TRANSCRIPT Ep. 198 | A Nice (Venus) Day for a Podathon Finale!

TRANSCRIPT Episode 198 | A Nice (Venus) Day for a Podathon Finale!

Hello, invisible friend, April here, and the date today is September 8th, 2023. Welcome to Episode 198 of the Big Sky Astrology Podcast and the grand finale of my Fourth Annual Big Sky Astrology Podathon!

Podathon is the week each year when I bring you five daily episodes complete with each day’s planetary happenings, special Podathon segments, and a drawing for prizes. Of course, this is also the week when I make my appeal for contributions, which help me cover the cost of producing the podcast.

But first I want to take a moment just to say thank you to everyone who’s helped support the show over the past year. As I said on Monday’s episode, I’ve been delighted to see the listenership of the podcast double since the last Podathon, and I’m so grateful for the kind feedback that I receive from my invisible friends. I truly appreciate your support.

And because this podcast is audience funded, of course, I hope to continue to earn your support in the coming year as well to encourage your contributions. Here are this year’s fantastic giveaways.

First, everyone who donates $25 or more, as well as our ongoing monthly pod pal contributors will be entered in a drawing for a chance to win one of these prizes.

One grand prize winner will win a 90-minute reading with me, a $269 value.

One lucky listener will win a 60-minute personal astrology reading with me. That’s a $210 value.

Another lucky donor will win free enrollment in their choice of one of my upcoming courses. This is usually about a $249 value.

And two donors will receive a personalized copy of my “Followed by a Moonshadow” Eclipse report. These will help get you ready for October’s eclipses. This report covers three years of eclipses following them through your birth chart, and it’s a $35 value.

To be entered in the drawing, you need to make your donation of $25 or more at BigSkyAstropod.com, no later than midnight on Monday, September 11th. The drawing will be held on September 12th, and the winners will be notified by email.

But April, you say, have you seen what a dozen eggs is going for these days? What if I can’t contribute that much? I am so glad you asked! Everyone who donates $10 or more will receive access to my special bonus episodes for donors only. These come out at the equinoxes and solstice. This year’s bonus episodes will feature some special guests, and I think that you’re really going to enjoy them.

I also want to say that I know not everyone can contribute financially, and I understand. I’m just glad you’re here. If you love the show and you want to show your support, here are a few easy free ways you can help increase the show’s visibility.

If you like the show, please subscribe or follow the podcast on your app of choice. This is the very best way to help the show get noticed by new listeners. You could leave a five-star rating or write a lovely review either on Apple Podcast or any of the platforms that allow comments. You can join the conversation on my website and make a comment at BigSkyAstropod.com, just click on whichever episode you’d like to comment on. Finally, recommend the show to an astrology loving friend!

However you choose to show your support, please know that I appreciate it very much.

I would like to also give a special shout out to the listeners who called in and left their messages of support during this week’s episodes! It was just delightful to hear a few of the real life voices of some of the show’s, invisible friends, so thank you.

Greetings from Listener Lori

Hi, this is Lori from San Diego. I found the Big Sky Astrology Podcast through a friend who listens to it religiously each week. I enjoy the way April presents the weekly sky happenings in an understandable and entertaining manner. Thanks – power out!

And now for today’s episode!

Today’s Planetary Highlights

In this week’s episodes, I’ve been covering the week’s big astrological news, along with lunar happenings and some special topics. It has been a really light week for important transits, but today something pretty big is happening. At 4:12 AM Pacific Time, the Sun in Virgo trines Jupiter in Taurus at 15º33’ Virgo and Taurus.

This is a very big planetary combination in two fairly down to earth, unpretentious signs. And the message I’m taking away from this is very much in keeping with the Sabian symbol for the Sun: 16 Virgo, An orangutan. It always makes me think about the importance of being our true natural selves no matter who’s watching us, and no matter what they think of how we look or act. While the Sun is on this degree for a couple of days, those who do this, I think, will receive positive notice.

And since the Sun is in this beautiful trine to fortunate Jupiter, the people who notice us will give us very good reviews indeed. You know, every now and then I get a free day to putter around the house a little bit, and it’s always amazing to me how satisfying it can be to just put your pantry in order or catch up on laundry. Simple little tasks, but it can actually be relaxing and satisfying to do them. Today with the Sun in Virgo, the organizer, look at ways to do that kind of good organizational work and the trine to Jupiter says it will really pay off.

The Moon Report

Now for today’s Moon report! The Moon is in the sign of Cancer today, and everything related to the Moon is heightened when it’s in its home sign. It gets off to a good start early in the morning with its trine aspect to Saturn at 3:43 AM. But it runs into a little bit of choppy emotional water as it makes a square to Mars at 1:33 PM.

Neither Mars nor its current sign of Libra are a very comfy fit for Cancer. Mars’ straight-ahead nature and its tendency toward open conflict is at odds with Cancer’s indirect approach. And the sign of Libra, which Mars is in, leans toward the intellectual rather than the emotional. Try not to overreact if somebody speaks to you a little abruptly, which might be symbolized by that aspect to Mars, or just in a way that’s geared toward rational thought – Libra – without taking sensitive feelings into consideration.

The Moon is still in its Last Quarter phase, which is a time of the month for looking back, reflecting, considering how we might have more effectively done things differently and the kinds of corrections we might want to make moving forward over the next week before the New Moon.

A heads-up, too, that the Cancer Moon will be Void-of-Course on Sunday, September 10th, between its opposition to Pluto at 5:47 AM Pacific time, and when it enters Leo at 9:36 AM. That’s a nearly four-hour Void-of-Course Moon period, whose tone is very much set by Pluto. Unresolved feelings and hurts, and even regrets might rise to the surface. So sleep in if you can, and then maybe go out and meet some friends for a festive Leo brunch.

Greetings from Listener Teresa

Hi, April. My name is Teresa. I found your podcast online over a year ago. I find it fascinatingly fun, and so good to hear good astrology from a true, honest lioness. Blessings.

Days of the Week: Friday, Saturday, and Sunday

This week I’ve also been sharing a little bit about which of the seven visible planets rules each day of the week, and what are the sorts of things that are favored on each planet’s day. Today, we’ll look at Friday as well as Saturday and Sunday.

Friday is Venus’ Day. Friday is named for Freya, a Norse goddess associated with love, beauty, fertility, and sex. She is more or less the Norse equivalent of Venus, so that’s the planet that we celebrate on Fridays.

Traditional homemakers made Friday the day that they cleaned their homes, and I always think maybe this was an homage to Venus’ impulse toward beauty and harmonious surroundings. But Venus also describes the ability to attract what we want, so why not combine the two?

Often, I perform a simple little energy clearing ritual on Fridays. This begins with light cleaning, mostly clearing clutter in anticipation of a more major cleaning on Saturday. I smudge with a sage wand, light some candles. Open up all the windows and offer a quick request of Venus to bless our home with love, harmony, prosperity, and good friends.

If dating is part of your Friday night routine, honor Venus, the goddess of relationship with a small altar, furnished with a flower, a candle, maybe some sweet offerings such as a candy or a cookie. Light your candle. State your intentions for the evening and visualize a warm, pleasant time.

Saturday is Saturn’s day, and any kind of hard physical labor is compatible with Saturn’s energy. If you need to move heavy objects such as furniture or hard scaping in your garden, today is the day that you’re more likely to find strength for it. Clean your fireplace or till the soil in your garden and watch Saturn smile.

The traditional homemaker baked on Saturday so that fresh bread would be available for Sunday, the Sabbath, when no cooking should really be done. I love to bake when the weather is cool, but it does require more saturnine time and organization than the typical homemaker can often spare.

Saturn rewards hard work and it stiffens the spine for unappealing chores. So that’s why I’ve chosen Saturday in my household for tackling my least loved tasks, like washing the car or windows or floors, which I hate, or cleaning the refrigerator.

And finally, Sunday is the Sun’s Day. This was the traditional day of rest set aside for relaxation, recreation, and worship, all of which are ruled by the Sun. In our household, Sunday tends to be the day we catch up on sleep and errands and time with each other. Today is the day for anything that makes you feel rested and revitalized. It is a day for play, which restores physical and creative energy for the week ahead. “A change is as good as a rest,” the old saying goes, and Sundays are often happiest when they’re completely different from our usual routine. So taking a trip to a museum, or the theater or the park, visiting with family, preparing a special meal, these are all excellent ways to honor the Sun’s day.

Podathon Wrap-Up!

Well that is everything on my show sheet, so I’m gonna wrap this one up – and that’s a wrap, too, on the Fourth Annual Podathon! It is hard to believe that it’s the fourth Labor Day week that we have spent together, and I really hope that you’ve enjoyed these extra episodes this week.

This weekly podcast is audience funded and your generous donations help me keep the podcast coming to you, ad-free. My goal with the Podathon is always just to pay the expenses involved in producing the weekly episodes. If you enjoy the show, I hope you will consider making a donation at BigSkyAstropod.com.

Everyone who donates $10 or more will receive access to my special bonus episodes at the equinoxes and solstices. I’ve been offering these since the first Podathon, and I hear from listeners that they really enjoy them. And if you donate $25 or more, you’ll automatically be entered in a drawing for the chance to win one of these terrific prizes.

Two winners will get a personalized copy of my followed by a Moonshadow Eclipse report.

One winner will get free enrollment in one of my upcoming courses.

One extra specially lucky winner will get a free 60 minute reading with me and one super lucky winner will get a full 90 minute reading with me.

To be entered in the drawing, you need to make your donation of $25 or more at bigskyastropod.com, no later than midnight on Monday, September 11th. The drawing will be held on September 12th, and the winners will be notified by email.

I’ll be thanking each donor on the air by name in the months to come. But if you don’t want me to mention your name, please email me at april(at)bigskyastrology(dot)com and I will make sure to keep your donation my happy secret.

Thank you for being out there listening and for helping me celebrate this Fourth Annual Podathon. Join me again bright and early next Monday morning for another episode, and until then, keep your feet on the ground and your eyes on the stars!