TRANSCRIPT Ep. 232 (4.29.24)
Pluto’s Week: Power, Control, and Cleaning Out the Pipes!
Hello Invisible Friend, April here, and the date today is April 29th, 2024. Welcome to Episode 232 of the Big Sky Astrology Podcast. This week, Venus and Mars both enter their home signs and immediately make aspects to Pluto. The Aquarius Last Quarter Moon motivates us to loosen the purse strings for what inspires us. Pluto stations retrograde. And I answer a listener question about personal planets in aspect to Pluto.
Venus enters Taurus (April 29, 2024, 4:31 am PDT)
Venus enters Taurus on April 29th at 4:31 am Pacific Time. It’ll be in this sign through May 23rd. Venus in Taurus is in her home sign, one of the signs that she rules, and this makes her particularly strong at this time. Venus in Taurus luxuriates in the beauty of the physical world. Venus in Taurus indicates also the pleasure that we take from our belongings; the home that we own or live in, the plot of land that we call our own, and anything that we own that gives us pleasure and joy when we look at it.
Venus in Taurus is not necessarily the most generous sign for Venus, because Venus loves having what it has. But, of course, even if you were born with Venus in Taurus, there can be a lot of other things in your chart that suggest that you are a very generous person and you are happy to share with others. But that’s not necessarily the tone of Venus’s transit through Taurus.
This is a time for us to enjoy what we have, and also being in a body. I’ve always thought that there must be lessons we can only learn through being incarnated, living life in a physical body on this planet. And during this relatively brief time that Venus is in Taurus, through May 23rd, it’s an opportunity to be aware of that, to really celebrate being in your body, going out and enjoying taking a walk, going to a park, eating a really nice meal. These are all things that speak to that Venus in Taurus experience.
Venus squares Pluto (April 30, 2024, 9:30 pm PDT)
But the very next day, after Venus enters Taurus, she makes a square to Pluto in Aquarius on April 30th at 9:30 pm Pacific Time, with Venus at 2º06’ Taurus and Pluto at 2º06’ Aquarius. The Sabian symbol for Venus at the square is, Steps up to a lawn blooming with clover, and isn’t that a gorgeous image?
Speaking of the happiness, satisfaction, and luxury of the beautiful physicality of the world. But Pluto in Aquarius has a very different tone to it. It symbolizes the state of being to some extent disengaged with the physical and the natural, because Aquarius is a very intellectual sign. It lives from the neck up and isn’t so much, without other factors in, say, a birth chart, isn’t so much a symbol of enjoying that physicality that we described with Venus in Taurus. But it is a symbol, I think, as it is in a square here with Venus, that it is important to share what we have.
And Venus in Taurus, as I said, isn’t always rushing up to the front of the line, waving its hand, saying, “Here, take what I have, take what I have.” But Pluto is the planet, and Aquarius is the sign, of the collective, of unity with a society or with a culture or just being part of the human race, that indicates to us that it is important to share what we have to some extent with those around us.
Pluto is the planet that requires that we operate at the highest frequency of the sign that it’s in, and the aspects that it’s making to other planets. And our opportunity here is to take what we have and use it to some degree to make the world a little bit of a better place. And it’s up to each of us how we decide to do that. What is the gesture we can make? It may have to do with the time that we’re able to share, if we don’t have a lot of money. So, I would just say during this week, keep your eyes open for opportunities to give and to share at least part of the bounty that you enjoy.
Mars enters Aries (April 30, 2024, 8:33 am PDT)
On April 30th at 8:33 am Pacific Time, Mars enters Aries. It’ll be in this sign through June 8th. It was last in Aries between late May and early July 2022. And this is one of the very best Mars periods for getting things done. Mars is in its rulership in Aries, and its natural energy and excitement and verve are generally unimpeded in this sign, unless it makes difficult aspects to other planets.
And it may do that if you have things in your birth chart in Cancer, Libra, or Capricorn. You may have a couple of stumbling periods while Mars is in Aries. But in terms of its transit and its relationship with other transiting planets, it’s only going to make a sextile aspect to Pluto, which it does this week, and I’ll talk about in a moment, and also a conjunction with the Moon’s North Node.
So, it’s not making any difficult aspects. And on the plus side, that means there are no obstacles to impede your progress. If there’s something that you’ve been trying to do, and maybe it’s been a little bit hard while Mars has been in Pisces – because that is a sign that tends to dissipate energy a little bit, it’s a little bit harder to be very focused – and to just move boldly ahead with Mars in Pisces. And it also made a couple of difficult aspects to Saturn and Neptune. So now, with Mars in Aries, there’s nothing in our way, and we can hit the ground running. That’s on the plus side.
On the minus side, there is nothing to slow us down if maybe we’re moving a little too quickly, or we’re moving in the wrong direction. So, if there are people in your life whom you trust and love, who begin trying to tell you to slow down a little bit, or maybe look both ways before you cross the street, then I think it’s probably a good idea to depend on them during this transit, because there are not going to be other planets – which would represent other forces around you – that are doing that helpful work to slow you down when you need to.
Aquarius Last Quarter Moon (May 1, 2024, 4:27 am PDT)
And now for the Moon Report, and we begin with the Aquarius Last Quarter Moon on May 1st at 4:27 am Pacific Time. The Moon is in a wide conjunction with Pluto, which is in keeping with those aspects between Venus and Mars with Pluto – it’s a powerful Last Quarter, an emphatic exclamation mark at the end of two different lunar cycles.
The Last Quarter phase of the Moon represents a kind of tempering influence to the Sun’s sign. How does this Aquarius Last Quarter Moon temper the Sun in Taurus? This goes back a little bit to what I was talking about with Venus in Taurus, where Pluto in Aquarius. It’s the reminder that power comes from sharing, and it doesn’t belong exclusively to the person who has more, who has some wealth.
This Last Quarter Moon concludes the Aries New Moon solar eclipse cycle that began on April 8th. The very dramatic energy of that New Moon in your chart can now be disseminated widely for the use and good of all. You can actually do something with this energy instead of feeling a little overwhelmed by it. Sharing your talents and your energy with a group or an organization or to organize your friends to go on a fun outing would be a really good use of this Last Quarter Moon. At the very least, think about setting a long-term goal that you can work toward.
Lunar Phase Family Cycle
This is the Last Quarter phase in a lunar phase family cycle that began on January 31st, 2022 with a New Moon at 12º19’ Aquarius. At that time, maybe you broke out on your own to do something new. Maybe you changed an established routine in your life, and at the First Quarter Moon in this family cycle on October 31st, 2022, you may have realized at that time that you needed to take some kind of action to move forward on the thing that you began in late January 2022, that moved it in a specific direction. Then by August 1st, 2023, at the Full Moon in this family cycle, it would have become a little more clear, a little more obvious, what you might have needed to do to complement or to expand on or to fine-tune the thing that you began at the New Moon.
Now, we’re at the Last Quarter in that phase. We have another full nine months of working through this Last Quarter phase, but this is the pivot point. A Quarter Moon, whether it’s the First Quarter or Last Quarter, is a little bit of a critical phase. It says we’re changing direction, but at the First Quarter Moon, we’re not always acting based on knowledge. We’re acting based on instinct.
Now with the Last Quarter Moon, based on what we have learned since the end of January 2022, we’re now able to take one last important action. But this one is informed by our experiences up to now and what we have done and what we have seen come back to us in return and to decide, is this still the road that we want to be on? Is this still the thing we want to be doing and the way we want to do it? And if not, we can make that final decision at the end of this Last Quarter phase.
Void-of-Course Moon periods
Let’s look at the Void-of-Course Moon periods for this week. Now just a quick recap for those who might not be aware of what the Void-of-Course Moon is. It represents that moment every couple of days or so, where the transiting Moon has made the last major aspect it will make in its current sign, and it’s Void-of-Course until it moves into the next sign. These are considered to be moments when you have an opportunity to change your habits, to change your ways. And if you initiate new routines, say healthful ones, you want to get out and walk every day, you want to change some element of your diet, I was taught that it’s good to do this during a Void-of-Course Moon period, because symbolically, the Moon is not making any other aspect that will symbolically push you off track. So, it’s a good time for letting go of what’s not working, and initiating new routines.
Our first Void-of-Course Moon period this week is on April 30th when the Moon in Capricorn sextiles Mars in Pisces at 8:18:45 am Pacific Time. It’s Void-of-Course for less than one minute. I think this is the shortest one I’ve seen since I’ve been including this in the podcast! And then the Moon enters Aquarius at 8:19:32 am.
What is the opportunity for such a short Void-of-Course Moon period? You have less than a minute to use this Void-of-Course Moon to change, to let go of something, to create a new habit? What I would recommend is this. If you are awake and aware at this time, simply pause, take a deep breath, exhale, and list three people in your life who need your help and love. That’s all there is to it. You don’t have to think about how you’re going to help them, but identify them. Think about it. Put a little air into it.
On May 2nd, the Moon in Aquarius squares Jupiter at 2:28 am Pacific Time. It’s Void-of-Course for about nine and a half hours and enters Pisces at 11:52 am. When a Void-of-Course Moon begins on the Moon’s square aspect to another planet, there is a conflict that’s indicated. The habits to review at this Void-of-Course Moon period have to do with how you’re sharing your time and assets with others. Jupiter tends toward extremes, either spreading yourself way too thin and giving too much to other people in your life, or else being a little bit stingy. This is the Void-of-Course Moon period to review your habits in that regard and see if you need to fine-tune them.
Then on May 4th, the Moon in Pisces makes a conjunction with Neptune at 12:06 pm Pacific Time. It’s Void-of-Course for about an hour and a half and then enters Aries at 1:41 pm. The Moon coming together in a conjunction with another planet as it goes void indicates a pressure. And the pressure here is something like, are you reserving enough time for relaxation, napping, daydreaming, listening to music, reading novels, writing poetry, communing with spirit? Here is a time to do something, to establish a new routine that brings you closer to that area of life.
Pluto stations Retrograde (May 2, 2024, 10:47 am PDT)
Pluto stations retrograde this week on May 2nd at 10:47 am Pacific Time at 2º06’ Aquarius. Pluto has been direct since October 10th, 2023. And after this retrograde period, it will turn direct again on October 11th, 2024.
Pluto, when it’s retrograde, asks, how are you taking power and control in your life? If you’re on social media a lot of the time, and looking at what other people are doing, and what they have, and wondering whether you compare favorably or unfavorably to those around you – it is a way of giving your power away, isn’t it? So, during this retrograde period, Pluto encourages us to look within, to take our sense of our power from how we’re feeling about things. Only we know if we’re achieving our potential. And, that’s what the retrograde periods of the planets help us get in touch with.
Are we in control? Are we taking power in the way that’s meaningful to us? And not comparing ourselves to everyone else – and that’s represented by Aquarius.
Pluto will reenter the very end of Capricorn during this retrograde on September 1st, and it will be in that sign through November 19th, and then it goes back into Aquarius for good.
Mars sextile Pluto (May 3, 2024, 2:06 am PDT)
And finally, on May 3rd at 2:06 AM Pacific time, Mars sextiles Pluto, at 02°06’, Aries and Aquarius. And as I said before, this is really Mars only major planetary aspect while it’s in Aries. So how do we take advantage of it? Well, again, Mars is in Aries and it’s very energetic and it’s very focused on what we want to do.
So this is the time to take action toward our future goals. Which are represented by Aquarius. With the confidence that they are indeed within reach. Now, our goals might shift a little bit while Pluto backtracks into Capricorn briefly in September through the middle of November. But really, that’s just an opportunity to revisit what we were thinking about and possibly planning at the end of last year.
But this is a very exciting combination. Now it’s a sextile aspect between Mars and Pluto, and as I’ve told you many times, a sextile is more or less optional. And if we choose to take advantage of it and to put energy behind it, generally good things will result. And if we decide not to do that, terrible things probably won’t happen. It’s just we don’t get the advantage of the sextile.
So if we act now to initiate a viable plan toward a future goal, I think the results could be really inspiring. And I think that we’ll see that by the time Mars joins up with Pluto in Aquarius in early 2026.
Listener Question: Personal planets conjunct Pluto
In this week’s listener question, listener Jennifer asks, “What are the characteristics of a person who has any of the personal planets conjunct Pluto, an intense planet?”
Jennifer, this felt like a very Plutonian week, with Venus and Mars at least in aspect of Pluto, if not in a conjunction. So I think this is a good time to dive into your question. First of all, I want to define for those who might not know what you mean by the personal planets. And those are the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, and Mars.
And before we get too specific with those, let’s begin by saying that Pluto brings emphasis, intensity, focus, and determination to anything in the chart that it comes in contact with. Pluto’s job is to make something more truly itself and make it of maximum benefit to the universe.
Pluto’s job is to get rid of anything that doesn’t make the structure sound and true. It’s the exterminator who gets rid of termites in your rafters, or rats in your cabinets. The plumber who gets rid of tree roots in your pipes. There is an intensity, drive, and depth related to a planet that’s in any aspect to Pluto. But I think it’s most dramatic when the relationship is a conjunction, where the two of them are exact within a couple of degrees.
Pluto acts as a kind of an exclamation mark on the messages of that planet and sign. There is on one hand the quality of powerful charisma that comes with Pluto, but we always have to take care to use it for the very best possible purpose. Because it can easily get away from us and become destructive, or at the very least, overbearing.
Let’s talk about the Sun in a conjunction with Pluto. Often, this person has a very powerful personal charisma. They are an avatar for the best and, sometimes, the most destructive qualities of their Pluto generation. When the combination is working well, in other words, when the person is activating the higher qualities of this planet, others will follow them.
My teacher had this combination in Leo, and she had such a warmth and magnetism that made others follow her around kind of like little ducklings. But I had a close friend years ago who had this conjunction in Virgo, along with some kind of difficult aspects. And while she had a quality that made others notice her and respond to her, she lacked confidence in herself and she suffered from a lifetime of depression.
The Moon in a conjunction with Pluto can be very captivating to the public. We always tend to think in modern astrology of the Moon being connected with feelings and with home. It’s not that that’s untrue, but in traditional astrology, the Moon represented the public. Individuals like Amelia Earhart, actress Jodie Foster, actor Leonardo DiCaprio, populist politician Ross Perot, musicians Karen Carpenter, Barbara Streisand, David Bowie, Willie Nelson, Mozart, are all examples of those who live their lives or have lived their lives in such a way that others feel a close emotional bond with them. It’s not necessarily the most comfortable combination in the world to have the Moon aspected by Pluto, whether it’s a conjunction or some other kind of aspect, but it does generally give an ability for the person to connect with larger groups of people.
Mercury in a conjunction with Pluto is powerfully perceptive, a good communicator, and talented at picking up almost any skill. It’s a really good combination for research because this generally is a person who will not stop until they get to the bottom of any matter. But sometimes this gives a little too much intensity in casual conversation. Maybe asking very personal questions, offering very blunt observations that weren’t really asked for, and most of all, refusing to let matters drop.
Venus in conjunction with Pluto offers power and influence through Venus matters, such as creating art, or perhaps an alliance with a powerful partner. Painter Frida Kahlo represents both of these. A painter who is almost venerated as a saintly figure in some circles. Her work was filled with harsh imagery that was inspired by her physical suffering and also by her difficult but passionate marriage to fellow artist Diego Rivera.
Mars in a conjunction with Pluto brings two extreme forces together, and here we get intense personalities who struggle, often in extreme circumstances. On the plus side, these are people who can have amazing physical stamina. Think of Bruce Springsteen and his three-hour concerts. But there is a darkness that comes with this combination as well. Actor Robert Downey Jr., with this combination, had a long road to getting his drug problems under control. Substance abuse can sometimes be a hallmark of this combination. Princess Diana struggled against the controlling circumstances of her role in the British royal family. And a very interesting case of this combination is Rodney King, who became a symbol of racial unrest after his abuse at the hands of police incited violent riots in Los Angeles.
Pluto is also enormously powerful in combination with the angles of the birth chart, the cusps of the first, fourth, seventh, and tenth houses. These connections often seem to represent situations that feel outside the person’s control and can seem specifically connected to life-changing events that change the course of the person’s life.
Pluto’s influence on an individual’s birth chart is powerful. But it’s hard to tell until you’re talking to someone about their life, exactly how it is played out. We can tell for sure, though, that control and power play an important role in the formation of their character.
Jennifer, thank you so much for your question and for listening to the podcast.
And if you, Invisible Friend, have a question you’d 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 be sure to put “Podcast Question” in the subject line.
Donor Thanks
Well, that’s everything I have on my show sheet, so I’m going to wrap this one up. Thank you for listening to the Big Sky Astrology Podcast. If you like what you’re hearing, please subscribe or follow the show in your app of choice, leave a rating or a review, and I hope that you’ll help spread the word by telling an astrology-loving friend about the podcast. You can read show notes and full transcripts and leave your comments about each episode at BigSkyAstropod.com.
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Laura and Iona, thank you so much for listening to the podcast and for supporting the show with your donations.
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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!
Writing and images © 2017-24 by April Elliott Kent
For more on this week’s planetary news, read my weekly column!
