TRANSCRIPT Ep. 129 | New Moon in Cancer: Bunnies in Tutus!
Listen to the episode and read shownotes hereWelcome to The Big Sky Astrology Podcast, with your host, Astrologer and Author, April Elliott Kent.
April: Hello, invisible friend, April here, and the date today is June 27th, 2022. Welcome to Episode 129 of The Big Sky Astrology Podcast. This week, Mars makes an aspect to Saturn, Neptune turns retrograde, Venus aspects Jupiter, we have a beautiful Cancer New Moon, and I answer a question about a listener’s bouncing Sun placement. Why does it keep moving around to different houses of her chart?
Mars sextile Saturn (June 27, 2022, 3:29 pm PDT)
The week begins with Mars making a sextile aspect to Saturn on June 27th at 3:29 PM Pacific Time. Now, when you are faced with an obstacle, it is sometimes better to use gentle tactics such as persuasion or diplomacy to get past it. Well, this is not one of those times. This week, as Mars in Aries makes a sextile aspect to Saturn, it means that if you’re willing to work hard, if you’re willing to force the issue a bit, you can actually move past what has been blocking you. Now, this is not always the best approach, but this sextile implies that maybe you have not been succeeding up to now in whatever wonderful, say Jupiter in Aries objectives or adventures you’ve been imagining. Maybe you haven’t been succeeding because you haven’t really been doing everything that it takes to succeed.
Mars and Aries of course can get a little carried away, and you want to be careful to not veer into getting what you want at all costs, even if it means hurting somebody else; but to the extent you can give every bit of energy and determination that you have, then this is a week that you can actually succeed.
Neptune stations retrograde (June 28, 2022, 12:55 am PDT)
On June 28th at 12:55 AM Pacific Time, Neptune turns retrograde at 25°26’ Pisces. It’ll be retrograde through December 3; it’s one of those planets with a really long retrograde cycle. It’s going to back up all the way to 22°39’ Pisces before it turns direct again. Neptune was last around that degree in March of 2022, so there may be some connection to that timeframe.
I’ve talked before about Neptune going retrograde or direct. Neptune stations are kind of like the tide coming in and the tide going out, and as it turns retrograde, it’s like the tide is going out a little bit. Neptune is normally a planet that we associate with not being able to see things in a really clear light and as it goes retrograde, I think it acts sort of the opposite of that. And if you think of being on the beach and the tide goes out, then there’s all kinds of stuff that is left on the shore that we can see lying there in the sand. So I think it actually tends to be a time of better clarity, particularly if you have something in your chart between about 22 and 25° of Pisces, or even of its opposite sign, Virgo, or the signs that it squares: Gemini and Sagittarius. This could be an important and interesting retrograde period for you of things coming to light related to that planet or point in your chart. And you can probably pinpoint the basis of this discovery to something going on back in the spring around March.
Cancer New Moon (June 28, 2022, 7:52 pm PDT)
Next up is the Moon Report for the week of June 27th. It begins with a Cancer New Moon on June 28th, at 7:52 PM Pacific Time, at 7°22’ Cancer, on the Sabian symbol, 8 Cancer, “Rabbits Dressed In Clothes And On Parade”. Isn’t that a delightful image? The other day I was standing at the front door and watched a woman and a little girl walking past our house. The little girl was dressed in this amazing costume, this little fairy costume with her pink tutu and her little wings. And, I looked at her and thought, “Oh man, she must have been so excited to put on this costume and go outside.” I can so clearly remember what it was like as a little girl, that feeling of getting to dress up and be something outside who you normally are. And I think of that with the little rabbits dressed up in clothes and on parade. It’s a little bit of the spirit of this New Moon, which begins a 28-day Lunar Cycle and of course also a Lunar Phase Family Cycle that will carry over the next two and a half years of dressing up and being on parade. It’s an exciting idea actually. How do we want to get outside of our normal experience and make things a little more imaginative and a little bit more magical?
New Moon square Jupiter – The Sun and Moon are square Jupiter at this New Moon. The Sun, in fact, squares Jupiter on this same day, on June 28th at 5:59 PM Pacific Time just before the New Moon. And when the Sun and the Moon are square Jupiter, I think we have a little bit of a tendency to bite off more than we can chew, or to be overly optimistic, or let our enthusiasm about something carry us away a little bit. So, I’m picturing this little girl in her costume, and I’m thinking maybe once they got down the road maybe a wind kicked up and it tore off her little crown that she was wearing, or that she tears the costume or trips on the skirt, because that’s how it happens sometimes with square aspects to Jupiter. I say it all the time and I’ve probably said it on the podcast too, that if you have to have squares, squares to Jupiter are definitely the way to go. You’re still gonna get something good out of the situation.
I was writing to my mailing list this morning and talking about an idea that I’d had for something I wanted to start offering, and I looked at this New Moon chart with the Sun and the Moon square Jupiter and I thought, “You know, I think that’s probably adding just a little bit more to my schedule than I can comfortably handle.” And I think if I hadn’t had that awareness of astrology and hadn’t been able to look at that Sun-Moon square Jupiter as a little bit of a warning sign, I think I probably would’ve just plowed ahead, committed myself to one more thing that I might not have the resources to really carry through with.
So, I guess what I would say is at this New Moon, you might feel really enthusiastic about doing some things, after all, I was just talking about that Mars aspect of Saturn of pushing past the obstacles. But I think that might refer to existing obstacles, things you’ve been trying for a while to work through. And, this New Moon is about, do we really want to undertake more things that are exciting – here we are, the little girl in the costume – but then we run into the square to Jupiter in Aries, and maybe it’s just a little too much? So, enjoy the enthusiasm and maybe use it along with that Mars aspect to Saturn to bring to fruition some things that you’ve been working on for a while, and that only now as Neptune’s going retrograde, we might have a little more clarity on.
Lunar Phase Family – Now, as I said, this New Moon begins a new Lunar Phase Family Cycle. I always link to a wonderful article at Frank Clifford’s website when I mention this, so look for that in the show notes. We begin at this New Moon, and then we carry this Sun-Moon-Jupiter energy to the First Quarter Moon at 8° Cancer on March 28th, 2023; then nine months later, we get the Full Moon near this degree on December 26th, 2023; and then the Last Quarter in this phase family, is nine months after that, September 24th, 2024 at 2° of Cancer.
I’m loving this process of looking at a New Moon as it unfolds over time. The Moon is quite fleeting, it moves very quickly and we get a New Moon sign every two and a half days, we get another New Moon every 28, 29 days, and we tend to think of its influences as being quite fleeting. But I like the idea that a New Moon has a lot more heft than that, that we’re really beginning a two-and-a-half-year cycle of something of the nature of this Sun-Moon in Cancer square Jupiter. Maybe, along the way we learn to get on top of that Jupiter in Aries impulsiveness a little bit and find motivation rather than overwhelm in the messages of this chart. So, note those dates, and these are going to be pivotal moments in this cycle that’s beginning now with this New Moon.
Those of you who are subscribers to my mailing list know that you can download at each New Moon, I have a ‘Working with the Moon” workbook. I do have a little sheet at the end of the report that will also have these dates so that you could be sort of plotting a strategy and thinking ahead about what you would like to accomplish.
Void-of-Course Moon periods
Let’s look at the void-of-course Moon periods for this week. And again, the void-of-course Moon periods begin when the moon makes its final major aspect to a planet in its sign and its void-of-course until it moves into the next sign. These are meant to be times when it’s best to reflect and really think about what the last couple of days have brought you as the Moon has been in that sign, and in particular, the message of that final aspect that it makes.
The first void-of-course Moon period begins on June 27th when the Moon in Gemini makes a square aspect to Neptune at 7:38 PM Pacific time. It’s void-of-course for a good long time, almost nine hours, then it enters Cancer on June 28th at 4:53 AM Pacific Time. Now, for those of us here on the west coast of the United States, most of us will be sleeping through a lot of this. So, it’s not necessarily going to be a time that has a great effect, but I’ll tell you what, as the Moon squares that Neptune, that’s when to set a little intention for yourself, I think. Think of how your unconscious mind processes things, especially as you sleep. I think that it actually can be really powerful.
I had a friend who used to listen to hypnosis recordings while she slept, and it really, really helped her achieve a weight loss goal that she was working toward. So, I think there is a lot to be said for feeding our minds good, helpful things as we start to move into the sleep state, especially with the Moon square Neptune. If you are in a part of the world where this is happening more during your work day, then the Moon’s final aspect being the square to Neptune, to me, kind of evokes a little bit of that Neptune turning retrograde. For a couple of days, the curious, alert Moon in Gemini has been noticing things and when it makes the square to Neptune, it starts to put them all together suddenly in one big picture, and not just little individual things are revealed, but a larger understanding.
On June 30th, the Moon in Cancer makes an opposition aspect of Pluto at 1:14 PM Pacific Time, it’s then void-of-course for about four and a half hours before it enters Leo at 5:40 PM Pacific Time. The Moon’s last aspect being an opposition to Pluto is not one of the more pleasant aspects, we know this that when the Moon ends on a final aspect of Pluto, especially kind of a challenging aspect, it means that we can feel a little bit challenged, even threatened on an emotional level. And the opposition aspect in particular tends to be revealed through relationships or through the example of other people.
So, this could be just some minor hurt or confrontation or conflict, even perhaps that might reveal to you some ways in which your sensitivity and vulnerability can actually be a strength and not a liability. Pluto often makes us believe that we need to be tougher, we need to be harder, especially since Pluto has been in Capricorn. But, the Moon in Cancer has a whole different kind of strength than that, and it’s a strength that is based in being open and sensitive and caring. We may hide that when the Moon is in Cancer, because we realize that we’re very vulnerable and we feel a need for some defenses, but the Moon’s opposition to Pluto then, you know, gives us about four and a half void-of-course hours where we can think, In what ways do I need to become stronger? And, in what ways do I need to let myself be more open unguarded and vulnerable?
Then on July 3rd, the Moon in Leo makes a trine to Mars at 2:59 AM Pacific Time. It’s void-of-course for about two and a half hours and enters Virgo at 5:31 AM. So again, probably not something that many of us here on the west coast of the United States are going to be very conscious of, but for those who live on the east coast, this is as your day is beginning and it’s a good day to think about how you can change some habits, and in particular, habits that get in the way of you taking action. The Moon in Leo is very courageous, and like all fire signs tends to be, a little more action oriented. And then the trine to Mars, which is the planet of action. I think it’s a great combination on this day to say, I’m going to bring my full self to this day. And I am going to use my personality, my talents and my gifts to take the actions and make the changes that I want to make.
Mars square Pluto (July 1, 2022, 7:13 pm PDT)
On July 1st at 7:13 PM Pacific Time, Mars makes a square to Pluto. This is an unfriendly looking aspect, I have to tell you. Mars is on the symbol, “A Large Disappointed Audience”. Nothing good ever came of a large disappointed audience. And Pluto is on the symbol of the US Pluto Return, it’s the symbol, “A Large Aviary.” I feel like I’ve been writing and talking a lot about birds lately, so maybe this has something to do with it!
This symbol, “The Large Aviary” reminds us of the importance of getting along together in a small space, even if we are birds of a different flock. But Mars in Aries making the square to Pluto, doesn’t really seem to be in a mood to get along. Mars is the planet of force. I talked earlier in this episode about Mars making a sextile aspect to Saturn, and in that case, that use of force and determination could be very helpful, very useful as it helps us get past an obstacle. That’s a sextile aspect, however, and sextiles are a little bit friendlier than squares. So, if you have Mars, which is the planet of force, and you put it in a forceful square aspect with Pluto, which is the immovable object – it’s the representation of forces greater than our own – then it really isn’t a great aspect. Now, we have a couple of these each year, so it’s not one of the rarest aspects, but it is one of the more unpleasant ones. And, it works best when we consciously use that force for good.
Listener Question: The Sun’s placement in houses at different hours of the day
This week’s question comes from listener Angela who writes, “I thought the hours of the day that the Sun is in the different houses of the chart goes clockwise beginning with the 1st house from 4:00 to 6:00 AM, the 12th house from 6:00 to 8:00 AM, the 11th house from 8:00 to 10:00 AM and the 10th house from 10:00 AM to noon. But my Sun is in the 10th or 11th house depending on the house system and I was born at 1:13 PM”.
So, Angela, you are approximately right about the Sun’s house placement during the hours of each day. You begin at the ascendant, you pretend that the Sun rises at 6:00 AM and that it is then in the 12th house for two hours; then it moves clockwise into the 11th house and it’s there from 8:00 to 10:00 AM; and then it moves clockwise into the 10th house from 10:00 AM to noon, and so on. However, the actual times of the day that the Sun is in each house of the chart varies depending on several factors, such as the time of the year, the location of your birth, whether daylight saving time is an effect at the time and the house system that you use.
Now, Angela, you are born near the Autumnal Equinox in Southern California, that is very close to the time of year when the Sun does rise at just about 6:00 AM standard time, and we also have equal hours of daylight and nighttime. So, the Sun would have been in the 12th through the 7th houses – going clockwise- between about 6:00 AM and 6:00 PM. And your birth time is recorded as 1:13 PM, but remember, that time includes an extra hour that was tacked on for daylight saving time. You know, each spring, “spring forward,” we move the clock forward and we have this artificial hour that is included in your birth time.
So, if we subtract that faux hour, then 1:13 PM, your recorded birth time becomes 12:13 PM, and that is right after midday, when symbolically, the Sun would be at its zenith, and in the chart, it would be very close to the Midheaven, which is the cusp of the 10th house.
However, you were born almost 15 minutes after that natural midday. So, if we use Placidus house system, Koch or Porphyry, what we call the quadrant-based house systems, then the actual degree of the Midheaven in your chart is 12°46’ Libra. The Sun in your chart is at 4° Libra 44’; and since that is before 12°46’ (the beginning of the 10th house), then the Sun is placed actually in the 9th house of your chart, just before the Midheaven.
Now, the Sun still spends approximately two hours in each house of the chart that day. It rose at 6:48 AM, entered the 11th house at 9:06 AM, entered the 10th house at 11:08 AM, and finally went into the 9th house at 12:42 PM. And if you back everything up one hour, again, to subtract that extra hour that was added for daylight saving, then you get exactly the approximation that you thought was correct, about 6:00 AM for the Sun rising and going into the 12th house, about 8:00 AM that it goes into the 11th, and at about 10:00 AM it goes into the 10th, and just before noon for the 9th house.
So then why, when you get your chart calculated probably on various websites, I would imagine, or apps or astrologers, why do some calculations show the Sun in your chart as being in the 10th house or the 11th house? Most likely it’s because a different house system is being used. So, let’s say you use the Equal house system to calculate your chart. What happens in that system is the degree of your ascendant, your natural ascendant, which is 25° of Sagittarius in your case, that becomes the degree on each subsequent house cusp. So, the 2nd house of your chart would have 25° of Capricorn on the cusp, the 3rd house would have 25° of Aquarius on the cusp, the 4th house would have 25° Pisces and so on. Now, in that system, the Midheaven, the 10th house cusp would be 25° of Virgo, because it goes back to that 25° of Sagittarius rising. So, using that method, the Sun at 4° 44’ Libra would fall in the 10th house, because that comes after 25 Virgo.
Now, if you use Whole Sign houses – which is a very popular system now, so you may end up getting your chart calculated in that way – It’s an entirely different story again. Because in that system, what happens is you take the sign of the ascendant and you begin the 1st house at 0° of that sign. So in that system, instead of having 25° Sagittarius rising, you have 0° Sagittarius, and then each subsequent house cusp begins with 0° of the next sign. So, in your chart, the 2nd house would have 0° Capricorn on the cusp, the 3rd house would have 0° Aquarius on the cusp and so on. So, in that system, 0° of Scorpio is on your 12th house cusp, and 0° of Libra is on the 11th house cusp. So, your Sun at 4°44’ Libra would fall in the 11th house because it comes after zero Libra.
This is a little confusing maybe to understand as you’re listening to it, I am going to include a short video of this to help people really follow along in a more visual way. But, the short answer to your question, Angela, is that your chart is being calculated, using different house systems, and different house systems are going to often result in planets being in different houses. And in this case, you have a choice of three different houses, at least that your Sun can be in! And also, you have to bear in mind that although in a natural sense, we can follow the Sun clockwise through the chart in a given day, at the beginning, let’s say with the Sun rising at six o’clock and then follow it every two hours around the chart. But of course, the Sun doesn’t always rise at six o’clock in the morning. And depending on where you live in the time of year, it can rise a heck of a lot later than that. So, the Sun is going to be in different houses at different times of the day. But in your case, given the time of year you’re born and the place where you were born, you have a fairly average chart in that way. And it really, for you is a question of remembering the daylight saving time was in effect, and also just the fact that you seem to have been looking at your chart in several different house systems. Now, I’m on the record as being fairly agnostic on the subject of house . So, I think it’s fine to experiment with all kinds of systems and see what really resonates for you. But it’s probably best when you’re getting your feet wet to stick with one system for a while to eliminate confusion.
I hope that that helps. And, if any of you have a burning question about astrology that you’d like me to answer, please leave a voicemail of one minute or less at speakpipe.com/bigskyastrologypodcast, or send me an email, april@bigskyastrology.com. Be sure to put “Podcast Question” in the subject line.
Donor thanks
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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.
