Episode 145 | Libra Equinox and New Moon: Going to Market! (9.19.22)
Listen and read show notes hereApril: Hello, invisible friend, April here. And the date today is September 19th, 2022. Welcome to Episode 145 of The Big Sky Astrology Podcast. This week, the Libra Equinox initiates autumn in the Northern Hemisphere and spring in the Southern Hemisphere. The Libra New Moon is accentuated by Jupiter, Libra’s ruling planet, Venus, makes aspects to exciting Uranus, dreamy Neptune, and powerful Pluto, and retrograde Mercury comes together with the Sun before re-entering Virgo.
But first, one more big thank you to everybody who made donations to the podcast during the Third Annual Podathon. Your donations not only help me cover the expenses of producing this show, but they let me know that you really value what I’m putting together for you here, and that means so much. As you know, donors of $25 or more were entered in a drawing for a chance to win one of four great prizes. I did the drawing on the 13th of the month and today I wanted to let you know the names of the winners. They’ve already been notified by email, but I thought I would announce them here as well.
A beautiful astrology poster donated by Patrick Blasa of Tha Elegant Universe goes to listener Sarah Eves, a free enrollment in one of my upcoming astrology courses goes to listener Alex Anderson, a personal 60 minute reading with me goes to listener Karen Hartland and our grand prize of a 90 minute personal astrology reading with me goes to listener Mina Habibi.
April: Warm congratulations to all the winners. And thank you again to everybody who donated during the Podathon. Of course, as you know, everybody who donated $10 or more will get access to my special episodes for the Equinoxes and Solstices beginning with the September 22nd Libra Equinox episode, which will be coming your way in just a few days. And thanks to everybody who continues to support the podcast just by showing up, by listening, by downloading the episodes, by leaving your ratings and reviews, it’s wonderful to know that you’re out there.
Venus trine Uranus (Sep. 19, 2022, 9:44 pm PDT)
This week begins with Venus making a trine aspect to Uranus on September 19th at 9:44 PM Pacific Time, at 18°37’ Virgo and Taurus. Anytime Venus and Uranus come together, we can expect the unexpected in the areas of love or finance. Now, because Venus and Uranus are both in earth signs at the moment, Venus is in Virgo, Uranus is in Taurus, this gives me a little bit of an idea that money should be impacted a little bit more than relationships this time around with this aspect, but a trine is a flowing aspect. And this could tell us that, Venus coming together with Uranus can be some unexpected windfall coming your way or an appreciation in value of something that you own. This also suggests to me that while Venus in Virgo likes to have its rituals, when it comes together with Uranus, we’re reminded not to be too dogmatic about that, to keep our options open, to leave a little bit of room in each day to welcome the unexpected.
Sun enters Libra/Equinox (Sep. 22, 2022, 6:04 pm PDT)
The Sun enters Libra on September 22nd at 6:04 PM Pacific Time. This is the Equinox – in the Northern Hemisphere, the Autumnal Equinox, and in the Southern Hemisphere, the Vernal Equinox. The Equinoxes are the two days out of the year when night and day are equal in length. This is so appropriate for the Sun being in Libra, isn’t it, because it’s a sign that favors balance, all things being equal. This is one of the four Cardinal Ingresses of the year that mark the changing of the seasons. In the Northern Hemisphere, this is Fall, then we’ll have the Winter Solstice that comes at the end of December, the Aries Equinox at around March 21st and then in June, around June 21st, the Cancer Solstice. So, these are the moments of the year when the great wheel of the seasons turns.
Now, the Cardinal signs are all action oriented, they are initiating signs. What do we initiate at the Libra Equinox? It is during the late harvest time, and this is when we would be taking our crops to market and that’s when we find out if what we have produced is of value to others. So Libra is very much the sign of the marketplace. We call it a sign of relationship, and that is true. And one element of relationships, is, it exposes to us how much we value ourselves, because that’s what we will demand in our relationships with others. But generally speaking, this is a time of year to take the things that you’ve been perfecting during the Virgo season and take them to market to share your ideas and talents with others. If there was a service or a product that you want to offer to the world, this is a wonderful season for doing that, and be sure to listen to the feedback that you receive, because Libra is not a closed loop, Libra is the dynamic of one person sharing and the other person giving feedback.
So, Libra is ruled by Venus and Venus is still in Virgo. So, this is a Sun in Libra season which very much has the flavor still of Virgo, which is a reminder not to get too caught up in the fantasy of perfection. I was listening today to a podcast called “The School of Podcasting”, it’s by Dave Jackson. And he was talking about exactly this, that when somebody is in this case making a podcast, but you can apply it to anything that you do that you want to do well, you can’t get too caught up in the idea of perfection. If you strive for perfection, however, if you don’t make it, you’ll still land on “very good.” So, that is probably our motto for this Sun in Libra season, not to expect to do everything perfectly, but for it to be perfectly good.
Mercury inferior conjunction (Sep. 22, 2022, 11:50 pm PDT)
On September 22nd, Mercury makes its inferior conjunction with the Sun at 11:50 PM Pacific Time, at 0°14’ Libra, on the Sabian symbol, one Libra, “A Butterfly Made Perfect…”, there’s that word again, “by a Dart Through It.” So, this is really significant. I think this conjunction on this ingress point, it gives it a lot of power. And to me, it speaks of the importance of preserving our values, our mores, our ideals, because those are things of deep interest to Libra, and that’s where the conjunction is taking place. The “Butterfly Made Perfect by a Dart Through It” is like a collection of butterflies that are pinned to a backing and then framed. So, it’s holding some idea of perfection static in time.
The Sun in a conjunction to Mercury’s kind of interesting. At the moment of the exact conjunction, Mercury is in the condition we call cazimi, that means it’s exceptionally powerful, that there is deep clarity in the matters ruled by the planet, in this case, Mercury. Clarity has been in short supply lately with Mercury turning retrograde or being retrograde. And this is a moment on September 22nd, around 11:50 PM, where we can see clearly. Up to that point, any conjunction of the Sun with Mercury can be a little bit rough for objectivity because Mercury being so close to the Sun will tend to see things the way our ego wants to see them, instead of with that objectivity that we can often get with Mercury.
Mercury enters Virgo (Sep. 23, 2022, 5:04 am PDT)
The next day, on September 23rd at 5:04 AM Pacific Time, Mercury enters Virgo, and it’s been there recently because it’s retrograde, so it is still retrograding and it is re-entering Virgo. It was last in this neighborhood of Virgo around August 21st to the 26th. It’ll still be retrograde through October 2nd, then it turns direct, and we’ll reenter Libra on October 10th. But, we’re just getting this little review period while Mercury is revisiting Virgo. And Virgo, we can think of as the quality control sign. So, Mercury is dipping in there and saying, “Okay, I took my stuff to market during this brief time that it’s been in Libra and maybe all the feedback I got was not the best. So, what do I need to do to trace my steps and address those concerns so that I can then move forward in a stronger position?” So, I think that is really what we’re looking at this week as Mercury is re-entering Virgo.
Venus opposed Neptune (Sep. 24, 2022, 1:51 am PDT)
Venus makes an opposition to Neptune on September 24th at 1:51 AM Pacific Time, at 23°49’ Virgo and Pisces. The Sabian symbol for Venus at this opposition is 24 Virgo, Mary and her white lamb, and the Sabian symbol for Neptune is 24 Pisces, An Inhabited Island. What comes to mind for this opposition is Venus is saying, “I love this, but you, Neptune, are showing me that there is more.” Venus describes our individual pleasures, the things that we own and feel attached to. In the Sabian symbol, it would be Mary’s little white lamb – that she presumably loves – versus the things that we share. The “Inhabited Island” degree, 24 Pisces, was the degree of the Jupiter-Neptune conjunction back in April. And I remember talking about it at that time and saying, it reminds us that we all live together on an island that we call earth.
So, this opposition reminds us to share, that there are things that we love, that we might be a little possessive of, but I think Neptune is showing us “Look, unless we’re able to share and collaborate, we don’t have much hope of living our very best life.”
Libra New Moon (Sep. 25, 2022, 2:54 pm PDT)
And now for The Moon Report for the week of September 19th. It begins with the Libra New Moon on September 25th at 2:54 PM Pacific Time, at 2°48’ Libra. It’s on a tremendously exciting Sabian symbol, Libra 3, The dawn of a new day, everything changed. Well, change is a bit of a tricky proposition. Isn’t it? Because, there is change that we welcome and change that we dread. The Sun and Moon are opposed Jupiter at this New Moon, and, it’s an opposition, which is traditionally considered a hard aspect, but I think any planets that are connecting with Jupiter in any way are pretty fortunate. So, I’m inclined to think that the change that we are seeing at this Libra New Moon is uplifting, it’s for the best, it is the light shining upon us. The Sun and Moon are also trine Pluto. Pluto again, is that symbol of deep transformation and change.
Recently, of course, we’ve seen the passing of Queen Elizabeth. What a massive change for the people of the United Kingdom. They’ve had the same leader, the same figurehead for 70 years. This is a profound change, and that’s just one example. I’m sure that we will see evidence of this everywhere, all over the world at this Libra New Moon so close to the ingress point. And it’s a new era, really, of trying to bring excesses into balance to try to meet others halfway.
Now, this is the beginning of a 28-and-a-half day cycle, and it’s often a ritual for people at the New Moon to set their intentions to say, “This is what I want to plant now that I hope will bear fruit in the next month.” This is a New Moon cycle that culminates on October 9th at the Full Moon at 16° of Aries, that’s when we’ll begin to see evidence of what we are planting now.
But as I spoke about with my friend Celeste Brooks during the Podathon, I think it was on Episode 141, and we talked about the Lunar Phase Family Cycle that we both really enjoy using. And, every New Moon also initiates a 27-month cycle. The critical points in this New Lunar Phase Family Cycle occur at June 26th, 2023, at the First Quarter Moon, at 4°29’ Libra; the Full Moon on March 25th, 2024, and the Third Quarter Moon on December 20th, 2024. So we stand now at the precipice of this new extended lunar cycle. And keep that in mind, as you are forming your intentions for Libra matters such as relationships, whether you’re trying to find a new relationship, restore harmony to an existing relationship, the question at this New Moon is “What will make me whole? What will make me complete?”
And with this New Moon, opposed Jupiter, maybe the through line over the next 27 months is going to be something like this, “What do I need to reach out for to expand my horizons, to push the envelope of what I think is possible for me? And, how can I choose relationships or nurture in my existing relationships, the spirit of adventure of being willing to try something new?” It’s the Dawn of a new day, and everything has changed.
Void-of-Course Moon periods
Let’s take a look at the void-of-course Moon periods for this week. The Moon’s void-of-course periods are moments for standing back from our usual experience of the work a day world, to the extent that we’re able and take ourselves out of our usual frame of mind and our usual habits and routines and rethink them and see how we can move forward in possibly a new way.
On September 20th, the Moon in Cancer makes a sextile aspect to the Sun at 8:57 AM Pacific Time, it’s then void-of-course for close to five hours before it enters Leo at 1:38 PM. This is a little bit of a break for the Moon in Cancer, because for the longest time, whenever the Moon has been going through the sign, it ends up on an opposition to Pluto in Capricorn, but gets a little bit lucky this time and gets the sextile to the Sun, which is at the end of Virgo.
So, what can we do with a void-of-course Moon that is sextile Sun? These two together always make me think of the connections that we make with other people. Are there people around you, particularly people you work with because the Sun is in Virgo, that you might like to nurture a little closer relationship with? There should be opportunities and invitations that come your way today around this Sun-Moon sextile, so keep an eye out for them. This is also an outstanding aspect for initiating any changes that could benefit your health, especially related to diet. The Moon in Cancer is a symbol of what we eat, what nourishes us, and the Sun in Virgo about the habits that we keep and the routines that will support us in our health.
On September 22nd, the Moon in Leo opposes Saturn at 4:07 AM Pacific Time. Now, this is a sort of extraordinary void-of-course period, because it lasts almost 21 hours before the Moon enters Virgo on September 23rd at 12:53 AM Pacific Time. So, a very long void-of-course period, on a rather difficult aspect, to be honest, the Moon in Leo opposed Saturn. We’ve spoken about this one before, and I think the opportunity of this void-of-course Moon is, to feel confident and self-sufficient about who we are and what we have to offer. When the Moon in Leo reaches out with some kind of gesture of creativity or open-heartedness, when it’s opposed Saturn, it can get a cool reception, and because I like to think of the planets as being on our side, I like to interpret this one as Saturn teaching us that we don’t need other people to approve of us in order for us to approve of ourselves and develop all of the talents and qualities that we possess. So, on this day, if you find yourself being told “No”, or being ignored, when you’re trying to reach out, just imagine it as Saturn saying, “No, you don’t need approval from anybody else. Feel good and proud about who you are.”
On September 25th, the Moon in Virgo makes a conjunction with Mercury at 5:49 AM Pacific Time, it’s void-of-course for about four hours before it enters Libra at 9:43 AM. I always like connections between the Moon and Mercury, and it’s probably because I have the Moon in Gemini, which is ruled by Mercury. But what I like about this combination is it gives us an opportunity to stand back and understand on a rational level what’s going on inside us in an unconscious way, which is symbolized by the Moon. So, when you have the unconscious and then the rational mind represented by Mercury, working together, it’s such a great moment for introspection and for understanding, and not only of ourselves, but also of others who we might feel an emotional connection with, but not completely understand on a rational level. So, it’s an interesting period of time here. And it’s a good time again, for understanding with our minds what’s going on inside us. And that is the first step to making real changes.
Venus trine Pluto (Sep. 25, 2022, 10:46 pm PDT)
On September 25th, Venus makes a trine aspect to Pluto at 10:46 PM Pacific Time, at 26°9’ Virgo and Capricorn. These are the same degrees as the Sun-Pluto trine last week. And, in the Sabian symbol for Venus, 27 Virgo, we see those Grand Dames at Tea. These are very proper ladies. The Sabian symbol for 27 Capricorn is A Mountain Pilgrimage, so, Venus being at this very refined degree suggests to me that if we have been doing things in the proper way, which Venus in Virgo likes to do, and if we’ve been doing things in the way that feels true to who we are, which is also a characteristic of Venus in Virgo, then, as Venus is trine Pluto this week, we may find ourselves either socially or financially rewarded. That Sabian symbol for 27 Capricorn, A Mountain Pilgrimage and Pluto being there, says there’s the chance of being exalted moved along on your journey. And Venus in Virgo connecting, but that says, if you are observing the social graces during what is a very social week with the Libra Equinox, the New Moon in Libra, many aspects involving Venus, things have changed, but not everything has changed. Treating others with courtesy, showing good manners, these are qualities that endure and will be rewarded, I think, this week.
From a financial point of view, because these are both in earth signs and suggest something financially as well, to the extent that you’ve been prudent with your resources, this week, you can find that rewarded, if only that then you have enough to make an investment in something that should be very helpful for you and very valuable down the road.
Listener Question
This week’s listener question comes from listener Ann via Speak Pipe. “Hi, April. I’m just wondering if you could elaborate on the anaretic degree point of 29° in a person’s chart. I have this degree point in Jupiter and Capricorn, it’s in my 3rd House, and it’s also retrograde. I would love it if you could explain that a little bit more for me or anyone else that might have a similar aspect and help us understand what that might mean? Thank you.”
Thank you for that question, Ann. So, when a planet in your birth chart is sitting at 29° of a sign, in other words, at the very last degree of the sign, I find that there is almost an unconscious feeling of needing to finish something up. Because symbolically, this planet is coming to the finish line and it feels like this is gonna be your very last chance to do whatever it is this planet wants to do. In a birth chart, I find that a planet at 29° puts a lot of pressure on us to complete and to achieve something in the area of life that’s ruled by that planet. We can also be kind of impatient, it has a Cardinal kind of feeling, like a Cardinal sign, regardless of what sign it’s actually in – but you did mention that your Jupiter is in Capricorn. But, a planet at 29° often wants to jump in with both feet and very quickly, because we’re feeling that we’ve got to make a decision, we’ve got to get going, we’ve got to get something done. It is a crisis-oriented position for a planet that 29°. And where you see this very clearly is in somebody’s Secondary Progressed Chart or in transits. Wait until we see Pluto sitting at 29° of Capricorn for months at a time, which is going to be coming up very soon.
So, when a planet in your chart is at 29°, it’s like an exclamation mark at the end of the planet. If you are inclined to believe in past lives. for instance, we might think that you come into this lifetime if you have a 29° planet with a completely well-developed idea of what that planet means and what you are in relation to it. But there’s also this sense that you’re getting ready to shift to the next thing. And there is that sense of finishing up throughout your whole lifetime. It’s like if you have Venus at 29° in your chart, it would be this feeling your whole life as if you’ve got to get relationships right, or something about money or your values and what you’re worth. If you are an evolutionary astrologer, you’d be inclined to think that that has to do with the past lives and that you’re really trying to get this planet right in this lifetime.
In this particular case, Ann, for you, it’s the 29th degree accentuates this Jupiter that’s already pretty accentuated in that it is in the sign of its fall, which means it’s having to work harder to express itself, and its retrograde, which gives it this inward facing symbolism, and then it’s at 29°, and it feels this enormous pressure of needing to finish something up. And I would say that if we are inclined to think in terms of a lifetime assignment with this, we might say, you are really learning how to move outside your comfort zone. Capricorn will talk about the situations or the style in which you’ll be tasked with doing this. So this might be taking a chance in establishing your own business, it can have something to do with building a family as well, because Capricorn is a parental sign, and it could also have something to do with your position in society, especially as a figure of teaching of knowledge or of justice, which is also related to Jupiter.
In your Progressed Chart, it can be really interesting to find the year when the natal 29° planet progresses into 0° of the next sign. It won’t happen with every progress planet, but when it does, it’s a really significant shift. And the difference between being 29° Capricorn and 0° Aquarius, night and day. So, it might be interesting for you to look into that, Ann.
For anybody else, it’s the same thing. If you have any kind of planet in your Progressed Chart, say the Progressed Sun at 29°, which will happen about every 30 years or so, then you have this whole year of feeling this sense of suspense that you’re getting ready to be reborn in some other form, and then you can see, see in the next year how that begins to play out.
Ann, I hope that’s helpful for you! It was a really good question, a really interesting one, and I think that others are going to find really useful.
If you have a burning question about astrology that you’d like me to answer, leave a voicemail of one minute or less as Ann did, at speakpipe.com/bigskyastrologypodcast. Or you can just send an email to me, April(at)bigskyastrology(dot)com and be sure to put “Podcast Question” in the subject line.
Donor thanks
Well, my friend, that’s everything I have on my show sheet, so I’m going to wrap this one up. Thanks so much for listening to The Big Sky Astrology Podcast. If you like what you’re hearing, please be sure to subscribe or follow the show in your app of choice. Ratings and reviews are welcome, and I would love it if you’d help spread the word by telling an astrology loving friend about the show. You can read show notes in full transcripts and leave your comments about each episode at bigskyastropod.com.
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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!
© 2022 April Elliott Kent
