TRANSCRIPT Ep. 267 (12/2/24)
Mars Retrograde: The Warrior Within!
Hello Invisible Friend, April here, and the date today is December 2nd, 2024. Welcome to Episode 267 of the Big Sky Astrology Podcast.
It is an exceptionally busy sky this week, so I’m going to approach things just a little bit differently on this episode to fit everything in. Instead of covering the week chronologically, I’m grouping together similar aspects that are related to the same planet or planets. So for example, I will look at Venus’ many aspects, to Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto, before it enters the sign of Aquarius. Then I’ll look at the Sun and Mercury in aspect with each other, and also both of them in opposition to Jupiter and square Saturn. I’ll look at Mars stationing Retrograde and Neptune stationing Direct, and the Pisces First Quarter Moon. There is a really full agenda, so this week I’m afraid there’s not enough time to include a listener question or a mini-lesson but do be sure to send in your questions for future episodes!
Venus trine Uranus (Dec. 2, 2024, 6:43 am PST)
First up this week, we’re looking at Venus and several aspects it’s making before it changes sign. Venus is the planet that symbolizes the things that we like and enjoy. It is also about relationships and the people in whom we delight. A busy week for Venus suggests that this is, socially speaking, an important and busy week and that financially we might see a few surprises and challenges along the way.
Venus trines Uranus on December 2nd at 6:43 am Pacific Time, at 24º36’ Capricorn and Taurus. Venus is on the Sabian symbol 25 Capricorn, An oriental rug dealer and Uranus is on 25 Taurus, A large, well-kept public park. Both of these together give me the image of wealth, abundance, and especially those things that are associated with tradition and with community responsibility or rules, especially since both are in Earth signs.
This is often a transit that we associate with unexpected financial windfalls because that’s the nature of Uranus. Also, unexpected expenses, and because Venus is in Capricorn, these can sometimes be related to big-ticket items in your life, such as appliances, for example.
This can be a really nice transit also, to make unexpected gestures to the people in your life. This might be offering breakfast in bed to your partner or bringing in donuts to work to share with your co-workers. So, it is a somewhat convivial aspect and about that little bit of joy that we get sometimes when we surprise people in our lives with something nice.
Venus sextile Neptune (Dec. 4, 2024, 10:52 am PST)
On December 4th at 10:52 am Pacific Time, Venus sextiles Neptune. Any aspect between Venus and Neptune brings about a couple of things. One is it’s a very imaginative connection, and if you’re a person who works in the arts, for example, this is a really helpful aspect. To access your imagination and inspiration in a creative and artistic way.
Because Venus is related to money and relationship, when it connects with Neptune, there is a slight possibility that things are not what they seem, especially in our relationships. And sometimes during a sextile, this means that this comes to light in some way. And we have an opportunity then either to really acknowledge it and take it seriously or not.
Venus sextile Neptune in particular often brings about some kind of opportunity or invitation maybe to get to know somebody a little bit better or to participate in some kind of artistic, or musical, or just enjoyable pastime with other people. So, keep an eye out for these kinds of openings and invitations during this week.
Venus enters Aquarius (Dec. 6, 2024, 10:13 pm PST)
Venus enters Aquarius on December 6th at 10:13 pm Pacific Time. When Venus is in Aquarius, we begin to see networking becoming more important, and planning for the future because Aquarius is a future-oriented sign. So, thinking of things like long-term financial planning. How are you doing in that area of your financial life?
This transit is an especially lovely one for cultivating your friendships. I’ve been saying to people lately that the thing I’ve really noticed since the pandemic and lockdown is that we seem, in large part, to have lost the knack for socializing, for having the kinds of parties and celebrations that we used to customarily have with our friends.
While Venus is in Aquarius, let’s see if we can begin to reactivate those instincts. Invite some friends for a potluck, or to go out to lunch, or maybe just send them an email or a text to let them know that you remember them and you’re thinking about them. This is a great time for any kind of organizational or group involvement.
So even if you’re not ordinarily a person that likes to get together in groups, this is actually a good season for it during these few weeks that Venus is in Aquarius. Maybe go to a local meeting of something that you’re interested in or a Meetup event connected to a real interest of yours. Venus is in Aquarius through January 2nd.
Venus conjunct Pluto (Dec. 7, 2024, 6:08 am PST)
And what about this conjunction from Venus to Pluto? It’s on December 7th at 6:08 am Pacific Time, at 00º22’ Aquarius. The way I have sometimes described this conjunction is that it can indicate that something lovely – Venus – awakens your least lovely impulses, represented by Pluto.
It’s not actually super warm and fuzzy like a lot of Venus aspects are. First of all, because Venus is an Aquarius, which runs a little bit cooler emotionally. And also because Pluto is far from a warm and fuzzy planet. There is an enormous intensity to anything making a conjunction with Pluto. So when it’s Venus, either a relationship becomes very intense, or maybe things are uncovered, as we said before, with Venus and Neptune coming together by aspect. And now Pluto is willing to acknowledge and take on whatever it is that we’ve discovered in our lives that might not have been so great.
But for those of us who are artists or creatives, this can be an amazing aspect because it’s a time we can really go deep and have important breakthroughs in what we do. So, I would set this date aside on your calendar if you are an artistic or creative person in particular. And I’ll say this is a day to give just to yourself, to delve into something maybe you’ve been wanting to do for a while, or wanting to go deeper with.
Sun and Mercury conjunction (Dec. 5, 2024, 6:18 pm PST)
Mercury and the Sun come together in a conjunction this week and, as they do, they’re also both making aspects to the same planets, Jupiter and Saturn. So I’m going to first take their conjunction with each other, which happens on December 5th at 6:18 pm Pacific Time. They come together at 14º 27’ Sagittarius.
When a planet comes together in a conjunction with the Sun, we say that it is cazimi. And this is a concept that was covered in a listener question from Episode 259, so you might want to go back and listen to that. We’ll link to that in our show notes. But a planet that is cazimi, in this case Mercury, gains a tremendous power and influence when it is within 17 minutes of orb of the Sun. And in this case, that’s between 3:27 pm and 9:07 pm Pacific Time on December 5th.
In particular with Mercury, it is about thinking, communicating, studying. So if there is something of that nature that you have been working on that you could really use some extra luck or inspiration, that is a good time frame.
And this is an aspect, especially I think when Mercury is retrograde, that can provide clarity and introspection and profound insights. And in particular, I always think Mercury with the Sun gives us a better-than-usual opportunity to express something important about who we are and who we want to be.
Mercury opposed Jupiter (Dec. 4, 2024, 2:16 am PST)
Sun opposed Jupiter (Dec. 7, 2024, 12:58 pm PST)
While we are on the subject of Mercury and the Sun, on December 4th, Mercury opposes Jupiter at 2:16 am Pacific Time. And the Sun opposes Jupiter this week on December 7th at 12:58 pm Pacific time. When Mercury and the Sun are at this point in their cycle where they’re making a conjunction with each other, that means they’re kind of working as a team as they’re aspecting other planets in the sky.
So, in this case, Mercury and the Sun are opposed Jupiter in Gemini. Mercury opposed Jupiter on November 18th when it was direct, before it started its retrograde period and this is the second of three of these oppositions. The last one will be on December 26th. So, this is the second installment in a story.
When we think of Mercury, we think, what is the story we’re telling? What are the stories that we’re listening to and understanding? So, as Mercury is making these three aspects to Jupiter, the question is more or less, what is more important, the details or the big picture? And of course, we need both. We need Mercury and Gemini’s ability to stay curious and to ask questions about what’s happening around us, and we also need Sagittarius and Jupiter to grab onto some of those details, some of those bits and pieces, and make something of them – a worldview, a philosophy that can guide us.
As Mercury and the Sun make these aspects to Jupiter, they’re both on the same Sabian symbol, which is 17 Sagittarius, An Easter Sunrise service. It is about a renewal of the urge to live and to engage in the process of life. Jupiter is on 17 Gemini, The head of a robust youth changes into that of a mature thinker. So, the more we learn and take in and consider a lot of things, the better ability we have to achieve some kind of emotional understanding.
Now, generally speaking, when the Sun is in opposition to Jupiter, we have a particularly low tolerance for being told what to do or what to believe, and we also very much guard our image. That’s the Mercury part. Mercury is the press agent, the storyteller of who we are, what we’re trying to do, and what we’re about. So between December 4th and December 7th, there’s a concentrated period of renewal, of continuing a particular story that we’re telling about ourselves and about maturing, especially on an intellectual level.
Sun square Saturn (Dec. 4, 2024, 8:18 am PST)
Mercury square Saturn (Dec. 6, 2024, 5:53 pm PST)
The Sun and Mercury also square Saturn. The Sun’s square is on December 4th at 8:18 am Pacific Time. And Mercury’s is on December 6th at 5:53 pm Pacific Time.
The Sun is like a big spotlight as it transits through the chart, and here it’s shining on Saturn. That represents some of our deepest insecurities and fears.
It’s important during the Sun’s square to Saturn, Mercury’s square to Saturn, not to lash out, but rather to take time on these days to look inside and to let experiences deepen your compassion for yourself.
The Sun’s Sabian symbol at the square is 13 Sagittarius, A widow’s past is brought to light, and it’s very much about dealing with unresolved issues.
We might receive information or a message or communication that awakens our greatest fears. Maybe makes us feel a little bit depressed. But there’s the opportunity here to take responsibility, Saturn, for our actions, our feelings and our words, and gain a better perspective on our ambitions, on our level of maturity and our reputation.
Mars stations Retrograde (Dec. 6, 2024, 3:33 pm PST)
There are two important planetary stations this week. Mars stations retrograde on December 6th at 3:33 pm Pacific Time at 06º10’ Leo on the magnificent Sabian symbol 7 Leo, The constellations in the sky. As you can imagine, astrologers are pretty excited about a Sabian symbol like that one.
Mars is retrograde about every two years or so. It’s not like Mercury that’s going retrograde three times every year and so, it has a little more gravity to it. We pay a little more attention to it when it’s retrograde.
Among the keywords we associate with Mars are action, initiative, energy, aggression or anger, competition, work, sexuality. When Mars is retrograde, it calls for us to look within, for some of the Mars traits like leadership and the ability to protect ourselves, rather than looking for protection from others.
We have to be really careful when Mars is retrograde not to hold in too much anger because the tendency of a planet when it’s retrograde is to turn within. That can be helpful if it comes to really thinking about our own complicity in our current situation, how to come up with creative solutions for problems we face. But when it’s things like anger, we do need to be careful not to hold it in too much or to direct it too much at ourselves.
Mars will be retrograde until February 23rd, 2025, and it will share its time between Leo and Cancer. The signs that Mars is moving through, especially when it’s retrograde, can talk about the things that we are carrying anger about, conflict about, some measure of competitiveness. With Mars in Leo, it can be things about our creativity and our self-expression.
Maybe we’re feeling stuck. Maybe we’re comparing ourselves with others who do the same things that we do and wondering why are they doing so well and we’re not. Maybe we want our children to be succeeding and really standing out among their peers and maybe we don’t see that they are. It can have to do with entertainment and games. So, if you’re a person who participates in some kind of sports or gaming activities, it’s going to be a time when you really internalize the messages of competition and may really judge yourself harshly if you don’t succeed.
It’s also a sign that’s heavily associated with romance and glamour. A particular person that you would like to become involved with, that might intensify during this time, or just the desire to get out and get involved, initiate in some kind of romantic relationship might be more difficult when Mars is retrograde in Leo than when Mars is in Cancer for that part of this journey.
That is a sign associated with our family, with tribalism, food, home, comfort, our mother. You might back away from having head-on arguments with people in your family, but it’s there, and if anything, might be more intensified in your life.
Neptune Stations Direct (Dec. 7, 2024, 3:43 pm PST)
And also this week, Neptune stations direct on December 7th at 3:43 pm Pacific Time, at 27º07’ Pisces. Neptune has been retrograde since July 2nd, 2024. Like all the outer planets, it’s retrograde almost half the year, and we notice it most when it’s changing direction. We’re beginning to wrap up the Neptune in Pisces chapter in our lives. It moves into a new sign, Aries, at the end of March next year, and that will begin a new 14-year chapter.
While Neptune’s been in Pisces, the theme has been, the ideal has been, that we are all connected. That we should strive for peace in the world. That we should look for cures to the world’s ills. Neptune in Aries will not work that way. Neptune is about what we idealize. It’s the dream of society. As it goes into Aries, there is the sense, I think, that might makes right and that if we’re determined enough to get what we want, then we can get it. That there is beauty in that rugged individualism of the person, by themselves, out on the prairie, making their way. So, it’s going to be a very different chapter in our lives and in the lives of the society that we live in.
The next time Neptune turns retrograde will be on July 4th of next year at 02º10’ Aries. Then it’s going to retrograde back into Pisces one more time and go direct for the last time in Pisces on December 10th, 2025. So, we’ve got about a year to finish up this dream.
Pisces First Quarter Moon (Dec. 8, 2024, 7:27 am PST)
And now for the Moon Report. It begins with the Pisces First Quarter Moon on December 8th at 7:27 am Pacific Time at 17º02’ Pisces and Sagittarius. The First Quarter Moon is the time in the lunar cycle to act on the intentions that you set forth at the prior New Moon. In this case, that would be the Sagittarius Moon from November 30th. That New Moon was square Saturn, and it spoke of those lofty goals that Sagittarius embraces. But also warned us that it would take a lot of hard work, a lot of elbow grease to achieve those dreams. Now with the First Quarter is the moment we have to roll up our sleeves and get to work.
The Pisces Moon is on Sabian symbol 18 Pisces, A gigantic tent, and the Sun is on 18 Sagittarius, Tiny children in Sunbonnets. That symbol for the Moon, the gigantic tent, is sort of about performance in public, being an inspirational figure, an entertainer, a teacher, a priest and I always associate this symbol with inclusivity. The Sabian symbol for the Sun is 18 Sagittarius, and the Sabian symbol for the Sun, the “Tiny children in Sunbonnets,” is just the acme of cheerful innocence.
I don’t think of the gigantic tent as being particularly innocent, however, and in order to build a coalition with other people in the world under that big tent, it’s necessary to confront the conflicts between us. That we look at the world in very different ways and having to reconcile that and come up together with some kind of solution, that’s the hard work of that New Moon in Sagittarius – it’s not all tiny children in sunbonnets – to have the beautiful vision.
Lunar Phase Family Cycle
This is the First Quarter in a lunar phase family cycle that began at the New Moon on March 10th, 2024 at 20º16’ Pisces. The Full Moon in this cycle comes on September 7th, 2025 at 15º22’ Pisces and shows us a lot more about what was initiated at that Pisces New Moon in March 2024. And the Last Quarter in the cycle is on June 8th, 2026 at 17º38’ Pisces, where we look back, we see the flaws in our intentions, and decide what we need to do to bring everything full circle. And looking at those mid degrees of Pisces in your birth chart can give you a really good idea of what area of your life you’ve been working on to try to achieve something that has to do with the Pisces dream of love, and empathy, and beauty, and magic.
Void-of-Course Moon periods
Let’s look at the Void-of-Course Moon periods for this week. On December 2nd, the Moon in Sagittarius squares Neptune at 7:47 am Pacific Time. It’s Void-of-Course for 5 hours and 22 minutes and then enters Capricorn at 1:09 pm.
Void-of-Course Moon periods are about disconnecting from bad habits or hurtful habits and trying to initiate healthier ones. When the Moon begins a Void-of-Course period in a square with another planet, we know there is a conflict or blockage that we’re trying to overcome. The Moon in Sagittarius appreciates honesty and humor. But it’s in conflict here with Neptune and Pisces, which likes to diffuse the harder edges of truth.
We can use this Void-of-Course Moon period to get in the habit of delivering the truth in a funny way, a charismatic way, but a way that respects people’s tender feelings.
On December 4th, the Moon makes a conjunction with Venus in Capricorn at 3:34 pm Pacific Time. It’s Void-of-Course for 4 hours 47 minutes and then enters Aquarius at 8:21 pm. When the Moon is together with another planet at the beginning of a void period, it means this is the time to assimilate energies coming together. This is a time when we’ll tend to look for security in material ways. If we’re not careful, we can shop very compulsively at this time. So as you’re planning your holiday budget or your budget for 2025, look for a way to add more structure to your spending.
When it comes to relationships, it can be setting up particular times of the week, maybe have a date night or of the month where you visit your families or whatever it might be. The Moon and Venus together in Capricorn favors structure and favors taking care of ourselves materially, but that we also want to make sure that we’re doing that mindfully where our emotions are concerned.
And on December 6th, the Moon makes a square to Uranus at 4:01 pm Pacific Time. It’s Void-of-Course for 9 hours 47 minutes and enters Pisces on December 7th at 1:49 am. The Moon in Aquarius and Uranus in Taurus are both in fixed signs, and fixed signs typically don’t love change. However, we might use a Void-of-Course period like this one to break up whatever our usual weekend routine is as we’re ending our work week.
Maybe go to a social event or get in the habit of getting together with friends on this night. It won’t feel comfortable because this is a square and we don’t necessarily want to change the way we’ve been doing things, but this is a long Void-of-Course period, nine hours, almost ten hours, and can give us an opportunity to make real change in the way we are kicking off our social routines.
Donor Thanks
Well, my friends, that is a very full week! But that is everything I have on my show sheet, so I’m going to wrap this one up. Thank you very much for listening to the Big Sky Astrology Podcast. If you like what you’re hearing, be sure to subscribe or follow the show in your app of choice and leave a rating or a review, maybe 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 so much to everyone who continues to show support for the podcast, and especially during my September 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 Leslie Haynie, a long-time supporter of the show, and new friend, Liza Dorado!
Liza and Leslie, thank you so much for listening to the podcast and for supporting us with your donations.
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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 column!
