TRANSCRIPT Ep. 342 | Scorpio Full Moon: The True You!

TRANSCRIPT Ep 342 | Scorpio Full Moon: The True You! (04.27.26)

Hello Invisible Friend, April here, and the date today is April 27, 2026. Welcome to Episode 342 of the Big Sky Astrology Podcast.

This week, Venus turns a little serious with aspects to Pluto and Saturn, but it’s all moving us toward a treasured North Node goal. May Day shines bright under the light of the Scorpio Full Moon. Mercury enters laconic, earthy Taurus, and I answer a listener question about the Lunar Nodes: why be mean when you can be true?

Venus trine Pluto (April 28, 2026, 9:40 am PDT)

On Tuesday, April 28, at 9:40 a.m. Pacific Time, Venus trines Pluto at 5 degrees, 29 minutes, Gemini and Aquarius. This connection comes down to wanting to look a little more closely at particular people or situations than Venus in Gemini is generally apt to do. Now, a trine aspect isn’t that bad, even between two planets that are very different, like Venus and Pluto. In this case, it says that the things that we like, the things that we’re drawn to, the people who attract us, are ones that now we’re feeling a little more likely to get to know a little better, maybe even make a commitment to.

But I have to say, that part will probably go a little more smoothly if we’re willing to wait for a few weeks until Venus goes into Cancer on May 18, because Cancer’s a little more of a nesting sign – so, it works a little bit better for making actual commitments. Venus in Gemini is a little bit more like the little bird that is flitting around and enjoying the scenery, getting to know lots of people, enjoying a variety of situations.

But while Venus is making this trine to Pluto, maybe we’ll be willing to entertain the idea of ourselves as belonging to a group of people – Pluto in Aquarius – that are trying to accomplish something together, or finding our way into a friend group or in a primary relationship. And especially if these are not things we’ve been really successful doing in the past.

Venus is also a financial planet. And when Venus is trine Pluto, this can be a powerful combination. It has to do with the intellectual and mental side of dealing with money, making decisions, maybe about what you want to do with your finances, how you want to invest them. And while Venus is in Gemini, we’ll often be just really interested in those kinds of things – interested in our money and our resources, and feel that it’s entertaining in a way to figure out how to deal with all of that. Just spend an afternoon making a spreadsheet and thinking deeply about your financial future.

Venus square the Lunar Nodes (April 29, 2026, 6:31 pm PDT)

Venus squares the Lunar Nodes on Wednesday, April 29th at 6:31 PM Pacific Time, at 7º09’ of Gemini, Pisces and Virgo.

Venus square the Lunar Nodes invites us to change course, especially in our relationships or finances and our basic values, and turning to some extent away from the Virgo South Node that demands perfection and can be kind of critical, where we’re always trying to fix things, manage things, get things just right. And moving us a little more in the direction of the North Node in Pisces, which has a little bit gentler and more intuitive approach to things and is willing to let things just be as they are.

Venus square the South Node in Virgo reminds me of that old expression about knowing the cost of everything and the value of nothing. And the North Node in Pisces is attuned to what’s truly important, what will help the soul expand and grow. This square reminds us not to do the Venus in Gemini thing of trying to move in too many directions at once. Venus in Gemini loves variety and it wants a little taste of everything. But the South Node in Virgo does have the gift of being able to differentiate between what is worthwhile and what is a waste of time and energy. And the North Node in Pisces moves us forward based on what really feels meaningful.

Scorpio Full Moon (May 1, 2026, 10:23 am PDT)

And now it’s time for the Moon report.

And we begin as always with the week’s major lunation. This week, that’s the Scorpio Full Moon on Friday, May 1st at 10:23 a.m. Pacific time at 11º20’ Scorpio and Taurus.

So, first we celebrate the Taurus half of this Full Moon with Beltane, which is a Gaelic festival that celebrates fertility and growth and the return of light. It’s the date that is midway between the spring equinox and the summer solstice. An appropriate ritual or way to acknowledge Beltane is with fire, maybe candles or a bonfire, maybe create an altar with flowers and candles. This is the opposite of Samhain in terms of being six months away in the year. So it is a time of celebrating life in the here and now, rather than thinking deeply about those who are on the other side. This is also May Day and International Workers Day is celebrated now. And it is a great celebration in many countries of the average worker.

This Full Moon is the awareness point in the Aries New Moon cycle that began on April 17th. That was a pretty intense and fiery New Moon. There were six planets in Aries and the New Moon point was square Jupiter and Pluto.

What were your wishes and goals and intentions at that New Moon? We’re not usually too clear about where we’re headed at the New Moon. We may have a dim idea. And especially if we know some astrology, we would look in this case to the Aries house of the chart and think, what does my Aries energy and drive and spirit want to accomplish during the Aries New Moon cycle? But we’re not really sure exactly what that will be or what it will look like because it’s a very dark phase for the Moon. But by the Full Moon, everything is illuminated and things are much clearer.

The goal of the Scorpio Full Moon is to identify whether our New Moon intentions were really true to who we are. And for that matter, whether we’re generally living in integrity with our best self.

The Sun and Full Moon are in a T-square with Pluto at this Full Moon, which often means we have to face some fairly unsavory truths. And sometimes that there can be power struggles and issues about control. The Full Moon encourages us to let go – and in this case, let go of whatever is toxic or just isn’t working in our lives. So, keep that in mind as you’re preparing any rituals for this Full Moon.

Lunar Phase Family Cycle

This is the Full Moon in a lunar phase family cycle that began at a New Moon on November 1st, 2024, at 9º35’ Scorpio. What was foremost in your mind during that New Moon season? Can you remember? Look to the Scorpio house of your birth chart and think, how were you honoring that area of your life at that New Moon? And as I said before, with this Full Moon, trying to get your life in more integrity with who you really are.

Nine months later, there was a First Quarter Moon on August 1st, 2025, at 9º31’ Scorpio. That would have been the first action point in this lunar phase family cycle, where you took some kind of action or initiative toward making those New Moon goals that you set in November, a little more real.

Now it’s nine months later and here we are at the Full Moon in this cycle. And this is again, the illumination point where we can see a little more clearly what was effective about our New Moon intentions in November 2024, and what might need to be tweaked a little bit.

Nine months from now, there’s the Last Quarter phase in this cycle on January 29th, 2027, at 9º17’ Scorpio. And that is our final action point in this three-year cycle, where we get to reflect on what we’ve been doing during the cycle. How well are we accomplishing those goals that we started out with? And how can we adjust our direction and our behaviors in the last nine months of this cycle?

Void-of-Course Moon periods

And now let’s look at the Void-of-Course Moon periods for this week. On Monday, April 27th, the Moon in Virgo sextiles Jupiter in Cancer at 4:12 AM Pacific time. It’s Void-of-Course for 21 hours and 51 minutes, then enters Libra on April 28th at 2:03 AM.

Sextiles from the Moon to another planet, as it’s turning Void-of-Course, can often bring an opportunity our way. This would be a great Void-of-Course Moon period to use the Virgo Moon’s great qualities of organization and tidiness to improve the quality of life at home, Jupiter in Cancer. And if cleaning doesn’t sound that appealing to you, maybe planting some veggies or herbs for your spring garden. Use this Void-of-Course, Moon period to get into the habit of doing little things around your house to make it more than just a place to live, make it a home.

On Thursday, April 30th, the Moon in Libra opposes Mercury in Aries at 1:52 AM Pacific time. It’s Void-of-Course for 10 hours and 10 minutes, then enters Scorpio at 12:02 PM Pacific time. The Moon in opposition to another planet as it goes Void-of-Course, will often bring an awareness. At this Void-of-Course, Moon communication issues could come to the forefront.

Mercury in Aries can express itself in a little bit of a harsh way. The Moon in Libra can help with encouraging diplomacy. So, use this Void-of-Course period to get in the habit of thinking before you speak and trying to deliver messages with a little more diplomacy and care and thought to what the other person will be feeling.

On Saturday, May 2nd, the Moon in Scorpio trines Jupiter at 1:47 AM Pacific time. It’s Void-of-Course for 21 hours and 46 minutes, then enters Sagittarius at 11:33 PM. This Void-of-Course Moon begins with an aspect between planets in two water signs, the Moon in Scorpio and Jupiter in Cancer. So, we know intuition will be especially strong. There’s a good chance that you could really help somebody in your inner circle by knowing just the right thing to say or do. Use this Void-of-Course Moon period to get into the habit of listening to your gut with the intention of serving or healing others who could really use an emotional boost.

Venus sextile Saturn (May 1, 2026, 11:45 am PDT)

On Friday, May 1st at 11:45 AM Pacific time, Venus sextiles Saturn at 9º14’ Gemini and Aries. Any aspect between Venus and Saturn asks us to get serious about our relationships and our finances and to actively seek more maturity and to increase our sense of self-worth.

The sextile between these two is a little bit easier than some others. We could still learn from this combination without feeling really kind of crushed and demoralized by it.

My teacher used to say that the sextile brings us the blessings of a trine, but only if we’re willing to do the work of a square. So, this aspect says work hard to improve your relationships and manage your resources wisely and you will be rewarded. Doesn’t that sound nice? The best thing you can gain from this transit is clarity about what you want versus what you really need. Understanding what you need to the extent that you can articulate it is very powerful. It’s very Saturnine magic.

This aspect can bring positive interactions with older people or people in a position of authority. You might have a boss acknowledge your work with kind words or even a promotion. And Venus in Gemini is pretty flirtatious, so you might find yourself getting a little flirty with someone who is significantly older or even younger than yourself. Because Venus with Saturn can point to age differences with our partners. In any event, all of these Venus and Gemini impulses in relationship, in money, in the way we regard ourselves, are really undergoing an examination and encouraging us to make some important decisions about these areas of our lives.

Mercury enters Taurus (May 2, 2026, 7:57 pm PDT)

And on Saturday, May 2nd at 7:57 p.m. Pacific time, Mercury enters Taurus, and it will be in this sign until May 17th.

When Mercury changes signs, we notice it in the pace of life, how quickly people want to get things done, or move or talk. Mercury has been in Aries since April 14th and that is a sign that definitely favors moving at a faster pace, being impatient to get things done, lying awake in the night because you can’t slow your mind down. But as Mercury moves into Taurus, everything slows down a bit. Instead of trying to do three things at a time, you can really pay attention to just one thing and really enjoy it. Instead of speeding through your conversations with people, you can relax a little bit and really listen to what they have to say and take your time talking about what’s important to you.

It’s easier when Mercury is in Taurus to tackle problems that require patience, things that you really have to stick to. It’s a good time to come up with a solid financial plan or strategy to get your finances organized.

Taurus rules the senses and Mercury in this sign is especially sensitive to sounds, smells and touch. So, treat yourself to a new piece of music, bake or cook something that makes the house smell amazing, pull out your favorite velveteen throw rug. Slow down and enjoy Mercury’s journey through Taurus until May 17th when it moves into Gemini.

Listener Question: Mean vs True Nodes

I’m so happy to be back to the listener questions segment this week. And in this week’s question, listener Ben writes, “What is the difference between the Mean Lunar Node and the True Node? Which one do you use and why?”

Well, Ben, thank you for that question. And I thought for sure we had covered this in a previous episode, but I checked my list and it looks like we haven’t. So this is also an opportunity for just a little bitty mini-lesson about the Moon’s Nodes.

They mark the points where the Moon’s orbit around the Earth intersects with the ecliptic, the Earth’s movement around the Sun. And in fact, all of the planets have Nodes, but the Lunar Nodes are the ones that are most commonly used in astrology and included in charts.

Contemporary Western astrologers tend to take the view that the North Node represents growth and future opportunities, while the South Node represents your early environment and experiences, including past life experiences, if that is part of your belief system, as well as your unconscious mind and your safety zone, the places where you feel most comfortable.

The Nodes move exactly opposed each other on a polarity that moves retrograde through the zodiac and clockwise through the houses, and they move in opposite degrees of opposite signs. They complete a journey through the whole zodiac in about 18 and a half years.

But the Moon has a slight wobble, and its Nodes don’t move at exactly the same rate every day. The Mean Nodes are calculated by taking the average rate of motion and averaging it out over 18 and a half years. This was the method that was commonly used before computers came along and made it really easy to calculate the true Node position, as I said in my book, without breaking a sweat.

The True Nodes show the actual position of the Nodes at a given moment, Moon wobble and all.

So, it’s more precise, but generally the true and mean positions are always pretty close together, with often less than a degree apart. Mostly, people will ask me about it if they happen to have been born on a day when the Nodes were changing sign, and maybe their North Node shows up as being in, say, Aquarius when they’re used to seeing it in Pisces.

Some astrologers I really respect swear by the Mean Nodes. The idea is that the Mean Nodes move at a smoother and more predictable rate. The True Node does kind of wobble and change speed, which can be a little noisy in terms of interpreting its connections with planets, for example. And because the mean position was what was commonly used in classical and medieval times, those who work today in those areas of astrology might prefer to stick with the Mean Nodes to stay consistent with historical practice and historical texts.

As for me, the true Node is what feels right and more precise, even with all of the noise that that entails. And so that is the one that I use.

Ben, I hope that helps, and thank you so much for the question!

If you have a burning question about astrology that you would like me to answer on a future episode of the podcast, leave a voicemail of one minute or less at speakpipe.com / bigskyastrologypodcast. Or you can send an email to april (at) bigskyastrology (dot) com and be sure to put “Podcast Question” in the subject line.

Donor Thanks

Well, it’s a much quieter week in the sky, and that is everything that I have on my show sheet, so I’m going to wrap this one up.

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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!