TRANSCRIPT Ep. 357 | Last Quarter Moon in Gemini: Letting Go!

TRANSCRIPT Ep. 357 (8.31.26)
Last Quarter Moon in Gemini: Letting Go!

Hello Invisible Friend, April here, and the date today is August 31st, 2026. Welcome to Episode 357 of the Big Sky Astrology Podcast.

This week, Mars is in conflict with, and Jupiter makes a soothing aspect to, serious Saturn. Mental faculties and manual skills get a supercharged boost with the sextile between Mercury and Mars, and the Gemini Last Quarter Moon manages to express the ideas that the Virgo Sun has given a lot of detailed thought. I’ve got a pretty busy week in real life, getting ready for a conference and the Podathon which starts next week, so we will keep things relatively brief and put off a listener question until after Podathon.

Jupiter trine Saturn (Aug. 31, 3:17 pm PDT)

Jupiter in Leo trines Saturn in Aries on Monday, August 31st at 3:17 pm Pacific Time at 13 degrees, 41 minutes Leo and Aries. This is the first of three trines that they will make. The other two will come on April 3rd and July 11th, 2027.

This aspect brings together Jupiter’s optimistic shoot-for-the-Moon spirit with Saturn’s tendency toward restraint, and it’s kind of a nice system of planetary checks and balances, with Jupiter lightening up Saturn’s seriousness and worry, and Saturn keeping Jupiter from completely going over the cliff. There’s the sense that we can go after what we want without feeling a sense of lack or of too much constraint, and if you’ve been setting the bar a little too low for yourself, Jupiter will push you to raise it.

Jupiter begins by exaggerating the symbolism of a planet that it’s aspecting. So don’t be surprised if Saturn initially reacts by making us feel things are really dire, until we realize that we’re probably overreacting and can begin to ease up on ourselves. It’s a relatively good aspect for anything that requires both restraint and optimism. Something like a diet, say, or trying to moderate your blood pressure or your blood sugar, or investing your money in a way that will allow you to actually make some profit off of it.

Jupiter’s Sabian symbol is one I’m very fond of because it’s the symbol for my natal Sun: 14 Leo, The human soul awaiting opportunity for expression. Something you’ve been yearning to say or express, or become, is now possible.

Mind you, Saturn is on 14 Aries, A serpent coiling near a man and a woman. You’re free to express anything that you want in buoyant Jupiter fashion, but watch out for the serpent, which will tend to keep you accountable for whatever you say.

Mars square Saturn (Sep. 1, 2026, 2:59 am PDT)

Mars squares Saturn on Tuesday, September 1st at 2:59 a.m. Pacific Time at 13 degrees, 39 minutes Cancer and Aries.

This particular Mars-Saturn cycle began at their conjunction on April 19th of this year and felt like an intense concentration of physical energy. They met again in a sextile aspect on July 19th, and that’s an aspect of possibilities and cooperation.

But now, the two have reached the moment in their cycle where they are going to compete over which will prevail: Mars with its force or Saturn with its natural dominance.

Mars rules Aries, so at the moment, it’s ruling Saturn in Aries. And though Saturn will naturally win in a competition with Mars, Mars does have a little bit of an edge here. Mars isn’t strongly placed in Cancer, but it does have one superpower: It can take action without anybody quite noticing. This is a trait that Saturn in Aries does not like a bit. It is a very straightforward sign, Aries.

So, when these two meet in a square, there is a little bit of a jousting match. Mars in Cancer is hard to catch, but Saturn in Aries is hard to resist. Many astrologers, myself included, have described transits between Mars and Saturn as being like having one foot on the gas and one on the brake. And in this case, they can’t decide whether they’re going to go forward or they are going to slow down. It can be a pretty frustrating aspect. And when Mars gets frustrated, it can become extremely aggressive. When Saturn gets frustrated, it can be ruthless.

Treat this transit as a lesson in how to impose more control and discipline over your temper, impulsiveness, and physical drives. Mars’ Sabian symbol is 14 Cancer: A very old man facing a vast dark space to the northeast. It’s a little something about remembering what’s eternal. As all that passes away proves to have been ephemeral, what remains is the lasting truth. So, this is a possibility through tempering your Mars self. It is an opportunity to discover universal and eternal truths.

Mercury sextile Mars (Sep. 1, 2026, 6:21 am PDT)

Also, on Tuesday, September 1st at 6:21 a.m. Pacific Time, Mercury sextiles Mars at 13 degrees, 44 minutes Virgo and Cancer. This is a pretty fast transit, just about one day, but it highlights something that has been going on for weeks -the potential for contentious and confrontational communication. The same qualities that make this a terrific aspect for digging into writing projects, studying, anything that requires a sharp mind, can also sometimes make us grouchy, less than tactful, without a lot of tolerance for chitchat.

Mercury is on the Sabian symbol 14 Virgo, A family tree, especially in the family or a group or community that feels like family. Remember that you have the right to speak your mind, but harsh words can’t always be taken back. However, speaking of the family tree, this is an especially good transit for working on projects around your home with Mercury in deft and skillful Virgo and Cancer, symbolizing the home. And this is especially true for projects that require being good with your hands and having attention to detail.

Gemini Last Quarter (Sep. 4, 2026, 12:51 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 Gemini Last Quarter Moon on Friday, September 4th at 12:51 a.m. Pacific time, at 11 degrees, 48 minutes Gemini and Virgo.

A Gemini Last Quarter Moon falls in the Virgo season, and in this phase, we see the tension between Virgo’s careful, reasoned thought processes and Gemini’s joyful scattering of words, almost like confetti. Both signs are ruled by Mercury, but in this case, Mercury definitely has at least two faces.

I live with this one in my own house, my Gemini Moon, my husband’s Gemini ascendant; my Virgo Mars, Pluto and Midheaven, and my husband’s Venus-Mars in Virgo. There’s a certain amount of crankiness in this combination, which tends to be Mercury’s default mode when conflict is introduced to a situation.

“How perfect does something actually have to be?” asks Gemini, and Virgo’s answer, of course, is “Absolutely perfect.” And of course, most things really don’t have to be absolutely perfect at all, but they also don’t need to be quite as casual, even scattershot, as Gemini might have it. This square looks for a happy medium.

This Last Quarter wraps up that New Moon in Leo on August 12th, which was a solar eclipse, and it was quite a blockbuster one, too. A lot of old business blew up at that eclipse, and by the Scorpio First Quarter, we were knee-deep into all of it, and leaving nothing unexplored. The Pisces Full Moon, a lunar eclipse, had us working through the leftover emotions of it, exploring the sadness and the regret.

And now, the Gemini Last Quarter is inclined to maybe just let a lot of it go. The Sun in Virgo does not believe that’s the best solution, of course. It prefers to leave no detail unexplored. But Gemini realizes that you have to move on at some point, and the Last Quarter phase seems like a pretty good time to do that.

Lunar Phase Family Cycle

This is the Last Quarter phase in a lunar phase family cycle that began with a New Moon on June 6th, 2024, at 16 degrees, 17 minutes, Gemini. The First Quarter in this phase was on March 6th, 2025, at 16 degrees, 21 minutes Gemini, and that would have been an opportunity to take some kind of action on something that you are imagining at that New Moon in Gemini. Were you thinking maybe of going back to school, or learning a language, taking some short trip, writing a book? The First Quarter in this series would have been a good time to take action on that.

Nine months later, on December 4th, 2025, the Full Moon at 13 degrees, three minutes, Gemini, showed what really was undertaken at that Gemini New Moon. What was the real plan that you might not have been able to see clearly at that time, but now is illuminated?

And now we’re nine months later at the Last Quarter Moon in this series, and this will go on for another nine months, completing the cycle. The Last Quarter is the time to, number one, get perspective on what has happened during this lunar phase family cycle. What is it that you have really been trying to accomplish? And then at the Last Quarter, you could try to take a final action in some Gemini portion of your life.

Void-of-Course Moon periods

Let’s look at the Void-of-Course Moon periods for this week. On Monday, August 31st, the Moon in Aries opposes Venus in Libra at 12:47 p.m. Pacific Time. It’s Void-of-Course then for 12 hours and 14 minutes before it enters Taurus on Tuesday, September 1st at 1:01 a.m.

When the Moon opposes a planet as it goes Void-of-Course, there is a kind of awareness. And oppositions will tend to bring up relationship topics. They are inherently relationship-oriented, but with this particular Void-of-Course Moon, it’s doubly so.

Venus is at home in Libra, and the desire for partnership and balance will be strong. Meanwhile, the Moon in Aries craves independence, courage, and speed. And it can feel a little bit stifled in relationship.

In this situation, consider leaning into Venus in Libra. Use this Void-of-Course Moon to get in the habit of balancing your desires, your drives, with somebody else’s needs, so that a happy compromise can be reached.

On Wednesday, September 2nd, the Moon in Taurus trines Mercury in Virgo at 3:47 a.m. Pacific Time. It’s Void-of-Course for one day and one hour before it enters Gemini on Thursday, September 3rd at 4:47 a.m.

The Moon and Mercury are both in the signs of their exaltation, making them particularly strong. And they are in Earth signs, which gives this day a very grounded energy. It might be easy to communicate about what you’re feeling without getting overwhelmed by emotion.

This is a good Void-of-Course Moon period to get to the root of an unhealthy habit or issue, so that healing and recovery can take place.

And on Saturday, September 5th, the Moon in Gemini trines Venus in Libra at 1:40 a.m. Pacific Time. It’s Void-of-Course for five hours and 50 minutes and then enters Cancer at 7:30 a.m. When the Moon makes a trine aspect to a planet as it’s going Void-of-Course, this period can bring a special gift or reward.

This transit is great for early birds who can’t resist Saturday morning yard sales. With a little bit of charm and small talk, luck could be on your side and you might score a great find from a neighbor who just wants to get rid of their junk. Keep your search local, as the Moon in Gemini suggests; it likes to just stay around the neighborhood. Use this Void-of-Course Moon to get in the habit of connecting with your neighbors during communal events.

Our recent lunar eclipse on August 27th or 28th, depending on where you live, was on a Sabian symbol about a church bazaar. And this combination of planets really reminds me of that symbol. There is something so nice about going to yard sales or tag sales, rummage sales, as much for the opportunity to commune with other people who are there as to actually find anything. That’s more of a bonus. So enjoy this Void-of-Course Moon and connecting with your neighbors.

No Listener Question this busy week

Now, as I said at the beginning, it’s a very, very busy week for me this week. I’m getting ready for a conference and the Podathon. So I’m going to keep this episode pretty brief and we won’t have a listener question this week.

But be sure to keep sending me your questions for future episodes. You can leave a voicemail of one minute or less at speakpipe.com / Big Sky Astrology podcast, or just send me an email to april (at) bigskyastrology (dot) com. I look forward to hearing your questions.

Donor Thanks

Well, that is everything on my show sheet. So I am going to wrap this one up. Thank you for listening to the Big Sky Astrology podcast.

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And just a reminder that our 7th Annual Podathon is coming up next week, Labor Day week, beginning next Monday, September 7th! Each weekday through September 11th, I’ll be featuring conversations with five of my colleagues on topics that my clients ask about most. We’ll hear from Linea Van Horn on moving house, Samuel Reynolds on career, Kira Sutherland on health, Donna Stellhorn on money, and Dorothy Oja on relationships.

How’s that for a lineup? I cannot wait to bring these interviews to you!

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