Transcript – Episode 187 (July 17, 2023)
Listen and read show notes here
Hello, invisible friend, April here, and the date today is July 17th, 2023. Welcome to Episode 187 of the Big Sky Astrology Podcast. This is a very full week with a compelling Cancer New Moon; The lunar Nodes changing sign; the Sun in aspect to Neptune and Pluto before entering Leo; Mercury aspects Jupiter and Uranus; Mars aspect Saturn; and Venus stations to turn retrograde!
For even more details about this action-packed week, you might want to purchase the replay of my July 16th webinar. You can find the link to that in the episode description. And because I have so much to cover this week, there will be no listener question, but I’ve gotten a batch of really great ones recently, and I can’t wait to get back to that segment next week.
Cancer New Moon (July 17, 2023, 11:32 am PDT)
The week begins with the Moon Report, and a spectacular Cancer New Moon on July 17th at 11:32 AM Pacific Time. It’s at 24º56’ Cancer on the Sabian symbol 25 Cancer, Dark shadow or mantle thrown suddenly over the right shoulder.
This is the last Cancer New Moon that will oppose Pluto in Capricorn in our lifetimes. The opposition between the Sun and Pluto that is forming in this chart will be exact on July 21st at 8:52 PM. This is the New Moon in the sign of the great Mother, the great feminine – Cancer. And this speaks of the time of year when we’re sitting on the nest, gestating new ideas, conceiving of new things.
That’s what we do at each New Moon. But with a Cancer New Moon, there is in particular a sense of sitting still and nurturing something, getting ready to hatch something. So that’s why it’s very interesting to have this very feminine, very maternal Cancer New Moon in this opposition to Pluto in Capricorn.
Capricorn is a much more worldly sign and this Sabian symbol so fascinating to me, The dark shadow or mantle thrown suddenly over the right shoulder. The right side of the body is often interpreted as relating to the masculine or externally driven side of our nature. Pluto represents the shadow, and Capricorn would represent the mantle of responsibility.
So it’s a very heavy symbol, and Pluto sitting at 29 degrees continues to be a very heavy influence. The question is, what kinds of responsibility are we going to take on and how are we continuing to grapple with this heavy Pluto in Capricorn that’s finishing up old business here that we perhaps didn’t resolve before Pluto initially went into Aquarius at the end of March.
At the same time, the New Moon point is trine Neptune. This is a symbol of healing and forgiveness. The Sun makes the exact trine to Neptune on July 20th at 6:06 AM Pacific time. And just last week on July 14th, the Sun made a sextile to Uranus, and I spoke on my previous episode about how that always represents an opportunity to change patterns, especially patterns surrounding who we are and who we want to be.
So I think also in the Sabian symbol for this New Moon, we have the dark shadow of Pluto. We have the Capricorn mantle. And it is thrown suddenly – Uranus – over the right side. So this could speak of some kind of sudden burden or responsibility that comes our way. It’s a very important New Moon.
It begins a Lunar Phase Family cycle, of course, as all New Moons do. But it will carry very much the energy of this New Moon chart for a three-year period. The First Quarter in the lunar phase family cycle is on April 15th, 2024 at 26º18’ Cancer. Then the Full Moon in this cycle is on January 13th, 2025, 23º59’ Cancer. And finally, the last critical action point in that cycle, the Last Quarter Moon on October 13th, 2025 at 20º39’ Cancer.
But remember, there’s a full nine months that this Last Quarter part of the phase is continuing, and it continues for nine months and ends at the New Moon on July 15th, 2026 at 21º59’ Cancer. And it’s beginning a whole other lunar phase family that carries on to a great degree from this one, because its degree is so close to the one of this Cancer New Moon, which is at 24º56’. Now, it doesn’t have a chart with an opposition from the New Moon point to Pluto. But nevertheless, there are some qualities of this cycle beginning with this New Moon that will continue then for another three years.
So you can see why I’m considering this a very important New Moon.
What you’ll do is take a look at your birth chart. See the house that contains 24º56’ Cancer. That is the area of life where this great juxtaposition of symbols is playing out. Something about empowering yourself, but also responsibilities coming your way that you need to decide how to handle.
Lunar Nodes enter Aries/Libra (July 17, 2023, 1:00 pm PDT)
The Moon’s Nodes enter new signs this week. The North Node enters the sign of Aries and the South node, the sign of Libra on July 17th at 1:00 PM Pacific Time, just a couple of hours after the New Moon. A quick reminder of what the lunar Nodes are and a little something about their cycle. The lunar Nodes are not physical points in space. They represent the point where the Earth’s Path around the Sun intersects with the Moon’s path around the earth. They’re very sensitive points. There are two of them that are constantly traveling exactly opposite each other at the same degree and the same minute of opposite signs.
Nodes have a cycle of about 18 years to go through the entire zodiac. The last time the Nodes changed signs was back on January 18th, 2022 when the North Node entered Taurus and the South Node Scorpio. They move clockwise or naturally retrograde, which is the opposite of course of most transiting planets or points. Now they are backing into Aries and Libra. The last time the lunar Nodes passed through the signs of Libra and Aries was between February 18th, 2014 and November 11th, 2015. At that time, the North Node was in Libra and the South Node was in Aries. This time around, it’s the opposite. Aries is the North Node. Libra is the South. The last time the North Node was actually in Aries, so we had this pair in the configuration they are now was between December 25th, 2004 and June 24th, 2006.
The Nodes will be in this pair of signs, Aries and Libra, through January 11th, 2025. Well, let’s talk about what that means. The significance of the Nodes is they’re showing where we are growing, and the significance of Aries and Libra says that this is a nodal transit that will ask that we release the negative or weakening qualities of Libra, which would be things like codependence or always needing to ask other people what to do or not being able to do anything on your own. And to instead move in the direction of the positive qualities of Aries – standing alone, independent, pioneering, moving in new and fresh directions.
Almost immediately, on July 22nd, transiting Pluto will square this nodal axis at 9:37 PM at 29º06’ Capricorn and Aries. This happens at the same degree of the April 30th, 2023 solar eclipse at 29º50’ Aries. That Pluto Square happens on the same day Venus turns retrograde, so that’s a pretty interesting day. But what it says to me is Pluto is going to catalyze us into the direction of this new nodal axis. And Pluto, as we know, is not terribly subtle, and it often asks us to confront difficult emotions.
So Pluto square, the South Node, newly in Libra, might bring some kind of jolt around an important relationship that you depend on. Getting shaken up at that point can then move you in the direction of the independence that Aries wants for us at the North Node during the next 18 months.
As the Nodes move through this sign polarity, this is where we will have eclipses in the months that the Sun is at one of the Nodes, the South or North Node.
So it’s going be a very interesting nodal cycle with a lot of impact on relationships, and not necessarily in a bad way. To the extent that we can be our own person and have our own independence, we can have better, healthier, and more fulfilling relationships. That’s how I’m seeing this nodal transit – as an opportunity to get out of the dependence on relationships and instead be our own person, strong and independent, and so therefore able to enjoy the people in our lives instead of just feeling that we have to rely on them.
Void-of-Course Moon Periods
Let’s look at the Void-of-Course Moon periods for this week. On July 17th, the Moon in Cancer opposes Pluto at 8:06 PM Pacific Time. It’s Void-of-Course for about an hour and a half before it enters Leo at 9:39 PM. This is a Void-of-Course Moon where we will probably be sitting in some of the heaviness of that New Moon that happened in the morning.
This is a polarity that’s about taking care of what’s close to home versus assuming responsibility and power out in the world. It is a time for revisiting emotional patterns related to safety and control.
On July 20th, the Moon in Leo makes a conjunction with Venus at 7:08 AM Pacific Time. It’s Void-of-Course for just about three hours before it enters Virgo at 10:13 AM Pacific time. We might take these few hours while the Moon is Void-of-Course in Leo to think about how we can get the appreciation and affection that Leo desires. What is it that we really want? That’s a Venus question, and one will really be thinking about as Venus turns retrograde in a couple of days. The question is, what lights us up inside? And these are good questions to contemplate during this Void-of-Course Moon period.
Finally, on July 22nd, the Moon in Virgo trines Pluto at 9:06 PM Pacific Time. It’s Void-of-Course for just under two hours, and then enters Libra at 10:54 PM. For the two and a half days each month that the Moon is in Virgo, we find ourselves wondering whether we are good enough, do we do things well enough? Are we inherently lovable? Now, the Moon being in Virgo says that probably there are things that we do very well and very conscientiously, but they don’t always bring recognition or rewards. But while the Moon in Virgo is trine Pluto in Capricorn, we’re actually a little more likely than usual to see some kinds of rewards. Because Pluto in Capricorn is in an earth sign, the Moon and Virgo is in an earth sign, and Pluto in Capricorn is that executive kind of figure who looks at and really appreciates the craftsmanship, attention to detail and work ethic of the Moon in Virgo.
Mars opposes Saturn (July 20, 2023, 1:39 pm PDT)
On July 20th at 1:39 PM Pacific Time, Mars opposes Saturn at 6º20’ Virgo and Pisces. Mars in Virgo is a diligent worker. It wants to do its very best work at all times, and when it comes into opposition with Saturn, we can often feel blocked or stymied in something that we’re trying to accomplish.
Saturn in Pisces might tend to appear as a blockage that has to do with operating, maybe, in an environment where the other people around you are not so much bound by a schedule or work in a little bit more of a Piscean way, which is to say artistic, intuitive, not terribly sequential or bound by a particular timetable. And that can be frustrating for Mars in Virgo, which really likes to have a particular way of doing things, and a checklist in a sequence of events. So if you feel a little bit blocked, especially in the couple of days leading up to this opposition, just know that the lesson always with an opposition aspect is to get the planets to listen to one another and to try to meet in the middle. If you’re trying to work in a very, very fastidious way, and really have strict deadlines and very high quality standards in all things, You might find that you’re going to have to compromise a little bit. It is summer, as we were talking about.
This is just as the Sun is getting ready to go into Leo, and it’s a time of year a lot of people are taking vacation. People aren’t around, schedules go awry. So I think Mars in Virgo has to do a little bit of compromising here.
Sun enters Leo (July 22, 2023, 6:50 pm PDT)
On July 22nd at 6:50 PM Pacific Time, the Sun enters Leo. The Sun finished up its Cancer season with a trio of important aspects – last week’s sextile to Uranus, and this week’s trine to Neptune and opposition to Pluto. And now it’s the dawn of the Sun’s Leo season.
This is the season of the year when the Sun shines its brightest astrologically speaking. And depending on where you are, literally as well! Leo is the sign where the Sun has its home court advantage, because the Sun rules Leo, and therefore it’s very happy and comfortable and strong in this sign. Leo is a sign of creation as well as re-creation or recreation.
This is the time of year when most of Europe shuts down as people take vacation. Even in America, August is a big vacation season. It’s actually the only month of the year that the US doesn’t celebrate a national holiday. And as all we Leos say, hey, that just means that people have more time and money to devote to celebrating our birthdays!
During the next month while the Sun is in Leo, it will make squares to Jupiter and Uranus, and also make a beautiful conjunction to Venus on August 13. It’s a season that accentuates the Sun’s desire for more fun and excitement -Jupiter and Uranus – more attention and more of all the things that we find appealing and delightful.
Take advantage of the Leo season if you can, because the more we play and relax during this month, the more creative and physical energy will take with us as we return to work or school in the fall.
Mercury square Jupiter (July 17, 2023, 5:49 am PDT)
Mercury square Uranus (July 23, 2023, 2:39 pm PDT)
So what is the mind up to in this busy week?
Mercury makes a couple of aspects. It squares Jupiter on July 17th at 5:49 AM Pacific time at 11º53’ Leo and Taurus. And Mercury is on a delightful Sabian symbol, An evening lawn party. Ofcourse in that context, overconsumption might interfere with, say, the quality of the conversation.
And on July 23rd at 2:39 PM Pacific Time, Mercury makes a square to Uranus at 22º32’ Leo and Taurus. This is an aspect that can bring some very interesting and innovative thoughts and ideas, but it can make it a little bit challenging to settle down and focus and do very much with any one of them. If you do manage to settle down a little bit, one of the ideas that comes to you on this day or maybe the day before the day after could be made into something really valuable.
Venus stations retrograde (July 22, 2023, 6:33 pm PDT)
Venus turns retrograde this week on July 22nd at 6:33 PM Pacific Time. It’s at 28º36’ Leo. This will probably be the most talked about and written about transit of this week.
When planets are transiting retrograde, it is a signal to go within for guidance in matters related to that planet. All of the planets other than the Sun and Moon have their retrograde periods, and I think they all have this quality of introspection. When Venus is retrograde, this is the time to look to our own instincts and counsel. In Venus matters, so matters of love, relationship in general, and money. If someone should offer you advice in these matters, even someone you respect and trust, still take it a little bit with a grain of salt. Give the most credence to your own experience and your own instincts. Venus will be retrograde through September 3rd. It was last retrograde at the end of 2021 through the beginning of 2022. And at that time it’s stationed retrograde in a conjunction with Pluto in Capricorn. I remember that being a little bit of a difficult period in terms especially of relationship.
Venus was last retrograde in the sign of Leo between July 25th and September 6th, 2015. Venus has an eight-year retrograde cycle, so you can basically step back at eight year increments and find when Venus was retrograde generally in this same part of the Zodiac, and so therefore, in this same area of your chart. And as you know, I’m a big fan of going back in time and looking when cycles that we are experiencing now previously happened because usually there is some connection. It almost has to be, it’s happening in the same area of your birth chart. So think back to the state of your relationships at that time, and not just somebody you’re married to or somebody you’re dating, but your very closest friends. Maybe your work relationships underwent changes at these times.
The house of your chart can give you a little bit of a clue here because almost every house of the chart describes a certain kind of relationship in your life. In the seventh house, it might be a mate or very close friend. In the ninth house, maybe it’s a professor or a publisher. If it was in the third house, it could be your siblings. So think back.
Venus is retrograde about every 18 months for 40 days, and there is a lot to say about it. I covered it in some detail in my webinar, so again, you can find notes about how to get your hands on that if you’re interested in the episode description.
Listener Questions
As I mentioned at the beginning of the podcast, there will be no listener question this week simply because there were so many things that I wanted to cover. But I will be back to taking listener questions next week.
So if you, invisible friend, have a question 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
Well, that is everything that I have on my show sheet, so I’m gonna wrap this one up. Thank you so 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. I’d love it if you left a rating or a review, and I hope that you’ll help spread the word by telling an astrology loving friend about the podcast.
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That is it for this episode. Please join me again bright and early next Monday, and until then, keep your feet on the ground and your eyes on the stars!
© 2023 April Elliott Kent
