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TRANSCRIPT Ep. 242 | Venus Enters Leo: Not-so-Subtle Shifts in Style!

TRANSCRIPT Ep. 242 | Venus Enters Leo: Not-s0-Subtle Shifts in Style! (July 8, 2024)

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Hello, invisible friend, April here – and the date today is July 8th, 2024. Welcome to episode 242 of the Big Sky Astrology Podcast. This week, relationships can take an unexpectedly deep turn when Venus, freshly in Leo, connects with Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto. Mercury and Jupiter make an optimistic sextile aspect that can turn the corners of the mind upward into a smile. The Sun trines Saturn for healthy boundary setting and discipline, and the First Quarter Moon in Libra encourages us to rely on others to help us move past our comfort zone.

Venus sextile Uranus (July 8, 2024, 4:04 am PDT)

The week begins with a sextile from Venus to Uranus on July 8th at 4:04 am. Pacific Time. This is an aspect that we normally associate with unexpected opportunities in relationships, money, desire, and values. Venus is the planet of relationship and money specifically. And whenever it connects with Uranus, we expect to see something a little different. It can mean that we change the way we are dealing with a relationship, change the way that we are earning our money, or that our priorities or values are even changing a little bit in these areas. You might even meet somebody new who is very exciting. Remember that the nature of a sextile aspect is that it represents an opportunity or an invitation, and it is a little more optional than some other kinds of aspects. So if somebody comes into your realm and you think, Hmm, they’re kind of interesting, you could make the effort to reach out and get to know them, or not. And nothing bad will happen, necessarily, if you don’t take that opportunity. But if you do, it could be something really exciting and that feels very new.

Mercury sextile Jupiter (July 8, 2024, 7:26 am PDT)

Later that morning at 7:26 am Pacific Time, Mercury in Leo sextiles Jupiter in Gemini, and this is a wonderful combination of a lively and creative Mercury in this fiery sign of Leo having the chance to connect possibly with some Jupiterian opportunities. This would be a wonderful aspect for socializing or networking because Mercury in Leo is quite outgoing, Jupiter in Gemini says this is a time we’re trying to meet a lot of people and increase our contact list. So, whether it’s in your social media, in your business, or just socializing with your friends and other people in your life, this is a really terrific aspect for doing this.

Sun trine Saturn (July 10, 2024, 8:04 pm PDT)

On July 10th at 8:04 pm Pacific Time, the Sun in Cancer trines Saturn in Pisces at 19º19’. The Sun and Saturn are always kind of strange bedfellows because the Sun is full of enthusiasm for creative possibilities, it’s very much alive. And when it connects with Saturn, some of that life force can be dampened a little bit, our confidence can be diminished somewhat. We might be physically a little more tired. But fortunately, this is a trine aspect, which is an aspect of ease. So I think that if we are able to establish appropriate boundaries around ourselves, and if we’re able to embrace our own sense of authority, then we can actually have terrific breakthroughs, especially in the workplace or in our career, or in any area of life where we are asked to stand up, be ourselves, be in charge.

Now, the Sun and Saturn are both in water signs at the time of this trine, so this speaks a little bit less of standing up in front of a crowd and saying, look at me, look at me. And it’s a lot more inclined to find ways of letting people in our lives know that we care and we empathize with whatever their situation might be.

The Sabian symbol for the Sun at this trine is 20 Cancer, Gondoliers in a serenade. And, Saturn is on 20 Pisces, A table set for an evening meal. This is a combination of symbols that we have seen fairly recently, and they speak of harmony, and especially Saturn’s symbol, that table set for an evening meal, has to do with how we bring two areas of our lives together.

And this is connected somewhat with the Capricorn Full Moon and the Cancer New Moon that we’ve had in recent weeks. Where what we’re trying to find with the Sun in Cancer trine, Saturn is a lovely flow, a balance that brings together the responsibilities that we take on in the world and the responsibilities that we have at home.

Venus trine Neptune (July 11, 2024, 7:32 am PDT)

On July 11th at 7:32 am Pacific Time, Venus trines Neptune at 29º54’ Cancer and Pisces. Venus, getting ready to change sign from Cancer into Leo really carries with it the energy of finishing up. And if there have been things that you’ve been working on for the last few weeks around your home, which is symbolized by Cancer, or with some member of your family, a relationship where you have been trying to work some things out, in particular with the women in your life – Venus in Cancer – then we might see, as it gets ready to move into the next sign and ends on this beautiful trine to Neptune, that it is resolving with a sense of beauty and of the feeling that we have of being connected with others. Venus trine Neptune is a truly beautiful aspect because it elevates Venus from being a planet that is often a little more preoccupied with physical or earthly satisfactions and elevates it, via Neptune’s influence, into all of the ways that we communicate great love and great feeling to the people around us.

This can be a time of artistic creations that really move other people. So if you’ve been working on anything that is particularly creative or artistic, this is a pretty nice time to launch it. Because it will tend to find an audience that is very receptive.

Venus enters Leo (July 11, 2024, 9:18 am PDT)

Later that morning, on July 11th, Venus enters Leo at 9:18 am Pacific Time. It will be in this sign through August 4th. Transiting Venus signs symbolize what’s calling to us in the month ahead, what is drawing us. And in particular, we can see subtle or maybe not so subtle shifts in our tastes and our style when Venus enters a new sign. And in Leo, we tend to want to be a little more glamorous, even if we’re kind of a jeans and t shirt kind of person. We might see ourselves dressing up just a little bit more or trying to make more of an impact out in public by what we wear and how we present ourselves.

This is also an extremely creative season. And, as Venus enters Leo, its ruler, the Sun, is still in that aspect to Saturn. This tells us that we can really make something of our creative efforts at this time if we’re willing to be disciplined and put the work in. One thing to be aware of during this time, though, is to be careful about taking on responsibilities that look impressive and could get you noticed, but that would probably take a lot of work over the long term.

Venus’s transiting sign also tells us the kinds of behaviors that our partners might especially appreciate. And even if your partner doesn’t normally need big displays of affection or to be wooed in a flamboyant way, everybody will appreciate a little more attention while Venus is in Leo.

Venus opposed Pluto (July 12, 2024, 7:12 am PDT)

On July 12th at 7:12 am Pacific Time, Venus in Leo opposes Pluto at 1º7’. Whenever we put a planet together with Pluto, it’s like putting a big exclamation point after it. It indicates intensity, so in this case, intensity of romantic feeling, an intense fluctuation of our financial situation.

We have to be a little careful when Venus is connecting with Pluto, not to overwhelm people with our interests. And this can be potential friends as well as potential romantic partners. There is the danger we all have of coming on a little bit strong when Venus is connecting with Pluto. This might be a time too when suddenly you’re seeing flaws in your partner and maybe when you’re comparing your financial situation to that of the other people in your life. If your relationship has been floundering, now is a bit of a tricky time. It’s when things may come to a crisis point. So at the very least, expect some deep conversations and really confronting difficult issues in relationships and also in your financial life.

So often, we handle money in a way to try to compensate for other things that we’re lacking in our lives. And when Venus has opposed Pluto, it might be spending a lot of money on clothes in order to make yourself feel more appealing to people that you might get involved with, or buying a flashier car, or doing something really special to your home, whatever it might be.

It’s fine if we don’t take it to extremes. But the point is, when Venus is connecting with Pluto, we do have a tendency to take things to extreme. If you’re feeling a strong sense between about July 11th and July 13th that you want to go out and spend a lot of money, or you want to send off a text or an email to somebody you’re really interested in getting to know better, maybe wait a couple of days until that Pluto intensity backs off.

Libra First Quarter Moon (July 13, 2024, 3:49 pm PDT)

And now for the Moon Report, and it begins with the Libra First Quarter Moon on July 13th at 3:49 pm Pacific Time. It’s at 22º00’, Libra and Cancer. The First Quarter Moon phase is the time to put forth action behind the intentions that you set at the previous New Moon, in this case, the Cancer New Moon on July 5th. And that might have had you focusing on something like a new home or new people coming in and out of your household, marriages, children being born, whatever it might be. The First Quarter is the phase we say, okay, how am I going to make these things happen?

And the First Quarter in Libra is associated with relationships of all kinds, personal and professional. So, part of the action taken at this first quarter could have to do with relying on your relationships with people in your life to help you make this happen. If you have decided that you want to buy a new house, well, you and your partner are going to have to come to some kind of agreement about that.

And if you don’t have a partner, this would be relying on a friend or family member who knows a realtor that could take you out to find exactly the right house. Or, a mortgage broker to help you sort out the financing for this. So, all of the things that we want to do, even on a very personal level, do probably require reaching out and connecting with somebody else.

For Cancer, Libra represents those forces that can help propel us away from the family, not in a negative way. But to the extent that our early family experiences can come to define us in our own minds. And that it can be hard sometimes to move away from the family business or your hometown. The things that are very sustaining but can become limiting.

So Libra represents perhaps the partner who encourages you to take steps you might want to take that put you at odds with the people you grew up with. So, that’s where the square part comes in between the Sun and Moon at the First Quarter, is the Sun says, we have always prospered in this way, being part of a clan, part of a family, whereas the quarter moon is saying, but there are other things that we can do as well, even if they mean we move a little bit out of our sphere of early influence.

Lunar Phase Family Cycle

This is the first quarter in a lunar phase family cycle that began on October 14th, 2023, with a New Moon at 21º7’ Libra. Whatever you were thinking of at that time, perhaps you were wishing upon a star to have the perfect partner, or to have some help with something in your life. Because it’s not always about just finding one romantic partner with Libra, it’s about having that other person that you can bounce things off of.

I remember asking my mother one time, when I was getting ready to get married, I said, what did you like most about being married? And she thought for a moment, she said, “I think it was just having somebody to talk to about things.” So that you don’t feel that you’re making every decision 100 percent on your own.

This is the First Quarter Moon in that quest to find a significant friend or partner to help you in that process. The Full Moon in this lunar phase family comes on April 12th, 2025, when we get a clearer picture of the things that we might have really been thinking about at that New Moon. And then the Last Quarter comes on January 10th, 2026, when final action is taken based on what we’ve learned previously in this lunar cycle.

Void-of-Course Moon periods

Let’s look at the Void-of-Course Moon periods for this week. On July 8th at 11:03 pm Pacific Time. The Moon in Leo squares Uranus in Taurus. It’s Void-of-Course for about seven and three quarter hours, and then enters Virgo on July 9th at 6:47 am. Here in the United States, this mostly happens overnight, but if we want to think about it and set an intention before we go to bed. We can imagine that the conflict represented by the Moon square Uranus, because squares always bring conflict, is that celebrating ourselves, which the Moon in Leo very much likes to do, can sometimes get just a wee bit out of hand.

And this is especially true as Venus is getting ready to go into Leo at this Void-of-Course Moon. Uranus in Taurus will bring people or situations that will help keep you from getting just a little too full of yourself. And this is a good lesson as Venus and then, of course, later this month, the Sun are preparing to enter Leo.

The Moon opposes Neptune on July 11th at 6:54 pm Pacific Time. And is Void-of-Course for only 11 minutes, before it enters Libra at 7:06 pm. Opposition aspects bring awareness, and it can often be something we become aware of through an interaction with another person. It could even be something we see on TV.

So, keep your eyes open for this little message. The awareness between the Moon in Virgo and Neptune in Pisces is about making sure that we’re seeking to balance feelings and intellect. Feelings really being that Neptune part of the equation, the Pisces part, and intellect being very much attuned to that Moon at the last degree of Virgo.

This is an opportunity to find ways to articulate things that are difficult to put into words normally. So, as I said with an opposition, there can be awareness as you are watching somebody else. And watch in any interactions on this day or especially near this time. You may be operating more as a Virgo, and very logical, or more as a Pisces and being a little more loose with deadlines and that kind of thing. And the idea is somebody else will probably come into the picture and play that opposite role. This is a very quick Void-of-Course Moon, but if you notice the message coming up around you, remember, it’s about practicing being a little more precise in your interactions and your thoughts and your speech, but also more kind.

And on July 13th at 3:48 pm, the Moon squares the Sun at 22º00’ Libra and Cancer, this is, of course, the First Quarter Moon. And then the Moon is Void-of-Course for 16 hours, a nice long void period, before it enters Scorpio on July 14th at 7:52 am. So again, a square aspect brings conflict. Just after the First Quarter Moon comes this exceptionally long Void-of-Course period, which gives us an opportunity to really do some thinking and work around the idea of establishing more positive habits related to the tension between our family and our partner, for example, or the feeling of wanting to be safe in familiar surroundings, versus being more sociable.

Well, as you probably are aware, especially if you are on my mailing list, I am getting ready to begin my first ever sabbatical. I will be off between July 15th and August 12th. And during that time, there will be new podcast episodes. I’m stockpiling them for you, but I’m running a little bit out of time as I’m recording this episode for the week of July 8th.

So, I apologize, but there will be no listener question or mini lesson for this episode. But the listener question segment will return in the next episode!

Now, if you, Invisible Friend, have a question that you would like me to answer on an upcoming episode, just leave a message of one minute or less at SpeakPipe.com/bigskyastrologypodcast or send an email with podcast question in the subject line to April (at) BigSkyAstrology (dot)com.

Donor thanks

That is everything on my show sheet, so I’m going to wrap this one up. Thank you so much for listening to the Big Sky Astrology Podcast. If you like what you’re hearing, be sure to subscribe or follow 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.

Thank you very much to everyone who’s shown so much support for the podcast over the years, and especially during last September’s 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 Judy Ricciardi and Lori Rodefer, who has donated to the podcast every single year!

Judy and Lori, thank you so much for listening to the podcast and for supporting the show with your donations.

If you would like to support the show and receive access to my bonus episode for the Cancer Solstice, please go to BigSkyAstropod.com and make a contribution of $5 or more. You can make a one time donation in any amount or consider becoming an ongoing monthly contributor.

That is 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!

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