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TRANSCRIPT Ep. 157 | Jupiter in Pisces: A Final Hurrah!

TRANSCRIPT EPISODE 157 | Jupiter in Pisces: A Final Hurrah!

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April: Hello, invisible friend, April here, and the date today is December 12th, 2022. Welcome to Episode 157 of The Big Sky Astrology Podcast.

This week: The Sun gains new perspective from Saturn and Neptune, Mercury connects with Uranus for some outside the box thinking, and the Virgo Last Quarter Moon encourages us to clean up some loose ends. Plus, I answer a listener question about planets as evening or morning stars.

Sun sextile Saturn (Dec. 12, 2022, 10:12 PST)

We begin the week with the Sun making a sextile aspect to Saturn on December 12th at 10:12 AM Pacific Time, at 20°41’ Sagittarius and Aquarius. The Sabian symbol for the Sun is 21 Sagittarius, A child and a dog with borrowed eyeglasses, and the Sabian symbol for Saturn is 21 Aquarius, A woman disappointed and disillusioned.

Now, what these symbols have in common at first glance is that they are both about seeing, about perception and consciousness. So, if we’re seeing with “borrowed eyeglasses”, it really means we’re seeing as somebody else wants us to see, and that means we’re not really sure if what we’re seeing is true. And the “woman” who’s “disappointed and disillusioned”, obviously had a different outcome in mind than what has come to pass.

Now, a sextile between the Sun and Saturn symbolizes an opportunity or an offer to bring forth more of ourselves to our work or other responsibilities. But it’s worth noting that the Sun is square Neptune at this time. We’ll talk about that in a moment. And that in combination with the Sabian symbols that are a little bit of a warning about what we may or may not be seeing or perceiving, kind of tells me that, unlike a lot of sextile aspects, this is a time when we might consider avoiding making any commitments to new forms or structures or commitments and obligations at this time because it’s entirely possible that we’re not seeing everything that there is to see.

Sun square Neptune (Dec. 14, 2022, 9:10 am PST)

The Sun makes a square aspect to Neptune on December 14th at 9:10 AM Pacific Time, at 22°40’ Sagittarius and Pisces. The Sun and Neptune are both in Jupiter-ruled signs, and related in some ways to travel or exploration. The Sun in Sagittarius has a little more of a terrestrial flavor, and Neptune in Pisces is a lot more ethereal and wants to explore things that are beyond our senses, beyond the earthly plain.

The Sun is on Sabian symbol, 23 Sagittarius, Immigrants entering. And, the symbol for Neptune is 23 Pisces, A materializing medium. These symbols both are about moving from one space to another. “Immigrants” are moving from one border to another. A “Medium” is bringing forth messages from one realm to another. Now, this particular aspect, which comes twice each year, prompts a review of what we’re doing on the earthly plane and transcending our sense of who we are in order to reach greater spiritual awareness. But, if we’re not operating on this kind of level, on this level of spiritual enlightenment, then, we might just end up with a couple of days of confusion when the Sun squares Neptune.

One thing that happens on a really practical level when the Sun is an aspect to Neptune is we tend to be a little more tired than usual. Neptune’s a little bit of a drain, and the Sun is really that battery that runs our lives. So, when we have Sun square Neptune, it’s worth knowing coming into about the 13th and 14th that we might need to take it easy. If we’re socializing, you know, because this is the holiday season and we’re doing a lot more probably going out or having holiday celebrations with people, then, as the Sun is squaring Neptune, it’s probably best to engage in the kind of socializing that’s not terribly stressful; with people we know well in situations that we’re comfortable with and things that are nice and easy going, an evening sitting with people by the fire and having a glass of wine or a very easy going dinner party. These are probably a little bit better on the 14th, especially, of this month in terms of not wearing us out too much, not draining our batteries.

Virgo Last Quarter Moon (Dec. 16, 2022, 12:56 am PST)

And now for the Moon Report for the week of December 12th. It begins with the Last Quarter Moon in Virgo on December 16th at 12:56 AM Pacific Time at 24°21’ Virgo and Sagittarius. This Last Quarter Moon has a T-square of the Moon opposed Jupiter and Neptune in Pisces, and all of them square the Sun in Sagittarius. So, we know right away that a Last Quarter Moon is always about taking action, and usually it’s some kind of corrective action, action based on past experience or prior knowledge, but always we’re feeling an incentive to act. And this is especially so at this Last Quarter Moon because of this T-square, where there is this inherent tension between the Moon and Sun, but in this case also Jupiter and Neptune.

Now, Jupiter is sitting at the very last degree of Pisces getting ready to slip back into Aries on December 20th. This is a Last Quarter Moon for finishing up. And it’s really kind of about finishing up Jupiter’s work in Pisces altogether. Jupiter first entered Pisces in May of 2021 and then it backed into Aquarius for a while, went back into Pisces December 28th, 2021, then went forward into Aries and then backed into Pisces again on October 27th. So now, it will be going into Aries on December 20th, and for now, these are the last days of Jupiter in Pisces for another 12 years or so.

So, at this Last Quarter Moon in Virgo, which is a very analytical sign, it likes to look back, see what has gone on, break it down into little pieces and find out how things could be done better in the future. And it’s also in the sign opposite Jupiter in Pisces where we have more of what we might call luck or things going our way, if we take the opposite approach, which is very intuitive, very unstructured. This might be a good time for sitting down and really reviewing what we’ve been up to on the Jupiter realm of study, of expanding our horizons, of trying new things, how we’ve been doing with that on and off since May of 2021, while Jupiter’s been going back and forth through Pisces, and giving ourselves a little bit of a report card maybe and saying, “Yes, how well have I done in expanding my horizons while Jupiter is in Pisces?”

It’s also a good time for rest. It goes along with that Sun aspect to Neptune on December 14th where we’re being asked this week to really slow down and take care of ourselves a little bit because our energy will probably not be at its strongest and we really want to refuel ourselves before Jupiter goes back into Aries for good on December 20th, because that’s a time in which we’re really going to want to hit the ground running around the solstice. And I think, going into the new year, this great enthusiasm for moving forward, which will probably be a little frustrated because Mars will still be retrograde through January 12th.

Void-of-Course Moon periods

Let’s take a look at the Moon’s Void-of-Course periods for this week. On December 13, the Moon in Leo makes a trine aspect to the Sun at07:52 AM Pacific Time, and it has another one of these very long void-of-course periods, almost 17 hours, before it enters Virgo on December 14 at 12:45 AM. So, this is an extremely long void-of-course period that is coming off a really nice aspect from the Moon in Leo to the Sun in Sagittarius, and in these fiery signs, in this lovely aspect, the heart rejoices, there is socializing and connecting with others that brings real happiness and satisfaction. This is a great day for a holiday party if that’s something you’re doing this season.

On December 16, the Moon in Virgo makes its opposition to Jupiter at 11:13 AM Pacific Time, it’s void-of-course for just a little over half an hour before it enters Libra at 11:49 AM Pacific Time. This is very close to the Last Quarter Moon in Virgo, which was opposed Jupiter and Neptune, and it’s a very short Void-of-Course Moon, it’s just before bedtime here on the West Coast of the United States, a little more during prime time hours if you’re in say Australia or New Zealand. This is that period of notetaking as the Moon and Virgo reflects on what’s needed for the very last part of this Jupiter journey through Pisces, which ends on the 20th.

Then, on December 18, the Moon in Libra makes a square aspect to Pluto at 2:35 PM, it’s then void-of-course for just about five hours before it enters Scorpio at 07:30 PM. And, when the Moon in Libra, which is the time each month when we reflect on relationships, when it meets Pluto, we tend to ask ourselves some fairly hard questions about how we’ve been getting along with others. Are we demanding too much? Are we asking too little? Libra’s always looking for the sweet spot, the balance between ourselves and others. And Pluto is a fairly harsh voice for the Moon to come into contact with. We tend to be a little harder on ourselves maybe when the Moon squares Pluto before it goes void-of-course.

Now, the Moon then does go into Scorpio, which is not terribly dissimilar from a Lunar Square to Pluto, but I do think the square from the Moon in Libra to Pluto is a little more difficult, but it sets us up for that Moon in Scorpio period for the next couple of days where we’re inclined towards introspection to look into our own motivations and into the motivations of other people as well.

On December 17 at 1:36 PM Pacific Time, Mercury makes a trine aspect to Uranus at 15°28’ Capricorn and Taurus. This is a terrific aspect for inspiration. We find ourselves coming up with new ideas. It’s easier to think outside the box. And it can also be a time of bringing new life into enduring concepts. So, it’s not that we necessarily have to throw everything out and start over, Mercury is in Capricorn here and that respects the old ways of doing things. It’s just that, as it comes together with Uranus, we have to find a way maybe to do the old things a little bit differently.

This is also an excellent aspect for brainstorming for the coming year. So, this might be a time where you schedule a little afternoon meeting with yourself to make some notes and do a little brainstorming. Think, “What have I been doing in 2022 that’s really worked in my life? And, what have I been doing that feels a little bit stale and needs to be freshened up?” I think, clarity comes to us a little bit more during these kinds of aspects between Mercury and Uranus because we’re willing to look at things in a new way.

The Sabian symbol for Uranus’s degree here, 16 Taurus is, An old man attempting vainly to reveal the Mysteries. And, the Sabian symbol for Mercury, 16 Capricorn, is Boys and girls in gymnasium suits. So, we have a combination here of youth and energetic youth, they’re in their “Gymnasium suits”, and then, the elder statesmen who is trying very hard to teach the old ways, the old “Mysteries”. Since this is a trine aspect, there is a potential to bring these two together in a new and promising way – where new thoughts, new ideas, new energy, informs and improves the old ways instead of requiring that we throw them out altogether.

Listener Question: Morning and Evening Star

In this week’s listener question, listener Denver writes, “What are the differences in qualities either in Natal charts or transits between planets in their Morning Star or their Evening Star phases?”

That’s a really interesting question. Morning and Evening Star are terms that we use most commonly when we’re talking about Venus. Venus is incredibly bright and moves just far enough away from the Sun that it’s a little more visible in the morning and evening hours. So, the Morning Star is also known as “Venus Lucifer”, and the Evening Star is “Venus Hesperus”. When Venus is the Morning Star, it is rising before the Sun, and when it’s the Evening Star, it’s rising after the Sun. So, there’s an easy way to figure out whether Venus was the Morning Star or the Evening Star when you were born. You just look at your birth chart, find the Sun, and then see if Venus is clockwise from the Sun, which would be the Morning Star, or whether it’s counterclockwise from the Sun, which is the Evening Star.

For example, if you have Venus in Virgo and the Sun in Libra, you are born with Venus as the Morning Star because Venus is rising before the Sun. But, if you’ve got the Sun in Libra with Venus in Scorpio, then Venus was an Evening Star.

Venus becomes the Morning Star following the inferior conjunction of the Sun in Venus, and it begins a phase of Venus that sort of like the waxing Moon during a Lunar Cycle, things are increasing in clarity and brightness.

If you’re born with Venus as the Morning Star, you might tend to feel first and think later, so you lead with your heart. You will tend to bounce back a little more quickly from disappointments or from emotional setbacks.

If Venus is the Morning Star in your chart and it’s retrograde, you can be quite an avant garde personality, a pioneer, and often very dedicated to art.

Venus as the Evening Star begins at the superior conjunction with the Sun always when Venus is direct. This is much more of the nature of the Waning Phase in the Lunation Cycle.

If you’re born with Venus Hesperus, as we call it, you are attuned to thinking about the meaning of your emotional experiences. It’s very much like the Waning Lunar Phases in that way, we tend to reflect more, whereas in the Waxing Phase, we act. And, in the Waning Phase, it’s not that we don’t act, but we think first. So, you might feel things very intensely, but not express them quite as openly as you would if Venus was the Morning Star at your birth.

And with Venus as the Evening Star, it said that you might have a little harder time bouncing back after a romantic disappointment or some kind of emotional setback, or you lose your job or your income, other Venus oriented things.

Now, another consideration is whether there are planets between Venus and the Sun – commonly, Mercury might be there – because these planets will tend to have a strong influence in how you deal with things emotionally. If you’re a Morning Star person, but you have Saturn between the Sun and Venus, there will be a lot more restraint, presumably. Normally, with the Morning Star, there’s a get up and go, almost an Aries kind of feeling, but if you have Saturn there, obviously that’s going to tone things down and restrain you quite a bit.

Whereas, if you’re an Evening Star and you have Jupiter between the Sun and Venus, it can give a much more optimistic, outgoing, forgiving, expressive style.

You’ll sometimes hear Mercury described as a Morning or Evening Star, but it’s a lot less common. Almost always, it’s referring to Venus. Because, as I said, Venus is visible as the Morning or Evening star, it can be for months at a time. But, because, Mercury is closer to the Sun, it’s only visible for a few days at a time and it’s usually a lot harder to see, whereas Venus is just brilliant.

I’m going to link to an excellent article about Venus as Morning and Evening Star written by Astrologer, Michael Meyer. It’s at astro.com and it gives a lot of rich background and good examples of famous people born under each of these Venus phases. And I’m also going to link to his article about “The Four Faces of Mercury”, and I think you’re going to find both of those really helpful and really interesting.

Well, I hope that helps, Denver!

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

Donor thanks

That’s everything I have on my show sheet, so I’m going to wrap this one up. Thanks very 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. It’s the single best thing you can do to help me reach a larger audience with podcast. Ratings and reviews are always welcome, and I would love it if you’d help spread the word about the podcast by telling an astrology loving friend. You can read show notes and full transcripts and leave your comments about each episode at bigskyastropod.com.

Thanks 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, I’m giving a Big Sky Astrology Podcast shout out to Kristine Lankenau and Phyllis Lamken!

April: Kristine and Phyllis, thank you so much for listening to the podcast and for your continued support of the show with your donations.

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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!

© April Elliott Kent. FOR USE ONLY at bigskyastrology.com.

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