto this week on January 28th, 8:18 AM Pacific Time at 25° 6’. Our old friend, “A Water Sprite.” That’s the Sabian symbol. This is a complicated conjunction, but it’s, again, we’re beginning a new synodic cycle of Venus with Pluto. So it’s kind of a reset when it comes to what your values are, what you love, what you really care for, what gives you pleasure. And then Pluto which is a planet of intensity, of borderline obsession, of, to some degree, also keeping an eye on what other people have. What’s the old expression, something about counting other people’s money? That can be a downside of Venus coming together with Pluto. There’s a lot of intensity and raw emotions around things like money and also relationships.
When we’re at the beginning of any cycle, we have no perspective, we just know we’re deeply in the symbolism and we are one with it. Venus is one with Pluto. It’s almost like they’re not even separate symbols at that point. So this can be obsession with money or a relationship. It can be power struggles, especially around money in a relationship. And this unfolding cycle will be about the planets moving into various aspects with each other over the next year, so that they can see each other more clearly and realize what they are to each other. You know, it’s not bad to have a Pluto element to relationships, to love, to money, because it gives an intensity of feeling. It says you’re really connected with the person. And I think the thing is with Pluto, we have to be careful to not try to control things and not try to overpower anybody else.
Jen: Maybe that’s what the water sprite is saying. Because it’s a really playful symbol for this conjunction. Because it can be a very strong intense conjunction.
April: It’s a strong flavor.
Jen: Yes. And this symbol to me feels like, “Hey, let’s go play a game. Let’s skip and dance.”
April: It’s always a really interesting symbol to me to show up in Capricorn.
Jen: Yes.
April: It’s certainly with my Saturn, it’s very hard for me to relate to it.
Jen: Tell people why you say that.
April: Well, because Saturn is about the way you approach your career, your reputation about what you want to achieve in the world. And in Capricorn, Capricorn’s also pretty serious about getting stuff done. And when I key in on my particular Saturn, I don’t see a water sprite, I don’t see anything playful there. I see it’s just setting out a trajectory and step-by-step getting to it. But I mean, it’s a wonderful connection and it’s a really good symbol for people to take into this, is first of all, you know, a water sprite, I’m picturing this little scantily clothed nymph you know under a waterfall, maybe. And that’s a very natural kind of setting and a natural kind of creature as well. There’s an earthiness to it that maybe it’s a good time to get out and be enjoying nature a little bit. It’s hard in a place such as where you are, Jen, because pretty stinking cold. But if you’re in a place where things are a little more temperate, getting out into nature is probably a really good use for Venus conjunct Pluto.
Jen: Well, when you live in Minneapolis, there is no bad weather, there’s only bad clothing here.
April:
Jen: So. if you just kind of go with it. You get put on your layers. You get yourself outside if you can.
April: Right. That’s the thing. In California, we don’t have the clothes. If we suddenly had weather, we’d be up the creek without a paddle. We don’t have heavy coats and galoshes and good things like that, long Johns to wear on our clothes.
Well, we also have the Sun making a conjunction to Jupiter this week on that same day, 5:39 PM Pacific time, 9°, 21’ of Aquarius. This is the beginning of another synodic cycle that will take about a year to unfold. And this one is about the self in relation to, I would say society. Jupiter and Saturn are really the strong societal planets.
Jen: Okay. Or maybe in relation to your beliefs?
April: Sure.
Jen: Because I think of Jupiter as beliefs.
April: Yes. To what extent do you embody your beliefs or to what extent are your beliefs perhaps a little too subjective. Because again, when anything gets too close to the Sun, there’s a subjectivity to it. We’re not seeing it real clearly. And that’s the case with a conjunction in any event. The two planets kind of have a similarity. The Sun moves through the Zodiac in one year and Jupiter moves through one sign of the Zodiac per year. It’s like an amplification of the solar principle. And I always imagine the Sun as the Prince and Jupiter as the King. The Sun is where we are, there’s more of a becoming energy with the Sun. Jupiter is where we feel we’ve already become the greatest possible version of ourselves. The Sun together with Jupiter is, the Sun is right there with the father and learning at his knee, but also waiting for his moment to get out from the shadow and achieve his own position of power and influence. I don’t know. Does that make any sense?
Jen: Yes. And I’m actually thinking back probably about a year ago when the Sun came together with Jupiter. And I feel like that was Episode 8, maybe? I remember at that point that the Sun came through and met up with Jupiter and Saturn and Pluto, which were all really close together last year.
April: Right.
Jen: I remember you talking about Jupiter being the King. And I do remember that confusing me a little just because the Sun is so much bigger physically than Jupiter. Although Jupiter is the biggest planet in our solar system that we know of, at least.
April: I mean the Sun is integral to our world.
Jen: Yes.
April: To us, it’s a big deal. And when you think about the Sun in your own chart and in your own life, the same could be said of our opinions about ourselves. We feel the world kind of rotates around us. We have to be the hero of our own story, of our own narrative, otherwise, what sense does our life make? What’s our reason for being here? To us from our point of view, the Sun is huge. The Sun is everything. But in reality, if you get away into the solar system, Jupiter’s huge. And it is, as you say, your philosophy of life and the things that are bigger than us.
And the big questions and hopefully the big answers. All of this is happening in Aquarius. It’s quite a lot different than last year when we had this conjunction and it was together with Jupiter and Saturn and Pluto, all in Capricorn.
Jen: Oh, good point.
April: And we talked about Falstaff in a suit in his pinstripe suit.
Jen: Episode Two.
April: The Sun together with Jupiter in Aquarius is quite different. Aquarius is well, he’s more of an astronaut, isn’t he?
Jen: Yes.
April: And it’s about preparing to go into the future and exploring new life, a new civilizations, to boldly go where no one has gone before.
On a mundane level, Sun conjunct Jupiter, I think wherever the Sun is in your chart this week, you will tend to want to do more, be more, get noticed, have more fun. None of this is easy right now. There will be probably quite a longing to be getting together with friends as well. Aquarius is a fairly sociable sign and we are starting a new year of the Sun with Jupiter. And can we think bigger for ourselves? Can we be more than we currently are? I think it’s the question of the Sun with Jupiter. Well, last but far from least this week…
Jen: Good old Mercury.
April: Oh Mercury. He will turn retrograde on January 30th, 07:52 AM Pacific Time, at 26° 29’ of Aquarius on quite a charming Sabian symbol, “An Ancient Pottery Bowl Filled with Violets.” And of course I think of my little kitty, Violet.
Jen: You do have a kitty Violet.
April: And I think there are several little violets, little gray and white kitties in this ancient pottery bowl. And she’s knocking it over as we speak.
Jen: It’s a big pottery bowl.
April: It really is. Mercury turns retrograde, it will turn direct on February 21st. So we’re going into about a three week period of Mercury retrograde.
Jen: And tell people that are new listeners to our show, what retrograde means?
April: Retrograde means from our earthly perspective, the planet in question appears to be moving backwards in its orbit in the night sky. It’s not actually happening. Of course, Mercury is not turning around and moving in another direction. It’s based on perspective. And that’s a really valuable thing to remember that your perspective on this can be adapted to suit the symbolism of the Mercury retrograde.
Jen: So what do you make of the Sabian symbol?
April: “An Ancient Pottery Bowl Filled with Violets.” Well, they’re both delicate things. An old pottery bowl, you’re going to be very careful. Violets, aren’t they little delicate springtime flowers?
Jen: They are. They don’t do well in the middle of summer. That’s Aquarian.
April: Yes. I tend to think of them as a Piscean season March flower. Am I right?
Jen: Well, maybe if you’re in Iowa.
April: Yes. We’ll maybe, which of course I’m not. In California, we have no sense of when anything is in season. So it’s a very sweet Sabian symbol. It does speak again about things that are delicate, that need to be handled with care.
Mercury is a symbol of communication, of how we process facts, ideas, information. And when it’s retrograde, it is when we are asked to take that information within us and process it, think about it, sift through it. And it’s less of a good time for being taught for having people tell you things that you should be thinking or how to think about things. This is about taking it inward. Now, on a mundane level, this can be a time where if you are trying to accomplish a lot, if you’re trying to initiate a lot of new projects, for example, Mercury retrograde will often not treat you kindly because it’s not the spirit of a Mercury retrograde. It’s about revisiting what you’ve already initiated and seeing what you can do with that. And thinking about it, maybe thinking, “Well that didn’t quite work. But maybe I could do this to it, and then it would work.” Rather than going out and saying, “Okay, I had all these big projects I wanted to do this year and I’m going to start them right now.” Not exactly the right time for that. Wait until Mercury turns direct in late February. And for now it’s time to do a little more thinking about it and processing the information. Some things you’re always going to be forced into having to do. And Mercury also rules things like telephones and computers and printers and checks that go missing when it’s retrograde.
You can expect to perhaps have some problems with some kind of appliance or gadget in your life. And if you do, I mean, I try to remind myself, you know, Mercury’s back there kind of laughing into his hand as he watches you struggling with your printer or whatever. But I try to stop myself in that moment and say, “Is this the only way I can accomplish what I need to do right now, is by using this printer? Is this exactly the thing I’m supposed to be working on at exactly this moment?” I just try to take it as a caution sign, something to make me more self-aware about was going through my mind. Any other thoughts about Mercury retrograde?
Jen: What are your thoughts on Mercury turning backwards in a sign that likes to be forward-thinking? Because that Sabian symbol actually speaks to me of both age and sort of something fresh and new?
April: Well, Aquarius is ruled by Saturn in traditional astrology. So that’s the old, that’s where we get the idea of age.
Jen: Yes. Okay.
April: And something old from before as a container for the new, for a place to hold these new ideas. You can hold them, you can collect them, but they’re a little fragile and they’re perhaps not quite ready to be explored. How does that sound?
Jen: I like it. I also want to remind folks that every time Mercury enters an air sign this year, we know Mercury will be turning retrograde at some point.
April: Last year, it was all water all the time with Mercury.
Jen: Yes. In general, what would you say is the difference between Mercury in water signs versus Mercury and air signs going retrograde?
April: I can’t say that I’ve given this tons of thought, so I am just talking off the top of my head. But there are all kinds of different ways to process information, all kinds of different ways to learn. Some people do it emotionally. And I think that was the key of last year with Mercury retrograde in the water signs. It was about finding our way into things intuitively and to say, “Why isn’t this working out? Or how can I do this differently?” In air, it’s a much more mental process. But I think also because Mercury is in its rulership in one air sign and exalted in another, which is Aquarius, it gives it strength. And in my anecdotal observation, Mercury retrograde in an air sign is a bit more of a bother, it’s a bit mischievous. Because it’s stronger in those signs.
Jen: Yes.
April: Again, not the best time to be buying a lot of new electronics and gadgets and whatever, because it just will tend to give us a few more fits when it’s in air signs.
Now, talking things out with people is probably really good work for Mercury retrograde. Catching up with friends during the holidays and over the darkest and coldest times of the year, we don’t necessarily reach out as much. We’re taking naps, we’re hibernating. This is a good time to reach out to friends you haven’t talked to in awhile. Traditionally, we will say that when Mercury is retrograde, people from the past might appear and get back in touch with you. It’s a good time for those kinds of things. And if you are a writer of any kind or someone whose hobby or livelihood relies on processing information and then disseminating it in a way that makes sense, this is a good time for that, at least to really cogitate on a lot of things that you have come across or learned or gathered.
Jen: Yes, I like that.
April: Tend your little Violets.
Jen: And all of the planets have been moving forward for the last couple of weeks, so now Mercury is turning backwards. And so maybe this is just a little respite for folks, you know?
April: To catch up.
Jen: Yes.
April: To catch up with everything. Mercury is kind of a liaison for all the planets, I think. He’s the one that helps them interpret what is going on. He translates for them, maybe. He moves around so much, we laugh about it, but every episode we have Mercury doing something. This is one of the few that other than turning retrograde, he’s not really aspecting any planets.
Jen: Yes, that’s true.
April: He’s like a little bee that goes around and pollinates everything and collects stuff from them, and then takes it onto the next planet. And he likes to do that. That’s his job. So maybe he is just backing up now so that he can check in with all these other planets. You know?
Jen: Yes. That’s great.
April: Well, my friend that is everything on our show sheet. Do you think we’ve done it?
Jen: You can put your bingo card away, because we’ve done it. We’re finishing the episode up here.
April: Alright. Well thank you for listening to The Big Sky Astrology Podcast. We sure hope that you like what you’re hearing. And if you do, be sure to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Leave us a rating or review and maybe help us spread the word by telling a friend. You can read show notes and full transcripts and leave your comments about each episode at our website, bigskyastropod.com.
Jen: We’re really grateful to everyone who showed support during our Podathon a few months back. Each week, as you know, we’ll be thanking one or two of you by name. Who do we have this week?
April: This week, we want to give a Big Sky Astrology Podcast shout out to Sally DuCharme and Juanita Benedicto of Faunabelle Tarot.
Jen & April:
April: Now, our alert listeners will remember Juanita is one of our very first non-imaginary sponsors. And one of the co-creators of the amazing Faunabelle Tarot for kids. She and her co-creator Nicola Allen just launched a very successful Kickstarter campaign.
Jen: So happy for them.
April: I am too. -to fund the publishing of the deck. I think they got fully funded.
Jen: They did. Yes.
April: So, big congratulations and well deserved. It’s a beautiful, beautiful project. And Sally is an astrologer up in Washington State. And as luck would have it, I ran across an article that she wrote that just appeared in the Mountain Astrologer Magazine about presidents born in 1946. It’s a really interesting article. So, yay Sally.
Jen: Yes. That’s so funny that you just happened to run across it.
April: It was really weird, actually. I was telling you, it was last night, I was clearing off my desk and I had two copies of the magazine and I decided to open it up and I pretty much came right to her article, which I thought was…
Jen: Wow.
April: And I had just written the show sheet and run across her name. So it was pretty cool.
Jen: Wow.
April: Sally and Juanita, we appreciate you both so much. And we thank you for listening to the show and supporting us during our Podathon.
Jen: Shout out to both of you and a big thanks. And if you’re a listener who didn’t get a chance to support us during our Podathon, you can always make a donation at our website, bigskyastropod.com. If you donate five bucks or more, we will invite you to our special episodes for the Equinoxes and Solstices. And, you’ll also receive our awesome bingo card.
April: “And bingo was his name-o.”
Jen: I am sorry for putting that song in your head.
April: Yes. That’s going to be an earworm for the rest of the week, Jen. Well, that is it for us for this week. Join us again bright and early next Monday. And until then, keep your feet on the ground…
Jen: …and your eyes on the stars.
Thank you for listening! To learn more about April Elliott Kent, please check out her website, www.BigSkyAstrology.com, where you can sign up for her newsletter, read her thought-provoking weekly essays, purchase her books, sign up for a personal astrology reading, and more.
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© 2021 April Elliott Kent & Jennifer Braun
