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TRANSCRIPT Ep. 155 | Pisces First Quarter Moon: One Step at a Time!

TRANSCRIPT EPISODE 155 | Pisces First Quarter Moon: One Step at a Time!

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April: Hello, invisible friend, April here – And the date today is November 28th, 2022. Welcome to Episode 155 of The Big Sky Astrology Podcast. This week, Mars revisits a past trine to Saturn and a choice. Mercury opposes Mars and sextile Saturn, the First Quarter Moon shows tension between wanting to forge ahead, but being restrained by a lack of experience. Venus aspects Mars, Saturn and Neptune, and Neptune stations direct. Plus, I answer a listener question about what is the right place to use for calculating your Solar Return Chart.

Pisces First Quarter Moon (Nov. 30, 6:36 am PST)

Let’s begin with the Moon Report for the week of November 28, and a First Quarter Moon in Pisces on November 30 at 6:36 AM Pacific Time at 8°21’ Pisces and Sagittarius.

Now, whenever I travel, I always feel a little bit as though I’m under siege. I mean, I really love to travel. I actually love to see new things and get a change of scenery, but whenever I’m traveling, I’m living in a constant fear of losing things or leaving them behind. I’m always moving too fast and I’m in unfamiliar surroundings, and this makes me feel like I’d lose my head if it wasn’t fastened on.

Now, the Sun is in its Sagittarius season and that’s a time that’s suited to taking leaps of faith and exploring new opportunities and new places. Sagittarius is the wanderer, the traveler. And, as the moon moves into its First Quarter in Pisces, having too many moving parts, you know, too many things changing at once can really kind of knock us off our pins. The Sabian symbol for this Quarter Moon is A jockey, and it symbolizes the urge to move ahead swiftly and with confidence. But the Sun is on 9° Sagittarius, A mother and her child on the stairs, and I get the vision of a mother carefully instructing her child on how to climb one step at a time without getting hurt.

So, this First Quarter Moon is giving us the urge to move ahead instinctively, to take a step forward. This is the action time of the Lunar Cycle. But, this particular First Quarter comes with a little bit of a warning to err on the side of caution and to not do what can’t be undone.

This First Quarter Moon is the first action point in the Lunar Phase Family that began with the March 2, 2022 New Moon in Pisces. So, anything that you might have been conceptualizing then, thinking about doing, envisioning, now that we’ve gotten three quarters of the year under our belt, it’s time to take an action, take some decisive step towards that very Piscean dream that was conceived at that particular New Moon.

Void-of-Course Moon periods

Let’s look at the Void-of-Course Moon periods for this week. On November 28, the Moon in Aquarius makes a conjunction with Saturn at 10:53 PM Pacific Time, and then it’s void-of-course for an exceptionally long 17 hours before it enters Pisces on November 29 at 4:15 PM. Now, there is an old saying that “We have to know the rules before we can break them.” This long Void-of-Course Moon period features the Moon in Aquarius, and that’s a very contradictory sign. Its modern ruler is Uranus, which is a very revolutionary, rule-breaking planet, but the traditional planetary ruler of Aquarius is Saturn, and this is the last contact before the Moon goes void-of-course. So, I think we’re leaning a little bit more during the 17-hour period on the Saturn part of Aquarius. What is it that we’re building for the future? And, how might we have to learn more discipline or gain more strength in order to make that happen?

On December 1, the Moon in Pisces makes a conjunction with Jupiter at 6:44 PM Pacific Time, it’s void-of-course for just about two hours before it enters Aries at 8:41 PM. And, what a pleasant void-of-course period. It’s a little short, but Jupiter-ruled Moon in Pisces coming together with Jupiter all on a Thursday, Jupiter’s day, and the first part of it is even during Jupiter’s hour, it’s just Jupiter coming out our ears. There is no better moment to count our blessings. I was a bit embarrassed recently to realize just how much generosity and support has come my way throughout my life, when I’m always fixated on Saturn and what’s been difficult. We can always choose to find the silver lining in the darkest cloud, and this is a Void-of-Course period that’s just right for contemplating that.

Finally, on December 3, the Moon in Aries makes a square aspect to Pluto at 9:46 PM Pacific Time. It’s void-of-course for just under six hours before it enters Taurus on December 4th at 3:38 AM. You’ll get a chance to practice counting your blessings, which was the lesson of that previous Void-of-Course Moon period during this particular void period. The Moon in Aries make its square with Pluto before settling in for the six-hour void period. Be on the lookout, as always with an aspect like this, for feelings of frustration and guilt and shame, take a moment to acknowledge those feelings. And then ask this question. It’s something I heard on a podcast and I’m sorry to say, I remember neither the podcast nor the person who said it, but it has really helped me a lot in recent months. When you find yourself thinking back on your past behaviors and maybe wincing a little bit at what you did wrong or what you didn’t do right, ask yourself, “What was I trying to learn from that?” Showing a little compassion for ourselves can help us show more compassion for others as well.

Mars trine Saturn (Nov. 28, 9:56 am PST)

On November 28 at 9:56 AM Pacific Time, Mars makes a trine aspect to Saturn. Now that Mars is retrograde in Gemini, it’s revisiting aspects that it’s made previously. Mars previously made a trine to Saturn on September 27, and then it will make a third aspect in this series on March 30th, 2023, just after Mars has slipped into Cancer. Mars is at 19°42’ Gemini on the Sabian symbol 20 Gemini, A cafeteria, that symbolizes an embarrassment of choices. So, to some extent, this is about revisiting a past choice or decision, maybe.

Now, Saturn is at 19°42’ Aquarius on the Sabian symbol 20 Aquarius, A big white dove, a message bearer. And the trine from Mars to Saturn on this symbol of conviction, gives a chance to finish up something we started in late September so that we can give our all to something new in March.

Mercury opposed Mars (Nov. 29, 12:30 pm PST), sextile Saturn (8:18 pm PST)

On November 29, Mercury makes two aspects, an opposition to Mars and a sextile to Saturn. Mercury is on the Sabian symbol, 20 Sagittarius, Men cutting through ice. And while Mercury is not usually considered to be at its very best in Sagittarius because it’s in the sign of its detriment, it does have a quality of, “I know what I know” that can be kind of helpful just now.

Mercury opposes Mars at 12:30 PM at 19°18’  Sagittarius and Gemini, and Mars is still on that “cafeteria” Sabian symbol. We’re trying to choose from among various options to find just one that we can really get behind. Mercury here is helping us cut through the ice, cut to the chase and choose something.

Then, at 8:18 PM, Mercury is sextile Saturn. And the choice that became evident to us as Mercury was opposed Mars is now seen as a choice that’s a starting point, a starting point to take some constructive action, and that’s how we need to look at it. We will fine tune all of this in March when Mars is direct and makes its final trine to Saturn. Mercury here is the connector that is kind of facilitating a conversation here between Mars and Saturn and moving us in the direction of a choice that is really going to lead to something productive.

Venus opposed Mars (Nov. 30, 9:28 pm PST)

On November 30, Venus opposes Mars at09:28 PM Pacific Time, at 18°47’ Sagittarius and Gemini. This is a midpoint in the Venus-Mars cycle that began back on March 5th, 2022 with the conjunction at 0°1’ Aquarius. Venus-Mars cycles are connected of course to relationship dynamics, and the opposition aspect is inherently one that is about relating. So, what we’ll be seeing this week as we get the opposition is, “What are we seeing about important others in our lives that we might not have noticed before?” And since Mars is still retrograde, this could be a time of reviewing past relationships or past moments in current relationships for clues as to how those moments, those relationships are impacting current ones.

Now, Venus is also related to money matters, and Mars is related to work. So, this could be a time of examining the role of money in your life. Venus in the sign of Sagittarius tends to value freedom over money or it values money mostly to the extent that it provides freedom. Mars in Gemini, as its retrograde, is looking to past work situations or skills that were learned sometimes years ago and bringing them into the present to make our current work more interesting and fulfilling and potentially more lucrative as well.

December 1: Mercury square Neptune (5:08 pm PST), Venus sextile Saturn (7:09 pm PST)

On December 1, Mercury squares Neptune at 5:08 PM Pacific Time and Venus makes a sextile to Saturn at 7:09 PM. Mercury, whenever it’s in aspect to Neptune but especially hard aspect, it’s about struggling to determine what is true. And with Mercury being in Sagittarius, it also gives the impulse to speak out. Often when Mercury is connecting with Neptune, there is a tendency not to speak our minds or to not ask questions because we’re afraid we really might not like the answer. But this is not the case when Mercury is in Sagittarius because it is a very frank sign. And, as it’s in a contentious aspect to Neptune, it really is about the moment when we say, “Hmm, no, something doesn’t add up here and I’m going to speak out about it.”

Venus makes a sextile to Saturn, and sextiles always bring an opportunity or a message or an invitation. And here, that invitation is about making something pleasurable into something that lasts. A sextile does not compel us, it just gives the opportunity, perhaps brings a person into our orb that is really interesting and we think, “If I made a little bit of an effort, maybe I could get to know this person.” And, it could be a consequential kind of relationship, whether it’s personal or whether it’s related to business, it can be something that could really be important and could really last. So, a sextile again doesn’t really compel us, so we can let the moment pass and not take advantage of it, nothing terrible happens. But, be on the lookout this week for these kinds of opportunities because they don’t come by every day.

December 3: Neptune turns direct (4:15 pm PST), Venus square Neptune (11:12 pm PST)

Then, on December 3, there are two Neptune-related transits. Neptune turns direct at 4:15 PM Pacific Time, at 22°38’ Pisces, and Venus squares Neptune at 11:12 PM. So, Neptune’s been retrograde since June 27 and it is turning direct on this very intriguing Sabian symbol, 23 Pisces, A materializing medium. I always think that the slower moving planets, when they’re retrograde, tend to be experienced as almost acting in a way opposite their usual mode. So, Neptune can ordinarily, when it’s direct, be the planet that puts us in touch with the higher spiritual and artistic expression of things, but also because it impels us to want to look for beauty and to want to look for the best in other people and in situations, it can mean that we have rose colored glasses and we’re not always making decisions based on reality. That has its pluses and its minuses.

When Neptune’s retrograde, I think we’re a little more tuned in on an internal level to what’s going on and get strong intuitions about people or situations that we may pay more attention to. But now as Neptune turns direct again, it’s time to put those rose-colored glasses back on and see people and opportunities in the sweetest possible light.

On the same day, Venus squares Neptune. And under this kind of transit, we’re often disillusioned about relationships or financial matters or some combination of the two. Someone might prove to be different or less than we thought. Money or big purchases don’t necessarily bring the satisfaction that we expected them to. So, it’s a big Neptune day. I would mark this one on your calendar and watch for messages, small or large about this kind of disconnect between what you thought something would be and what it’s ended up being.

This is a final action point in the Venus-Neptune cycle that began with their conjunction on April 27, then they made an opening square to each other on July 13 and a opposition on September 24. At the opposition, we saw what was going on very clearly, and the last square in the sequence is about making adjustments, fine tuning, changing the ways that you’re acting based on what you’ve learned in the cycle up to now.

Listener Question: What location to use for a Solar Return chart?

In this week’s listener question, listener Dena writes, “I’ve got a question about Solar Returns. I’ve heard that if you’re in a different location on your birthday that the Solar Return is based on that location rather than the place where you currently live. Which do you prefer?”

That’s a really good question, Dena, and I get it a lot. And we can add one more option too, which is that, some astrologers prefer to calculate the solar return based on your birthplace.

Now, philosophically I could make an argument for any one of these options. The Sun returning to its Natal position, at the place of your birth, makes sense in that this would follow the Sun’s natural cycle of 365.25 days, and there is something very poetic about the idea that each year, the Sun returning to that spot, just like the swallows returning to Capistrano, has this kind of symbolic resonance.

Now, the Sun returning to the place where you spend your birthday, in other words, coming back to the exact degree, sign and minutes and seconds that it was at your birth, where you spend your birthday, does make some sense, because that’s where you are experiencing this very powerful moment in the solar cycle. Here, it would be important to remember that the moment the Sun returns can occur within a couple days either side of your birthday. So, you would need to calculate in advance to know exactly where you would be at the moment of the Return, or of course, calculate after the fact when you know where you were.

Some people like to use this method because they feel it’s a way of kind of outwitting what looks like a difficult Solar Return chart by getting a different wheel in a new place. Because, you can’t outwit the planetary sign placements or aspects, they’re going to be what they’re going to be regardless of where you are. But you can certainly put the planets in different houses, and I know there are people who swear by this method.

And then finally, the Sun returning to the place where you currently live and spend most of your time during the year, makes a lot of sense for the same reason a relocation chart makes sense. The idea is that we are influenced and impacted by the place where we live and it serves as an important reference point.

Now, I have looked at all three Solar Return charts for key years in my own life, and I have come down firmly on using the place where you currently live to calculate your Solar Return Chart. That was always the chart among the three that really best describe that year for me. The runner-up was the chart for the place where I was born, but although a lot of the same themes would come up, the birth location chart was a lot more subtle, kind of oblique. Whereas, the Solar Return chart cast for the place where I live kind of shouted the important issues. The chart calculated for the place where I spent my birthday, on those occasions that was different from either of those, really didn’t reflect my experience of the Solar Return year at all, but it did seem to describe the actual birthday pretty well.

So, that’s been my experience. And as always, I encourage you, Dena, and everybody listening to play with this yourself, especially if you can remember years when you spent your birthday far from your home or your place of birth, it can be really interesting to calculate your Solar Return chart for all three places and really see which ones seem to describe that year the best. I usually stop short of saying that, any one technique or any one approach in astrology is the one and only good one. You know, whether it’s which house system to use to calculate your chart or something like this, I believe we can get information from a chart cast in any house system or a Solar Return chart cast for any of these three locations, that they’re a little bit like a lens that we’d put on a camera and your preferred lens might be different from mine.

Well, I hope that helps, Dena.

And, if you, dear listener have a question that you’d like me to answer on a future episode, leave a voice message of one minute or less at speakpipe.com/bigskyastrologypodcast. Or, you can just email me April(at)bigskyastrology(dot)com and be sure to put “Podcast Question” in the subject line.

Donor Thanks

Well, that is everything I have 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. Ratings and reviews are welcome, and I would love it if you’d help spread the word by telling a friend about the podcast. You can read show notes and full transcripts and leave your comments about each episode at bigskyastropod.com.

Thank you very much to everyone who’s shown support for the podcast over the past year, including during the recent Podathon. Each week, I’m thanking some of you by name. This week, let’s give a Big Sky Astrology Podcast shout out to Karen Gibbons and Christina deRochemont!

April: Karen and Christina, thank you so much for listening to the podcast and for supporting the show with your donations.

If you enjoy the show and would like to make a donation and if you’d like to receive my bonus “Donors Only” episodes for the upcoming Capricorn Solstice Aries Equinox and Cancer Solstice, please, go to bigskyastropod.com and donate $10 or more.

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.

© 2022 April Elliott Kent.  For publication only on BigSkyAstrology.com

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