TRANSCRIPT Ep. 220 | Aquarius New Moon: A Shock to the System!

TRANSCRIPT Ep. 220 | Aquarius New Moon: A Shock to the System (Feb. 5, 2024)

Hello Invisible Friend, April here, and the date today is February 5th, 2024. Welcome to Episode 220 of the Big Sky Astrology Podcast. This week, a high-powered Aquarius New Moon square Uranus brings big shifts. Mercury comes together with Pluto to solve the unsolvable. Venus trine Uranus invites us to love and embrace what’s new. Mars takes a dip in Neptune’s waters, Mercury squares Jupiter, and I answer a listener question about whether Pluto in Aquarius is behind a rash of Mercury retrograde-ish symptoms in the listener’s life.

Mercury conjunct Pluto (Feb. 5, 2024, 4:57 am PST)

The week begins with a conjunction between Mercury and Pluto on February 5 at 4:57 a.m. Pacific Time at 0º29’ Aquarius. This is a combination that suggests strong concentration and laser focus. Pluto together with any planet seems to give it an almost obsessive quality, but it also gives it the desire to tackle things that seem impossible.

So, if there is some task in your life that is really daunting and you’ve been wanting to take care of it, say a big pile of papers that needs filing, getting your tax documents together, figuring out any logistical problem that seems unsolvable – this is absolutely the best day to focus on that. This is especially true with this combination at the very beginning of Aquarius because as I said in last week’s episode, Mercury in Aquarius is a wonderful placement for new insights and breakthroughs. If there is some problem that you’ve been stuck on, this is a wonderful combination for breaking through that.

Now, Mercury, together with Pluto, can point to a certain intensity in the way we communicate. So we want to remember when we are speaking to people, that they have feelings and that they might be impacted emotionally by what we say, and especially the way we say it.

Venus square Lunar Nodes (Feb. 6, 2024, 8:15 am PST)

On February 6 at 8:15 am Pacific Time, Venus in Capricorn squares the Lunar Nodes in Aries and Libra. The Sabian symbol for the North Node is 18 Aries, An empty hammock. And because Venus describes how we want to be comfortable and at ease, this Sabian symbol reminds us that, in order to get what we actually want, Venus, we’re going to have to get off our hammock. The hammock in the Sabian symbol is empty. We are not hanging out there. We are moving forward.

Venus in Capricorn does like to work, but this can also mean that sometimes we work too much either at the wrong things, or we’re so focused on the work that we’re doing. That we don’t always notice that there is a better way to do things, or in fact, a better goal that would suit us better and make our lives more engaging and happier.

This Venus square to the Lunar Nodes does have that implication with it. That what we want, what makes us feel comfortable, what we like doing is not always what’s going to make us happiest in the long run.

Venus trine Uranus (Feb. 7, 2024, 1:25 pm PST)

On the next day, February 7, at 1:25 p.m. Pacific Time, Venus trines Uranus. And this will help us also get out of that hammock and embrace what’s new and exciting to embrace, to some degree, change, which is not usually something that Capricorn loves. On a practical level, Venus trine Uranus can mean that there is some unexpected development in a relationship. And also, financially, this is a combination that has been known to bring unexpected windfalls. It can also bring unexpected expenses. But we’ll hope that with the trine aspect, which is a very harmonious aspect, that instead, things will be coming our way that we didn’t necessarily expect, that are really nice.

Mars sextile Neptune (Feb. 7, 2024, 4:20 pm PST)

A little later, on February 7, at 4:20 p.m. Pacific Time, Mars in Capricorn sextiles Neptune. Mars in Capricorn is a good worker. It’s very talented at envisioning a long-range goal and breaking it down in actionable steps so that it can be attained. But as Mars in Capricorn comes together with this Neptune in Pisces, there is an opportunity – this is a sextile – to work more fluidly, to work toward your goal, but to be willing to take the occasional detour with the changing tides.

And here is that message again this week of going with the flow or embracing what’s new or what’s different. Neptune isn’t quite like Uranus as we saw in the Venus-Uranus example. It is a more flowing influence and encourages us to literally go with the flow. So, however clear your vision of what you want to accomplish while Mars is in Capricorn, don’t get too attached to the way you get there, because Neptune might have different ideas for you.

This can also be an aspect that encourages us to work towards spiritual goals, not just our Capricorn goals of earthly achievement. It is an earth sign, and it is focused on what we can accomplish in the real world. Pisces and Neptune work a little bit differently. They ask us to look into whatever it is that we’re trying to accomplish and think about how that is impacting your life and the world in a spiritual sense. Are you making the world better, if only for the people around you? It takes into account the fact that life is made up not just of the things that we can perceive with our senses, but also intangibles such as love and meaning.

Sun square Uranus (Feb. 8, 2024, 2:46 am PST)

The Sun squares Uranus on February 8 at 2:46 a.m. Pacific Time, at 19º09’ Aquarius and Taurus. This aspect forms just the day before the New Moon, and it’s going to be a major feature of that New Moon chart. Aquarius is ruled by both Saturn and Uranus, and this combination represents the Sun in Aquarius at war with the Uranian side of itself, the rule breaker, the rebel. Aquarius is an innovative sign and innovation implies change, but it’s also a fixed sign and actually creating lasting change requires the fixity of purpose of Aquarius’s traditional ruling planet, Saturn.

The Sun’s Sabian symbol here is, A big white dove, a message bearer and Uranus is on 20 Taurus, Wind, clouds, and haste. I’m picturing that big white dove, the message bearer, buffeted around in the sky by the wind, the clouds, the haste. When the Sun is in Aquarius, we look to our future. And this Uranian influence says that that mark is ever-changing, that in our daily lives, so much is changing so quickly, that it’s a little harder to hold on steadfastly to a long-term goal.

Aquarius New Moon (Feb. 9, 2024, 2:59 pm PST)

And now for the Moon Report. We begin with the Aquarius New Moon on February 9th at 2:59 p.m. Pacific Time at 20º 40’ Aquarius. The New Moon point is on the Sabian symbol, 21 Aquarius, A woman disappointed and disillusioned.

The Aquarius New Moon is the best one each year for, as I was saying before, visualizing your future. It builds on the Sagittarius New Moon a couple of months before when it occurs to us that we could be doing more in our lives, and then collecting ideas about what we might try. And then, the Capricorn New Moon, which motivates us to create a practical plan for making at least one of those ideas a reality. And now the Aquarius New Moon expands our vision and reach off into tomorrow and beyond and even to places where our influence will be felt beyond our lifetime.

Now that we’ve had a taste of imagination and ambition, what is it that we can do to create an exciting future? One that matters not just for us, but in our own small way, matters to the world? Aquarius is normally blessed with a strong belief in itself, or at least, it doesn’t let itself be stopped by anyone else’s doubts. But now that Pluto is in this sign, the Aquarius part of your chart might find you feeling a little bit of pessimism that there actually is an exciting future out there waiting for you. That’s kind of how I’m looking at this Sabian symbol for the New Moon, A woman disappointed and disillusioned.

When Pluto moves into a sign, it often begins with a feeling like this one, that things are hopeless. In the areas of life that are represented by the Aquarius house of your birth chart, you may have seen a little of this creeping in. Aquarius is usually able to move in a direction with relative cheer and optimism because it’s so sure of its purpose. Pluto is the “what’s the point” planet, and we really have to make the decision to keep going with that sign’s highest potential and to push back when Pluto tries to push our hope down.

Aquarius wants a future and it wants to move the world forward. It wants progress and when Pluto tries to tell us that that isn’t possible, we have to push back and say, of course it is.

The Sun and Moon at this New Moon are in a very close square to the planet Uranus, the god of surprises and of radical redirection. It is a separating aspect. The Sun squared Uranus exactly the day before, and the Moon just a couple of hours before the New Moon. And what this means is, there has been a shock to the system. Separating aspects talk about what has already happened and that we will spend this New Moon cycle assimilating that change. And also a rather profound shift that will take place over the next three years of the Lunar Phase Family Cycle that begins with this New Moon. Change is inevitable, but it is often inconvenient, which is why we tend to put change off until something comes along and makes us change.

Lunar Phase Family Cycle

Like all New Moons, this New Moon initiates a three-year lunar phase family cycle. The seeds that we plant at this New Moon, whether consciously or unconsciously, are a story that will unfold and play out over the next 36 months.

At the First Quarter moon of November 8th, 2024, at 17°191 Aquarius, there is movement and action that has to be taken related to what we’re initiating now. At the Full Moon of August 9th, 2025, at 16º59’ Aquarius, we begin to really see the full picture of what it is that we initiated now, at this New Moon. And at the Last Quarter Moon on May 9th, 2026, at 19º14’ Aquarius, we are in a position to make final changes, take final action to bring this story to a satisfying conclusion.

Void-of-Course Moon periods

Let’s look at the Void-of-Course Moon periods for this week. On February 5th, the Moon in Sagittarius squares Neptune in Pisces at 9:06 p.m. Pacific Time. It’s Void-of-Course for about seven hours before it enters Capricorn on February 6th at 4:08 a.m.

A square aspect always suggests a conflict, and this will be a conflict that we’re meditating on and has to do with habits that we might want to change during this Void-of-Course period.

The Moon in Sagittarius and Neptune in Pisces actually have a little bit in common, because Sagittarius and Pisces share Jupiter as a ruler, and they’re both very comfortable in the realm of dreams and big ideas. The difference is one really of style and of tone. A Moon in Sagittarius is exuberant and as a fire sign, it’s very inspired to go out on its white horse and tilt at windmills. Neptune in Pisces, which is a water sign, is doubly watery. Its dreams are gentler, they’re not really about making things happen in the real world.

So you get a frustration from Sagittarius with Pisces. Because while Sagittarius doesn’t always have a clear idea of exactly where it’s headed, it’s excited to get there and to get there, you know, pretty quickly. And Pisces works quite differently. It’s, “Let me dream about this a while longer. Let me meditate on this a little while more.” It doesn’t feel so urgent to Pisces to get it done and get it done in a hurry. So we have a conflict there between those two elements.

On February 7th, the Moon in Capricorn makes a conjunction with Mars at 11:52 p.m. Pacific Time. It’s Void-of-Course for just about seven hours before it enters Aquarius on February 8th at 5:59 a.m. Pacific Time. There’s pressure with a conjunction aspect. The Moon wants to be comfortable, and Mars wants to move forward through action and desire and even danger.

Ideally, Mars here is a protector for the Moon. The Moon is where we need to feel safe and secure. And if we have Mars, our big guard dog, right outside our door, that can give us a sense of ease and feeling a little more comfortable. The problem is, this dog can be out there barking. It might be a dog that attacks people that you like when they try to come near you.

So, it’s not necessarily a completely easy combination. There is that pressure that we feel with a conjunction of two planets that are very unlike each other, the Moon and Mars, being forced to share close quarters. I suppose the possible lesson in this Void-of-Course Moon is to get your dog on a really strong leash and to train it very well, so it is helping you feel safe and comfortable, but isn’t getting out of hand and causing problems.

And on February 9th, the Moon in Aquarius makes a conjunction with the Sun, that’s the New Moon, at 2:59 p.m. Pacific Time. This is a long Void-of-Course Moon period for 14 3/4 quarter hours before the Moon enters Pisces on February 10th at 5:42 a.m.

And again, a conjunction brings pressure. The pressure here is the pressure of becoming something, becoming someone. Transforming from our unformed, needy, baby, lunar self into a full, responsible, dynamic individual. It’s a little bit like the Big Bang of a human being. The Moon and Sun together is like birth, and that we are in the process of becoming something new at this New Moon. So, we have a nice long Void-of-Course Moon period, as I said, to think about this, to perform our New Moon observances, whatever those might be. To really focus on how we want to let our life change, and how we want to rebirth ourselves.

Mercury square Jupiter (Feb. 10, 2024, 5:25 am PST)

Mercury squares Jupiter on February 10th at 5:25 a.m. Pacific Time, at 8º 23’ Aquarius and Taurus. Mercury is on Sabian symbol 9 Aquarius, A flag turned into an eagle and Jupiter is on 9 Taurus, A Christmas tree decorated.

In the U. S., the bald eagle is one of our treasured national symbols. It’s probably second only to the flag. And this Sabian symbol of a flag turned into an eagle makes me think about all of the feelings and convictions that we have about what we stand for, not just as a country or society, but individually, needs to be made real, to be turned into something alive and three dimensional, a flag into an eagle, and not just hypothetical beliefs.

Jupiter’s symbol, the Christmas tree decorated, seems to represent those beliefs. It shows this beautiful Christmas tree, sparkling and inspiring. It’s how we want the world to be, how we believe it is, and maybe how we hope it can be as well. But when Mercury and Jupiter come together in a square, we’re struggling to articulate and align our beliefs with these qualities of humanity, to let ourselves question what it is that we know, which is Mercury in Aquarius’ motto: I know, versus what Jupiter believes. And there is a real difference between knowing and believing. Believing says, “I don’t know for sure that this is the case. But this is what I choose to believe,” and Aquarius is absolutely sure it knows.

So that’s the tension in this square. But Mercury square Jupiter is always about trying to take these big Jupiterian ideas and beliefs and distill them down into something that can be articulated and communicated and understood.

Listener Question: Is Pluto in Aquarius just Mercury Rx on Acid?

In this week’s listener question, listener Ronald writes: “Hi April, Ronald here, Podcast Superfan. I have a question about Pluto’s recent ingress into Aquarius. I don’t know if this is just my household, but I have felt the ingress has brought on a specific chaos that feels like a Mercury retrograde on acid.

Six packages have been lost without recovery and technology at our house has gone totally haywire. All my friends, who aren’t astrology people, have had similar issues. Has anyone else noticed Mercury retrograde-like issues around this ingress? And if so, is this going to be a long-term theme or more of a big blip that settles after Pluto gets homier in Aquarius for good?”

April: Well, thank you for your question, Ronald. I have to sit for just a moment with this idea of Pluto getting homier anywhere, particularly in Aquarius, which is exciting, but just never feels that cozy to me!

Pluto entered Aquarius for the second time in recent memory… The first time was March 2023, but then, it also entered Aquarius again on January 20th, and it did so with a bang. Within a 12-hour period, the Sun made a conjunction with Pluto at the last degree and minute of Capricorn, and the power of that combination kind of shot them out into Aquarius.

I definitely felt a giant whoosh of energy within about a week either side of that, and I don’t remember Pluto’s brief ingress into Aquarius between March and June of 2023 as feeling quite that intense. Everybody was talking about it, but I don’t remember seeing a lot going on with it.

It’s worth keeping in mind, in light of your question, that Aquarius is a sign related to technology. Think of it as the higher octave of Gemini, the master of words and communication. And Aquarius represents new ways of forging connections with others – so dear to Libra, its fellow air sign. What Aquarius provides is the technology to carry those words and ideas to the masses. From the fountain pen to the printing press, to the personal computer, to now artificial intelligence, Aquarius symbolizes the technical innovations that make it possible for us to send ideas hurtling out into the future.

So, yeah, whenever Mercury is retrograde, we’re reminded to back up our computers, that things can go missing and wires can get crossed. But Aquarius, ruled by both Saturn and Uranus, takes all of this a step further. What has become obsolete will fall apart, but there is also the assurance that whatever falls apart, or becomes useless, or goes awry, gives us the opportunity to innovate and to come up with not just a solution, but usually an entirely new approach.

What seems to be coming with Pluto in Aquarius are fundamental shifts in the way we communicate and connect. What we’re beginning to see with artificial intelligence, driverless cars, moneyless money, and whatever else comes our way in the next couple of decades. These will be profound changes. Not all of them will seem positive.

But humans are extremely adaptable, and Pluto’s transits are slow, and in real-time we may not even notice the huge changes taking place around us. So yes, we will adapt to this new rush of Pluto in Aquarius energy, even probably grow a little bit numb to it. It may not seem exactly cozy, but it will seem like the new normal.

Now, I hope that I have demonstrated over the years my great fondness for the sign of Aquarius. But as we found during the Saturn in Aquarius years during the pandemic, the dreams of togetherness and collective action and common cause that we tend to associate with Aquarius can really go off the rails when a difficult planet enters the room.

So the relatively minor inconveniences of a faulty hard drive, or a phone that falls in the gutter, or packages going missing, may be just the universe’s way of saying, “Wake up.” There’s a much bigger picture that’s going to unfold and the technology that is vexing us today on that kind of Mercury retrograde level will almost certainly be obsolete or even unrecognizable at the end of this 20-year Pluto transit. Much as if we look back even in our own lifetimes for some of us oldsters, and remember the annoyance of a typewriter ribbon breaking, or having to wait for the phone company to come to our houses to replace the phone or the days of two daily editions of the local paper.

A brave new world awaits us, and it’s exciting on one hand to see how those changes are going to play out. It’s a little bit intimidating as well. And let’s hope that some packages going missing and some Mercury retrograde-ish kind of symptoms are as serious as it gets on a day-to-day level.

It’s never really an upbeat subject to talk about Pluto. To try to make it seem friendly and palatable is to miss the entire point of Pluto.

Its job is to tear down old ways, old structures that aren’t working, and that’s a painful process for many of us. But Pluto is always somewhere. So far, we’ve gotten through it, and I have no reason to think Pluto in Aquarius is going to be any different.

Ronald, I hope that helps, and I really appreciate the question.

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, email me at April (at) bigskyastrology (dot) com and put “podcast question” in the subject line.

Donor Thanks

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