TRANSCRIPT EPISODE 156 | Gemini Full Moon and a Sunday Drive with Maude!
April: Hello, invisible friend, April here, and the date today is December 5, 2022. Welcome to Episode 156 of The Big Sky Astrology Podcast.
This week, an energetic Full Moon in Gemini is influenced by Mars, Mercury and Venus enter Capricorn, and the Void-of-Course Moon periods are brief and Jupiter oriented. Plus, I answer a listener question about how to prepare for transits to several planets that are close together in your chart. And, how close is close enough?
Mercury square Jupiter (Dec. 5, 2022, 11:05 pm PST)
On December 5 at 11:05 PM Pacific Time, just almost December 6, Mercury squares Jupiter at 29°3’ Sagittarius and Pisces. And then, later that day on December 6, at 2:08 PM Pacific Time, Mercury enters Capricorn. Mercury and Jupiter are on two really interesting Sabian symbols when you take them together. Mercury is on 30 Sagittarius, The Pope, and Jupiter is on 30 Pisces, The Great Stone Face.
The Pope is a symbol that is about living life as a symbol. This would be true also of a monarch or perhaps a very iconic musician like Elvis Presley, or a movie star. Whereas, this symbol, The great stone face, is more about becoming your own ideal of who you’d like to be. So, this week I think we’re feeling a little bit of tension between the image we present, the story that we tell about ourselves and what we are actually growing into on the inside, because they may have very little in common at this point, and we’re just trying to find a way to integrate the two.
Mercury enters Capricorn (Dec. 6, 2022, 2:08 pm PST)
Now, Mercury entering Capricorn reins in that fanciful storytelling element of Mercury in Sagittarius, the entertaining of many ideas. And what happens as Mercury goes into Capricorn is we begin to get focused in a single direction.
Mercury is going to be retrograde in Capricorn between December 29 and January 18, and it won’t enter Aquarius until about February 11. So, this is a good long Mercury in Capricorn period, and ultimately, I think it’s going to be really productive for building something. But I think by the time we finish building whatever it is, it’s probably going to look quite a bit different than we imagined when we started out.
Gemini Full Moon (Dec. 7, 2022, 8:08 pm PST)
And now, for the Moon Report for the week of December 5. It begins with the Gemini Full Moon on December 7 at 8:08 PM Pacific Time, at 16°01’ Gemini. We find ourselves halfway through the Solar Cycle that began on May 30, 2022 with the New Moon at 9° of Gemini. Now we’re six months on from the intentions that we set at that New Moon. Intentions for Gemini would have included something like learning or having more variety of experience, maybe traveling a little bit, improved relations with siblings or neighbors, people that you encounter on a day-to-day basis. Now, we’re halfway through that Solar Cycle, and with the Full Moon in this sign, everything is illuminated and it’s easier to see how we’re progressing along this path, how we are doing with those intentions and ideas that we set forth back at the end of May.
This is also the Full Moon of the Lunar Phase Family that began on June 10, 2021 at 19°47’ Gemini. The First Quarter Phase in this cycle was back in March, on March 10 of this year. We can look back pretty easily to six months ago and remember something of what we were doing, it could be as easy as going back to your appointment diary for that time. But I really love to work with this wider Lunar Phase Family Cycle as well, because there is so much more that continues on after the initial New Moon Cycle of 28 and a half days. There’s really not that much that we can actually accomplish on a large level in that short of a period of time. But I see each New Moon as the seed of something that is going to grow and we see the very first buds of that growth by the following New Moon. But I love these Lunar Phase Cycles because you can look out to almost two and a half years and see what has become of that little seed that was planted.
So, go back to June of 2021 and look at the area of your chart that has Gemini in it. I have a blog post about that with a little video. I will link to that in the show notes, because I know that’s difficult for some people to start to locate those kinds of things in their own charts. But, to look at the area of your chart that contains Gemini and think back to June of 2021 and think, what was happening? Was there a big transition or an important new beginning in this area of my life? And, how has that unfolded since then? Think of it as a story that was begun and then you had another critical point in March of this year, and now we’re at the halfway point and looking back and saying, Oh, we see the big picture much more clearly at the Full Moon, at the opposition.
Now this is, as I said, a Full Moon that is very closely connected with Mars. And Mars doesn’t always describe the smoothest path, especially with the Moon. Because the Moon symbolizes how we make ourselves feel comfortable, and Mars is not about being comfortable at all. It is about going after what we want and being very direct at taking chances, putting ourselves in a little bit of a perilous position sometimes. So, this isn’t an easy Full Moon.
Full Moons are often times when we see what’s going on between us and other people in our lives. It could be people we have close personal relationships with, it could be people that we are in business with, all kinds of people. And when Mars is present at that Full Moon, it says there’s conflict And it’s also an opportunity for helpful conflict. If we just go along continually not confronting any of the difficult feelings that we might have in relationship with other people, then, eventually it’s going to undermine the relationship and all come out at a time when it is much more dramatic than it ever needed to be. So, this is a Full Moon, I think, that’s really pointing out to us that we need to step outside our comfort zone and acknowledge conflicts that exist.
Now, the Sun and the Moon and Mars are all square Neptune also, or at least approaching squares to Neptune at this Full Moon. And, that brings another dimension into it where there is often with Neptune, I think that I talked about on the last episode, this feeling of being disillusioned with somebody close to us or with the situation that we’re in. And Mars is the element that’s come along and really pushed us to acknowledge what isn’t actually what we hoped that it was, to take off the rose color glasses and see what’s actually happening. And, as I think I’ve often probably said on this podcast, what’s good about difficult aspects to Neptune is it helps us see what’s really going on and who we’re really dealing with, so that we can make a commitment to what is really there, instead of what we were wishing was true.
Void-of-Course Moon periods
Let’s take a look at the Void-of-Course Moon periods for this week. They are all very short and they all begin with aspects to Jupiter. On December 6, the Moon in Taurus sextiles Jupiter at 11:02 AM Pacific Time, it’s then void-of-course for almost two hours before it enters Gemini at 12:49 PM. What we have here is a connection between the very sensible Moon in Taurus with Jupiter in Pisces. this is a very good void-of-course Moon period, be it very brief, for beginning to bring our big ideas down to earth and deciding exactly how we’re going to move forward with them. Jupiter in Pisces has lots of beautiful dreams and visions, but the Moon in Taurus is very good, it has a very instinctual feel, for how to bring those down and give form to them.
On December 8, the Moon in Gemini squares Jupiter at 10:13 PM Pacific Time, it’s then void-of-course for just about an hour and a half before it enters Cancer at 11:49 PM. This is a Void-of-Course Moon period that can show up as communication problems or technological snafus, because we’re talking about something in Gemini. So, the day leading up to the Void-of-Course Moon period, all day on December 8th, is a really good one for backing up the information on your devices, your phone, whatever, and otherwise taking the kinds of precautions that we usually advise when Mercury is retrograde.
On December 11, the Moon in Cancer trines Jupiter at 10:49 AM Pacific Time, again, void-of-course for just a little under an hour and a half, and then enters Leo at 12:09 PM Pacific Time. Now, this is a wonderful Void-of-Course Moon period. In the United States, this is falling on a lovely Sunday with the Moon strong in its own sign of Cancer, riding this beautiful aspect to Jupiter. Everything feels right with the world and it’s an especially nice day to spend time with family or puttering around in your home or your garden.
Sun opposed Mars (Dec. 7, 9:42 pm PST)
The Sun makes its exact opposition to Mars on December 7 at 9:42 PM Pacific Time, at 16°5’ minutes of Sagittarius and Gemini. The Sun is on the Sabian symbol, 17 Sagittarius, An Easter sunrise service, which is a symbol of rebirth. And Mars is again on 17 Gemini, that symbol of transformation from youth to maturity, The head of a robust youth changes into that of a mature thinker. This is a really important changing point in the Sun-Mars cycle that began back in October of 2021, when the Sun and Mars made their last conjunction, and they were both square Pluto at the time of that conjunction. And since then, big, hard changes have come our way, powerful conflicts that have compelled us to step into our own individuality and will and our own character. At the opposition, we can really see how much we’ve changed since that time and how much we’ve learned.
Venus square Jupiter (Dec. 9, 2022, 4:55 am PST) and enters Capricorn (7:54 pm PST)
On December 9, Venus squares Jupiter at 4:55 AM and then it will enter Capricorn at 7:54 PM. Venus square Jupiter is I think, an indication that something that gives us pleasure and comfort in the moment can sometimes prevent us from expanding our horizons, taking a chance, moving forward in a new direction.
Venus always asks, “What do we enjoy? What will bring us pleasure in the month ahead?” And in the case of Venus in Capricorn, I think we’ll truly enjoy getting things done, reaching goals, building something, again, that’s really going to last. And both Venus square Jupiter, and Venus moving into Capricorn, are echoes of Mercury’s similar transits earlier in the week, Mercury square Jupiter and entered Capricorn. And that paved the way for these Venus transits. Because, first, we conceptualize something, we approach it intellectually with Mercury, and then by the time Venus gets there and covers the exact same territory, we begin to embody these things in a different way. Mercury’s very cerebral, but Venus gets down into our body, into our physicality. And so, now, the matters that we considered earlier in the week with Mercury have a little bit of a deeper resonance for us. How can we relinquish a little bit of that pleasure and comfort that Venus demands so that we can take wing and fly? What are the things that we want to create and build in this last part of the year, in this last month that will let us end the calendar year feeling happier, more at ease with ourselves, and better prepared for the next 12 months?
Listener Question: Planet Clusters
In this week’s listener question, listener, Kelly writes, “Hello to my invisible friend. I deeply appreciate your podcast as well as the joyful energy you bring to astrology and my day each time I listen”. Oh, thank you, Kelly! Kelly continues: “In my Natal Chart, I have Uranus and Saturn at 28° of Sagittarius, my Ascendant at 1° of Capricorn and Neptune at 8° of Capricorn. How big of an orb would you give conjunctions in a Natal Chart? And what is the deeper meaning of a cluster of planets? Should I be considering all four of these together? Or, is Neptune too far to be included?” I’d love to hear any thoughts you have as I prepare for Sagittarius in Capricorn seasons and the wave of transits that will be occurring”.
Well, Kelly, thanks for your question. I know I’ve spoken before on this issue of orbs. In other words, how far apart two planets can be from an exact aspect and still be in dialogue with each other. I’m on the record as being pretty generous with these orbs.
Let’s take a look at your particular case as a good example. So, what you’ve got are three planets, what we call “outer planets” – Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune – plus the all-important Ascendant, one of the most significant points in the birth chart. And, all of them occupy a space of roughly 10° from 28° Sagittarius to 8° Capricorn. And basically, you are wondering if Neptune is too far away to be considered in aspect to the others. Because, from 28 degrees Sagittarius to 1° of Capricorn where the Ascendant is, is only 3°, but from 28° of Sagittarius to 8° of Capricorn, yes, 10°.
Now, it’s easy for me to just say Neptune is definitely part of this family, but another astrologer can come along and say, “No way, planet’s 10° apart. That is too far.” So, let me explain my thinking here. Let’s say you’re taking a Sunday drive, and for company, you’ve brought along your grandfather and you are eccentric Uncle Harold, and they’re sitting in the backseat, and your music loving Cousin Maude is in the passenger seat. Grandpa and Uncle Harold are deep in conversation, but from time to time they’ll say something to you and to a lesser extent, to Maude. And you may have to raise your voices just a little bit to hear each other well, but it’s not that tough, it’s not that far from the front seat to the back seat. However, Maude keeps messing with the radio and the volume and the music can make it a little hard to have a conversation with the guys in the back.
Now, you are the Ascendant in this scenario, you’re the one driving the car. Grandpa and Uncle Harold are the planets in Sagittarius, they’re in the 12th House, the backseat, but they’re very close to the 1st House. Cousin Maude, let’s call her the Neptune in Capricorn in the 1st House, who is making it hard to focus on anything other than her choice of music, which is ruled by Neptune.
Now, things in the 1st House close to the Ascendant especially, have a louder frequency I find, than things that are close to the Ascendant from the 12th House side. So, Neptune’s pretty loud here. It’s also a little hard for Grandpa and Uncle Harold to hear what you’re saying if you speak to them and it’s actually getting in the way of their own conversation with each other.
Now, would you say that Neptune, Cousin Maude was within orb of you, Grandpa and Uncle Harold? I would for sure. You are all being affected by her.
Now, as for the meaning of having a cluster of planets like this. If you have several planets in the same sign or the same House, it’s called a Stellium. And the classic rule for Stellium is that two of these planets at least need to be something other than the Sun, Mercury, or Venus, because these three are never terribly far away from each other, and they often end up within the same sign or the same House. So, an example of Stellium might be, the conjunction of Jupiter, Saturn and Pluto in late Capricorn that we had just a couple of years ago, I think it was around the end of 2020. There’s also something called “A Triple Conjunction” in which you have three planets that are close together regardless of whether they’re all in the same sign or the same House, and this sounds very much like the situation that you’ve got, Kelly.
So, a conjunction, just as a review, is an aspect that tends to blend together the influences of the planets that are involved. It is sort of like a long marriage in which the two people involved become more and more alike, and they grow very strong together as a unit, but they also might lose a little bit of the distinctive quality of their separate personalities. The late astrologer, Donna Cunningham wrote a terrific handbook about Stelliums and Triple Conjunctions. And since her death, it has been made available for free on a couple of different websites. And I will link to that in the show notes. It is definitely a worthwhile guide.
Donna gave an orb of 8° for the conjunction in general, which is pretty standard, but in cases of Stelliums and Triple Conjunctions, where the first planet in a conjunction is a little too wide for a conjunction with the outermost planet on the other side, she recommended extending the orb. And, as I say, that’s exactly what you’re dealing with here, and so, I would certainly expand that or about to 10° and especially so because you’ve got the Ascendant as part of it, and that’s such a powerful and personal point.
Donna also mentioned something that she called “A Super Conjunction”, when three of the four slowest planets, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto are within range of about 8 to 10 degrees. And the period between 1987 and 1989 contained that Saturn, Uranus, conjunction in Sagittarius that you have, and then also the conjunction of Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune in Capricorn. Basically, when you have conjunctions of this kind, it means that you’ve got a lot of important eggs in a single basket. And whenever one of them gets impacted by a transit, they all get impacted.
So, for you, Kelly, every time any transit comes along, and first aspects that, I think it’s Uranus that you mentioned as being the first planet, immediately, the other planets in that formation, Saturn and Neptune as well as your Ascendant, all begin to feel the resonance of that. So, as you mentioned, each year when even those fast-moving planets, the Sun, Mercury, and Venus start to move through late Sagittarius and early Capricorn, these transits, which normally would not be very influential because they’re so fast moving, they’ll shake you up a little bit because they’re triggering these important planets and your Ascendant kind of in rapid succession. Where most people might feel one of those aspects say from the Sun to Saturn for a day. You’re probably going to really feel it for a week because it’s aspecting everything for 10°.
And of course, if you look back at transits of the slow-moving planets in late Mutable and early Cardinal signs, you’ll probably find that those were really important turning points in your life. For instance, during the period from about 2007 to 2012 when transiting Pluto crossed over each of these planets and your Ascendant, I imagine that was pretty eventful.
Anyway, I hope that that helps, Kelly. And, as I said, I’ll link to Donna Cunningham’s handbook about Stelliums in my show notes, because, especially for those of you born in this generation with all of these outer planets so close together, it’s a really helpful resource.
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Donor Thanks
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© 2022 by April Elliott Kent
