EPISODE 82 (May 17, 2021)
Read show notes and listen to the episode here.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 May 17th, 2021. And here with me, remembering the year that ET went home, is my friend, astrologer April Elliott Kent. Hi, April.
April: Hello, Jen. I remember that movie.
Jen: Wasn’t that a great movie?
April: It was a beautiful movie. And I hadn’t watched it in many, many years since it first came out, and I watched it five or six years ago. And, oh gosh…
Jen: It’s very sweet…
April: I got all weepy. It’s very sweet. And there was the whole Reese’s pieces. I remember. What was going on for you in 1982 other than ET going home or whatever he did?
Jen: I was a kid going to middle school. Tell people what we’re doing and why I brought up the movie ET and 1982.
April: Well, because we’re both big fans of the 80s and because we are now in our episodes that are numbered beginning with an eight, Episodes 80 through 89 will feature our favorite songs from those individual years. So, today of course, we will be sharing our favorite songs for 1982.
Jen: What was going on for you in 1982?
April: Well, I had been playing around town. I think I said before, as a sensitive singer songwriter, and I actually joined a band that year.
Jen: That’s great.
April: And it ended up being a fantastic experience. We played around LA and a lot of clubs and ended up winning this big radio contest and playing this big show in the Valley. Really exciting.
Jen: Nice.
April: I wrote songs with my friend, Jerry, and it was a lot of fun. And I got my first real job. I worked at a local newspaper group in Orange County, near Los Angeles and had a really fun time and working with computers and things in their infancy. And it was a really good experience.
Jen: Yes. Nice.
April: So, I have a couple of songs that I’m excited to share today, but first I think you should kick it off because I went first, last week.
Jen: Okay.
April: So, what were you listening to, pal?
Jen: We’re hitting the music now that really spoke to me, because when I was in middle school, that’s when I really started listening to music. And there were two or three groups that I listened to non-stop. The first song that I’m going to mention was from the first album I think that I ever bought; it’s the song “Rio” from Duran Duran, which has, in my opinion, one of the best bass lines ever. It’s absolutely splendid.
April: Oh my goodness. I can picture the cover right now. It was that famous artist who I can never remember, it begins with an “N”, that very stylized drawing of a woman and I will have to listen to that song anew through a bass player’s ears.
Jen: Yes. I listened to that whole album nonstop. Loved it. So, that was my first song. What was your first song pick? Because we both have runners up of course, but let’s hear what yours was.
April: Okay. First, I will tell you the one that is… it really was everywhere. Whenever I hear it, I think, “Oh yes, that’s the 80s.” The other one is one very dear to my heart, but the first one is “Tainted Love” by Soft Cell.
Jen: Yes. I totally know that song.
April: Yes. Fantastic song. And your number two pick?
Jen: My number two is Pat Benatar, “Shadows of the night.” She won a Grammy for that song.
April: As she should have.
Jen: Loved that song.
April: Fine tune, exciting video. We used to call her ‘Pat Bend The Guitar’, was our nickname for her.
So, my other one, my runner up is by one of my all-time favorite artists, Marshall Crenshaw. And it’s called “Someday, someway.”
Jen: Hmm.
April: You may not know it.
Jen: I don’t think I know that song.
April: It did chart. It wasn’t a real, real big hit, but for me, oh gosh, I loved him so much. And that album, that first album of his, oh, so great. So, I will put, of course, the video on our YouTube playlist that we’re making to accompany these pics. You may recognize it when you hear it. Very, very catchy. And if I could, I would just nominate the whole album that it’s on, because it was fantastic. And I listened to it constantly.
Jen: You can if you want. It’s our podcast!
April: Right. It is. Isn’t it? We could kind of do that. So, we invite everybody to go to bigskyastropod.com and find this episode. And in the comments, leave your picks for 1982 and what you were listening to, and let us know. It’s the soundtrack of our lives, you know, listening to these songs. And let us know what your life was looking like at that time too. We would love to hear it.
Jen: Well, pal, we’re going to mention one other thing before we launch into the celestial events of the week.
April: Yes.
Jen: Your book, “The Essential Guide To Practical Astrology” was picked as one of the top 10 books for learning astrology, by Business Insider magazine. Astrologer Elisabeth Grace – who does a fascinating weekly column looking at the synchronicity between world news and what’s going on with the astrology, I encourage everyone to read it – she nominated you for this list. So, congratulations.
April: Thank you. That was so kind of Elisabeth. And, Business Insider? I mean, you got to think – I think I posted somewhere, “Astrology is really having a moment when it ends up on Business Insider.”
Jen: Yes. For sure.
April: And alongside some other amazing books, including Grant Lewi, “Heaven Knows What” which I cut my teeth on. That was one of my earliest astrology books. And I think I wore out two copies of it. So yes, thank you to Elisabeth. And the wonderful thing for me with that book is my colleagues have really championed it. And that has meant so much to me. And it’s been so influential in the book sort of having a really robust second life after it went out of print with its first publisher, Penguin. It was really exciting when you forwarded me that link. And I really appreciated it.
Jen: Yes. I will link the article in the show notes. I will also link your book of course, as well as Elisabeth Grace’s website. And by the way, it’s Elisabeth with an “S” not a “Z”
April: Yes. She does fine work and it’s a lovely website too. So, we do encourage everybody to check it out.
Jen: Yeah. So, congrats to you. And why don’t you kick it off this week, April. What’s going on in the heavens?
April: Well, we got quite a lot happening and we’re going to begin by looking at the Sun’s trine to Pluto on May 17th. And this is really an aspect of personal empowerment. I always associate the Sun with our will to do things, our confidence, what lights us up inside. And at this aspect, those things are really aligned with goals, because Pluto is in Capricorn, which is a goal-setting sign, and it is supported by powerful forces. And that’s what we always see when something comes together with Pluto. Gosh, maybe it’s my book ending up in Business Insider, I don’t know. Because, that is Pluto in Capricorn.
Jen: Yes, totally.
April: And what’ll happen is, you’ll get some kind of little boost that put you into alignment with powerful forces. Again, this is a very fast-moving aspect. Maybe we’ll feel it, experience it a couple of days in advance or around May 15th through May 17th, maybe a day or two on the other side as well. So, it’s fast moving. But if you already have something in your chart right now that’s getting an aspect from Pluto, you may experience this a little more strongly and it may be triggering those larger forces that are happening in your birth chart.
Jen: Sure.
April: So, what do we have coming up after that?
Jen: Venus joins up with the North Node of the Moon on May 17th, at 01:38 PM Pacific Time, at 10°, 46 minutes of Gemini. Of course, with Venus on the North Node, it is opposite the South Node because the North Node and the South Node are always in opposition to one another. If folks want to learn more about the Nodes, they can go back and listen to Episode 5, “Unboxing Eclipses.”
April: They’re going to want to listen to that anyway, because we have eclipse coming up.
Jen: We do. Next week, right?
April: Yes.
Jen: Oh, yes.
April: That’s really good primer for that.
Jen: Go back and listen to that one. And tell us what else folks should know about this, April.
April: Venus is associated with important people in our lives and relationships. The North Node, because it has a little sense of faded-ness about it, this is often a moment in the Venus Node cycle when new people, important people enter our orbit, when some kind of a relationship is initiated or when some dream or other starts to become more of a reality. This can also be about realizing financial goals that you have had for a long time or getting on the right financial path. And that has been a little bit of a theme of this Taurus season anyway, with Venus also going through Taurus, the planet of personal values for a good deal of that season. But Venus now, as we said, is in Gemini and conjunct the North Node and its relationships that open us up, and engage us intellectually, people also who connect us with other and new people because the North Node is really about the people that are leading us along the path towards growth. That’s what the North Node’s job is, to stretch us a little bit, to expand our boundaries, to get us to move forward in a new direction. So, this is meeting people who will walk along that path with us, and they will be of the nature of Gemini, which is fun, curious, funny, stimulating, and possibly people who live very near us because Gemini is associated with our neighborhood and our immediate environment.
This could also be referring to the fact that some of the lockdown protocols are lightening up in a lot of areas, people are starting to gather a little bit more socially, so this is an opportunity to just be connecting with a lot more people and newer people.
Jen: Could it also be about aligning your values with your path forward? Because Venus is about values, and the North Node is the path forward…
April: Yes. I think it’s like moving in a path that is true to your values.
Jen: Yes. Authentic.
April: Yes. That feels right, and also feels enjoyable. Always with Venus, if we think of it as being the planet that talks about our desires and the things we really enjoy. And isn’t it nice that we’re at this moment in that cycle, that the very things we enjoy and love and find fulfilling, are the right things to be doing, the right path to be taking.
Jen: That’s nice.
April: Eat all the donuts. It’s okay. The universe says that we must. It’s an imperative.
April: Anyway, that’s what I’m going to do with Venus… I don’t know about you
Jen: Do it, April. Do it.
April: Alright. Jen, any idea what time it is?
Jen: What time is it?
April: Moonwatch…
Jen: Moonwatch…
April: Play it!
April: Oh, we’re going to tell you all about the Leo First Quarter Moon that we have coming up this week. But first, we’re going to tell you about our non-imaginary sponsor, artists, Victoria Pendragon.
April: Victoria Pendragon’s personal natal chart paintings unite the cosmic planetary influences from the moment of your birth with her knowledge of astrology, which is a subject she first began studying all the way back in 1964, and at the time V was a student at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Her personal natal chart painting designs itself, she says, to become a focus for deep meditation, because on a subconscious level, the body recognizes itself in the image, taking the meditation to an even deeper level than simply stilling the mind. Her unique approach to the chart incorporates a lifetime of mystical experiences.
Jen: Well, Victoria who goes by V, says that the paintings take about four to six weeks to complete. And that sounds pretty fast to me, actually…
April: Back in the day, it would have taken me that long to calculate that chart…
Jen: Exactly!
April: …let alone paint it. So…
Jen: But V says that one of the reasons that they take as long as they do is because she uses a unique painting technique. Her hands lost their flexibility as a by-product of scleroderma, which is a very serious disease that sidelined her for four years. And Vee says that she actually has to lay the painting on a table and move it around instead of her hands and fingers, which is really cool.
April: Yes.
Jen: It’s a pretty remarkable story because it’s a deadly disease. And the fact that she not only survived but is making such fantastic art is really amazing.
April: I really encourage everybody to look at her website because her paintings are so beautiful.
Jen: They really are.
April: The colors are so vibrant. She has put up a dedicated webpage just for this particular part of her work at yourchartasart.com, you can also visit her website, victoriapendragonpaints.com to view her paintings, including some of her astrology work.
Jen: That’s great. I’ll link it in the show notes.
April: Great.
Jen: Tell us about this First Quarter Moon, April. What should folks know about it and what is the First Quarter Moon anyway?
April: The First Quarter Moon comes about a week after the New Moon and it’s the time of the lunar cycle where the Moon comes up to make a square aspect to the Sun. If you look up in the sky, it looks like half a Moon. And it is the time in the cycle when we are asked to take action. So, if there’s some idea that you formulated around the Taurus New Moon, some idea that you conceived, some project that you decided you wanted to do something with, you were planting those seeds, this is the time in the lunar cycle where it’s time to take some action. You’ve already done all the homework, you’ve done all the research, and now it’s actually time to just give it a whirl. Just throw yourself out there in some way.
This is at the very last degree of Leo and a Leo First Quarter Moon says, “Get out there and show yourself, show your heart, reveal yourself to the world. Because what has been holding you back, what you’ve been scared to do is about doing sharing on that level, showing who you are.”
The Moon at 29° of Leo and one minute is opposed Jupiter, which just went into Pisces last week and the Sun is square Jupiter. The Sun is at 29° of Taurus. I actually really liked the Sabian symbols for this First Quarter.
Jen: Tell us about them.
April: The Sabian symbol for 30° Leo, the Moon is “An Unsealed Letter.” And the Sabian symbol for 32° Taurus is our favorite, “A Peacock Parading on an Ancient Lawn.” We have had peacocks coming out our ears, Jen!
Jen: I know! Why is that?
April: I don’t know! Since we first talked about something at this degree, a couple of weeks ago, every time we turn around there were peacocks!
Jen: I know…
April: And there are worse things that you could have confronting you at every turn.
Jen: For sure. I like peacocks. I think they’re very beautiful.
April: And they’re symbols of such luxury and opulence and kind of a flamboyance as well, we might say, which is kind of good for Leo. I like that Sabian Symbol, “Unsealed Letter” because on the one hand, it can make you feel like, “Oh, don’t leave an unsealed letter laying around. It’s kind of dangerous and unsecure. People will get access to your intimate thoughts.” But I like that. It’s an unsealed letter because that is what we’re required to do with this First Quarter is act like a Leo, which is unsealed, which is very accessible. It’s just putting everything out there and really sharing as we’re getting ready to move into the Gemini season, which we’ll talk about later. And we’ve already had Venus and Mercury in Gemini, the letter writing sign. I really liked that. I liked that this Moon is at that particular symbol and saying, “Write it down, write down everything that you are, express it. Put it in an envelope, but leave it unsealed for everybody to look at and to share.”
Jen: I like the symbols too. I thought that they both indicate something in view. So, you can take action in a way that gets you noticed or allows yourself to be seen.
April: Right.
Jen: Consider: What’s your path with heart? That’s Leo. Or: What do you want to grow? That’s Taurus, which is where the Sun is.
April: I think that’s a really good observation. And the thing that comes to mind for me about that is when you’re in the mode of the Sun, on the “Peacock parading around an ancient lawn”, there is a bit of a being on stage quality about that, of, you know everybody’s watching and you really want to appear your best. But the “Unsealed letter” is a little more unguarded. It says, yes, it’s all good and well to be out there and be seen in the world and let people see you, but you’re always in control of what people are seeing, to some extent. And with the “Unsealed letter”, you’re inviting people in a little bit. That’s the job anyway, to say, no matter how much you value your reputation in the world. You’ll move forward at this First Quarter Moon a little more effectively, if you just kind of reveal yourself a little more in simple ways.
Jen: That’s lovely. One more thing about this First Quarter Moon is that it brings us back to the New Moon in Leo from nine months ago at 27°. I will link Episode 39 in the show notes, “Leo New Moon, A Rainbow at Daybreak” because we talked quite a bit about what was going on that week. And the energy from that time would also be carried forward now. It’s a story that’s unfolding overnight these past nine months.
April: Good point. And that goes back to the idea of the lunar phase families, or is sometimes called the lunar gestation cycle.
Jen: Yes. Will you say what that is?
April: So, each New Moon begins another one of these lunar phase families, their two and a half years cycles. And over the course of that two and a half years, the degree of that New Moon, so in this case, it was 21° in change of Taurus at the last New Moon. Nine months after that New Moon, we will have a First Quarter Moon near that same degree, close to 21° of Taurus. Nine months after that, we’ll have a Full Moon at about the same degree. Nine months after that, it’s the Last Quarter Moon. And then we’ll be on to a new lunar phase family. Our friend Celeste told us about this, “Astrology by Celeste.” You can see her on Instagram. She has a lot of fun live Instagram stories and things like that. And there is a wonderful article on Frank Clifford’s website that I think we’ve linked to before. We’ll link to it again in the show notes. That really explains this lunar phase family really well.
Jen: Yes. So, this brings us back to nine months ago and the story’s continuing.
April: Right. What else do we have coming up, pal?
Jen: Next up, we have Venus trining a stationing Saturn, which we’ll talk about more in a bit. Venus is at 13°, 30 minutes of Gemini, and is making a trine to Saturn, which has been in Aquarius. A trine is an easy, flowing energy. It’s 120° angle from one planet to the other. What would Venus in a trine to Saturn tell us, April?
April: Well, first of all, I think it tells us “Take what you love seriously.”
Jen: Because Venus is what you love, and Saturn is being serious.
April: And very often, for instance, I’ll read for our client and see they have Saturn going into their fifth house. Let’s say the house of creativity, the house of fun. And the dictate there is kind of contradictory because the fifth house is about the things we just have fun with and enjoy. But Saturn says, “No that’s important. Take it seriously. Do something with it.” And Venus, although it really didn’t have any association with the fifth house, that was just an example, but Venus would be about the things that we love, that we enjoy that bring us pleasure. And again, you know, we talked about Venus earlier coming together with the North Node. So, this carries some of that symbolism as well and says “The things that really complete you, that make you feel as if you are, you know, living your life, living your happiest life…” I think is Venus. “Take that seriously.”
You know, a lot of the times, especially when we’re young and we contemplate a career path when we think, “Oh, what do I want to be when I grow up?” And we assume it has to be something very, very rigid and formal and serious. That is kind of the symbolism of Saturn, which is the planet we associate with career. But what if your path is really – and we think this week that it is – about pursuing more of the things that give you pleasure, that make you happy? And Saturn’s sort of giving us his stamp of approval this week and saying, “If you love it, it’s a thing worth doing.”
The Sabian symbols for this are 14° Gemini, which is Venus’s degree is “A Conversation by Telepathy”, which we’ve been talking about. And the Sabian symbol for Saturn is 14° Aquarius, “A Train Entering a Tunnel.” And these are both degrees that we’ve been coming back to periodically over the last few weeks. What I like about this and how they came together for me in my mind is “A Conversation by Telepathy”, it’s like, if you’re on a train and you’re going into a long tunnel and you’re trying to make a phone call to somebody and you’re getting terrible cell phone reception. So, it’s like the “Conversation by Telepathy” is like, there is always another way to connect with people. There’s always a way to make that connection.
So, take your relationships seriously. This could be a part in the Venus Saturn cycle where people decide to take a relationship to the next level.
And it can also be about our artistic gifts. The Sun is really about what we create and the creative heart of who we are, but Venus rules a lot of the ways that we express that self, that creativity. So, it can be music, it can be art, it can be relationships. Relationships to a great degree are a reflection of who we are and hopefully a reflection of our most authentic self. So, listen to your muse, I think this aspect of saying, and then focus. We keep talking about that train entering a tunnel, and we’ve been talking about that again and again. So, really focus, listen to what it is you like listen to your muses and then focus and do something with them. Don’t just talk about doing something with them.
Jen: You know what all that made me just think of?
April: What?
Jen: E.T. phone home!
Jen: The “conversation by telepathy.” Right?
April: That’s right. He was having a heck of a time getting that call through, wasn’t he?
Jen: Ohoo…
April: Oh, Jen, you’re such a wag…
Jen: I know.
April: Okay. Well next up, we want to tell you about the exciting news this week of the Sun entering the sign of Gemini.
Jen: Yay!
April: Yay! So, that’s on May 20th at 12:37 PM Pacific Time. The Sun will be in Gemini through June 20th, which is when we will have our summer solstice here in the Northern hemisphere. And course that means our donors are going to be receiving a special episode around that time.
Jen: Yes.
April: So, we’re coming into the home stretch here of spring here in the Northern hemisphere and autumn down under. So, a season of the Sun, the Sun moving through a sign of the Zodiac, it takes about 30 days. The Sun is always where we find joy and happiness. And in Gemini season, we find joy through communicating, through getting a change of scenery, talking to people we like, all the things we were kind of talking about with the Venus aspect with the North Node is emphasized here with the Sun going into Gemini. It’s also, we will shine most brightly when we are doing Gemini things or doing things in a Gemini way. So, being kind of bright, changeable, clever, writing things, expressing ourselves.
Of course, it’s going to be a really interesting Gemini season because Mercury’s going to be turning retrograde in this sign.
Jen: Next week.
April: Yes. And so we will tell you more about that then, but we also have Venus in the sign. It’s a very Gemini time right now. It always strikes me how much the Sun’s journey through a particular sign each year corresponds with the things we naturally do at that time of year, at least here in the Northern hemisphere. The Sun going into Gemini makes me think of summer road trips that my family took when I was a kid between Indiana and California. Because Gemini is about, we say short trips, but it’s also relatively speaking trips close to home. So, Sagittarius would be about going overseas, long journeys over water. But Gemini is knowing your own country, knowing your own neighborhood, your own roads, your own paths. That is something that is often done. I am thinking kids going to camp is something I associate with the Sun in Gemini time, as well as school let out.
Now the Sun, the minute it moves into Gemini practically, well, the next day, it will make a square to Jupiter because Jupiter standing there at 0° of Pisces, so anything that moves into a new sign will first make an aspect to Jupiter. And the aspect between the Sun in Gemini and Jupiter in Pisces is a square. It’s a conflict. This occurs on May 21st at 08:03 AM Pacific Time, 0° and 46 minutes of Gemini and Pisces.
The Sabian symbol for the Sun at 1° Gemini is “A Glass-Bottom Boat in Still Water.” And the Sabian symbol for 1° Pisces is “A Public Market.” And to me it just sounds like they’re on each other’s Sabian symbols. Because the Sun in Gemini would so be about the “Public Market” and Jupiter in Pisces is the “Glass-Bottom Boat in Still Water.” It’s like they’re having a Sabian symbol mutual reception or something.
Jen: Yes. Totally.
April: The Sun squaring Jupiter is always an aspect that inspires us to do more saying “You’re thinking too small. You’re not doing enough in larger horizons in some way.” There’s a bit of a conflict between the Sun in Gemini, which is again about your neighborhood, your own backyard, the things close to you. And Jupiter here is reminding us, “But don’t get too caught up in that because there’s a whole world out there that you need to also be aware of.” Again, a day or two, either side of May, 21st, maybe something about international relations in our country, the US, comes into the news a little more or maybe is somebody that you know who is far away, lives far away or is farther away than you would like. There is some sort of a thought here of, “Oh, I would really like to see this person.”
So, it’s kind of a nice way to kick off the Sun in Gemini season. Because even if it’s a square, Jupiter is still very beneficial. Because in this case, he’s saying “More, more and more.” The only way you can do this one wrong is to get overextended. So, I would say maybe around that day, a day or two, either side, think twice before you take on new obligations, because it may be adding a little bit too much to your already frantic schedule.
Jen: Yes. This is the opening square from a cycle that began January 28th, 2021, so folks can think back to then. A cycle started then, and this is the first of three intermissions that will see a theme unfolding. And I like that the Sabian symbol – and also you just brought up, April – is around community and society. Because it would have been Aquarian themes back in January… that cycle that started… and so it’s about “Who am I, in relationship to society? To community?”
April: Yes. Exactly. “How are all my unique gifts going to be used to further something that’s collective? Something a little bit beyond my own small concerns?”
Jen: Exactly.
April: What do we have coming up next, pal?
Jen: Mercury squares Neptune May 22nd at 07:43 PM Pacific time. Mercury’s at 22°, 53 minutes of Gemini. Neptune’s in Pisces, of course, as always, and will be there forever,
April: Seemingly forever.
Jen: Yes.
April: So, I have this aspect of my birth chart, Mercury square Neptune. And when I first started learning astrology, I was always really troubled by what I read about this aspect.
Jen: Which says what?
April: Well, that you’ll be a congenital liar. That you can’t commit to anything. And I don’t think that describes me, I have to say. I think what happens with squares to Neptune is we work really hard to get clear, to clarify things. And with Mercury square Neptune, I’ve had to work really hard to part the clouds, to get through the fog. It’s like, “Oh, I have this idea.” And you’re so close to expressing it, and then the fog rolls in. And then it’s like, “Where is it? I’ve lost it. I’ve lost it.” So, you have to work a little harder when Mercury is square Neptune to articulate exactly what you want to say in a way that makes sense to other people. But it’s also a good aspect for intuition and imagination, but you will tend to not trust your intuition when Mercury is square Neptune. The square leads to doubt whether what you’re seeing is what’s actually going on.
I’ve always associated it with the struggle to express something that really doesn’t lend itself to words. And it honestly is the reason I started doing my collages that I do for my website, because it uses a different part of my brain, and it is a Neptune side of the brain working with images. So, if you find yourself stuck with some project that involves writing something or really detailed work, try taking a little break away from it and doing something that’s very visual because that will often open up your mind in a good way.
Jen: Have you ever seen the feelings wheel? It’s got six core feelings. And then it expands out with more nuanced words for various feelings.
April: Yes. I just saw that. A friend of mine just posted that on Instagram or Facebook over the weekend. I had never seen it before.
Jen: Oh yes. It’s pretty cool. So, I was thinking if people have no words for something, you could sit with a feeling and then try to identify what the core feeling is, and then work your way out. I’ll post a link to it. That might be helpful.
April: Yes. Definitely. It is a good aspect in a birth chart I think for people who do creative work. You’re translating basically, you’re taking feelings, moods, impressions, which is the Neptune part and trying to bring them down to earth into some kind of form that makes sense to people, through where you can communicate things to people. So, that’s a good idea.
Jen: Good stuff.
April: Well, we finish up the week with Saturn stationing to turn retrograde on May 23rd at 02:18 AM Pacific Time at 13° and 31 minutes of Aquarius. It will turn direct again on October 10th. And big planets stationing retrograde. Again, they’re retrograde a lot of the year. I think Saturn’s retrograde for five months out of the year. So, it’s a pretty normal state for Saturn to be in, but at the same time, as it is moving retrograde or on the other end, turning direct, the energy of the planet seems to be accentuated in the world around us. So, look out for that on May 23rd.
Jen: What themes would those be?
April: Themes of a relationship with authority, our boundaries, authority figures in our lives, establishing routines and structures to support us, protecting ourselves. And I think when Saturn’s turning retrograde, my idea always about retrograde planets is it is how we are internalizing the message of the planet. So, this would be about internalizing our sense of authority, taking our cues from our own sense of what’s right and wrong rather than people externally imposing these things on us. So, it’s an interesting time for Saturn retrograde. It can make us feel as if we’re kind of like adrift and don’t have a lot of external guidance, so we’ve got to figure it out for ourselves, whatever it is,
Jen: Be responsible.
April: Yes. Be responsible. Be the author of your own story is what I always say with Saturn turning retrograde. It would be a really good time for things like self-improvement work. It’s less about going and taking a class with somebody probably about knowing yourself better and more about going within and seeing what you already know about what your guiding lights are, what is the thing that you are here to do. Because the North Node we always talk about is being the path forward, the qualities of ourselves we’re trying to develop. And I think that’s all true. But Saturn has to do with the here and now and how are you setting up your life in such a way that it supports your goals and the direction that you’re going in? So, that is what we’ll be dealing with with Saturn through October 10th, 2021.
Jen: Perfect.
April: Well, pal, we have made it to the end of another show sheet. Have we done it?
Jen: We phoned home and the spaceship awaits!
April: And now it’s time for some Reese’s pieces.
Jen: Mmmm….
April: Yum! We want to thank you all for listening to The Big Sky Astrology Podcast. If you like what you’re hearing here, we hope you will subscribe or follow the show on your podcatcher of choice. You can leave us a rating or a review, maybe 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 so grateful to everyone who showed support during our Podathon last fall. Each week we thank some of you by name. Who is it this week, April?
April: This week we want to give a Big Sky Astrology Podcast shout out to JAN GRIFFIN, FRANCINE PARLING, and ANGELA NIETUPSKI!
April: Jan, Francine, and Angela, we appreciate you all. We thank you so much for listening to the podcast and for supporting us during our September Podathon.
Jen: Thanks to the three of you. If you’re a listener who didn’t get a chance to support us during our Podathon last fall, you can always make a contribution at our website, that’s at bigskyastropod.com. If you donate five bucks or more, we’ll invite you to our special episodes for the Equinoxes and Solstices.
April: That’s it for us 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.
That’s all for today. If you like what you’re listening to, please take a moment to rate and review this podcast and hit subscribe to stay current with new episodes.
You can follow Big Sky Astrology on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter: @BigSkyAstrology
To help support the Big Sky Astrology Podcast and to keep it going for as little as a dollar a month, please visit www.bigskyastropod.com.
Thanks again for joining us, and we’ll catch you next time!
© 2021 April Elliott Kent & Jen Braun
