TRANSCRIPT Episode 200
Hello, invisible friend ,April here, and the date today is September 18th, 2023. Welcome to Episode 200 of the Big Sky Astrology podcast.
It is a little bit of a quiet sky this week. So before we get started with today’s episode, I’ve got just a couple of things to tell you about.
First of all, this year’s Podathon was an amazing success! We did manage to raise enough money to cover expenses to produce an entire year’s worth of episodes, including the extra Podathon episodes and even the bonus episodes for donors. It is completely amazing to me that each year I put out the word – the podcasting bat signal, if you will – and that the listeners heed the call and send actual money to produce this podcast! What can I say other than, thank you. It is humbling.
You know, I noticed this year how many donors have contributed to every single Podathon and I’m going to be adding that little piece of information when I give them their annual shout out. And while I’m thinking about it, listener Shellie Crow, who I shouted out on Episode 199 is one of these contributors who has made a contribution to every single Podathon since the first Podathon in 2020. Shellie, thank you so much.
The drawing for prizes was held on September 12th and I emailed the winners on September 13th. So here were the winners for the drawing.
The two personalized Followed by a Moonshadow Eclipse reports are going to Sandra Ochin and Elizabeth Orr. Access to one of my upcoming courses goes to Charlotte Benzinger. The 60-minute personalized reading with me goes to Kristen Hamzik. And the grand prize winner of a 90-minute reading with me goes to Cathy Sullivan-Thompson.
Thanks again to everybody who made a contribution. It is truly appreciated. And of course, everyone who donated $10 or more will get access to my donors-only, bonus episodes that will come out at the Equinoxes and Solstices. The first one for the Libra Equinox, in fact, will be coming up this week.
Now, there is something else special that I wanted to talk about this week, and that is that this is the 200th episode of the Big Sky Astrology Podcast! I started this show back in November 2019 with my co-host, Jen Braun. And when we hit 100 episodes in October of 2021, we produced an episode with a lot of fond flashbacks and laughs and trips in our Wayback Machine. I will link to that episode in the show notes so that you can enjoy taking a look back with us.
The show moved to a single host format, that would be me, on January 30th, 2022, and since then I’ve produced 92 shows, including two Podathons. We got so much great feedback as a cohosted show, and I really didn’t know quite how things would go once I was on my own. But I am really proud to say that the listenership keeps going up, and I will celebrate four years of the podcast on November 19th. I hope that you will be here celebrating with me.
And now for this week’s show!
This week, the Sun aspects Neptune and Pluto, a Sagittarius First Quarter Moon is perfect for a leap of faith, and we officially enter Autumn in the Northern Hemisphere, and Spring in the Southern Hemisphere, as the Sun reaches its Libra equinox.
Sun opposed Neptune (Sep. 19, 2023, 4:17 am PDT)
The week begins with the Sun’s opposition to Neptune on September 19th at 4:17 a.m. Pacific Time at 26º16’ Virgo and Pisces. The Sabian symbol for the Sun is 27 Virgo, Grand dames at tea. And the symbol for 27 Pisces is A Harvest Moon. And I know we’ve had an opposition on these same symbols relatively recently. It was probably when Mars opposed Neptune. In any event, that Sabian symbol of the “grand dames at tea” gives me a vision of social norms and doing things in a proper and elegant way, versus A Harvest Moon, the Sabian symbol for 27 Pisces, which speaks to that wildish lunar knowing that we have at a Full Moon, a Harvest Moon.
Now this could also mean that in the process of trying to get things done just so, as we often do when the Sun is in Virgo, they might go a little bit off the rails as the Sun makes this opposition to Neptune. It seems the more we try to approach things in a careful, methodical, detail-oriented way, the more things just kind of go in their own direction.
I think what we always have to learn during Neptune times is to kind of accept that sometimes, we can’t exactly plan for the way things are going to go. And that, in fact, there is something of the spirit of discovery that comes when we go off the beaten path, when we go outside of what we plan to do and sort of engage with the forces around us. Go along for the ride and see what might come up that we might not have really considered.
Sun trine Pluto (Sep. 20, 2023, 10:21 pm PDT)
Then on September 20th at 10:21 PM Pacific Time, the Sun trines Pluto at 27º59’ Virgo and Capricorn. The Sabian symbol for the Sun is 28 Virgo, which is often written as A bald headed man who has seized power. In its simplest form, it was just a bald-headed man, but I’m actually gonna look at the expanded version of this symbol at this Sun trine to Pluto, because it’s such a good delineation for the Sun in a good aspect with Pluto. I believe that a combination like this one says, this is a time when our Virgo work, and often Virgo describes the process of working that isn’t necessarily heralded and celebrated, where we’re toiling away quietly, focused on just doing our best possible work. But when that Sun in Virgo comes together with Pluto, and especially in Capricorn, which is a very powerful sign, I think this is always a suggestion that this is a time when, if we have been doing our best work, that we actually get recognized for it.
Sagittarius First Quarter Moon (Sep. 22, 2023, 12:32 pm PDT)
And now for the Moon Report. It begins with a Sagittarius First Quarter Moon on September 22nd at 12:32 p.m. Pacific time at 29º32’ Sagittarius, on the Sabian symbol 30 Sagittarius, The Pope. Now a First Quarter is always the phase of the Moon when something has to happen, whether we take action on something that was initiated at the new Moon, or whether something is resolved on our behalf. The First Quarter is when things get moving. Sagittarius is a sign of optimism and belief, so I think this is the perfect First Quarter Moon to take a leap of faith.
This is a Sagittarius lunation in a lunar phase family cycle that began back on December 23, 2022 at the New Moon at 1º32’ Capricorn. And all of the other major lunations in this lunar phase family cycle are in Capricorn. This is the only one that’s at the very end of Sagittarius.
The New Moon in Capricorn is very much like making New Year’s resolutions, and deciding what your objective is for the coming calendar year. So, the things that you were thinking about… And I can remember this one really clearly because I was sick as a dog. I had gone out of town and flown for the first time in three years and all the rest of it. And I came back, and during the time of year, when I normally would be taking a week off from work, and decide what it was I wanted to do in the year ahead in my business – Capricorn – I got terribly ill, so I wasn’t able to do any of that.
Now the First Quarter in that cycle is this First Quarter Moon. And it says, you know what, maybe you didn’t get a chance to sit down and really plot everything out the way you would have liked to have done at a New Moon in Capricorn. But every now and then, if you just take a leap of faith, if you just take some step in the direction of what you think you might want to do, then it can work out really well for you.
This Sagittarius First Quarter Moon on the Sabian symbol The Pope, is about a religious leader that is also the leader of a country. So, the way I’m reading this symbol for this First Quarter, as part of a Capricorn Lunar Phase family, is that it is important to not just have worldly goals and objectives, but to be strongly motivated by some kind of belief or principle. And I think that this First Quarter is an opportunity to reflect on that.
The other critical moments in this Lunar Phase Family Cycle are the Full Moon on June 21st, 2024 at 1º7’ Capricorn and the Last Quarter Phase on March 22nd, 2025 at 2º5’ Capricorn. So you can note those on your calendar, and that’s when your plans for long term success will really begin to come into focus, so that you can make one last push at that Last Quarter and bring it to fruition.
Void-of-Course Moon periods
Let’s look at the Void of Course Moon periods for this week. On September 20th, the Moon in Scorpio sextiles Pluto at 3:21 a.m. Pacific Time. It’s void-of-course for a little under four hours before it enters Sagittarius at 7:06 a.m. As transiting Pluto is stalled out here in the last few degrees of Capricorn through the beginning of January, we’re starting to see repeated messages in the Void-of-Course Moon periods, because so many of the Void-of-Course Moons are beginning with an aspect to Pluto.
This is about a theme that I’ve kind of been coming back to in recent weeks, and it has to do with controlling our emotional nature in order to wield more power in the world. Moon in Scorpio is so passionate, feels things so intensely and deeply. And when it’s connecting with Pluto in Capricorn, the challenge is to hold those feelings in check in order to reach some kind of objective represented by Pluto in Capricorn. Basically, it’s about controlling our emotions in order to achieve greater empowerment.
On September 22nd, the Moon in Sagittarius squares the Sun in Virgo. That is our First Quarter Moon at 12:32 p.m. Pacific Time. It’s void of course for just a little under one hour and then enters Capricorn at 1:20 p.m.
The tension between Sagittarius and Virgo is almost always a tension between thinking big, which is Sagittarius’ normal mode, and kind of thinking small, which is Virgo’s realm. Now, I don’t mean small in an insignificant way. I mean looking at things in detail, at kind of a molecular level. There’s the old saying, you can’t see the forest for the trees. And in that saying, it would be Virgo that is really sort of counting each tree. And Sagittarius is seeing the whole forest as one.
So I would say that this Void-of-Course Moon period allows us a short little window of one hour to contemplate the ways in which we might be missing the big picture because we are getting too caught up in details.
On September 24th, the Moon in Capricorn makes a conjunction with Pluto at 1:05 p.m. Pacific Time. It’s void of course for about three and a half hours and then enters Aquarius at 4:29 p.m. So, again, like the Moon in Scorpio, the Moon in Capricorn is about the ways in which we contain our emotions. And I would say the Moon in Capricorn has a little easier time doing that than the Moon in Scorpio.
But the Moon in Capricorn coming together with Pluto is, again, “You have denied yourself many things,” Pluto says to the Moon in Capricorn. “And now, I will reward you with power.” It’s a really powerful Void-of-Course Moon for changing all kinds of habits or approaches to things. Because Capricorn is assigned with a lot of willpower. And the Moon in Capricorn, again, is really good at holding itself in check. So, just about any kind of habit you would like to break, or new healthy habits you would like to develop, or letting go of old emotions that are no longer serving you, perfect for this Void-of-Course Moon period.
Libra Equinox (Sep. 22, 2023, 11:50 pm PDT)
On September 22nd at 11:50 p.m. Pacific Time, the Sun enters Libra. This is the Libra Equinox, and it’s the beginning of autumn in the Northern Hemisphere and spring in the Southern Hemisphere. This is a harvest time of year here in the Northern Hemisphere. And I think of the Libra time as the Full Moon phase of the year. If we think energetically of the natural world beginning at the Aries equinox, and now we’ve gone through half the year since then, and now is when things are revealed. What was it that we initiated with so much zeal and energy and zest at that Aries equinox? What shape has it taken? And how are we seeing things now?
We are halfway through what we began at the Aries equinox. And now we can see what we initiated then. And, what we took action about at the Cancer Solstice. And what we will need at the Capricorn Solstice to perfect, review, fine tune, so that by the time we get to the next Aries equinox, we’ve completed a full and fulfilling cycle.
Libra is also the sign of relationship, and others will often reflect our own issues. Take a close look as the Sun goes into Libra, and as we move towards the Libra New Moon at what you’re seeing in the people closest to you. Not necessarily even always in your interaction with them, but the things that they are going through, the things that they are trying to accomplish, the challenges that they’re facing. Because often other people are playing out things that are happening in our own charts, and it can give you an opportunity to be a better friend, a better partner for them, but also to use it as an opportunity to reflect on what you might need to be taking care of.
Listener Question: The South Node with other planets or points
In this week’s listener question, a listener whose name is withheld by request asks, “As a followup to listener Halley the Comet’s Episode 188 Lunar Node question, what is the clue given by the universe when one’s south node is in the same house or sign as one’s Sun or Ascendant? Is this an admonishment to reject the message of every feel-good movie of the year and knock it off with the “just being yourself”?
Additionally, what are best practices in using astrological timing with lunar nodes? Should I sign a new lease when transiting North Node is conjunct my natal fourth house cusp? Should I hit send on the online job application form when transiting North Node is conjunct my natal midheaven? Should I serve divorce papers on my astrology disparaging husband when transiting South Node is conjunct my natal 7th house cusp?”
April: Well, thank you, my invisible and anonymous friend. Now, the South Node, as alert listeners will recall, is more or less the description of the qualities we should aim to transcend in favor of the North Node qualities which suggest paths for growth. And I do encourage people to go back to Episode 188 and listen to that listener question and my response.
Now, many astrologers paint the South Node of the Moon in the bleakest possible terms. I am not one of them. I think of the South Node’s position as describing where we are too comfortable and need to use our inherent gifts to transcend the comfort zone so that we can move forward.
The way I often explain this to my clients is, if you’re 12 years old and living at home, your mom is cooking all your meals, doing your laundry, well, that’s not unusual. It’s not a bad thing. But, if you’re still in the same situation when you’re 42, well, we know you’ve kind of gotten stuck in your comfort zone and you’re not growing.
But at least to my way of thinking, the South Node of the Moon does not represent an evil place, and it is not necessary to throw out everything that is associated with its sign or house. You just can’t let yourself get stuck there. So the planets or points you may have in the same house or sign of the South Node can actually help with getting you out of that comfort zone if you make a conscious effort.
The Sun in the same house or sign of the South Node might indicate that your willpower and your charisma, your sense of self, can be used to get you out of that South Node as long as you choose to use it that way. Now it would also be easy to get away with just kind of spinning your wheels in the South Node by relying on all of those captivating solar qualities that can kind of let you get away with not changing.
As for the timing factor, I can’t say I’ve looked at it in too much depth. I can report, anecdotally, that on the day the North Node made a conjunction with Jupiter right on the midheaven of my birth chart, the career point, I received a really wonderful career boost and validation. But it was less about sending things out in that case than lovely things coming in. And I mean, that could have been the Jupiter factor as well. But the North Node will often, I think, bring us good things that have been building for the entirety of its 18-year journey through the zodiac.
So, one thing to remember about the nodes is that they have a long cycle, so they won’t make a conjunction to anything in the chart more than every 18 years. But, what you might want to play around with is to check the transiting Moon each month, and see if good things come your way when it’s crossing over the North Node in your birth chart. That could be a time of the month when great things that have been making their way to you for a while finally show up at your door.
Well, I hope that helps, anonymous friend.
And if you, Invisible Friend, have a question you would like me to answer on a future episode, just leave a message of one minute or less at speakpipe.com/bigskyastrologypodcast. Or you can email me at April(at)bigskyastrology(dot)com and be sure to put podcast question in the subject line.
Donor Thanks
Well, that is everything I have on my show sheet, so I’m going to wrap up this 200th episode. Thank you 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. Leave a rating or a review, and maybe you could spread the word by telling an astrology loving friend about the show. You can read show notes and full transcripts and leave your comments about each episode at BigSkyAstropod.com.
Thank you to everyone who continues to show support for the podcast, including the donors in this year’s 4th Annual Podathon. 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 new donor Kathleen Joseph and Henrietta Winston, who has donated to every single Podathon. Kathleen and Henrietta, thank you so much for listening to the podcast and for supporting the show with your donations.
If you’d like to support the show and receive access to my bonus episodes for the equinoxes and solstices, make a donation of $10 or more at BigSkyAstropod.com, where you can make a one-time donation in any amount, or become an ongoing monthly contributor.
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!
© 2023 April Elliott Kent

Writing and images © 2023 by April Elliott Kent
For more on this week’s planetary news, read my column!
