TRANSCRIPT EP 210 | Gemini Full Moon: Now We Are Four!
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Hello Invisible Friend, April here, and the date today is November 27th, 2023. Welcome to Episode 210 of the Big Sky Astrology Podcast.
This week I’m celebrating four years of the Big Sky Astrology Podcast. The first episode was uploaded on November 26, 2019, just hours before a Sagittarius solar eclipse and two days before Thanksgiving. So in lieu of a listener question this week, I will finish this episode with a behind the scenes look at the show, how it started, how the episodes are put together. I hope you’ll hang around till the end and have a listen.
This week, the Gemini Full Moon is tempered by Saturn in Pisces. Mercury square Neptune warns against getting on our hobby horse. Mercury enters Capricorn for a very long stay, beginning with a sobering aspect to Saturn. And, Venus opposes the North Node and surprises Pluto with her strength.
Gemini Full Moon (Nov. 27, 2023, 1:16 am PST)
The week begins with the Moon Report. And the Full Moon at 04º51’ Gemini on November 27th at 1:16 a. m. Pacific Time. In this chart for the Full Moon, the Sun and Mars are still together in early Sagittarius, and are opposing the Moon, and all three of those are square Saturn, which in astrology is called a T-square formation.
The Sabian symbol for this Full Moon is 5 Gemini, A radical magazine. And the symbol for the Sun is 5 Sagittarius, An old owl up a tree. And what we have in the contrast between these two Sabian symbols is the friction between what is new, radical, rebellious, perhaps even a little satirical since it’s in Gemini. Versus the old owl up a tree, which symbolizes that wisdom that transcends the need to shock or to poke fun. The Sun moving through Sagittarius usually is a time of year when we’re taking a long range and philosophical view of things.
But the Gemini Full Moon gives us a chance to lighten up a bit, to embrace humor or satire as I say, to poke holes in our hubris or the hot air behind any rhetoric. The fact that the Sun and Mars and the Moon are all square Saturn in Pisces says that neither approach is right on its own, the owl up the tree or the radical magazine, but that they need to be tempered by Saturn in Pisces qualities of empathy and responsibility.
The T-square is a configuration involving planets in the same modality, usually, and the modality here is mutable. Mutable signs are flexible and changeable, and the T-square formation creates energy and movement. So what we get when we have mutable signs in this kind of forceful configuration is something that’s a little bit like a pinwheel, and it means we can get caught up in a pattern of going around and around and around, and really having trouble gaining purchase and getting anything in particular done.
There are four signs in each modality, cardinal, fixed, and mutable. And if you find the one that’s missing in the T-square, it works a little bit like putting a stick in the spokes of a bicycle wheel to stop the bike. It gives us an outlet for all of this energy that’s being churned up within the T-square.
In this Full Moon chart, the missing mutable sign is Virgo, which doesn’t have any planets in it at the moment. So, if we find ourselves stuck at this Full Moon, which can sometimes happen with a T-square, the way to get unstuck and to introduce a perspective that balances things out, is to go into that Virgo mode, to take a look at things logically and with an analytical eye.
The Full Moon is the midpoint of each lunar month. This lunar month began with that Scorpio new moon on November 13th. A really intense New Moon. So, at this Full Moon juncture, we can go outside on the night of the Full Moon and everything is illuminated. The light tends to be so bright from the Full Moon that in fact, it can make it a little bit difficult to sleep. It’s a loud Moon.
It’s actually nice to see this Full Moon in Gemini, which is a little lighter. And I think that it’s a great opportunity to try to lighten up a little bit. To try to see the brighter side of things or the humorous side of things.
It’s not that we don’t have legitimate concerns that are absorbing us. But Gemini is the questioning moon and it has an open mind and gives us an opportunity, I think, to step back from all that intensity that we’ve been up to our elbows in since November 13th and ask new questions and invite new input.
This is the Full Moon in a Lunar Phase Family Cycle that began at the New Moon on May 30th, 2022 at 09º03’ Gemini. The things that were initiated at that New Moon are also resonant at this time. The first quarter in this lunar phase cycle was on February 27th, 2023. That was a time when things moved forward, when there was action that needed to happen in this particular lunar phase family cycle.
So now we’re at the Full Moon in that three-year cycle. And it’s a little bit easier for us to see what it was that was initiated at that New Moon. It might have been a little bit difficult for us to choose from among the many choices that we had at that time, which we often see as a characteristic of a Moon in Gemini. And then we’ll still have another opportunity with the Last Quarter Moon in this cycle on August 26, 2024 to make one more critical push towards taking action to complete what we started at the beginning of the cycle.
Void-of-Course Moon periods
Let’s look at the Void-of-Course Moon periods for this week. On November 28th, the Moon in Gemini opposes Mercury, its planetary ruler, at 5:03 pm Pacific Time. It’s Void-of-Course for almost six hours and then enters Cancer at 10:54 pm.
The Moon versus Mercury is really a contrast in feeling versus thinking, and then also what we feel is true versus what our minds tell us is true. There are often two different kinds of knowing.
Now, in this case, as I said, Mercury is the ruler of Gemini, the moon’s sign. In a way, that can mean that our intuition and our rational faculties are working well together. But it can also be a bit like the assumptions we make with somebody that we’re very close to, we’re so close that we assume we can read each other’s minds, and sometimes, we skip the necessary steps to really communicate with that person. It’s a little bit of a warning at this Void-of-Course Moon period and something to think about. Are there a lot of situations where you’re making assumptions about what somebody else is thinking because of an instinct you have or because you’re just very comfortable with them and feel you know them so well? It’s still good to be explicit, to ask questions, and also to offer information.
On December 1st – isn’t it staggering to think that we’re beginning the last month of this calendar year? – the Moon in Cancer will oppose Pluto at 5:07 am Pacific Time. It’s Void-of-Course for about three hours and then enters Leo at 8 am.
The Moon in Cancer connects through a very sensitive and very emotional lens. We’re generally a little more sentimental, a little more easily hurt when the Moon is in Cancer. And when it opposes Pluto in the very tough, pragmatic sign of Capricorn, we can get our feelings hurt. And when Cancer gets its feelings hurt, the tendency is to retreat.
This is understandable, but try to use this Void-of-Course Moon period to see what would happen if you didn’t retreat, and if you were to refuse to let yourself take offense.
And on December 3rd, the Moon in Leo sextiles Venus at 6:11 pm Pacific Time. It’s Void-of-Course for about an hour and a half and then enters Virgo at 7:50 pm. The Moon connecting with Venus opens a dialogue between what we feel we need in order to be safe and secure, symbolized by the Moon, and, what we want and desire, symbolized by Venus. For example, we might really want a person, or some opportunity. But we might be too reluctant to make ourselves vulnerable by going after it.
This sextile aspect between the Moon and Venus actually makes that process a little easier. During this Void-of-Course period, experiment with breaking the emotional habit of hesitating to go after what you want.
Mercury square Neptune (Nov. 27, 2023, 5:28 am PST)
On November 27th at 5:28 am Pacific Time, Mercury squares Neptune at 24º 54’ Sagittarius and Pisces. Mercury is on the Sabian symbol 25 Sagittarius, a chubby boy on a hobby horse. A hobby horse is a child’s toy. It’s a stick with the figure of a horse head at one end, and you pretend to be riding the horse.
But it is also a term that refers to a favorite topic or a preoccupation. I have a couple of hobby horses, at least. Don’t get me started on people tearing down 100-year-old craftsman bungalows to build seven story high rises in old neighborhoods. I am against it. Getting on one’s hobby horse, one’s pet peeve, can actually be annoying to others, even to those who generally share your opinions.
This aspect between Mercury in Sagittarius and Neptune in Pisces represents a clash between these pet opinions and, on the other hand, the inclusiveness of Neptune. It’s a reminder to us that strong opinions are fine, but they always need to be blended with kindness, empathy, and a willingness to try to see all sides.
On a practical level, Mercury square Neptune is a really nice aspect for approaching artistic work. The muse isn’t necessarily with you in a really smooth and strong way, but you will work hard to clarify the meaning of what you’re trying to produce. Clearly and explicitly articulate what it is that wants to be expressed.
Venus opposes the Moon’s North Node (Nov. 29, 2023, 9:16 am PST)
On November 29th at 9:16 am Pacific Time, Venus opposes the North Node of the Moon at 24º04’ Libra and Aries. Venus is on the Sabian symbol, 25 Libra, Information in the symbol of an autumn leaf. And the North Node is on Sabian symbol, 25 Aries, A double promise.
If Venus is opposing the Moon’s North Node, it means it’s in a conjunction with the Moon’s South Node. When planets are transiting over the South Node, they provide a catalyst for releasing what we’re carrying around in the South Node that’s really not helping us move forward.
In the symbol for Venus, the autumn leaf, says nothing lasts forever, but we can be beautiful to the very end. I’ve always thought, looking at people who are extremely attractive and thinking how poignant and difficult it must be when they encounter the natural aging process, and they’re losing a lot of the currency that their physical beauty and youth have provided for them. With Venus in Libra symbolizing that and going over the South Node says, you know, it’s okay to give up the crutch of what we represent to others in terms of beauty or our agreeable personality or even our wealth and the luxury that we’re able to afford other people. It’s okay to look at letting go of that and moving further into the direction of the North Node in Aries, which focuses more on our deeds, our courage, our willingness to take risks and to do new things instead of resting on our laurels and our past successes.
Venus going over the South Node of the Moon can also mean that important people from the past show up on the scene. And sometimes they’re people who represent a part of our relationship past that we don’t remember with a lot of fondness, that we think, hmmm, maybe I made some mistakes there.
Maybe I let another person take advantage of me. Or maybe I became too dependent on the relationship and maybe either the person or some memory of the person brings up old feelings in you. And here is an opportunity to look at that. And consider what you learned from that relationship that can now make you move forward in a more positive way.
Mercury enters Capricorn (Dec. 1, 2023, 6:31 am PST)
Mercury enters Capricorn on December 1st at 6:31 am Pacific Time. Get ready for a pretty extended stay of Mercury in this sign. It will be retrograde between December 12th and January 1st, and for some of that time it will back into Sagittarius – that’s between December 22nd and January 13th. Then it goes back into Capricorn for a while and doesn’t actually enter Aquarius until February 4th.
So we have a good long time of Mercury in this very pragmatic, linear, schedule driven sign. It’s actually a great opportunity to take all of those Mercury and Sagittarius ideas and turn them into something real. It’s a pretty tricky sign to have a retrograde Mercury in, as all of the Earth signs are, because Earth signs are pretty practical. They like to begin at A and end at Z. And Mercury retrograde times are not particularly well suited to taking that kind of approach.
As the retrograde Mercury backs into Sagittarius for almost three weeks between December 22nd and January 13th, we can go back and maybe explore a few of the ideas we didn’t get a chance to really look at carefully when Mercury was in Sagittarius previously, and maybe pick out one or two that we really want to put some energy into. And then as Mercury goes back into Capricorn as its direct, we have some time to get some things done.
So, in terms of drafting our plans for next calendar year, which is something that we begin to want to do this time of year. Mercury in Capricorn is generally pretty good for that. But you don’t have all of your ideas in place yet. So wait until Mercury has finished going through Sagittarius again. Then you can launch into drafting your plans, your schedules, your final itinerary of what you think you want to accomplish in 2024.
Mercury sextile Saturn (Dec. 2, 2023, 7:27 am PST)
And the next day Mercury sextiles Saturn on December 2nd at 7:27 am Pacific Time. It’s a good time to question authority, but we do have to remember to do it carefully and respectfully. It is a good time to take responsibility for the words that you use. Mercury in Capricorn is not always super sensitive in the way it expresses itself, but Saturn being in Pisces is there to check that tendency and say, you don’t have to be harsh to get your word across.
Mercury’s sextile Saturn is also a brief opportunity, really, it’s only in effect for a day or two, to initiate action on one of your ideas. Remember, we’re going to have that Mercury retrograde period. Mercury will go back into Sagittarius, so we don’t know all of the ideas necessarily that we might want to approach, but this is a time to grab one of them at least and brainstorm with it and think of the things you might be able to do with that idea.
Venus square Pluto (Dec. 3, 2023, 5:29 am PST)
Finally, this week, Venus squares Pluto on December 3rd at 5:29 am Pacific Time. And this can be a critical aspect for relationships. Venus in Libra wants things to be smooth, nice, polite, fair. On the other hand, Pluto in Capricorn is not concerned with any of those things. Pluto says, this is how it is, and assumes that that’s the final word.
But what’s interesting about this particular aspect is, with Venus in Libra, while it might look like a dainty lady, it’s actually very strong in its own sign. Beauty and money, says Venus in Libra, are real power.
It’s an interesting aspect, and it can be a make it or break it time in certain relationships, especially relationships where there are power struggles, where there is a power differential.
But the ones that are on solid footing, that are based on real caring and compatibility, can make it through an aspect like this. But just know that it is possible to see a little bit of a bump in the road this week in our relationships.
Special Segment: Behind the Scenes at the Big Sky Astrology Podcast
This week, instead of my usual listener question segment, I’m celebrating the fourth anniversary of the podcast with a behind the scenes look at the show. How did it start? What’s involved with producing each week’s episode? I especially want to share this part with you because this show is listener supported, and those of you who very kindly make donations throughout the year, especially at that podathon that I do during Labor Day week, really should see how your money is being spent.
Well, some of you who’ve been around for a while will recall that back in 2019, the show started as a collaboration with Jen Braun, my producer and co-host. She had never produced a podcast, and neither of us had ever hosted one, so we more or less made it up as we went along. The podcasts that I love listening to, are based on two friends just shooting the breeze, and that was our model for the show to deliver the weekly astrology, but with a healthy dose of laughter and friendship. And we really had a lot of fun over the 107 episodes that we did together.
Then in January 2022, as of Episode 108, Jen had left the show and I was flying solo. The format of the show became a little more targeted on the astrology. And a segment at the end of each episode focused on either a mini-lesson or a listener question, which over time has kind of melded into one, because I’ll usually take a listener question and go into it in a little more depth, to give a little mini lesson about the topic of the question.
Today, after four years, 210 episodes, four Podathons, and more than 400K downloads, listeners continue to generously subsidize the production costs of the show, and it’s getting found by more and more astrology lovers around the world.
So, for those of you who might be curious, and especially for anybody out there who’s thought about doing their own podcast, here’s what it looks like for me to produce a half hour episode each week.
It begins with the show sheet, which is an outline for the show. It gives the intro, and the outro, and sections for each of the week’s main segments: The Moon Report, which gives the major lunation for the week, the Void-of-Course Moon periods, and also each significant planetary aspect of the week, plus the listener question. A typical show sheet will take me at least an hour to put together. I’m looking up the Sabian symbols, the lunar phase family cycles, and so on.
My recording setup is right here at my desk in my little home office. I used to record in a converted TV armoire that Jonny had insulated with soundproofing tiles. In the beginning, I used a microphone that picked up every little bit of background noise. And because I record in my suburban home, this became a problem because every plane flying overhead, every neighbor noise, even my husband turning on a faucet two rooms away would get picked up by the mic. I eventually switched to a different microphone, which isn’t quite so sensitive, so I no longer have to record inside the little box.
I record straight into a free recording app called Audacity. Altogether, I probably produce 35, sometimes 40 minutes of audio that gets cut down to a 30 minute episode. After recording the episode, I listen all the way through. I take out the false starts, the things I decide I don’t need. I repair any mistakes and I line up the little bits of interstitial music that play between segments.
Then I send the recording to my wonderful editor, Angela, who I was lucky to find through Fiverr. She goes through and she smooths out those musical portions. She equalizes the sound. She gets rid of my heavy breathing and mouth noises. She puts on the intro and outro. And by the way, she’s the voice that you hear on the introduction and in the outro. She is a wonderful voiceover actor. It takes her a few days to send back the final audio file.
I run that file through an app called Descript, which generates a full transcript for the show. But astrological jargon is still a little hard for AI to get right, so I do go in and tidy things up here and there.
Then the transcript and the recording get sent to my assistant, Stephanie, who creates the show notes for the episode. I go through those notes a final time to come up with the intro and the show title. I create special artwork for each episode, which appears on the website and in social media.
Finally, the episode and show notes are uploaded to Podbean, which is my podcasting host. I create the episode and transcript pages for the website. And I schedule everything to go live on Sunday night at 9 pm Pacific Time. And the next thing you know, it appears, as if by magic, in your podcast feed.
So, that’s what goes on in an episode of the Big Sky Astrology Podcast, and I’m so grateful that you’re here and listening, some of you since the very beginning, and I do hope that we’ll be getting together each week for many more years to come.
Next week, I’ll be back to the listener question pile. And if you, Invisible Friend, have a question you’d like me to answer on a future episode, just leave a message of one minute or less at SpeakPipe.com/ BigSkyAstrologyPodcast or email me at April(at)BigSkyAstrology(dot)com. And just remember to put “Podcast Question” in the subject line.
Donor Thanks
Well, that is everything that I’ve got on my show sheet, and now you know what that is, so I’m gonna 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.
I want to thank everyone who has shown so much support for the podcast over the past four years, and in particular, 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 Karen Hartland and Paisley Rose.
Karen and Paisley Rose, thank you so much for listening to the podcast and for supporting the show with your donations.
If you’d like to support the show and receive access to my bonus episodes for the equinoxes and solstices, please go to BigSkyAstropod.com, make a contribution of $10 or more to receive those special episodes. 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!
Writing and images © 2017-23 by April Elliott Kent
For more on this week’s planetary news, read my blog!
