TRANSCRIPT EPISODE 149 | Sun enters Scorpio: Nothing Lasts Forever (10.17.22)
Listen and read the show notes hereHello, invisible friend, April here – And the date today is October 17th, 2022. Welcome to Episode 149 of The Big Sky Astrology Podcast. This week, a very busy Sun and Venus trine Mars, square Pluto, come together in a conjunction, and enter Scorpio. Mercury aspects Saturn just as it stations to turn direct, a high-tension Last Quarter Moon in Cancer, and I answer a listener question about what Pluto entering Aquarius next year might mean for individuals.
Cancer Last Quarter Moon (Oct. 17, 2022, 10:15 am PDT)
The week begins with the Moon Report for the week of October 17, and a Last Quarter Moon at 24°18’ Cancer on October 17th at 10:15 AM Pacific Time. The chart for this Last Quarter Moon features a T-Square of the Moon in Cancer opposed Pluto in Capricorn, and both of them square the Sun at 24° Libra. That is a lot of tension involving planets in the cardinal signs. The cardinal signs, of course, are the ones that like to initiate things, get things moving and take action. And when we have the Sun and the Moon both tangling with Pluto, it means all three of them are trying to take the lead. The Moon is trying to lead with our instincts, with our heart, the Sun is trying to lead with sheer force of will and personality, and Pluto is trying to lead by breaking down the hubris of the Sun and taking away what the Moon needs to make it feel secure so that we can find out exactly how strong we are and what we’re made of. So, it all can be very helpful work, but there’s no question that the tension will tend to build, and from time to time this week, we might feel as if we need an escape route.
We have a couple of them. One of the escape routes is through the sign of Aries, because it’s the only one of the four cardinal signs that’s not caught up in this configuration. So, it could be a good time this week to perhaps take action based on what was revealed, the reflections and insights of the Aries Full Moon on October 9th. At this Last Quarter might be a good time to act on the insights that we had at that time and to move forward in some hopeful, pioneering new direction. The other bright spot in this chart is that the Sun and Venus together are making beautiful aspects with Mars and Saturn, and I’ll talk more about that later in the episode.
This is the final critical moment in a Lunar Phase Gestation Cycle that began back on July 20th, 2020 at a New Moon at 28°26’ Cancer. Look back at what you were planning at that time, especially in the Cancer spheres of your life, and this could have been things related to where you live or something about your family, something about the place that you call home. Of course, at the New Moon itself, we don’t tend to have a very clear picture of how things are going to work out in the long run because the New Moon is a dark time of the lunar cycle. But, as this Lunar Gestation Cycle has unfolded with its First Quarter in April of 2021, its Full Moon in January of 2022, and now we have this Last Quarter Moon all near the same degree of Cancer. By now we are finally gaining some perspective, we have a better sense of what we set out to do in the summer of 2020 and what it’s going to take to get us to the finish line.
Void-of-Course Moon periods
Let’s look at the Void-of-Course Moon periods for this week. On October 17, the Moon in Cancer makes an opposition to Pluto at 1:56 PM Pacific Time, it’s then void-of-course for about eight hours before it enters Leo at 9:45 PM. The Moon in Cancer tends to be a time when we are a little more reserved, spending time in comfortable surroundings with people we know well. But as we come to the Moon’s opposition to Pluto, there might be this sense that no matter how much we try to protect ourselves, protect our feelings, that there is no way we can do that completely.
Pluto in Capricorn is that stern voice that is somewhat cold and indifferent and doesn’t really care about us too much personally. And the Moon in Cancer, of course, is very sensitive and very vulnerable and needs to feel safe. So, it is a moment where we get to reflect on how we can make ourselves stronger and truly protected and think, there has got to be a way to keep ourselves safe without completely fortifying our Cancerian shell to such a degree that we really can’t interact emotionally with anybody.
On October 20, the Moon in Leo makes a sextile aspect to the Sun in Libra at 3:35 AM Pacific Time, it’s then void-of-course for about six hours before it enters Virgo at 9:25 AM. The Moon in Leo is generally been a period of the month where what we need is a sense of being appreciated and noticed, of having some fun. And as it makes a sextile to the Sun in Libra, we’re met with an opportunity or an invitation or an offer to collaborate with another, to get these particular needs met that we might be able to get the recognition that we crave through working with somebody else. And also, that life can be a lot more fun when we spend it with the right person.
On October 22, the Moon in Virgo makes a trine aspect to Pluto at 11:17 AM Pacific Time. It’s then void-of-course for almost seven hours, before it enters Libra on October 22nd at 6:24 PM. I see this Moon in Virgo as being a response to that kind of difficult Moon in Cancer that ended on the opposition to Pluto on October 17th. And, the Moon in Virgo tends to be a period of time every month when we are comforted and centered by catching up on our laundry or our housekeeping, making meal plans for the coming week, paying our bills, any of these things which are necessary and practical and can make us just feel very centered. And I think this is especially true as the Moon is trine Pluto, because it’s a way of saying “I can’t control everything in life, in fact, I can’t really control much, but I can control these small areas of my life.” And it can give us a sense of, if not control, at least a sense of efficacy that we are taking care of the things that we need to take care of – and that can really be a soothing emotionally.
Sun (Oct. 17, 2022, 3:05 pm PDT) and Venus (Oct. 18, 2022, 7:30 pm PDT) trine Mars
Now, the Sun and Venus are traveling close together this week and together they’re making a couple of important aspects before they come together in a conjunction with each other. On October 17 at 3:05 PM Pacific Time, the Sun makes a trine aspect to Mars at 24°30’ Libra and Gemini. And on the next day, Venus makes a trine to Mars at 7:20 PM. The Sun making a trine to Mars is really good news for it. The Sun in Libra struggles a little bit because Libra is not terribly decisive, and the Sun is a symbol of will, of how we put ourselves out there with intention to be who we need to be and to get done what we want to get done. So, the Mars emphasizes those Solar principles and I think really strengthens that Sun in Libra, so, it’s good news for the Sun.
As Venus trines Mars, it’s in a little more difficult position. It is strong because it’s in Libra, which is its own sign, and making a trine to Mars would normally be really nice. It’s not an unusual time to see new romances form or people become interested in each other or just generally speaking, a moment when the things that we value or the values that we hold are something that we’re able to move forward with, and that’s the Mars part.
What’s a little more difficult for Venus at this time is she’s very close to the Sun, and any planet that’s traveling very close to the Sun is hidden by the Sun. The Sun is so bright and Venus is so close to it, so during the day, you look up in the sky and you see the Sun, and of course you can’t see Venus because she’s drowned out by the Sun’s light. It might be a time when people are becoming interested in each other romantically, let’s say, but that for whatever reason they either can’t see it or they have to keep it hidden. An example might be, two people are interested in each other, but they work together at the same place and there is a rule against employees getting involved romantically. So, that’s just an example. But I think too, it could just be that we don’t see what’s right in front of our face, someone who might be an interesting prospect or we might not see the ways in which we are valued or appreciated.
Now, Mars being on the “Man Trimming Palms” symbol, that’s one that I always think of as being about trimming down, curating the possibilities. It falls in Gemini, which is always a sign that’s interested in a lot of different directions. So, if we are thinking in terms of relationships as we often do with Venus and Mars together, we might think this is a moment when someone is being willing to eliminate some other options in order to focus on just one important person. So, I think this is actually a really interesting and lovely moment for potential romance or relationship, but that it may not really come out and be clear until Venus gets a little more distance from the Sun.
Sun and Venus square Pluto (Oct. 19, 2022, 6:33 am and 11:02 pm PDT)
On October 19, the Sun makes a square aspect to Pluto at 6:33 AM Pacific Time, and Venus makes a square to Pluto at 11:02 PM. So, this comes just after those nice trines to Mars. And the Sun and Venus, neither of them is terribly friendly with Pluto. The Sun symbolizes how we feel important as an individual and the importance of us being here in this lifetime doing the work we came here to do. And Pluto tends to undermine that, because Pluto is a more collective symbol, and pretty much has the sense that individuals are not all that terribly important in and of themselves. And so, Pluto will tell us when we’re trying to exert our will that the things that you want to do on an individual level are simply not that important compared to the work that Pluto wants you to do for the world, for the collective, for something larger than yourself.
Now, this is a pretty quick aspect – the Sun squares Pluto on the 19th, let’s say between the 18th and the 20th – but nevertheless, it is a time when we have to fight back a little bit when Pluto starts whispering in our ears, “You’re not that important,” and we have to enable the Sun. And that’s what’s nice about the Sun having just made that aspect to Mars. It’s like it’s fueled up, it’s stopped by the Mars gas station and gotten some high-octane fuel to reinforce the sense of self, how precious it is to be our own individual selves. So, every time Pluto tries to whisper, “You’re not that important,” say back in a very decisive voice, “I am indeed important, and don’t try to tell me that I’m not.” And because the Sun is in Libra and because it’s traveling with Venus, and Venus is also making this square to Pluto, the Sun can point to Venus and say, “Pluto, I must be important because this person loves me, these people care about me, this one values what I do so much that they pay me a salary to do it.” There are all kinds of different ways in our lives in which we are told that we matter and we’re important and that’s what we need to really focus on during these days when the Sun and Venus are square Pluto.
It’s okay to examine the ways in which we’re not getting everything done perfectly the way we’d like to do it or the ways in which we’re being a little false to ourselves. Because Pluto will show us that, and tell us if we’ve drifted off course from our purpose and our intention and our values.
Sun conjoins Venus (Oct. 22, 2022, 2:17 pm PDT)
On October 22nd at 2:17 PM Pacific Time, the Sun comes together in its conjunction with Venus at 29° 26’ Libra. When the Sun and Venus are so close, as I say, Venus is in hiding. But think of it this way, think of it as being a superpower for Venus. This could be a time when, if there is something that you want, that you want to get for yourself, this could be the moment when it’s more effective to work through a stronger personality or somebody who is in a stronger position in order to get what you want. We don’t have to think of it as manipulative so much as to think Venus has this cycle where sometimes she’s visible and sometimes she’s not, sometimes we see her in the morning and sometimes we see her in the evening, and right now she’s in that liminal in between state and she’s not able to be quite so direct, we are not able to be quite so direct about what it is that we want.
It’s, I think, a brilliantly creative time. And again, we’re looking at a day either side of this exact aspect, so between say October 21st and the 23rd to think this can be an enormously creative moment, because the Sun is about how we want to make our unique self visible to the world, and Venus has that nice artistic sense. So, this is a good time to tap into, get in touch with that side of your nature.
Mercury trine Saturn (Oct. 22, 2022, 6:00 pm PDT)
There is an aspect between Mercury and Saturn on October 22nd at 6:00 PM, Mercury is trine Saturn just as it’s getting ready to turn direct. Mercury trine Saturn just says that we are in a position to focus on what’s important, to have important conversations, to take care of things that we’ve been needing to take care of on a practical day to day level, and Saturn will help us do that.
Saturn stations direct (Oct. 22, 2022, 9:07 pm PDT)
Now, Saturn, of course, is turning direct, and as I’ve said many times, when the bigger, slower moving planets like Saturn are changing direction, we become acutely aware of them and their symbolism.
Saturn has been retrograde since June 4th, so we’ve had a long summer of Saturn being retrograde. When Saturn is direct, there are much stronger voices from outside of us that are telling us what to do and the way we need to do it. When Saturn’s retrograde, we tend to look within for that kind of authority. So, it’s a healthy balance really, for about five months out of each year when Saturn’s retrograde, to check in with ourselves. There are times that we have to be willing to break with the rules and what the rest of the world is telling us to do. But now, Saturn is turning direct and there’s a strong message coming our way that says you’ve spent some time while Saturn is retrograde figuring out what you want the structures of your life to look like, and now is the time to begin to implement that. It doesn’t mean you just have to take your marching orders from somebody else, a boss or a parent or whatever, but it does mean that this is the time you have to acknowledge the realities of ambition, of career, of having a sense of purpose and a goal that you are trying to reach.
Venus and the Sun enter Scorpio (Oct. 23, 2022, 12:52 am and 3:36 am PDT)
Then, on October 23rd, Venus enters Scorpio at 12:52 AM Pacific Time, and the Sun follows and enters Scorpio at 3:36 AM. During the Sun’s Scorpio season, we celebrate the cycle of death and rebirth. This is the time when we let go of old experiences. Old losses become compost in which we grow new things. Venus in Scorpio, hiding in the rays of the Sun, symbolizes an appreciation of – even a love for – what’s dark, hidden, forbidden, or taboo. This is all leading up to a Solar Eclipse on October 25th at 2° Scorpio, and we’re just entering into that rich, shadowy, Scorpio period.
Now, just as the Sun and Venus are not super comfortable with Pluto, they’re not at their very strongest in Scorpio either. Venus is most at home, of course in the sign she rules, Taurus – which is the opposite of Scorpio – and in Libra. So we know that when she’s in Scorpio, she’s being asked to perform her duties in an alien territory. It’s not a light time for Venus or for the Sun, but there is something really beautiful about it, even sacred about it, of acknowledging that life itself cannot be as rich and as meaningful without that sense that it doesn’t last forever, without the awareness of our own mortality.
Listener Question: Pluto in Aquarius
In this week’s listener question, listener Rachel writes, “This week’s podcast got me wondering about Pluto’s upcoming back and forth swing into Aquarius. As an astrology hobbyist, I never thought much about Pluto until 2008. I’ve got my Natal Sun, Mercury, and Mars in Capricorn. So, it’s no exaggeration to say that the past 11 years in particular have felt like 30 to me. I’m taking Pluto very seriously now. I believe in transformative destruction as healthy for systems, but on a personal level, well, it hurts. There is a lot to be said about governments, politics, infrastructure and technology as Pluto swings between Capricorn and Aquarius, but what happens on a personal level when the slow-moving tiller runs through those of us with personal planets, aspecting over and over? I guess I’m hoping for relief. I am utterly changed, but also very tired.”
Well, Rachel, you are probably as qualified as I am by this point to talk about what happens to humans when Pluto rolls over us again and again. If you have a group of planets in the same sign, a major transit like Pluto really can put you through the wringer as it methodically, for years at a time, aspects each of those planets in turn.
So, yes, because Pluto moves so slowly and changes signs so rarely, and also because of the heavy Pluto influence the US chart has been going through this year, even astrologers like me who generally focus on the personal, have been paying a lot more attention to world affairs when we talk about Pluto.
But, what does it mean for us personally? And that’s a good question. Well, the general meeting of Pluto is about how we cope with helplessness and a lack of control, including mortality, the ultimate lack of control. But it is also about that feeling of being a cog in an enormous machine, because Pluto itself is quite impersonal. But it does affect us personally. Pluto times often test us by taking away the things or people or situations that we rely upon, forcing us to deal with the reality that we are not in control.
Pluto moving through Capricorn has broken down the established way of looking at Capricorn structures like major corporations, banks, societal structures, the government and even the family unit, so we look to our own birth charts to figure out what Pluto means for us personally. If Pluto is placed very close to one of the angles of the birth chart or is closely connected with planets, especially the Sun or the Moon, Pluto can hit you really hard. The one thing we know about Pluto’s effect in our birth chart is that it takes a long time to do its work. It moves at different speeds depending on what sign of the zodiac it’s in, but by the time it leaves Capricorn, it will have spent 15 and a half years in the sign, which is actually one of its shorter transits. In contrast, it will spend 19 and a half years in Aquarius. That’s a long time, but it’s nowhere near as long as it spent in Aries through Cancer.
Now, as you noted, Rachel, Pluto in Capricorn has been hard for people with many planets in Capricorn, but also with planets in the other cardinal signs of Aries, Cancer and Libra. It also brought the midlife Pluto square to Natal Pluto for the Pluto in Libra generation. These are the people born between about October, 1971 through November, 1983. And this square from transiting Pluto to Pluto in your birth chart is a significant milestone that we all reach in our late thirties or early forties. Now, as Pluto enters Aquarius, it’s going to be the time for the fixed signs to deal with Pluto, and that’s those with planets in Aquarius of course, but also planets in Taurus, Leo and Scorpio.
Those with Pluto in Leo born between October, 1937 and October, 1956 will eventually experience their Pluto opposition. And those with Pluto in Scorpio born between about November, 1983 and January, 1995 will be experiencing their Pluto square, their midlife square at some point while Pluto is in Aquarius.
These are major planetary milestones. They bring us to a more intimate understanding of mortality, of the finite quality of our time on earth and our relative helplessness in controlling what comes our way.
Generally, Pluto in Aquarius will break down the way we think of group affiliations, the way we live with technology and how we communicate with one another. We’ve been seeing a lot of it already through the COVID pandemic as Saturn has been moving through Aquarius in the ways that we’ve been isolated from one another and how that’s undermined our sense of being part of a society. I think, we can look to 2026 and 2027 as the Moon’s North Node is moving through Aquarius to see some really important turning points in these Aquarius shifts. Those with planets in Aquarius in our birth charts will feel these changes on a personal level, depending on the planet and its placement in our birth charts.
I think what I’ll do in 2023, as we’re getting closer to Pluto entering Aquarius for the first time in late March, I think I will probably spend a little time in each episode talking about Pluto in Aquarius in combination with the various planets and a birth chart.
In any event, Rachel, congratulations on making it through that long Pluto march through your chart. One good thing about Pluto is it is the epitome of the old saying: “That which doesn’t kill me, makes me stronger.”
If you have a burning question about astrology that you’d like me to answer on a future episode, please leave a voicemail of one minute or less at speakpipe.com/bigskyastrologypodcast or just send an email to me april@bigskyastrology.com and be sure to put “Podcast Question” in the subject line.
Donor Thanks
Well, that is everything on my show sheet, so I’m going to wrap this one up. Thank you for listening to The Big Sky Astrology Podcast. If you like what you’re hearing, be sure to subscribe or follow the show in your app of choice. You can read show notes and 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 by April Elliott Kent
