TRANSCRIPT Ep. 256 | Pisces Lunar Eclipse: Looking Back, with Healing and Forgiveness (9.16.24)
Welcome to the Big Sky Astrology Podcast with your host, astrologer, and author, April Elliott Kent. Hello, Invisible Friend, April here, and the date today is September 16th, 2024. Welcome to Episode 256 of the Big Sky Astrology Podcast.
This week, the eclipses are here. Should you be terrifiiied?™ I don’t know about that, but buckle up because it is a busy sky this week. Mercury has a couple of aspects with Jupiter and Saturn. The Sun aspects Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto, and then bursts into Libra season. On the day of the Libra eclipse, Venus makes an intense square with Pluto before sinking into mysterious Scorpio. Plus, I answer a listener question about the second Saturn return.
Pisces Full Moon/Lunar Eclipse (Sep. 17, 2024, 7:34 pm PDT)
The week begins with the Moon Report and the Pisces Full Moon Lunar Eclipse on September 17th at 7:34 p.m. Pacific Time. It falls at 25º40’ Pisces and Virgo. This is the first eclipse in Pisces since February 26th, 2017. Eclipses are now beginning to shift into Pisces and Virgo, and we will see eclipses along this axis through February 2027.
So what does an eclipse in the sign of Pisces bring our way? Well, it’s not bringing just Pisces, but Virgo as well, because at this Full Moon, the Sun is in Virgo. So, the tension between these two signs is between, functioning as effectively as possible in our day-to-day lives, signified by Virgo, and at the same time keeping our eye on the ways in which we’re part of something bigger and more important than just our individual ourselves.
That’s what we see in Pisces. Another thing that we might see during this time is that ultimately, because Pisces is a sign of healing and of forgiveness, it’s also a sign of first dealing with our grief over losses that we’ve had in our lives and beginning to let go of the grip that these have on us so that we can begin the process of moving forward.
Eclipses bring change, so we can look to the Pisces and the Virgo houses of your chart to see the areas of your life where you can expect to see the most change over the next two and a half years. In particular, for this eclipse, if there are any planets or angles in your chart within about 4 degrees of 26 Pisces, this should be a pretty consequential eclipse for you.
And to find out what might come your way, it can be helpful to look at past eclipses that were near this degree. In this case, September 16th, 1997, March 19th, 2007, March 20th, 2015, September 16th, 2016. Those were years when eclipses were pretty close to this 25-degree Pisces eclipse. This will tell you something about the areas of life that are subject to great change during this time.
This eclipse falls pretty close to the Moon’s North Node. As we talked about, I think it was in the last episode, eclipses fall within a certain distance of the lunar nodes. So, it’s important to look at which of these nodes the eclipse falls close to. When an eclipse falls close to the North Node, as this one does, the message is, however difficult the change might be that comes our way, or however upsetting, we can at least be assured that ultimately, it’s moving us in the direction of growth.
Lunar Phase Family Cycle
This is the Full Moon in a lunar phase family cycle that began with a New Moon on March 21st, 2023 at 0º49’ Aries. If you can remember what was occupying your thoughts and intentions at that New Moon, we have come to the culmination of it now.
The First Quarter Moon in this cycle was on December 19th, 2023, and that was a moment of action being taken toward those New Moon goals or intentions. And now with the Full Moon, we tend to get a clearer picture of what we actually were starting or initiating at that New Moon, because it’s not always what we think it is. And of course, this is an eclipse as well. So these realizations, this awareness of what was initiated at that New Moon last year is likely to be brought about through changes, especially in relationship because it’s a Full Moon.
The Last Quarter Moon in this lunar phase family is on June 18th, 2025. That is the moment when there is some kind of event or action that we take that encapsulates the whole journey. Sometimes it can just be something we write about the situation. It can be a final change in a relationship or some kind of career path.
Void-of-Course Moon periods
Let’s look at the Void-of-Course Moon periods for this week. They’re all pretty short and they’re all very intense because they all aspect Pluto before the Moon goes Void-of-Course.
On September 18th, the Moon sextiles Pluto at 2:02 a.m. Pacific Time. It’s Void-of-Course for about 22 minutes before it enters Aries at 2:24 a.m.
This Void-of-Course Moon begins with the Moon at 29º46’ Pisces and Pluto at the same degree of Capricorn. There’s not a lot we can do with a 22-minute Void-of-Course Moon. But what they are, are little opportunities, little openings to change old habits and consciously try to create new ones that are more positive.
The Moon and Pluto talks about the ways in which we’re very vulnerable to the feelings of others around us. And when it connects with Capricorn as it does here, there’s an opportunity to consciously erect better boundaries between ourselves and others, and to find ways to shield ourselves from the excess of sensation and emotion that comes our way on a daily basis.
Again, this happens in the middle of the night, in a lot of places, and it’s not for very long. But maybe before you go to bed, writing down some little message to your unconscious self to say, “It’s good to feel, but it’s important to be protected.”
On September 20th, the Moon in Aries squares Pluto in Capricorn at 29º45’ and this happens at 1:39 a.m. Pacific Time, Void-of-Course for 23 minutes, again pretty short, and then the Moon enters Taurus at 2:02 a.m. The Moon in a difficult aspect with Pluto especially talks about unconscious patterns that may be undermining us. And what’s difficult about unconscious patterns is they are …unconscious, so in order to notice them and get a handle on them usually requires interactions with others or just with the world generally.
That’s what happens when the Moon squares Pluto. Now, this is the Moon in Aries, and this is about being in a hurry a lot of the time, acting without a lot of thought. And if that’s a pattern for you, it may be time to reexamine that and try to be a little more disciplined and try to really think things through before you act. That’s the Pluto in Capricorn side of this.
On September 22nd, the Moon in Taurus trines the Sun in Virgo at 3:14 a.m. Pacific Time. It’s Void-of-Course for 10 minutes before it enters Gemini at 3:24 a.m. Pacific time. The Moon beginning a Void-of-Course period with a trine to another planet says there’s a bit of a gift or reward coming our way.
The real gift here is the Moon in Taurus can bring a little bit of emotional stability to the Sun in Virgo, which especially in a week like this one where the Sun is making a lot of big aspects, can get a little bit rattled.
Mercury opposed Saturn (Sep. 18, 2024, 1:50 am PDT)
On September 18th at 1:50 a.m. Pacific Time, Mercury in Virgo opposes Saturn in Pisces at 15º15’. The Sabian symbol for Mercury is 16 Virgo, An orangutan. And for Saturn, 16 Pisces, The flow of inspiration.
There is a Buddhist concept, “monkey mind,” that describes an overactive mind that can distract us from being present and mindful. Here we have an opportunity with Mercury in aspect to Saturn to slow down. If you find yourself in a pattern of these thoughts that just loop over and over again, and make you anxious or give you insomnia, this is a good time to practice some mindful breathing exercises or maybe put on a calming guided meditation to soothe your nerves. And journaling could be helpful as well because Virgo likes to write.
Sun trine Uranus (Sep. 19, 2024, 7:04 am PDT)
On September 19th, the Sun trines Uranus at 7:04 a.m. Pacific time at 27º07’ Virgo and Taurus. Back on August 19th, we had an Aquarius Full Moon, and at that time the Sun at 27º Leo was making a square to Uranus at 27º Taurus. And now we have the two coming together again, the Sun and Uranus, but this time in a trine. This is a more flowing aspect, and I think that if we did the necessary work at that Aquarius Full Moon – to become clearer about who we are and who we want to be, more importantly, with the Sun’s square Uranus… and that’s not an easy aspect and it’s not an easy process. But if we worked at that time to try to make progress in that area, this trine brings a sense of satisfaction.
It could be that by going through that process of having to fight a bit and letting yourself be your own unique self in the world, but now that is being noticed and it’s being appreciated.
The Sun is about our vitality and charisma. It can also represent people in the world who are leaders. So, this could be leaders that we see in politics, it can be our boss, it can be someone who’s a leader of an organization that we belong to, and it can represent those qualities in us as well. When the Sun trines Uranus, hopefully, we are seeing leadership that is visionary, and that is willing to break the mold.
Sun opposed Neptune (Sep. 20, 2024, 5:17 pm PDT)
On September 20th at 5:17 p.m. Pacific Time, the Sun opposes Neptune at 28º30’ Virgo and Pisces. Anytime the Sun connects with Neptune, there is a little bit of an assault to our sense of confidence because the Sun is that symbol of exactly who we are and who we know ourselves to be. Neptune is the symbol that kind of challenges that.
Neptune suggests that we are all part of one another, so how do we know exactly who we are in the middle of all of that? The opposition aspect is often presented to us through other people or through relationships because we might be a little bit blind to what it means for us personally, but if we see it acted out through another person, even a character on a television show or in a movie, we can see it a little more clearly.
This aspect might be a bit about not being completely married to the idea of who we are and have to be at every moment, and letting ourselves explore new possibilities. But always, the tricky balance with that is also maintaining a strong and confident sense of who we are and what we want.
Mercury square Jupiter (Sep. 21, 2024, 1:50 am PDT)
Mercury squares Jupiter on September 21st at 1:50 a.m. Pacific Time, at 20º48’ Virgo and Gemini. The Sabian symbol for Mercury is 21 Virgo, A girls’ basketball team, and Jupiter is on 21 Gemini, A labor demonstration. This suggests how we communicate in groups of people. How do we cooperate and collaborate with others? And, since Mercury is square Jupiter, we can expect that to be showing up as a conflict, an issue that needs to be resolved at the time of this aspect.
Sun trine Puto (Sep. 21, 11:12 pm PDT)
Later on September 21st at 11:12 pm Pacific Time, the Sun in Virgo trines Pluto in Capricorn. The Sun, as I said before, symbolizes leaders and leadership. And the way we look to ourselves for leadership and to be the captain of our own ship and to be the hero of our own story. When the Sun comes together with Pluto, even in a good aspect, the people around us that we consider leaders or authority figures, and even those qualities within ourselves, are influenced by the desire for power and the need to act responsibly with power.
You could have some situation in your workplace that has to do with a boss or some other leader in an organization you belong to. There could be power plays that are going on. And this, again, is true even with the trine aspect from the Sun to Pluto. It just means those symbols are connecting in a meaningful way.
So, we have to be very careful at the time of this aspect for ourselves personally to be completely above board with how we are holding power and to be absolutely sure that the idea is to inhabit power for a while, but not to own it. And if we use it for the greater good of all, then generally this can go well, but Pluto can really backfire on us if we try to use power in a way that serves only ourselves.
Sun enters Libra (Sep. 22, 2024, 5:44 am PDT)
On September 22nd at 5:44 a.m. Pacific Time, the Sun enters Libra. It’ll be in this beautiful sign through October 22nd. The Sun’s ingress into Libra marks the Libra Equinox. In the Northern Hemisphere, of course, this is the beginning of fall. In the Southern Hemisphere, it is the beginning of spring.
It is one of the two days of the year of equal light and dark. And appropriately, Libra is about this kind of balance. We even see it in this symbol for the sign, which is the scales. Balance. Additionally, this glyph symbolizes the setting sun, the idea of balance of day and night. And also, in astrology, the western part of the chart, where the sun sets, is the house of relationship, also ruled by Libra.
Libra is one of two signs ruled by Venus. The other one is Taurus. And while these signs share a common ruler, Libra is more cerebral, more focused on communication, on the social justice side of Venus. Libra specifically is associated with relating and relationships. In astrology, the planet Saturn is exalted in Libra, and that describes the maturity, balance, boundaries, and patience that are needed for a successful relationship.
Libra is a sign that’s sometimes called out for being indecisive. But weighing the pros and cons of a situation is how fair and just decisions are made, and that is Libra’s job.
Venus square Pluto (Sep. 22, 2:14 pm PDT)
On September 22nd at 2:14 pm Pacific Time, Venus squares Pluto at the very end of Libra and Capricorn, 29º43’. This brings together the ideas of relationship, fairness, balance, with Pluto and power. When these two symbols come together, everything associated with Venus becomes intensified. Love, money, beauty, a sense of our own personal values.
And it’s very closely associated, really, with Venus entering Scorpio that evening at 7:36 p.m. Pacific Time – it’s in this sign through October 17th – because Venus in Scorpio has many of those same qualities of Pluto. We don’t really consider Pluto a ruler of Scorpio per se but they do have a lot of experiential overlap, and when Venus enters Scorpio, we find value in things that are not stereotypically Venusian.
So, we’re not necessarily loving the things that, quote, everybody thinks we should appreciate, end quote. If you see somebody who dresses in a goth kind of fashion, has a lot of tattoos, you’re looking at somebody with the aesthetic of Venus in Scorpio. We might establish a relationship with a therapist to help us really get to the bottom of what motivates us when Venus is in Scorpio. This is a time we build the compost bin for the flowers that will bloom during Taurus season. It’s a time for finalizing our wills, for studying the esoteric arts, like astrology or tarot.
Practically everyone I talk to loves autumn. It’s one of their favorite seasons. And I think what we actually love about it is the depth and profundity of it. This is the time of year when the leaves are falling off the trees, when we see the balance of life and death. When we have celebrations and festivals related to these themes, like Halloween and the Days of the Dead. What makes this season beautiful is the willingness to go deep and to acknowledge the opposite of life, and that can put life and its meaning into such a rich perspective.
Listener Question: The Second Saturn Return
In this week’s listener question, Listener Lisa writes: “It’s pretty common for most conversations about Saturn returns to focus on the first one, which makes sense, but most people, at least nowadays in developed countries, will live long enough to see a second return. However, there is very little that I’ve found that really talks about it.
I get that the general themes would be similar, but it still feels like there could be just as rich a discussion about the second one as the first. In your experience, are there certain things about the second Saturn return that stands out?”
Oh, Lisa, thank you so much for this question. I absolutely love the subject of Saturn returns.
There is a great book that I can recommend, by the way, by Erin Sullivan, Astrology of Midlife, I think is what it’s called. We’ll link to it in the show notes. She goes into a lot of detail about Saturn returns.
Here is the way I often describe it to my clients. The Saturn Return is when we give ourselves a report card. At the first Saturn Return, about the age of 29, we’re at a very particular stage of life. We’re looking down the barrel of age 30, which is a little bit scary. And we begin to take a look at our lives to date and say, how am I doing?
At that stage of life, understandably enough, this often has to do with how we are being viewed externally. Do we have the right job? Are we married? Do we have children? How are we doing with our earnings? These kinds of questions. Almost as though we are sitting judgment on our lives, and we’re usually a little hard on ourselves, too.
At the second Saturn return, we’re 58 years old. We’re looking down the barrel of 60, which is no picnic, either. But we still give ourselves a report card, but the criteria that we grade ourselves on are very different than they are at the first Saturn return.
Of course, we’re in a very different stage of life. Instead of hitting the beginning of our peak earning years, we’re probably winding down and starting to make plans for our retirement and what we’ll do. We might be in a long-term marriage or relationship that we begin to look at and say, Is this working out? Is this really supporting the me I want to be? When it comes to money, again, we’re getting towards the end of our peak earning years, and we begin to think about those things quite differently.
So, Saturn returns have a certain connective tissue of evaluation and thinking, how am I doing in my life? But I think what really distinguishes the second Saturn return to me is that we’re not asking so much, am I living a life that looks the way I want it to look, but more, am I happy with how it feels to be living in this life?
The sign that Saturn is in, in your birth chart, and of course, this is the real connection between the two Saturn returns. Saturn, of course, is going to be at the same degree, minute, and sign that it is in your birth chart, in both of the Saturn return charts.
And what the sign tells us is something about what people admire about you or respect in you. And we don’t always even notice that how we’re coming across to the world as an exemplar of that sign. But the house that Saturn is in gives us problems. It is the great karmic weight. It is the great karmic boulder that we keep trying to push up the hill like Sisyphus and it keeps rolling back on us and we keep pushing it back up.
It’s very hard to feel, ever, that we’ve even made a bit of progress in this area of life. That’s the big one we really focus on and think about, I think, at the Saturn Return.
But hopefully, we do see some progress, and we see that our relationship to those issues has changed a bit as well. So yes, even though the same symbol in our chart, the same boulder, the same ongoing issues where we hold ourselves back, are pretty much the same at the Saturn Returns… and in this case, we’re also talking about people in their late 80s that will have their third Saturn Return! Having not lived through that myself, or spoken to a lot of people who have, I can’t give you a lot of insight into that, but I imagine it has its own other sets of rules.
But I think that although Saturn’s the same from one return to the next, it’s we who have changed, and our sense of authorship over our own lives, of being the author of our life narrative, really changes by the second Saturn return.
Lisa, I hope that helps. I could do an entire webinar on the Saturn returns and maybe I will, but I loved talking about this today!
And if you, Invisible Friend, have a burning astrological question you would like me to possibly answer on a future episode, please send a message of one minute or less to 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.
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