TRANSCRIPT Ep. 205 | Taurus Lunar Eclipse: Building a Bridge!

TRANSCRIPT
Episode 205 | Taurus Lunar Eclipse: Building a Bridge!

Hello Invisible Friend, April here, and the date today is October 23rd, 2023. Welcome to Episode 205 of the Big Sky Astrology Podcast.

This week, we celebrate the beginning of Scorpio season. Mercury and Mars connect with Jubilant Jupiter. A Lunar Eclipse in Taurus is time to review shared values with a partner. And I answer a listener question about the Sun and other planets above and below the horizon of the chart.

Sun enters Scorpio (Oct. 23, 2023, 9:21 am PDT)

The Sun enters Scorpio on October 23rd at 9:21 a.m. Pacific Time. It will be in the sign through November 22nd. The Sun, as it transits through the signs of the Zodiac, shines a light on what needs sprucing up in our lives, where we need to renew our vitality. It’s also about what we celebrate. And this is the season of celebrating loved ones and others who have passed over to the other side. This is when we celebrate Samhain and Day of the Dead, this commemoration of those who have gone to the other side.

On a practical level, this is a wonderful season for deep cleaning, for really going in and getting rid of clutter, going through your closets, in your pantry, and your cabinets, to see what you can let go of. In this modern world, we accumulate so much stuff, and it can feel a little bit draining sometimes, when we have so much hanging around and we don’t have a lot of clear, empty space. So Scorpio season is a great time for letting go of things that we don’t need that are in our way.

It’s also in the Northern Hemisphere, a time when we begin to prepare for the darker months of the year. And this can be stockpiling firewood, candles, stocking up your pantry. It’s a time for sharing with and supporting loved ones in our lives and for having honest and deep conversations that need to be had, even though that can be kind of difficult. And in light of the recent solar eclipse in Libra, which did bring a little bit of shaking up, especially in the relationship areas of our lives, some things might’ve come up, which now we need to face and talk about and deal with.

Sun trine Saturn (Oct. 24, 2023, 12:13 am PDT)

On October 24th at 12:13 a.m. Pacific Time, the Sun trines Saturn at 0º37’ Scorpio and Pisces. This is a time when we’re likely to be acknowledged for our achievements, for our leadership, for our maturity. The Sun rewards Saturn qualities. During this trine, this is a time also to just give yourself a gold star for everything that you’ve overcome, obstacles that have been in your way, all of the hard work that you’ve done, that no one knows about but you.

The Sun is on a curious Sabian symbol at this trine, 1 Scorpio, a sightseeing bus. And we can just visualize what that looks like. People together on this tour bus, and cruising along and seeing the sights. It’s an interesting way to see things, because you don’t get to see anything really close up, but you hit the highlights.

That might be instructive for the Sun trine to Saturn. Especially if there are projects that you’re feeling you’d like to take on. We often do that on good aspects to Saturn. And it might be good first to really consider all of the options, the alternatives. An example might be that you decide you would like to work with a particular company, try to get a tour of the facilities. Or to really do some research into the things that they produce and how their employees feel about them, this kind of thing.

It’s an example of how we might use this imagery of the Sabian symbol to approach something new that really could be a project that’s important and long lasting.

Mars opposed Jupiter (Oct. 28, 2023, 9:03 am PDT)

On October 28th at 9:03 a.m. Pacific Time, Mars in Scorpio opposes Jupiter. I think while Jupiter has been in Taurus, we’ve been collecting big dreams. And often they’re about things that we want to buy or we want to invest in, places we want to go.

Well, as Mars opposes Jupiter, it kind of is time to take action in the direction of a wish or an adventure. or a dream. It will tend to be rewarded. Now, because it’s an opposition aspect, sometimes this means that we are watching the example of other people stepping out onto adventures, doing the lovely things that perhaps we’d like to do.

And there are two ways to look at that. We can feel a little bit envious. Or, we can be inspired, and we watch how they do it, and perhaps we try to get some insights about how we might get a little closer to our own dreams. Jupiter is on the Sabian symbol, 12 Taurus Window shoppers, so it is more of a time to shop than to buy, perhaps. And Mars is on the Sabian symbol, 12 Scorpio, An embassy ball. That always speaks to me of being in a situation where it’s ostensibly social, but there is some serious business that is hanging around underneath it all.

So is it going out and taking action towards these dreams, these goals? Just have it in mind. Be a little bit aware of the fact that sometimes there are hidden costs, perhaps, to going after something we want to do. The hidden cost at an Embassy Ball is you’re not really there to have fun. You’re there to get work done. And it can be similar, I think, during this opposition of Mars and Jupiter. This is a time we can indulge in a little bit of irrational exuberance, but that can backfire. Mars is a little impulsive, and Jupiter tends to amplify things. So, don’t take unnecessary risks. Start with a single step.

Mercury opposed Jupiter (Oct. 28, 2023, 8:44 pm PDT)

Also, on October 28th, at 8:44 p.m. Pacific Time, Mercury opposes Jupiter. This is a transit that can be a lot of fun, especially with Mercury and Scorpio, which can tend to be a little bit on the darker or quieter, even a little bit more pessimistic side. But when it’s connecting with Jupiter, it lifts the mood, quite a lot.

Now, on the other hand, it can also lead us to cherry pick facts that support what we already believe is true. I think this is a little less likely when Mercury is in Scorpio, because that’s an intensely honest sign, and this is in opposition, so we tend to have a little bit more perspective. But we do have this opening over a couple of day periods, say October 28th and 29th, when we do feel a little more positive about things, and when we can more precisely articulate our beliefs and our dreams for the future. So this is a really good time to grab a pen, start making lists, do some journaling, write these things down.

Full Moon/Lunar Eclipse (Oct. 28, 2023, 1:24 pm PDT)

And now for the Moon Report for the week of October 23rd. It begins with a Full Moon/Lunar Eclipse on October 28th, 1:24 PM Pacific Time at 05º09’ Taurus. This eclipse point conjoins Jupiter in Taurus and is opposed Sun, Mercury and Mars in Scorpio. Lunar eclipses, I find, are very influential when it comes to relationships because they happen at a Full Moon, when the Sun and the Moon are opposite each other, and where we have a lot more clarity and a lot more perspective. At an opposition, there’s nothing standing between the two planets involved. And the Sun and the Moon, in this case, represent the two people involved in the relationship. So we can see each other clearly at a Full Moon.

Not completely, at a Lunar Eclipse, because the whole point of an eclipse is there is an occlusion. And in this case, it’s the Earth’s shadow that is on the Moon. So, we don’t necessarily intuit each other’s feelings and emotions, perhaps as clearly as at some Full Moons. But what we can do is examine our shared values and resources.

It could be that you have differing points of view about money and how to save for the future and what are worthwhile investments. It can also have to do with how much one partner is bringing to the table as opposed to the other and how that might reflect on the importance that each partner feels in the relationship.

It can also be that one partner is feeling a lot more optimistic and upbeat and trusting about the world in that Taurus kind of way. And the other partner might be feeling a little more suspicious or a little bit downcast that they’re going to be able to achieve what they want to achieve. The Sabian symbol for the Sun at this Lunar Eclipse is A gold rush, and the Sabian symbol for the Moon is 6 Taurus, A bridge being built across a gorge.

So there is an opportunity of bridging our differing point of views. But there is also, with the gold rush, that is always a symbol that says to me, there is something about money and the enthusiasm around pursuing it, and all that that might bring up between two people.

You can look back at last eclipses near this degree for a clearer picture of what this one might be trying to tell you. Those were on October 28, 2004, and October 28, 1995. There were also eclipses that were square or opposed this point in 2008, 2013, 2004, and 2005, 1999. So go back to those periods of time, perhaps, examine what was happening, especially in your closest, most intimate relationships, and in the way you were dealing with money and your sense of self-worth.

This, of course, is the midpoint in the lunar cycle that began with that solar eclipse on October 14th. So we’re able to see a little more clearly at this point in the cycle what it was that was initiated, What it was that got stirred up at that eclipse. That was a very powerful eclipse, and it was square Pluto, so as I think I said at the time, we’ll see changes, especially in important relationships, and they tend to be of a lasting variety, because of the influence of Pluto.

So now we see, at this Lunar Eclipse, a little more information about what was stirred up at that time. This is also the midpoint in a Lunar Phase Family Cycle that began at the April 30th, 2022 solar eclipse at 10°28’ Taurus. Whenever we have these Lunar Phase Family Cycles that begin on a solar eclipse, we know that we’re in for about a three-year period of working through the issues that are brought up by that eclipse.

So, if there is anything in your birth chart that’s within about 4 degrees either side of Taurus, or really of any of the fixed signs, so between about 6 degrees and 14 degrees of Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius, we know that this is a pretty important point Lunar Phase Family Cycle for you.

So it began, as I said, April 30th, 2022. The First Quarter Moon point in this family cycle was on January 28th, 2023. That’s when some action needed to be taken about something that was initiated or conceived at that April 30th, 2022 New Moon. Now we’re at the Full Moon, when we’re able to see a little more clearly what it was that was really beginning at that time. And then on July 27th, 2024, we’ll have the Last Quarter Moon in this phase family cycle, at 5º 32’ Taurus. And that is the final, defining, critical moment of this cycle – when we act, but we act based on what we already know. What’s already happened throughout this cycle. What do we value? How do we value ourselves? And how do we require that others value us?

Void-of-Course Moon periods

Let’s look at the Void-of-Course Moon periods for this week. On October 23rd, the Moon in Aquarius squares Uranus at 12:04 pm Pacific Time. It’s a very long Void-of-Course Moon period. It’s Void of Course for almost 13 ½ hours before it enters Pisces on October 24th at 1:33 am.

The Void-of-Course Moon periods, as we know, are about an opportunity to change patterns. And particularly when we have one as long as this. So the Moon will be in Aquarius. This is a sign of change, and most importantly, looking to the future about what we want to see for ourselves moving forward. And it’s square Uranus. It’s the planet of radical and unexpected change. All of those outer planets, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, are about change, but Uranus is of a very specific variety, and it is that rebellion that can come up from time to time, when we’re feeling as if we’ve just been going in the same direction, doing the same things, and we feel like we’ve just got to make a change, and suddenly, we act.

This Void-of-Course Moon period is very much about dealing with change and most likely fallout from that solar eclipse and the feelings that are beginning to come up in anticipation of the Lunar Eclipse. When the Moon is in Aquarius, square Uranus, we can ask ourselves, how can we best influence the world? Perhaps we can gather with other people who share our views, our outlook, our interests and goals, and walk together toward the future. There can be feelings about whether you feel you belong or fit in with the people that you’re spending the most time with, and the need to feel that what we do matters. Overall, this is a period of restlessness and disruption, but what we can learn from it during the Void-of-Course Moon period is to try to begin to disconnect ourselves from things that do not feel meaningful to us and that are making us feel very rebellious. It can also be time to liberate ourselves from particular habits or patterns that make us feel trapped, or like we’re not moving ahead in our lives.

On October 25th, the Moon in Pisces sextiles Pluto at 11:39 p.m. Pacific Time. It’s void of course for about three and a half hours before it enters Aries on October 26th at 3:01 a.m. The Moon in Pisces is excellent for rest, reflection, meditation, retreating from the world. It is pretty much late at night here on the Pacific coast of the United States, but if you are someplace where this is happening early in the morning towards noon, this is a time to try to carve out a little time where you can retreat and even if you can’t just stay in bed all day, to try to arrange your schedule so that it’s not too intensely interactive.

It is a time to indulge in inspiration and music, to focus on positive thoughts. And most importantly, to overcome that gentleness that comes with the Moon in Pisces, to be able to defend yourself, which is symbolized by the sextile to Pluto, then the connection with Pluto can put you in a much stronger position to go after the things that you really dream of doing.

And, on October 28th, the Moon in Aries squares Pluto at 1:20 am Pacific Time. It’s void of course for almost three and a half hours, and then enters Taurus at 4:44 a.m. Here is an excellent Void-of-Course period to work on breaking old habits, standing up for yourself, doing things that you’re afraid to do, and taking action. This is one for clearing the emotional air.

Now you may be feeling this earlier in the evening before you go to bed on the 27th. And this can be a time to do some journaling, and also if you listen to things while you’re sleeping, and that can be podcasts or music or meditation tapes or anything of that nature. If you do that, be sure that you’re listening to input that is encouraging of you taking action, that is encouraging of you doing the things that are important to you, that you really want to do.

While the Moon is in Aries during this week, it hardly makes any aspects to other planets. It aspects the North Node of the Moon in Aries. And it makes this square to Pluto. So, we have this period here that just says, it’s about focusing on what you want. And when the world is trying to tell you that that’s not okay, that you should be thinking of others and what they want, well, of course, to some degree, that’s true. But overwhelmingly, this is a time to put more of your focus and more of your energy behind going after what’s important to you.

Mercury conjunct Mars (Oct. 29, 2023, 7:22 am PDT)

On October 29th, at 7:22 a.m. Pacific Time, Mercury makes a conjunction with Mars at 11º53’ Scorpio. Whenever Mercury, which is the planet of communication, comes together with Mars – that’s the planet of war and conflict – we have to be a little bit cautious. Because even easy aspects between these two, like a trine or a sextile, can point to a day or two of contentious, even confrontational communication. This is a good transit for speaking our minds. But, if we’ve gotten a little overwhelmed, a little bit tired, sometimes this can provoke arguments and the kinds of harsh words that can’t be taken back. I would say take these couple of days, the day leading up to this on October 28th and on October 29th itself, and question and learn from any conflicts that you have and actually from your own anger as well.

Mercury can give voice to things that ordinarily we can’t really talk about that easily. And when it comes into conjunction with Mars, a lot of feelings and impulses that tend to go straight to our bodies can really be articulated verbally a lot more clearly than usual. But as I say, be just a little bit cautious in the way you say things. Be clear in your intent. But leave room for respect and kindness as well.

Listener Question: Planets in Top or Bottom Half of the Chart

In this week’s listener question, listener Jeanette from the UK asks, “Hi April, if you’re born with the sun on the top half of your chart, does that mean you’re extroverted and with the sun in the bottom half more introverted?”

Well, Jeanette, thank you for this question. And it’s a good opportunity for me to talk about the hemispheres of the chart in general, which I haven’t done before, as far as I know.

Houses 7 through 12, if you’re looking at your chart, are lying above the horizon in the chart, and houses 1 through 6 lie below the horizon. The houses above the horizon tend to represent public spaces and circumstances. The houses below are a little closer to home. If the Sun is in a house that lies above the horizon of the chart, it means that you were born during daytime. If it’s below the horizon, you were born at night.

If we think of what the Sun specifically represents, it’s about how we develop our gifts and personality, how we get noticed, how we achieve our purpose in the world. If the Sun is in the top part of the chart, we tend to get pulled into the outside world to accomplish these things.

In the 7th house, that’s through partnership. In the 8th house, through sharing with others. In the 9th house, through travel, learning, religion. In the 10th house, through career and leadership. In the 11th house, through organizations and future planning. And in the 12th house, even, which is a very quiet sort of house, but even in that house, we interact with the world through caring, empathizing, and through spiritual pursuits.

Now if the Sun is in the bottom part of the chart, in those houses, we realize these objectives closer to home. If the Sun’s in the first house, it’s through defending ourselves, dealing with unfamiliar situations, developing a persona, developing our courage, and really pushing ourselves.

In the second house, we do this through the way we manage physical resources, money, possessions, our physical body, and how we develop our self-confidence. If the Sun is in the third house, it’s through interactions with siblings, people close to home, learning and communication. In the fourth house, it might be through family relations, heritage, traditions.

In the fifth house, through creative self-expression. In the sixth house, through acts of service, work, and physical well-being.

Now you’ll notice that introversion and extroversion have not come up as of yet in this discussion. I used to make the same assumption, really, about the top part of the chart being more extroverted and the lower half introverted. And wouldn’t it be convenient if it were as simple as that? But personally, I’m about as introverted as it gets, but almost everything in my chart is above the horizon, and I was never really able to reconcile these two things.

In his Rulership Book, Rex Bills gives rulership of introversion to Saturn, and associates it with the sign of Cancer. And that sounds kind of plausible to me. But I think what I can safely say is that if the Sun and other planets lie above the horizon in the chart, you tend to have to venture further out into the world in order to develop fully in the matter symbolized by that planet. And if you happen to be an introvert and have a ton of planets above the horizon, as I do, this can be stressful, because you’re constantly feeling drawn out into public life, even though it’s kind of exhausting.

Whereas if you’re extroverted by nature, meaning you get your energy from interactions with others, but you have the Sun and other planets below the horizon, you’ll still be getting a lot of those social needs met, but they’ll be getting met closer to home. You might be a person who is very outgoing with your neighbors. Very friendly with the people who work at your supermarket. Loves spending time with family or doing creative things. Very outgoing at work.

Let’s take another planet as an example. Venus represents what we like, what we delight in, what gives us pleasure. And it’s also about relationships. If you have Venus, say, in the third house of your chart, you might be a little more apt to form close relationships with people who are very much like you, who may actually have been people you went to school with, or that you knew from your neighborhood or your community, met through a family member or a friend.

Whereas if you have Venus, say, in the ninth house, you might be more apt to connect with people from a very different culture, a different background, maybe even another country.

You can also divide the chart in half to the left and right of that MC/IC axis. So, the cusps of the 10th and 4th houses. Houses 10 through 4 are on the eastern side of the chart, and houses 4 through 10 are on the western side.

Generally speaking, the eastern half is a little more self-contained and self-determined, a little more Aries in nature maybe, whereas the western half is more objective and attuned to what others think and need, maybe a little more Libran.

Now, of course, these are generalities, and a lot depends on the planets involved in all of the rest of it. But I hope that this has given you some ways to look at these hemispheres of the chart, and some ideas to chew on.

Jeanette, thank you so much again for your question. I think others are going find this helpful as well.

And if you, Invisible Friend, have a question you would like me to answer on a future episode, just leave a message of one minute or less at speakpipe.com/bigskyastrologypodcast. I would love to have more audio. I haven’t had an audio question in a while. Or, of course, you can email me at april(at)bigskyastrology.com, and be sure to put “Podcast Question” in the subject line.

Donor Thanks

Well, that is everything I have on my show sheet, so I’m going to wrap this one up. Thank you for listening to the Big Sky Astrology Podcast. If you like what you’re hearing, please be sure to subscribe or follow the show in your app of choice, leave a rating or review. And I hope that you’ll help spread the word by telling an astrology loving friend about the podcast. You can read show notes and full transcripts, and leave your comments about each episode at BigSkyAstropod.com.

Thank you very much to everyone who’s shown support for the podcast over the past year and during my recent podathon. On each episode, I’m thanking some of my financial donors by name.

This week, let’s give a Big Sky Astrology Podcast shout out to Ann Flynt and Kristin Hamzik!

Ann and Kristin, thank you so much for listening to the podcast and for supporting the show with your donations.

If you would like to support the show and receive access to my bonus episodes for the equinoxes and solstices, please go to BigSkyAstropod.com and make a contribution of $10 or more. You can make a one-time donation in any amount or become an ongoing monthly contributor.

That’s it for this episode. Join me again bright and early next Monday. And until then, keep your feet on the ground and your eyes on the stars!