TRANSCRIPT Ep. 249 | Pluto in Capricorn’s Last, Secret Business Conference!

TRANSCRIPT Ep. 249 (Aug. 26, 2024)
Pluto in Capricorn’s Last, Secret Business Conference

Hello Invisible Friend, April here, and the date today is August 26, 2024. Welcome to Episode 249 of the Big Sky Astrology Podcast.

This week, a communicative Last Quarter Moon in Gemini; a buzzy Venus opposes Neptune trine to Uranus and Pluto, and enters the sign of Libra; Mercury turns direct, as Uranus is stationing retrograde, and Pluto revisits Capricorn for one last top-secret meeting; plus, I answer a listener question about the language of eclipses.

Now, before we get started with this week’s show, I wanted to remind you that next week I will be bringing you the fifth annual Big Sky Astrology Podathon.

Each Labor Day weekday, I’ll bring you an episode featuring the planetary highlights for each day. And this year, I’m going to bring you an interview each day with an astrologer from each of the Pluto generations that are now practicing astrology: Pluto in Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, and Sagittarius. I spoke with each of them about their Pluto generation and what makes it unique. They’re all wonderful people and I hope that you’ll tune in every day to hear what they have to say.

Plus, as usual, there will be a chance to win prizes, and a special new gift that I’m planning for all donors. I’ll tell you all about it next week. And now for this week’s episode.

Last Quarter Moon in Gemini (Aug. 26, 2024, 2:26 am PDT)

The week begins with the Moon Report and the Last Quarter Moon in Gemini. On August 26th at 2:26 am Pacific Time, that’s at 3º38’ Gemini and Virgo. Last Quarter Moons represent a time in the lunar cycle to make one final push toward completing a goal that You may have set at the previous New Moon, in this case, the Leo New Moon on August 4th.

With the Last Quarter Moon being in Gemini, that push will probably be in the form of making contact with those who might be able to help you along your way. Gemini is good at writing, telephoning, and is generally very sociable. So, this is a good time to be reaching out to those who might have good ideas or contacts for you.

However, both the Sun and the Moon at this Last Quarter Moon are ruled by Mercury. The Sun in Virgo and the Moon in Gemini. And Mercury is still retrograde. But it will be stationing direct in just a couple of days after the Last Quarter Moon, on August 28th. But during this time at the Last Quarter, we could have miscommunications that get pretty loud.

Lunar Phase Family Cycle

This is the Last Quarter in a lunar phase family cycle that began on May 30, 2022, at 9º3’ Gemini. The First Quarter in this cycle was on February 27, 2023, the Full Moon on November 27th, 2023. So we’re now at a conclusion point in this lunar phase family cycle that began back at the end of May, 2022.

Look to the Gemini house of your birth chart. Because that’s where you would have been setting intentions and plans at that Gemini New Moon, which now should begin to find a resolution.

Void-of-Course Moon periods

Let’s look at the Void-of-Course Moon periods for this week. On August 28, the Moon squares Neptune at 12:14 am Pacific Time. It’s Void-of-Course then for 1 hour 33 minutes, then enters Cancer at 1:47 am. Anytime we see the Moon square a planet at the beginning of a Void-of-Course Moon, we know that there is a conflict that we’re trying to resolve and at this Void-of-Course Moon, it’s taking some time to think about the ways that we express ourselves that are not always in tune with how we really feel. Sometimes we tend to rely a little too heavily on either our rational mind or pure feeling. And this is a square between the Moon and Neptune that invites us to look at that and think how we can use both sides of our natures, to come to more well-rounded solutions.

On August 30th, the Moon trines Neptune at 8:24 am Pacific Time. It’s Void-of-Course for 1 hour 45 minutes before it enters Leo at 10:09 am. A Void-of-Course Moon that begins on a trine to another planet brings a gift. And here, if we’ve done a little work during that previous Void-of-Course period when the Moon was square Neptune, now, we get rewarded for that work.

The Void-of-Course Moon is always a time to review our habits and see if we can’t tweak them a little bit and make them more effective. If you’re in the habit, for example, of rushing into your day without breakfast or a sustaining beverage, maybe take this Void-of-Course Moon time when the Moon is in Cancer to linger a little longer over your morning cup of coffee and maybe gaze vacantly into the distance just to let your mind unwind. Take time to appreciate the coziness of your home and the routines that you really do value.

And on September 1st, the Moon in Leo sextiles Mars in Gemini at 5:25 pm Pacific Time. It’s Void-of-Course then for 3 hours and 23 minutes before it enters Virgo at 8:48 pm.

A sextile between the Moon and another planet describes an invitation or an opportunity and this could be an opportunity to spend a little more time with the people that you like. The Moon in Leo is very convivial. Mars in Gemini wants to participate in activities with friends, neighbors, workmates. Take a look at your life and ask, are you doing enough of that? Are you getting enough good socialization? That is a very good consideration for this Void-of-Course Moon time.

Venus trine Uranus (Aug. 27, 2024, 12:24 am PDT)

On August 27th at 12:24 am Pacific Time, Venus in Virgo trines Uranus at 27º14 minutes. Venus is the symbol of the things that we enjoy, the aesthetic that delights us, the way we like to participate with the physical world. When it’s in Virgo, usually we appreciate things being uncluttered, undemanding on our time, and practical and useful above all.

When Venus in any sign connects with Uranus, there’s an opportunity to look at things a little differently in this area of our lives. It might be a time when you have been in a habit of keeping things very minimalist, but all of a sudden, it feels a little more delightful to you to indulge in a few new things for your home, or maybe new gadgets or tools.

Venus trine Uranus says, enjoy what’s unexpected, get out of your usual idea about what you like, what you enjoy, even the people that you like to spend time with, and find beauty in what’s unusual.

Venus opposed Neptune (Aug. 28, 2024, 1:25 pm PDT)

Then on August 28th at 1:25pm Pacific Time, Venus in Virgo opposes Neptune in Pisces at 29º8’. Venus does symbolize money, possessions, and relationship, among other things. And when Venus is sitting at the last degree of a sign, as it is here, 29 degrees Virgo, there’s often some sense of urgency, something that suddenly we have to spend some money on fixing our car or upgrading our computer, whatever it might be.

When it’s in an opposition or really any aspect with Neptune, of course, it’s good to take our time if we possibly can. And the problem with planets at 29 degrees is everything feels like we have to take care of it right now. Just know that just one day later, Venus changes signs, and this sense of urgency will pass.

So don’t do a lot of shopping on August 28th, if you can avoid it. Just hold out for a couple of days. Because we’re not always really clear about what it is that we want when Venus is connecting with Neptune. We can also be getting some misinformation, emails that characterize a sale on something that you want and then you actually get there to purchase the thing and you realize it’s not such a great deal after all, that kind of thing.

Mercury stations direct (Aug. 28, 2024, 2:14 pm PDT)

Also on August 28th, just one hour later, at 2:14 pm Pacific Time, Mercury stations to turn direct. It turned retrograde on August 4th, the same day as the New Moon. And I will say it has been a particularly vexing one around here. When Mercury turned retrograde, I was finishing the last week of my sabbatical and because I didn’t have things scheduled, and I wasn’t really using technology that much, I had no problems. I sailed through that week of Mercury Retrograde, but the minute I got back, it has been nonstop technical problems and it has been so aggravating.

So it kind of backs up my contention that Mercury Retrograde is most difficult for us when we’re trying to do something that is tightly scheduled or really dependent on a lot of moving parts working together, and it tends to not be problematic at all if things are kind of looser in our lives. If we aren’t really on a treadmill in our daily scheduling, Mercury retrograde is not so bad. As Mercury turns direct, it’s on the Sabian symbol, 22 Leo, A carrier pigeon, and I’m going to assume that this means new messages coming our way, or messages that have been trying to come in during the retrograde.

It’s a bit like if you have a lot of emails that are not getting to you and all of a sudden you fix the problem to let them through and you get a whole lot of them at once. So I think it could be that kind of week where we get a lot of messages, a lot of information at once.

Venus enters Libra (Aug. 29, 2024, 6:23 am PDT)

On August 29th at 6:23 am Pacific Time, Venus enters Libra, and it’ll be in this sign through September 21st, moving into Scorpio on September 22nd. Libra is one of Venus home signs, along with Taurus. So, this is one of the signs where Venus is very much at home.

Venus does symbolize art, balance, relationships, and also fairness in the judicial system. We could see some very interesting news stories coming out during this time period, and in particular, related to women and women’s issues, because Venus is a feminine symbol. The South Node is still currently in Libra as well. And the question as Venus goes into the Sun and gets close to the South Node of the Moon is, what do we need to release in order to restore balance to our lives?

This could be a great time to clear out some clutter in your home and maybe even earn a little walking around money through having a yard sale or selling something on Facebook Market or Craigslist or something like that. Venus in Libra wants us to bring things into harmony, beauty, and balance. This can be in your home, in your relationships, really anywhere in your life.

Venus in Virgo also likes to get rid of clutter and the things that aren’t really necessary. But Virgo is a little more of an individualistic sign. It will act on its own more often. When Venus goes into Libra, there’s more of an emphasis on how do we collaborate with the people close to us in our lives in order to bring things into balance.

Venus trine Pluto (Aug. 29, 2024, 7:32 am PDT)

Also on August 29th, just an hour later at 7:32 am Pacific Time, Venus in Libra is trine Pluto. And anytime these two symbols come together, the question is, what is beautiful? What is valuable? It is about the power of beauty and also the power of money. Traditionally, we saw that men who were very wealthy tended to have more power. But women who are very beautiful had more power. So Venus trine Pluto speaks to those things.

The Sabian symbol for Venus is 1 Libra, A butterfly made perfect by a dart through it. And that brings to mind those old cards that people used to make of collecting butterflies and pinning them to paper. It is a little bit, to the modern sensibility, a little gruesome, really. But there is room in the symbolism of Venus and Pluto, we see the beauty even in the things that are a little harsh.

It’s a time to take control of your money. There are a couple of trines between Venus and Pluto each year, and I think they’re particularly good times for getting on top of your finances and empowering yourself, learning everything you can about the options that are available for spending, saving, and investing your money.

Uranus stations retrograde (Sep. 1, 2024, 8:18 am PDT)

Uranus stations retrograde on September 1st at 8:18 am Pacific Time. It will be retrograde through January 30th 2025. Uranus symbolizes the unexpected, the unconventional. It represents freedom and independence. When planets are retrograde, we are encouraged to look within, to review and to achieve things related to that planet.

So when Uranus is retrograde, we need to look to our inner selves, our core, our essence, our own unique perspective. We ask, well, what is our individual perspective on things like freedom? What is it that makes you unconventional and unique? Uranus can be a little bit rebellious and being rebellious implies that there’s something outside of you that you’re rebelling against.

I think when Uranus is retrograde, it’s a little different than that. If you’re rebelling against anything, it’s your own internal idea of who you are and what’s right for you. And you might find during these months that Uranus is retrograde, that you decide that the way you’ve been going with things may not be exactly right for you, and you want to make some changes.

Pluto enters Capricorn (Sep. 1, 2024, 4:57 pm PDT)

And finally, on September 1st at 4:57 pm Pacific Time, Pluto enters Capricorn for its last stay in this sign. It turns direct on October 11th and then leaves Capricorn for good on November 19th. Of course, Pluto has a very long cycle and spends a lot of time in each sign. By the time it’s finished in Aquarius, it will have been in the sign for 20 years.

Pluto in Capricorn was a little bit faster. It went into Capricorn in 2008, and now it is finally going into Aquarius. So it has been a while. And Pluto sitting on the very last degree of Capricorn, again, 29º has that sense of urgency about it. And the Sabian symbol for 30 Capricorn is, A secret business conference – which is ever so slightly ominous. It speaks of people planning, in private, things that can impact a lot of people. So we will have to see what comes of that, but this is the final pass of Pluto over this degree and in this sign before the it enters Aquarius for good.

Listener Question: Eclipse lingo and significance of Full Moon eclipses

In this week’s listener question, listener Eclipso, whose question about the Eclipse Saros Cycle was answered on Episode 243, writes with this question. “Hi April. After getting the hang of many astrology basics, I’m diving more into the wilds of eclipses. First, do you have any tricks for remembering the lingo of solar versus lunar eclipses? Because memory alone isn’t cutting it, I keep confusing them. Second, your podcast regularly touches on new Moons as beginnings and Full Moons as culmination points. Kind of the middle or peak of action before the Last Quarter and the next New Moon.

Where I’m getting confused is, what I’ve read about Full Moon eclipses is all about endings. Can these endings be good, such as the end of a bad or tough era? Why are Eclipse Full Moons endings, but regular Full Moons are considered the middle of the action in a Moon cycle? Thanks a million.”

Well, Eclipso, thank you for this kind of follow up Eclipse question.

As for the first part of your question about keeping solar and lunar eclipses straight, I’m not sure I have any special tricks for this. Solar eclipses happen at the New Moon, when the Sun and Moon are together at the same degree of the same sign. Lunar eclipses happen at the Full Moon, when the Sun and Moon are in opposite signs. It might help to remember that what happens at a solar eclipse is that the Moon is casting a shadow on the Sun and that can only happen when the Sun and Moon are aligned at the same degree of the same sign – and that’s a new Moon.

So if you were to see, for example, that there is an eclipse coming up on September 18th at 25 degrees Pisces, we know that the Sun is in Virgo at that time of year, on September 18th, and Pisces is opposite Virgo – it certainly isn’t the same as Virgo – so this cannot be a solar eclipse. Whereas an eclipse in Libra, on October 2nd, means the Moon is in the same sign as the Sun, so that’s a solar eclipse. That’s kind of the best I can do for you!

Now, for the second part of your question, I think eclipses, in general, are a little closer to being about pivotal moments of change, rather than, strictly speaking, beginnings or endings, necessarily. They tend to be both openings and closings, beginnings and endings.

Eclipses occur near the lunar node axis, and I think their job is to shake us from our old stuck habits and toward a new path. Full Moon lunar eclipses are the point where things are revealed, and that we begin to look at how to start letting go of things based on what it is we see. Now, it is an eclipse, and that means it is being shadowed by the Earth, so we don’t necessarily see everything, that’s the deal with eclipses. But generally speaking, Lunar eclipses, like all Full Moons, mark the point where the Moon begins to wane or gradually lose illumination all the way until the next new Moon.

But to say that things end at a Full Moon eclipse doesn’t seem complete to me. As you point out, there’s still plenty of play left in the lunar cycle. We have a Disseminating, Last Quarter, and Balsamic Moon, and the work of those phases is deeply important. Now it’s true that the half of the cycle after the Full Moon isn’t favored for initiating new things, because this is the half of the lunar cycle where energy and light are beginning to wane. The harvest, symbolically, is over, and we’re evaluating now what we could have done differently, what we can still do, and what we will do differently after the next New Moon.

But things still do happen during this half of the cycle. I got married close to a lunar eclipse, and my mother passed away just after a lunar eclipse. One was a beginning, one was an ending. But a wedding is the culmination of many steps that have brought you to that point in a relationship. And even if your parent dies at a lunar eclipse, that isn’t the end of the cycle, and that’s not the end of the work that comes with that loss. There is a lot of dealing with emotions, sorting out your parent’s estate, negotiating new roles within your family. And that is all an important part of the total cycle.

So no, I don’t think that things end at a lunar eclipse exactly. I pay a little more attention to whether an eclipse is closer to the transiting south node of the Moon or the north node. The nodal axis and eclipses are about change, but the south node has a particular mood of release, and the north node tends to point in a scary but potentially rewarding new direction.

Eclipso, I hope that that helps. And we can put all this to the test in just a few weeks at that Full Moon Lunar Eclipse in Pisces.

If you, Invisible Friend, have a burning astrological question that you’d like for me to answer, I really want to hear it. You can leave a voicemail of one minute or less, at speakpipe.com/bigskyastrologypodcast, or email me at april@bigskyastrology.com and please put “Podcast Question” in the subject line.

Donor Thanks

That is everything I have on my show sheet, 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, be sure to subscribe or follow the show in your app of choice, leave a rating or a 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’s shown support for the podcast over the past year. 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 Emily Gerow, and monthly contributors, Elizabeth Passmore and Marina Vasilic.

Emily, Elizabeth and Marina, thank you so much for listening to the podcast and for supporting the show with your donations.

That’s it for this episode. Join me again bright and early next Monday, to celebrate the 5th Annual Podathon, and until then, keep your feet on the ground, and your eyes on the stars!