TRANSCRIPT: EPISODE 175 | LEO FIRST QUARTER MOON: BREATHING BETWEEN ECLIPSES!
Listen and read episode notesApril: Hello, invisible friend, April here, and the date today is April 24th, 2023. Welcome to Episode 175 of The Big Sky Astrology Podcast.
A much quieter sky this week and a little chance to catch our breath after last week’s big Eclipse. The Sun connects with Saturn and the North Node, Mars makes a sextile to Uranus, and the First Quarter Moon in Leo places the Sun and Moon in a face-off with Pluto. Plus, I answer a most appropriate Listener Question about the two-week period between eclipses.
Sun conjoined North Node (April 24, 2023, 4:00 am PDT)
The week begins with the Sun making a conjunction with the Moon’s North Node on April 24th at 4:00 am PDT. The Sun making a conjunction with one of the Lunar Nodes says we have arrived at eclipse season, because eclipses can only happen at a New or Full Moon within a certain number of degrees from the Lunar Nodes. So, if the Sun is in a conjunction with one of those Nodes, again, we know we are pretty much in the thick of eclipse season.
And when the Sun is together with the North Node, which is a point of evolution of reaching out for something new, it means the Sun is shining in the direction of growth. It’s like we are little plants that grow with their faces pointed up in the direction of the Sun. When the Sun is shining symbolically in some area of our charts or of other points in the sky, we are first struck by how much work we have to do in this area, because we can see very clearly with this bright light shining on this situation exactly how far we have and have not come. So, when it’s the Sun with the North Node, we are suddenly aware probably in the area of our chart that contains 4°01’ Taurus, because that is where this conjunction is taking place, and we are suddenly aware of the fact that we have really been wanting to try to go in a bold new direction in this area of our lives. And we’ve been feeling that way probably ever since the North Node has been in Taurus, which has been close to 18 months.
Now, as the Sun is in a conjunction with that North Node, perhaps we’re getting another opportunity to see how far we’ve come in this area and what we need to do to experience greater growth. But as lovely as I think the North Node is, because I always see it as a symbol of achieving our promise and our purpose, it also can be painful to grow. It can be a little scary and intimidating. There is also this feeling I think with the Sun there with the North Node, something of the glare of the spotlight and self-consciousness when others around us see us attempting to try something new and then we feel that if we fail, everyone will be watching and judging us.
So, the Sun conjunct the North Node is, I think a nice combination, potentially. It awakens us once more to the need to take strides in our life and to try new things and to go after something that we’ve been wanting to do. But that doesn’t mean it’s completely easy. And, of course we’re also in that period between eclipses, so there is that feeling of being a little bit rattled and a little bit unsteady.
Sun sextile Saturn (April 25, 2023, 3:48 am PDT)
The next day, at 3:48 am on April 25th, the Sun makes a sextile to Saturn. So it goes from this conjunction with the North Node towards a nice invitational aspect with Saturn at 4°58’ Taurus and Pisces. So, we have now seen the need to take steps in a new direction, and the sextile from the Sun to Saturn asks, “Is this really worth the effort? Is this going to be permanent?”
Saturn at the sextile is on the Sabian symbol, 5 Pisces, A church bazaar. And this symbolizes, I think, that there are so many opportunities out there. And as the Sun was shining on the North Node too, it’s sort of like a cornucopia sitting there with all of these things that we might want to try. There are so many options. So, the Sun’s sextile to Saturn here is just saying, “Is this really the one we want to commit to?” And always remember the sextile is an optional aspect. We’re not really impelled in the same way we would be, especially with a square, or maybe an opposition.
A sextile says, “Hey, you can do this. And if you do, it could be really nice, but you’re under no obligation, no one’s going to force you. And if the opportunity passes you by, oh well.” So, whenever we have sextiles to Saturn, the question is, “Are you willing to commit to this and do some work?” And much of the answer depends on our personal relationship with Saturn and what else it might be activating in our own birth charts and this kind of thing. But, definitely, the Sun in aspect to Saturn’s always tricky, even if it’s kind of a good aspect because the Sun symbolizes who we are and how we feel about that. Are we comfortable in our sense of self? And Saturn is always wanting us to do maybe more. It’s asking us to put in the work.
I’ve been trying to take little walks each day after every meal, just short little walks. And, for about the first two months, I was into it and I did it without fail, and now of course I am not necessarily feeling like leaping up and going even for a short walk after every single meal. And this really is the nature of a sextile: Are you going to push yourself to do it? And it’s a question of, what do you hope to gain from perhaps going in this new direction that you glimpsed with the Sun conjunct the North Node? No one else is going to be monitoring you. It’s up to you to decide if it’s worth the effort to stay on track.
Leo First Quarter Moon (April 27, 2023, 2:20 pm PDT)
And now for the Moon Report for the week of April 24th. And it begins with a First Quarter Moon at 7°21’ Leo, on April 27th at 2:20 pm PDT. The First Quarter Moon, of course puts the Moon in an opening square aspect with the Sun, which is in Taurus, and in this particular First Quarter Moon chart, the Moon is opposed Pluto and they are both squared by the Sun in Taurus. This kind of configuration can create a lot of friction and a lot of stress, but it can also be motivating. The First Quarter Moon in Leo pushes forward to express itself. It is past the opposition to Pluto by the time it gets to the First Quarter, but there is still that shadow of rejection or diminishment of the self that comes from Pluto. And the Sun in Taurus can also make us feel sometimes as if we are calling too much attention to ourselves as well.
Scorpio is the missing fixed sign in this T-square. So normally I recommend, when we have a T-square that, if the energy becomes too overwhelming, we feel overpowered and kind of stressed out to retreat to the symbolism of that sign that is missing a planet in that modality, in this case, the fixed modality. Scorpio is a sign of self-examination and it’s also an extraordinarily creative sign, which is something I think we overlook really often with Scorpio. And, that is the whole idea of the First Quarter Moon in Leo: What are we going to create? How are we going to express ourselves?
So, this just encourages us, that instead of feeling we have to leap out into the spotlight, which Leo often feels it has to, instead, really embrace the Scorpio tactic of retreat, of spending time alone, digging deep and figuring out in particular what’s going on inside of us, and then that in turn can really inform the creative efforts that we put out into the world.
At this First Quarter Moon, push forward with creative efforts even if you feel that others are not with you or that others are not appreciating what you’re doing, and take your power back. If people push you about expressing yourself, push back.
This is the first critical point as well in a Lunar Phase Family Cycle that began on July 28th, 2022 at 5°38’ Leo. That eclipse point was in a beautiful trine with Jupiter, and at that New Moon, the feeling would’ve been, “The wind is at your back and go ahead and show the world what you’ve got.” Now, this is the moment to show commitment to the big plans, the big adventure that you might have envisioned then. And there are voices around you probably right now that are kind of dismissive or discouraging even about wanting to follow our hearts, and it’s up to us to decide: Are we going to let those voices stop us?
Void-of-Course Moon periods
Let’s talk about the Void-of-Course Moon periods for this week. On April 24th, the Moon in Gemini squares Neptune at 5:15 am PDT; it’s void of course for about six and three quarter hours before it enters Cancer at 11:58 am. This is a Monday morning, and when I think of the Moon with Neptune, I think, put your dreams into words – it’s the Moon in Gemini. Cut through the fog that Neptune can sometimes bring our way, especially on a Monday morning, by talking things through, writing them down, taking the nebulous emotions of Neptune and putting them into language.
The square between the Moon in Gemini and Neptune in Pisces says, this isn’t easy, because so much about Neptune defies language. This is why it’s connected with art and music and dance, the way we express the things that are difficult to express in language. But this could be a Void-of-Course Moon where you institute a Monday habit. If you can get up early enough to take five or 10 minutes before you launch into your week and just do a little writing about what you’re thinking and what you’re feeling and what you hope the week holds in store for you.
On April 26th, the Moon in Cancer is trine Neptune at 4:41 pm PDT and it is Void of Course for almost seven hours. Long Void-of-Course Moon periods this week. And then, the Moon enters Leo at 11:30 pm PDT. And this introduces a very soothing, trine-based Void-of-Course Moon period after that kind of jangly square of the Moon in Gemini square Neptune. Take whatever it was that you gained in clarity during that Moon and Neptune square Void of Course period and lean into it emotionally. How can you set aside a bit of time each day or each week to feel your feelings and to let yourself be guided by them and healed as well?
That Moon in Gemini square Neptune was about the war between the head and the heart, the spirit, and there is no such war going on at this Void of Course period. It is all about surrendering to our instinct and what it is that we feel and to let ourselves be guided by them.
Then on April 29th, the Moon in Leo trines Jupiter at 3:53 am PDT and is Void of Course for just over eight hours, before it enters Virgo at 11:59 am. So, the Moon in Leo trine Jupiter, I mean, eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we reconcile the checkbook with the Moon in Virgo. This is a very jolly Void-of-Course Moon for a Saturday morning. Maybe use this very long Void-of-Course period to institute a habit of starting each weekend with something fun, preferably something like, taking a walk, you know, getting outdoors, Jupiter, in a new place or having brunch at a new restaurant. This is about instituting a happy habit that gets you out of your regular routine and is recreational that really recreates you.
On April 29th at 1:04 pm PDT, Mars makes a sextile aspect to Uranus at 18°21’ Cancer and Taurus. The Sabian symbol for Mars is 19 Cancer, A priest performing a marriage ceremony. And the symbol for 19 Taurus for Uranus is A newly formed continent. So, in the symbol for Mars, a priest is performing a legal ritual to sanction a personal relationship. And as I used to always tell couples I worked with back when I was choosing wedding dates, weddings are not just about the couple, they are about a recognition of their role in society. But the sextile from Mars to Uranus, the rule breaking planet, offers an opportunity to rewrite some of these rules. Uranus is on the symbol, A newly formed continent.
So, something in this sextile, to me, Mars sextile Uranus says, doing something in your own way, but probably not completely going rogue. This might be a situation where you have a job, you like your job, you’re not ready to just run away from your job as Uranus sometimes likes to do; but you have to find a way within that organization to fine tune things so that you’re able to work in a way that is right for you. Maybe it would work better for you to change your work schedule or to work different hours or more hours from home. That’s a little bit of the nature of Mars sextile Uranus. Again, it’s a sextile, no one is going to force you to do anything with an aspect like this. The question really is, Are you going to try to claim some more autonomy for yourself, a little more freedom and flexibility in the way you are going about your work?
Listener Question: Between Eclipses
In this week’s Listener Question, Listener Scout asks, “I’d love to hear your thoughts on the two or so weeks between Eclipses. What might it mean for people born in that small window? What activities should we focus on and avoid during this time? Does this window of time have a name? For example, I read the next Solar New Moon Eclipse is April 20th, and the following Lunar Full Moon Eclipse is May 5th.
Without taking the Eclipse Zodiac signs into account, what is the template of energy between these two events like? What might someone born in the window between these Eclipses have or experience this unique? What should we do or not do during these transits? Many astrologers say don’t begin anything during Eclipse season, but does this in between window count as part of the season?
Thanks for an always fabulous podcast.”
April: Well, Scout, thank you for your question and for your kind words. I don’t know of an official term for that two-week period between Eclipses. And the way it works is, we’ll have a Solar Eclipse, and that can be accompanied within two weeks either side by a Lunar Eclipse, so either two weeks before or two weeks after the Solar Eclipse. And, we can only have Lunar Eclipses alongside a Solar Eclipse. You’re not going to have just a Lunar Eclipse in an Eclipse season.
So, I will call this two-week period between Eclipses, an “Interregnum period’ when we are under the influence of two different Eclipse regimes. One of them is Solar, and can be disruptive to our sense of self. The other one is Lunar, and can be disruptive to our sense of safety and security. If you were born during this two-week period, you will have a Pre-natal Eclipse that’s very close to your birthday and a Progressed Eclipse around your 7th birthday. The Pre-natal Eclipse point is a highly sensitive degree in the chart. It’s just the point of the Eclipse nearest prior your birth.
If there is a degree of the zodiac that seems to respond really strongly for you, even though you don’t have any planets or sensitive points at that degree, check the degree of the eclipse prior to your birth or two, if there were two of them.
In Secondary Progressions, a day after your birth corresponds to a year. So, if an eclipse occurred seven days after your birth, it occurs in your Secondary Progressions seven years after your birth. And this is often a year of big changes, sometimes on an external level, sometimes internally, sometimes both. I think a person born in that two-week interregnum between eclipses is really saturated in the unpredictable nature of eclipses.
Similarly to someone who was born on the actual day of an eclipse, we can expect a lifetime with more than the usual ups and downs. Depending on the birth chart, we might see a pattern of striving for normalcy and security only to have them repeatedly pulled out from under you. Or, someone who thrives on the unpredictability of life and really achieves extraordinary things. Would such a person be wired to do really well during that two-week space between eclipses?
Well… maybe. It’s kind of like asking if people who were born when Mercury was retrograde do especially well when Transiting Mercury has its retrograde periods. Anecdotally, I would say, that certain things that usually cause them problems, like learning style or communication with others might actually go more smoothly when Mercury is retrograded, because the rest of the world is more or less on their wavelength.
And maybe it’s the same for the person born between eclipses when we reach that moment in each year’s two eclipse seasons. They are like people who grow up right smack on an earthquake fault, and they have learned to live with this unexpected shaking at any given moment. They develop a kind of a sure-footedness, an ability to cope with the unexpected and with sudden change. So, while the rest of us are caught unaware at eclipse time by all this jangly energy and the need to cope with change and things that are coming out of left field, these are the people who have already learned to shelter under a heavy piece of furniture or stand in a doorway. They’re still affected, but they have coping strategies.
As for not beginning anything on or between eclipses, I disagree, but then I got married right between two eclipses. Naturally, we’ve had our ups and downs, but all marriages do. We are still happily together after 30 years. A friend founded her website on the day of a Solar Eclipse and it became a big success.
Now, as for good things to do during this period, maybe think of them as mini-Uranus transits. If something in your life has needed shaking up for a while, but it seemed too scary or you dragged your feet, well, here is the moment.
The message of eclipses is just that we have taken a particular road as far as we can and it’s time to go in a new direction. Eclipses and this interregnum period between them are very powerful, and their strength and their astrology need to be respected and used consciously. So, proceed with caution at these times maybe, but by all means, proceed.
Scout, thank you so much for that wonderful question. You know I love to talk about eclipses! If you want to know more about eclipses and specifically eclipses in your own birth chart, order, my Moonshadow Eclipse Report. You can find it at my website, bigskyastrology.com, and just click on “Eclipses” in the main menu bar.
If you have a question that you’d like me to answer on a future episode, please leave a message of one minute or less at speakpipe.com/bigskyastrologypodcast. Or, if you are a shy person, you can email me april(at)bigskyastrology(dot)com and be sure to put “Podcast Question” in the subject line.
Donor Thanks
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© 2023 by April Elliott Kent
