TRANSCRIPT Ep. 304 (8.18.25)
Virgo New Moon: Be Helpful, Not Perfect!
Hello, Invisible Friend, April here, and the date today is August 18th, 2025. Welcome to Episode 304 of the Big Sky Astrology Podcast. This week, the planets are on a bit of a summer break. There are only two major transits and they involve the Sun. The Sun enters earthy Virgo and squares the agent of change, Uranus, and all of it plays a role in the first of two Virgo New Moons. And I answer a listener question about how to choose the best time to launch a business, astrologically speaking.
Sun enters Virgo (Aug. 22, 2025, 1:34 pm PDT)
On Friday, August 22nd, at 1:34 PM Pacific Time, the Sun enters Virgo, and it will be in this sign through September 22nd.
The Sun in Virgo represents giving the self in service. Virgo’s the sign of the craftsperson and the Sun in this sign brings together creativity and craft. The challenge is that Virgo’s perfectionism can overwhelm creative impulses, so it’s best to learn to focus instead of perfection on Virgos innate usefulness. If you’re planning to do something, focus less on how to do it perfectly and more on how to make it as helpful and useful as possible.
Virgo is ruled by the planet Mercury. It’s a smart sign, and it’s especially good at analyzing information and putting it into a helpful format. Mercury also shows its manual dexterity in this sign. So, the Sun’s Virgo season is a good time to build something, to organize something, to fix something. You know, I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Labor Day in the United States takes place during Virgo season. This year it’s on September 1st. It is a celebration to honor and recognize the country’s laborers, and that is so perfect for Virgo.
Virgo New Moon (Aug. 22, 2025, 11:07 pm)
And now it’s time for the Moon report. And we begin, as always, with the week’s major lunation. This week, it’s the first of two Virgo New Moons, this one on Friday, August 22nd at 11:07 PM Pacific Time at 00º23’ Virgo, and I have to tell you, this is no ordinary Virgo New Moon.
First of all… the eclipses are coming, the eclipses are coming! Should you be terrifiiiiied? Well, probably not, but you should pay attention. The South Node is currently transiting through Virgo, and this is the first of two Virgo New Moons. And that tells us that these New Moons are specifically about letting ourselves let go of patterns that are related to the more negative qualities of Virgo, like criticism and excessive perfectionism.
On top of that, we are entering eclipse season in two weeks. On September 7th, the Full Moon will be a total lunar eclipse at 15 degrees Pisces. And then on September 21st comes the second Virgo New Moon, and that one’s at 29 degrees Virgo. That will be a partial solar eclipse.
I have a replay of a big eclipse webinar I gave back in March that covered the whole year’s eclipses, so I’m going to be making that one available for sale along with a live question and answer session, but I’ll tell you more about that in next week’s episode.
But what is the message of this first Virgo New Moon that is not an eclipse? Especially if you like to set intentions and make wishes at the New Moon. Well, Virgos associated with health, with work, with animals and with craft. So, in your New Moon observances, set intentions to be of service, to create habits that support your good health, to get organized, to learn new skills that make you even better at your work and to find work or adapt your current work environment to be more in line with your gifts.
New Moon quincunx Saturn (Aug. 23, 2025, 4:04 am PDT)
New Moon quincunx Neptune (Aug. 24, 2025, 3:58 am PDT)
New Moon quincunx Pluto (Aug. 24, 2025, 1:06 pm PDT)
This New Moon is strongly influenced by the New Moon points aspects to several planets. The Sun and Moon at this New Moon are in a quincunx aspect to Saturn in Aries on Saturday, August 23rd at 4:04 AM Pacific Time, and to Neptune in Aries on Sunday, August 24th at 3:58 AM. And, a quincunx to Pluto in Aquarius on Sun. Aug. 24 at 1:06 pm.
The quincunx aspect means the planets are separated by roughly 150 degrees. They normally occur between planets that are in signs that really have nothing in common. So, they’re not the same element; they are not the same modality. They aren’t even in compatible elements. So, it means that compromise will need to be reached between these planets. And in this case, the tension is mainly between Virgo’s practicality and attention to detail on one hand, and on the other hand, Aries and it’s urge to just get us moving and not worry so much about getting things done perfectly or even necessarily done right. It just wants to get the ball moving. Not to mention Aquarius’ interest in the future, rather than Virgo’s focus on the here and now.
Sun square Uranus (Aug. 24, 2025, 12:15 am PDT)
Another important influence in this New Moon chart is the Sun in Virgo square Uranus. That’s really the only major aspect this week, so I just thought I would include it here in the Moon report. This aspect is exact on Sunday, August 24th at 12:15 AM Pacific time. The Sun is at 01º23’ Virgo, and Uranus is at the same degree of Gemini.
Uranus symbolizes the part of us that is quirky, a little bit unpredictable, doesn’t really conform. Basically, it’s the side of you that doesn’t care what the status quo is doing or what other people think, because it’s just concerned with being authentic.
Now, in some ways, it’s a very different energy from Virgo, which is an earthy sign. It moves at a methodical pace. Virgo likes order, lists, knowing what comes next, and Uranus just wants to shake things up. It can be a little bit of a challenge to balance these two, but this is a great time to appreciate the qualities that make you unique, especially the ways in which you are not like anyone else and you’re not really interested in doing what other people are doing.
You might feel a little bit of a nudge or even a shove to reinvent yourself in some way at this New Moon. It can be wonderfully liberating to open ourselves up to new ways of being, but I can’t lie, it also can be a little bit disorienting at first. But that is the beauty of a Sun-Uranus aspect. It invites us to step just far enough outside our comfort zone to remember who we really are.
Lunar Phase Family Cycle
This is the New Moon in a lunar phase family cycle, and the messages and intentions of this New Moon will be carried across the next three years with major lunations near the same degree, 00º23’ Virgo, at nine-month increments throughout that three-year period.
So, whatever it is you are intending, are putting forth at this New Moon…maybe your intention or your hope is to really find a fantastic job. Then, nine months from now, at the First Quarter Moon of May 23rd, 2026, which is at 02º20’ Virgo, maybe you actually have an interview for a fantastic job, or you begin an active job search.
Then, at the Full Moon on February 20th, 2027, at 02º05’ Virgo, we should see you in a really good job that you like and enjoy. At that time, you might be doing some reevaluation and think, hmm. Is this the perfect job? Well, it’s pretty good, but maybe I needed to change my criteria for my job search before I went out and looked for one. So, by this time, you’ll be in a better position to decide what would make a job truly perfect for you.
Then at the Last Quarter Moon on November 20th, 2027, which is at the very end of Leo – 28º27’, within just a couple of degrees of the zero Virgo – at that point, you might be asking for a raise or a reassignment to another department. Maybe you’ll even have decided that it’s time to go out and look for something just a little closer to your ideal.
Void-of-Course Moon periods
Let’s look at the Void-of-Course Moon periods for this week. When the Moon is Void-of-Course, it means that it’s finished making all of the major aspects that it’ll make before it changes into the next sign. These are times when things can go a little differently than we had expected or anticipated.
They can also be great times for changing habits and especially establishing good habits. And the reason is that the Moon will not make an aspect to another planet before a change of signs, and that means you are less apt to be blown off course in the thing that you’re trying to do.
On Monday, August 18th, the Moon in Gemini makes a sextile aspect to the Sun at 4:53 AM Pacific time. It’s Void-of-Course for seven hours, 12 minutes before it moves into Cancer at 12:05 PM. I always like to see the Moon making a sextile to a planet as it goes Void-of-Course because it implies that there is an opportunity or an invitation on its way. The opportunity here is to really express yourself in a bold and creative way.
This would be a really good Void-of-Course period for promoting anything and everything. Maybe your business, if you’re self-employed. It could also work for promoting a cause or somebody else’s business that you believe in and you want to support. So, use this Void-of-Course Moon to establish a habit of shameless promotion for anything that is near and dear to your heart.
On Wednesday, August 20th, the Moon in Cancer makes a conjunction with Venus at 5:27 AM Pacific Time Pacific. It’s Void-of-Course for 10 hours, 50 minutes, and then enters Leo at 4:17 PM Pacific Time. Boy, what a lovely Void-of-Course Moon period. The Moon is strong; it is in its home in the sign of Cancer, and both the Moon and Venus are kind of lobbying here for comfort and security.
This Void-of-Course period lies in the middle of the work week, and for the most part, during work hours. So even if you don’t work at home, bring some taste of home into your workplace. Some comfort food for lunch, snacks for coworkers. Wear some clothing that’s professional, but a little more comfortable.
Maybe have some soft music or a little fountain going on your desk. Get in the habit of showing appreciation to those that you value by making comfort and care a priority, and this includes the people that you work with. Make someone’s day with a warm, sweet gesture.
And on Thursday, August 21st, the Moon in Leo makes a conjunction with Mercury at 11:13 AM Pacific time. Then it’s Void-of-Course for one full day, 11 hours, and 11 minutes before the Moon enters Virgo on Friday, August 22nd at 10:24 PM.
This conjunction is occurring in the heart-centered sign of Leo. Leos are pretty good at connecting deeply with others through creative outlets that are cathartic, emotionally moving. This is a good Void-of-Course Moon time to get in the habit of creating things in order to heal and bringing a sense of joy and sunshine into your life and the lives of others. And particularly through the way you’re communicating – it’s the Moon in conjunction with Mercury, the communication planet.
So, send a nice card in the mail. Send a lovely email to let someone know you’re thinking of them. Just reach out at this time in a way that’s designed to help others feel good about themselves and about life.
Listener Question: When to launch a business?
In this week’s listener question, listener Yvonne writes, “When is the best time to launch a new business, astrologically speaking?”
Yvonne, that’s a great question. It’s a good idea to consult an electional astrologer to choose the exact chart for something as important as a business. But here are some general guidelines.
First of all, do try to find a day where the Moon is in one of its waxing phases – so between the New Moon and the beginning of the Full Moon – because those are times when symbolically, things are growing and the light is increasing. Also, try to find a day when the Moon is strong by sign, especially in signs like Taurus or Cancer, the signs of its exaltation and rulership, but also, if possible, maybe the Moon in a sign that is related to the kind of business that you are launching. In Cancer, perhaps, if you’re starting a food-centric business, or in Sagittarius, for a bookstore.
And find a day when the Moon is applying, or in other words, on its way to making helpful aspects to other planets, and in particular, the last aspect that it makes before it turns Void-of-Course and goes into the next sign, is very important for setting the tone and the outcome of most things that will happen in your business.
You can get an astrological calendar that will show you all of the aspects that the Moon is making on a particular day, and just try to find days. When you see a lot of triangles for trines and little stars for sextiles, and this is generally going to indicate a business where, day-to-day, which is what the Moon symbolizes, things are going to tend to go smoothly and work out well.
Avoid Mercury retrograde, because Mercury rules business. We don’t always remember that. It is about that merchant energy. So, avoid Mercury retrograde. I would also avoid Venus retrograde if you hope to make money from your business, and not every business is designed to make money, but if it is something you are hoping to happen in your business, make sure Venus is not retrograde.
Having the Sun or Moon in a favorable aspect to Jupiter can really help a business grow, so having the Sun or Moon in a conjunction with Jupiter – the Sun is only going to be conjunct Jupiter once a year, but the Moon, you can get it in a conjunction every month. But you can also get a sextile or a trine from the Sun or Moon to Jupiter and it really can help.
And again, Mercury is the ruler of business. So, if you can get Mercury into a good aspect with Jupiter, I think that’s really a good aspect to look for.
You need to choose a chart that reflects the nature of the business. So, I’ve been speaking of general trends here, but when you get down to actually choosing the day and the time, you want a chart that talks about the business that you are starting. If you’re starting your astrology business, you might want to have the Moon in Aquarius, for example. If you are opening a beauty salon, you might want to do that at the time Libra is rising because that is the sign associated with salons and beauty. So hopefully you get the general idea of that.
So, what is making the business show up in the symbolism of the chart? And that can be that the sign that the Sun, Moon, or Ascendant are in reflect that business. And also making sure that the planets that are of the nature of that business, like I was talking before with Mercury, that you want to make sure, because it rules business, generally to have it strongly situated by sign or aspect or house in the chart, and any planet that is associated with your particular business should be strong in the chart.
And if you have questions about what rules what, there’s an excellent book by Rex Bills, it’s called the Rulership Book, and we will link to that in the show description, so you can order that if you like. It is such a helpful book. I never have it further than about five feet from my desk.
Now, those are the general astrological conditions you might look for, and this particular New Moon, for example, could be a pretty good one for launching a business. Because it is in Virgo, which is a sign of work, but the Sun and Moon are square Uranus, so hopefully it would be a business that is of the nature of Uranus. Something about lighting or energy or innovation, or even science and technology are a good fit for that aspect.
What about in your own birth chart? What sort of transits might we want to see that would be supportive for you of business? Well, first of all, some good transits at the Midheaven, the highest point in the chart. In a chart calculated in Placidus or Koch house system, that’s gonna be the cusp of the 10th house. If you’re using something like Whole Signs signs or Equal houses, you need to find the symbol for the midheaven because it could be in one of several houses.
But you are looking for some good transiting energy supporting that Midheaven point. And an example of that would be Venus or Jupiter, perhaps in a conjunction with your midheaven or in a trine or in a sextile to that Midheaven point. It could be really helpful.
The ruler of the Midheaven, so if you have Taurus on the Midheaven, the planet that rules that is Venus. So we want to make sure Venus is strong by sign or by aspect, maybe it is in a house of the chart that is associated with the kind of business you are in. If it is a business that has to do with helping people remodel their homes or something, well, we’ll be looking at the fourth house. So having the ruler of your midheaven in the fourth house would be really appropriate.
And finally, being the captain of your own ship, the owner of your own business, is very much related to Saturn as well. So, we want to be a little careful with Saturn. We don’t want to put him in a part of the chart where he’s gonna be blocking energy and blocking you from doing the things you want. But having Saturn maybe in a nice aspect with the Sun or the Moon or the Midheaven of your chart could be really helpful as you’re getting going with your business.
Well, Yvonne, thank you for your question. I hope that was helpful. I love business and I love thinking about it in astrological terms, so the best of luck to you in your business!
And if you, dear listener, would like to have a question answered on a future episode of the podcast, please leave a voicemail of one minute or less at speakpipe.com / bigskyastrologypodcast. Or just email me at april@bigskyastrology.com and be sure to put “Podcast Question” in the subject line.
Donor Thanks
That’s everything I have on my show sheet, so I’m gonna wrap this one up. Thank you so much for listening to the Big Sky Astrology podcast. If you like what you’re hearing, please do me a favor and subscribe or follow the show in your app of choice. It’s completely free. Leave a rating or a review, and I hope that you’ll 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 so much to everyone who has shown support for the podcast over the past year, and especially during last September’s Pod-a-thon. On each episode, I’m thanking some of my financial donors by name. This week, let’s give a Big Sky Astrology Podcast shoutout to monthly donors, Lori Rodefer and Jacinta Armstrong!
Jacinta and Lori, I thank you so much for listening to the podcast and for supporting the show with your donations.
And just a heads up that this Labor Day week, beginning September 1st, I will be bringing you my sixth annual Podathon! That’s when I’ll offer daily episodes for the whole week, with interviews of five of my brilliant colleagues about their astrological approach or tradition. I will have a Hellenistic astrologer, an Evolutionary astrologer, a Vedic astrologer, someone who specializes in astro*carto*graphy, and a psychological astrologer. And you’ll get the opportunity to support the show with your donations and be entered in a drawing for the chance to win a reading or other prize.
If you don’t want to wait to show your support and receive access to my bonus video episodes for donors only, just go to BigSkyAstropod.com where you can make a contribution of $10 or more. You can either make a one-time donation in any amount or become an ongoing monthly contributor.
And if you donate $25 or more or become a monthly contributor, you will be entered into the Podathon drawing, if you donate beginning August 18th.
That is 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 © 2017-25 by April Elliott Kent
For more on this week’s planetary news, read my column!
