Transcript Episode 186 (July 10, 2023)
Listen and read show notes here
Hello, invisible friend, April here, and the date today is July 10th, 2023. Welcome to episode 186 of the Big Sky Astrology Podcast.
This week: Working hard to provide for our loved ones at the Aries Last Quarter Moon; Mars enters Virgo, the sign of the craftsman; Mercury enters Leo and opposes Pluto; and a bright sextile between the Sun and Uranus. Plus, I answer a couple of listener questions about what it might mean when the sign on a cusp of a house seems very contradictory with the meaning of the house itself.
Aries Last Quarter Moon (July 9, 2023, 6:47 pm PDT)
The week begins with the Moon Report, and the Aries Last Quarter Moon on July 9th at 6:47 PM Pacific Time at 17º35’ Aries and Cancer. The Sabian symbol for the Last Quarter Moon is 18 Aries, An empty hammock. And the Sun’s Sabian symbol is 18 Cancer, A hen scratching for her chicks.
This is the Last Quarter Moon in the Gemini New Moon cycle that began on June 17th. It was an interesting Gemini New Moon because the Sun and Moon in that chart were both square Neptune. They’re kind of odd bedfellows, really, Gemini with Neptune, and this has been a New Moon season with a certain amount of friction between our ability to think and express ourselves clearly and in a rational way versus all of the things that our intuition tells us, all the information that we’re able to get, not just from what people say or what we read or understand with the mind, but rather what our intuition tells us is the truth.
Now the Last Quarter Moon on these two really interesting symbols, the empty hammock, the chicken who’s scratching to get things for her chicks. And I think the hammock is empty at this Last Quarter Moon because even though, at least here in the northern hemisphere, it’s summer, and we want to be lying around and relaxing and enjoying ourselves. Instead, it’s a Last Quarter Moon – an action point – and it’s in Aries, which wants to get things done and we’re racing around to finish something that we conceived at that New Moon.
This is also the Last Quarter Phase in a lunar phase family cycle that began at the April 11th, 2021 Aries New Moon. This is a time when we are beginning to see the results and take action of something that we conceived at that time. If nothing springs immediately to mind, look at the Aries house in your chart and that will give you some idea of what area you were initiating a new project in.
And the Sabian symbol for the Sun, the hen scratching for her chicks. The implication is that we’re running around and working hard, not just because we feel inspired or that we have a lot of energy, but to provide for those who are nearest and dearest. This can be also a time when you are at home more and you are giving a lot of thought to projects that you want to do around the house and how you’re going to pay for them.
It’s a wonderful energetic Last, Quarter Moon. So if there are things that you’ve been needing to take care of, but for whatever reason you’ve been stalling out, talking yourself out of them, really hard to take action, this is one of the best last quarter moons you will get all year for actually doing things.
Void-of-Course Moon periods
Let’s look at the Void-of-Course Moon periods for this week. On July 10th, the Moon in Aries squares Mercury in Cancer at 4:11 PM Pacific Time. It’ll be Void-of-Course for 44 minutes before it enters Taurus at 4:55 PM. Anytime we see the Moon in aspect to Mercury, and especially an aspect like a square that does introduce conflict into the equation, we know that we are asked to examine what it is that we feel versus what we think. The Moon is that instinctual part of us, and how we feel comfortable or uncomfortable in a situation. When it’s out of step with Mercury, what our mind tells us is the right course of action or the truth of what’s going on, is in conflict with what our gut is telling us. It’s about a bit of conflict between intuition versus logic, direct action versus indirect, because this Moon is in Aries that just wants to get moving and get things done, but Mercury is still at the very end of Cancer and it doesn’t feel comfortable moving forward in a really direct way.
So that’s what we’re struggling with a little bit at this aspect. This Void-of-Course Moon only lasts for 44 minutes before the Moon goes into Taurus and things calm down. But this could be a period of time when you are a little bit agitated, where you might have a disagreement with someone based on your approach to things and the approach they want to take. And it can also be one of those moments where we can examine within ourselves what it is that we do when what we feel is contradicted by what we think.
On July 12th, the Moon in Taurus trines Pluto at 11:11 PM Pacific Time. It’ll be Void-of-Course for about one and one quarter hours before it enters Gemini on July 13th at 12:26 AM. The Moon is completing her two-and-a-half-day journey through Taurus, and Taurus is one of the moon’s very favorite signs to be in. Because the Moon is a little bit sensitive and it’s a little bit changeable and it can feel kind of insecure or moody, but you put it in the sign of Taurus and immediately it feels much more secure, much more easygoing, and much more grounded.
As this Moon enters it Void-of-Course period, it is trine Pluto. Pluto has a little bit of a different vibe than the Moon in Taurus for sure. It brings an intensity to things and an urgency. This is fairly late in the evening here on the West coast of the United States, and it is into the wee hours on the East Coast, the very early morning time over in Europe.
But I will share this with you: If there is something you have been interested in manifesting in your life, this is a wonderful aspect and a really effective Void-of-Course Moon period for it. When the Moon is in Taurus and trine Pluto, there’s the ability to attract powerful forces and to direct your mind with a laser focus.
So if you’re able to stay up a little bit late or get up a little bit early, this could be a really valuable Void-of-Course Moon period for bringing yourself into alignment with the forces that can be helpful.
On July 15th, the Moon in Gemini squares Neptune at 5:35 AM Pacific Time. It’s Void-of-Course for about four and a half hours before it enters Cancer at 10:13 AM.
Now, this actually is a really good corollary to our New Moon in Gemini that was square Neptune. This is a Void-of-Course period when we can contemplate what it is to verbalize our feelings versus experience our feelings, what is the knowledge and information that comes to us through words versus the things that we intuit and feel.
There is a disconnect between those things very often and it really gets to the heart of what we’ve been working on during this New Moon in Gemini season. This would be a good Void-of-Course Moon period for exploring some kind of activities that bring these sides of yourself together.
I’ve been a writer for many years, and those of you who have gone to my website know that in recent years I’ve also started creating collages, artwork to go with my words. And the way that came about was because my busy little Moon in Gemini in my birth chart was always writing or reading, and I would get to a point where I was kind of out of words. So doing the artwork opened up that other Neptunian part of my brain, and it has proven to actually be really complementary.
So if you tend to be a very verbal person, during this Void-of-Course period, why don’t you experiment with doing some artwork or singing along with some music? And if you tend to be a very Neptunian, intuitive, artistic type of person, maybe experiment with a little bit of writing during this Void-of-Course period. It’s four and a half hours, it’s enough time to do something with at an appropriate time of the morning for many of us.
Mars enters Virgo (July 10, 2023, 4:40 am PDT)
On July 10th at 4:40 AM Pacific Time, Mars enters Virgo. It will be in Virgo through August 27th. Mars always tells us what are the skills that we have available to use to get what we want and to ensure our survival. While Mars has been in Leo, it has been about using our magnetism, our presence, our personality, and our creative gifts.
Mars going into Virgo says that the skills that we possess and our wits are what we will use for survival. Because Virgo is an earth sign, we often forget that it’s ruled by Mercury. So it really has a great facility with language and especially with the way we can use language to give practical instruction.
Mars is a planet of work, and while it’s in Virgo, we will pay great attention to detail. We will value precision in our work, and it’s a really great time through the end of August to acquire a new skill or a new tool. So if there’s a class you’ve been wanting to take, for example, this would be a good time to do it and it should be something that’s especially related to the work that you do.
Mars also symbolizes what annoys us or makes us angry. And while Mars is in Virgo, we can easily be annoyed by small things, by poor workmanship or service or poor grammar or punctuation. In Virgo, Mars has the ability to cut straight through to get down to what is practical. Its interest always, Mars in Virgo is, how can this be more clear? How can this be more useful and how can it be more helpful?
If there are matters in your work or around your home that have presented really knotty problems to you, this is a great time to untie those knots. Virgo has that kind of patience, and Mars is not normally a patient planet, but if you put it into Virgo, it can really get a lot done and it can really unwind a lot of the more vexing problems that have been getting in your way.
Mercury opposes Pluto (July 10, 2023, 1:48 pm PDT)
On July 10th at 1:48 PM Pacific Time, Mercury opposes Pluto at 29º23’ Cancer and Capricorn. Mercury has been moving through Cancer, and that is a sign in which it finds it a little more difficult to communicate in a straightforward fashion. Cancer prefers an indirect mode and doesn’t really like to reveal a lot about what it’s thinking or feeling.
As it comes into an opposition to Pluto, however, at the very last degree of Capricorn, there’s a lot of pressure on this Mercury in Cancer. Is there anything that you’ve been sitting on since June 26 when Mercury went into Cancer that has really been beginning to weigh on you in the last week or so? We might be feeling some suspicion that a person or people close to us are being secretive with us or are not being completely honest and upfront about what they’re thinking or feeling.
It’s the kind of aspect that makes us suspect the worst, and I just want to say that later on the same day, Mercury will disengage from Pluto. It will be moving in into a new sign, and things will probably look much brighter tomorrow. During an aspect like this, we’re all apt to suspect the worst, and things can definitely look brighter the next day. So even though you’re feeling a lot of pressure from Pluto, just be a little bit careful and don’t say anything that you can’t take back.
Mercury enters Leo (July 10, 2023, 9:11 pm PDT)
On July 10th at 9:11 PM Pacific Time, Mercury enters Leo. It emerges from the darkness of that Mercury-Pluto opposition into the bright, sunny, somewhat more confident and happier atmosphere of Leo. Mercury will be in LEO until it enters Virgo on July 28th, where it will have a retrograde period and all of the rest.
When Mercury goes into Leo, we can at last begin to speak more openly, to express ourselves with flair and to speak up for ourselves. After that quiet transit of Mercury going through Cancer, when we felt we didn’t necessarily want to let people know what we were thinking or feeling, this is a time when it’s a lot easier to let our voices be heard.
On the other hand, when Mercury is in Leo, we have to beware of subjectivity. We need to be willing to listen to what other people have to say. Mercury is how the mind is directed and when it’s in Leo, which is the sign ruled by the Sun, we can fall into the tendency of hearing only what we want to hear and what reinforces our views of what’s important and our place in all of that, and of our individual importance in the grand scheme of things.
So, enjoy Mercury in Leo. It is a time to focus on having fun and enjoying yourself more, enjoying your loved ones more, and getting together with friends. I’m reminded of a time years ago when I had a group of friends that decided every month we were going to do some fun activity together. Just something playful. One month we went bowling. One month we went to a roller-skating rink. One month we did miniature golf. And that is the spirit I think, of Leo, and putting Mercury here says reaching out and being willing to try something, maybe a little new that is fun and fun loving.
Sun sextile Uranus (July 14, 2023, 4:02 pm PDT)
Finally, this week on July 14th at 4:02 PM Pacific Time, the Sun sextiles Uranus at 22º15’ Cancer and Taurus. The Sabian symbol for the Sun at the sextile is 23 Cancer, A meeting of a literary society, and the Sabian symbol for Uranus is 23 Taurus, A jewelry shop. When I look at that symbol of the meeting of the literary society, I think of a bunch of people sitting around and giving their opinions about a book they’re reading. People can pretty quickly get into arguments if others are giving them feedback that contradict their opinion or their point of view.
So we can expect maybe a little bit of that with the Sun on this Sabian symbol, and that’s always a bit dicey because the Sun is the symbol of the part of us that does not like to receive criticism. That it’s very threatening to our sense of self and how we value ourselves and see ourselves as important in the world. But Uranus is on that jewelry shop Sabian symbol, and whenever I see that one, I think that what we do at this aspect can result in some kind of payoff or benefit. And in this case, it says, being willing to be yourself, which is symbolized by the Sun, and to go ahead and share your opinions and speak out about what you think and your point of view can really pay off.
But you have to be willing to take feedback from other people and to consider it and possibly even act upon it. I always like to see the Sun connecting with Uranus because the Sun is that part of it that says, I am this. I am ever this, and nobody can contradict it. But that can also be a prison that we put ourselves into. And when the Sun meets up with Uranus, there’s an opportunity to reinvent ourselves in some small way. And that is the payoff at this sextile. If we’re willing to share our thoughts in a very honest way, but equally willing to listen to the feedback and opinions from others, then we stand to gain something very valuable.
Listener Question: Signs in Contradiction to Houses
In this week’s listener question, I have two questions that seemed somewhat related, so I’m going to combine them. Listener Scout asks, “Hi, April, what’s your take on when the Zodiac signs in a natal chart’s houses don’t easily seem to match the house’s energy. For example, Cancer seems like the homey sign of sensitivity and staying in your slippers with baked goods and binge tv. So what does it mean when Cancer is in the ninth house, which is about the total opposite – the idea of big journeys and travel expansion, extensive learning, homey, nurture, and adventuring to exotic lands don’t seem to mesh easily. What ways might this manifest for the native? Thank you. Love the podcast as always.”
And a similar question comes from listener Teresa via SpeakPipe: “ Hi. What does it mean when the houses are all the opposite of the natal earth chart? Like for example, Libra on the Ascendant, Capricorn on the fourth house, Aries on the seventh, and Cancer on the 10th. Wondering how that sets up for someone.”
Well, thank you for those questions, Scout and Teresa. As I said, they’re a little bit similar because both questions are about the connection between the signs of the Zodiac and the houses of the horoscope. So let’s break this down first and say, well, what is the role of a sign in the chart and what is the role of a house?
The sign tells us a style and the house is a setting. The sign is your stylistic approach to that house’s, areas of life. Scout brought up the example of Cancer in the ninth house, and I like this one a lot because it does seem to describe inherent contradictions. But I think what this tells us is that the person’s approach to ninth house matters will be Cancerian.
Consider the planet Jupiter, which has purview over similar areas as the ninth house, and it is actually exalted in the sign of Cancer, which also seems hopelessly contradictory, but I’ve always explained it to students and clients in this way. If you are at home within yourself, you can be at home anywhere. And Cancer is that sign that says, this is where I live. This is where I’m at home. It could be that a person who has Cancer on the cusp of the ninth house feels most at home in foreign countries, but they might be a person who would prefer to spend a little time living in another country rather than just visiting there for a short time.
And Listener Teresa’s question is somewhat similar. Because if I’m understanding it correctly, what she’s asking is what does it mean when the signs on the houses of the chart are the opposite of what they would be in a natural chart? For example, a chart, just a generic chart begins with Aries. So if you have Libra on the Ascendant, which is the opposite sign of Aries for a moment, it really stumps us. We think, well, the Ascendant is the point of beginnings. It’s the point where we put ourselves out there in the world where we initiate new things, and that has a natural association with the sign of Aries, which has a similar disposition and interests.
If the first house is the house of putting ourselves first, as we often think of it, what does it mean when we have Libra on the Ascendant? Because Libra is the sign that puts others first, or at least takes them into consideration, and it is a contradiction. Libra might tone down the qualities of the first house a little bit. If you have that sign on the cusp, you might be a person who waits to confer with the people important to them before you take action.
But it’s still the Ascendant, it’s still the first house, and it has a particular area of influence. I think of the first house as really being the house where we encounter the unfamiliar and where there is always the slightest hint – maybe more so – of peril, because we don’t know what we are going to encounter there.
If you walk out of your front door one morning, you have a reasonable expectation of what you’re going to experience, but you never know completely. So the sign on that first house just says, these are the skills and qualities of my personality that I bring to bear, to handle the unexpected and to handle any emergencies that might come up in life. And yes, the extent to which I’m able to put myself first when I need to and to project a strong personality out into the world.
A person with Libra on the Ascendant just uses Libra qualities to do all of that. Consider the way Aries might behave on the Ascendant. It moves quickly and decisively. It is very clear about what it wants and doesn’t hesitate to go after it. Libra on the Ascendant really wants to feel out the environment. It wants to know what sort of support it has or doesn’t have before it moves forward, and it will use qualities of charm, diplomacy, and attractiveness among others to get what it wants from the world.
So it does seem contradictory, but really when you break it down, Teresa, and you think, what does the Ascendant mean? It’s how I am handling the world. It’s how I’m putting myself out there. And not everybody does it in this same way. Libra can do it just as effectively as Aries can.
Scout and Theresa, I really thank you for those questions. It’s the kind of question I really like to think about and that I really like to go into with people who are beginning to learn astrology.
Now if you, invisible friend, have a question that you would like me to answer on a future episode, please leave a message of one minute or less at speakpipe.com/bigskyastrologypodcast. Or you can email me at April(at)bigskyastrology(dot)com and just be sure to put “Podcast Question” in the subject line.
Donor Thanks
That is everything I have on my show sheet, so I’m gonna wrap this one up. Thanks 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. Leave a rating or review, and I hope that you’ll help spread the word by telling an astrology-loving friend about the podcast.
Remember, 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 on each episode. I’m thanking some of my financial donors by name this week. Let’s give a big Sky Astrology podcast shout-out to Jacinta Armstrong and Marina Vasilic! Jacinta and Marina. Thank you so much for listening to the podcast and for supporting the show with your donations.
If you would like to support the show, please go to big skyastropod.com. You can make a one-time donation in any amount, or become a regular monthly contributor.
If you donate $5 or more, I’ll send you my bonus episode for the Cancer solstice.
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!
© 2023 by April Elliott Kent
