TRANSCRIPT Episode 237 (6.3.24)
Gemini New Moon: Overheard at the Cafeteria!
Hello, Invisible Friend. April here, and the date today is June 3rd, 2024. Welcome to Episode 237 of the Big Sky Astrology Podcast. This week, Mercury enters Gemini, its home sign, and Mars enters Taurus. The Sun and Venus make conjunctions with Saturn, an extremely Gemini heavy New Moon, and I answer a listener question about what to expect from a New Moon in the solar return chart.
Mercury enters Gemini (June 3, 2024, 12:36 am PDT)
Mercury enters Gemini this week on June 3rd at 12:36 am Pacific Time. It will be in this sign through June 17th, 2024. Being in its own sign puts Mercury into overdrive. It brings the number of planets in the sky in Gemini to four. And Mercury being the ruler of Gemini means that it is influencing all of these planets in Gemini.
It’s a busy time, normally, when Mercury is in Gemini. We tend to be more sociable, we often travel, maybe just locally. Road trips, just getting around the neighborhood more. Mercury is also very curious, and at this time of year when the Sun is in Gemini, you often hear people talk about what they are reading, what is their summer read.
Gemini does love to read, as well as watching television, listening to podcasts, and all of the rest of it. So, expect to be busy, and Mercury is making several aspects this week as well, which increase the busyness and further influence the feel of Mercury being so strong in its sign.
Mercury trine Pluto (June 3, 2024, 11:12 pm PDT)
For example, later on June 3rd at 11:12 pm Pacific Time, Mercury trines Pluto, at 1º52’ Gemini and Aquarius. Now, again, we’re in this situation where Pluto is so early in its sign that every time a planet moves into a new sign, its first aspect is often to Pluto, and that’s the case here for Mercury entering Gemini.
Mercury with Pluto really pulls Mercury down into a deeper place than we would normally expect when it’s in Gemini. So there is more intensity of thought. There is a desire to do a little sleuthing, looking under the surface, trying to figure out what people’s motivations are and what they are doing. Mercury in Gemini is normally light, superficial, not necessarily in a negative way. It just means the function of Gemini is to take a little bit from here and take it to there and to basically spread ideas around when Mercury is in the sign.
So that’s why it’s so busy and so sociable. But as it makes this aspect to Pluto – and it’s not a long transit, really, we will only see this influence, I think, on June 3rd. But if there is anything in your life you’ve been needing to dig deep on and do some troubleshooting, maybe you’re trying to figure out something about your car insurance bill, how to deal with your investments, things that take a little depth of thought, that take slowing down and focusing and concentrating, this would be an especially good day for that.
Mercury conjunct Jupiter (June 4, 2024, 3:23 am PDT)
And then on June 4th at 3:23 am Pacific Time, Mercury makes a conjunction with Jupiter. So, it bounces right back from that aspect with Pluto, into Jupiter, which is very broad, very expansive, the sky is the limit. And this is a combination that inclines to big thoughts, big thinking.
Now, admittedly, sometimes our thoughts can get a little bit too big. Our ability to think things through and communicate our big ideas can get a little overwhelmed. It’s like a backup in the print queue. But generally speaking, this is an optimistic combination. It is one that makes us shift our mindset to some degree toward the positive and the optimistic. It is very easy in this day and age to get into a really negative mindset.
And this is true, especially if you wake up first thing in the morning and you’re looking at your mail or you’re looking at social media and you’re immediately thinking, good heavens, things certainly are a mess. But when Mercury comes together with Jupiter, and we might feel this one probably for a couple of days in advance, say from June 2nd to June 5th, it’s a time to imagine, “What if I decided to take this particular course of action? Maybe it won’t work out, but there’s a really good chance that it could.”
Sun conjunct Venus (June 4, 2024, 8:33 am PDT)
The Sun makes a conjunction with Venus on June 4th at 8:33 am Pacific Time at 14º29’ Gemini. They come together on Sabian symbol 15 Gemini, Two Dutch children talking. And this is a symbol that reflects the comfort that we feel when we are with someone who speaks our language, both literally and metaphorically. Our ability to speak about what’s important to us can bring us closer to others this week.
And it’s a week where we will take particular pleasure in spending time with the people who know us best and understand us the most. When Venus is at its cazimi point, at the exact conjunction, the feeling of love and affection is intensified. Cazimi is the state that a planet enters when it’s at its closest conjunction with the Sun, and it means, “in the heart of the Sun.”
So, this is a time for exchanging words of love, for really letting the people that we care about know how much we care. There’s something lovely about being with people who at least understand your language, even if they don’t always understand you.
We were traveling once in New Zealand and we were north of Auckland, sitting at a cafe and I overheard a voice and I thought, “Oh, why does that voice sound so familiar?” And I realized it was an American accent. And there was something about it that immediately made me feel like I wanted to go over and speak with them or just bask in the feeling of being with people from my country. And of course, if you’re in your country, you never give this any kind of thought.
And it’s not that I didn’t love the people in New Zealand, because I did. But it is that familiarity and that comfort level that we can have with people who share our cultural touchstones and even our accents.
Gemini New Moon (June 6, 2024, 5:38 am PDT)
And now for the Moon Report. It begins with the Gemini New Moon on June 6th at 5:38 am Pacific Time. It’s at 16º17’ Gemini, on the Sabian symbol, 17 Gemini, The head of a robust youth changes into that of a mature thinker. Here we have the Sun, Moon, and Venus almost exactly in a conjunction, and all of them together are in a square aspect to Saturn.
All of the things that we associate with so many planets in Gemini, we definitely get a feeling of this is a very Gemini time, busy, sociable, talkative, and in many ways, youthful. Three of these planets are in the square aspect to Saturn, and I think that that slows Gemini down quite a bit, and it can be a little bit frustrating. When you have planets in a sign that are used to just moving, moving, moving, never spending a lot of time in one place and then they connect with Saturn and they have to slow down… they don’t really tend to love it.
So, there is a little bit of frustration that comes at this New Moon, but ultimately, as it unfolds through its lunar phase family cycle, it can mean that we are developing our cognitive functions, symbolized by Gemini, because we are patient and patient and disciplined enough to slow down and examine them and come up with structures and strategies to help us enhance our knowledge. So that we’re quite a bit like the Sabian symbol for this New Moon, the head of a robust youth changes into that of a mature thinker.
Lunar Phase Family Cycle
This is the New Moon in a lunar phase family cycle that will unfold over the next few years. What we’re considering at this New Moon, maybe it’s a new subject that you want to study in depth. That would suit the symbolism of Gemini planets coming together with Saturn pretty well. Whatever it is that you make your priority at this New Moon is something you really can become good at over the next few years.
And that will begin really at the First Quarter Moon on March 6th, 2025, which is the First Quarter Moon in this lunar phase family cycle. That’s a time that you can plan to take some kind of recognizable action toward achieving a goal that you formulate at this New Moon.
Then the Full Moon in the cycle comes on December 4th, 2025. And then it’ll be a little easier to see what you really want to do. It might be a little different than you formulated at this New Moon because you have a little more information. And finally, there’s the Last Quarter Moon on September 4th, 2026, when there’s time to make one more critical adjustment, and push, and make the final action toward achieving this New Moon’s objectives or goals.
Void-of-Course Moon periods
Let’s look at the Void-of-Course Moon periods for this week. Neptune is currently sitting at the very end of Pisces, and that means that all of this week’s Void-of-Course Moon periods are very short ones that begin with the Moon making an aspect to Neptune.
Neptune is a planet that can bring some confusion or make it a little hard for us to see exactly what’s going on, but it’s also a beautifully imaginative planet, and also has to do with healing and with releasing.
On June 5th, the Moon in Taurus makes a sextile aspect to Neptune at 1:09 am Pacific Time. It’s Void-of-Course for 27 minutes, then enters Gemini at 1:36 am.
The sextile aspect brings an invitation or an opportunity, and the opportunity during this Void-of-Course period, short as it is, is to find a good balance, a good way to blend practicality, symbolized by the Moon in Taurus, with imagination in your life. Too much of one without the other can be less than effective.
Moon in Taurus, for all of its strengths, can sometimes lack that quality of imagination or that ability to kind of go with the flow. Neptune possesses those qualities, but doesn’t always have the stability and the stick-to-it-iveness needed to do something with it. So, this is a Void-of-Course Moon period for trying to bring all of those qualities together.
Then, on June 7th, the Moon in Gemini squares Neptune at 5:16 am Pacific Time. It’s Void-of-Course for 25 minutes, then enters Cancer at 5:41 am. Void-of-Course Moons that begin on a square to a planet bring a challenge or conflict. And, in this case, Gemini’s love of language means that we might sometimes speak a little insensitively and others can get their feelings hurt.
If you have a habit of favoring wit or humor or wisecracking in your communications with others, this is a good time to review that. Because, although it can be fun to use language in that way, it can sometimes be hurtful.
And on June 9th, the Moon in Cancer trines Neptune at 12:05 pm Pacific Time. It’s Void-of-Course for 24 minutes and then enters Leo at 12:29 pm. The Moon trine another planet at the beginning of Void-of-Course Moon period brings, I think, a gift. In this case, it is that the way that we care for those close to us, will bring us love and affection in return. It’s a Void-of-Course Moon that reminds us that it’s important to make the habit of showing how much we care, even if it makes us feel vulnerable.
It’s worth remembering that Cancer is considered one of the mute signs because it’s symbolized by a creature that makes no sound. So, sometimes Cancer symbolizes the fact that we may care a whole lot and show our caring, but we don’t always necessarily express it. And in this case, if we do, I think the trine to Neptune symbolizes that it brings us so much true love and gratitude and affection in response.
Venus square Saturn (June 8, 2024, 1:25 am PDT)
Sun square Saturn (June 9, 2024, 3:36 am PDT)
Venus squares Saturn on June 8th at 1:25 am Pacific Time, at 19º02’ Gemini and Pisces. And the Sun squares Saturn the next day on June 9th at 3:36 am Pacific Time on those same degrees of the same signs. The Sun and Venus are on the Sabian symbol 20 Gemini, A cafeteria. And, Saturn is on 20 Pisces, A table set for an evening meal.
And I think the contradiction between these symbols is just perfect for Gemini and Pisces. The Sun and Venus in Gemini, this is the fast-food, cafeteria sign, favoring fast fashion, short videos, fast food. When the Sun and Venus come together with Saturn in Pisces, we recognize the need to slow down, to enjoy the nice evening meal with a beautifully set table, have nice long conversations, dress nicely.
Gemini can feel a little bit squirmy if it sits in one place for too long, whereas Pisces would like a nice long visit. When we have this aspect between Venus and Saturn, between the Sun and Saturn, both sides have to sacrifice a little of what they would ideally want. In order to make the other more comfortable, so Venus in Gemini square Saturn can mean if you are out of sync with some of your loved ones, see how you can give in a little bit to their point of view.
Venus in Gemini square Saturn can suggest that one person in a relationship, for example, is ready for more of a commitment than the other. The Sun square to Saturn has similar issues, the fast-food mentality versus the nice meal. But in this case, it is really our personality or character that might be rubbing someone the wrong way, where we are hurting their feelings or not showing a depth of emotion or something like that.
The Sun with Saturn can also be physically taxing, like you’ve been carrying a heavy load all day and you just want to rest. Almost the day after this aspect, the load should shift perceptibly, but the exhaustion with this particular aspect in these particular signs can come from feeling restricted, as if we have to restrict our natural tendencies of the Sun in Gemini, to want to get out, to want to see a lot of people, to have a lot of variety in your interactions. But instead, you’re kind of tied down to a particular routine or set of circumstances. But again, this is a pretty short influence, no more really than for a day.
Mars enters Taurus (June 8, 2024, 9:35 pm PDT)
And on June 8th at 9:35pm Pacific Time, Mars enters Taurus. It’ll be in Taurus through July 20th, and this is Mars putting on the brakes a little bit after Mars has been zooming through its own sign of Aries since April 30th.
In Taurus, Mars learns patience. Mars is the planet of action, and how we will take action and go forward in the direction of what it is that we want. Mars in Aries just doesn’t hesitate, and sometimes it’s a little impulsive, in fact. It thinks, “I want to do that,” and it just goes and does it without hesitation.
But in Taurus, there can be a much slower response time. Taurus can be prone to stubbornness and doesn’t want to act too quickly. It wants to really observe and take its time and act in its own time.
Taurus also has a much longer fuse than Aries. But, in my experience, when Taurus loses its temper, as Mars in a sign will occasionally do, it is much scarier, because we’re used to Taurus being fairly placid, and when it blows up, it is really, really intimidating. Just think about a bull. Often when we think about Taurus, we imagine a soft, gentle, placid cow standing out in the middle of a pasture. But Taurus does have that other side of the bull and it’s very scary when it’s provoked or loses its temper.
Mars in Taurus through July 20th is going to be a good time for attacking those projects in your life that need patience, and that are going to take a little time. So, they need that dedication and perseverance that we will see with Mars in Taurus.
Listener Question: New Moon Solar Return
In this week’s listener question, listener New Moona writes, “A few years ago, I got hooked on your Solar Return Reports by Mary Shea. I have been blown away by each year’s accuracy and often darn helpful advice.” We’ll put a link to these Solar Return Reports in the show notes for this episode. “This year, I have what seems like a pretty big development. The Moon and Venus are both conjunct my Sun, although not technically cazimi. These will be in my natal 8th house and Solar Return 12th house. I’ve read Ms. Shea’s report, but she doesn’t cover these conjunctions with the same level of deep impact excitement that I feel they could have.
Looking all the way back, I’ve only had two New Moons before in a solar return. The year I got married, the Moon was one degree past the Sun, in the 8th house, and when I was two years old, something must have happened, but I don’t know what it was because I was only two. This feels like a big year, but the report isn’t throwing me confetti because reports never do. Are New Moons in a Solar Return the big shake they feel like could be? Does the lack of official cazimi status mean more challenge than benefit?
Listener New Moona, that does sound like a pretty exciting solar return. The first thing to know is that the New Moon repeats on about the same day every 19 years. If it falls in your solar return chart this year, you should see it in the solar return chart 19 years ago, maybe that’s when you got married, and 19 years before that, which I suppose was when you turned 2, and mysterious confetti throwing may or may not have taken place.
When big measurements like this take place in a chart at a very young age, it’s sometimes big events related to family members, especially your parents. And sometimes it’s a big family move, a new sibling comes in the family, or there’s a separation or divorce, maybe. But yes, I would say the New Moon in the solar return feels like it should be a big deal.
But I will say that you inspired me to look back at my own New Moon solar return charts. With two of them, I had no problem remembering important things that were going on in those years. But they were by no means the biggest or most important things that have happened in my life. There have been three total, and the other one I couldn’t really remember much about at all, and I was well past the age of two. But the New Moon point was opposed Neptune in that chart, so maybe that’s why!
But since one of your New Moon solar returns was the year that you got married, which is a big deal indeed, I wouldn’t be surprised if this solar return year brought another important event.
If we just consider the meaning of a New Moon, we have to remember it’s a bit of a dark phase. It’s not always exactly clear what’s happening or where we’re headed next. An event like a wedding is absolutely on the positive end of the New Moon spectrum. A happy beginning, but even happy beginnings can be disorienting. Adjusting to married life can be a big challenge, over the first year especially.
And while we associate the 7th house with marriage, those first-year adjustments do seem appropriate for the 8th house. As for the 12th house, this sounds like a new chapter in matters of health, spiritual development, forgiveness, and letting go. It can also relate to aunts and uncles, to the completion of an educational goal, your spouse’s health and job, lots of things.
When the New Moon is involved, we could assume that new things are happening or being initiated in these areas. that they generally should be favorable given the conjunction with Venus. But they might not be immediately obvious, and in fact it could take 9 months or so to figure out exactly what is emerging.
I do think that Venus being combust in the chart might possibly undermine its benefits to some extent, at least for the first few months of the solar return year. But I would take Venus combust over a conjunction with Mars or Saturn any day.
Happy Solar Return, New Moona, and I am throwing virtual confetti in your direction!
We’ll assume that an important, an auspicious, year of new beginnings in 12th house matters is coming your way, so please keep us informed as the year progresses.
Now 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
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Writing and images © 2017-24 by April Elliott Kent
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