TRANSCRIPT Ep 278 | Pisces Season: Let the Good Times Roll!

TRANSCRIPT Ep. 278 (2.17.25)
Pisces Season: Let the Good Times Roll!

Hello, invisible friend, April here, and the date today is February 17th, 2025. Welcome to Episode 278 of the Big Sky Astrology Podcast.

This week, the Sun enters Pisces for a season of reflection and release. The Last Quarter Moon in Sagittarius is ready to let the good times roll. Mercury reignites energy as it trines Mars, and introduces a lot of new details as it squares Jupiter. Mars finally turns direct. And I answer a listener question about Jupiter transits; why don’t they seem luckier?

Sun enters Pisces (Feb. 18, 2025, 2:07 am PST)

The Sun enters Pisces on February 18th at 2:07 am Pacific Time. It will be in this sign through March 20th. The Pisces season comes just before the Aries equinox and the beginning of the astrological new year. This means it is an emptying out time of year and a time for reflection on the past 12 months, what has worked out and what hasn’t.

It’s time to let go of what isn’t going to be helpful or necessary on the road ahead. It can be a time of some sadness too, because letting go, even of things that we don’t need anymore, can sometimes tug at our heartstrings.

My friend Stephanie reminds me that Pisces is associated with the Moon card in tarot. It’s a card of illusion, fear, anxiety, the subconscious, and intuition. And to look at the card, it has this rather ominous symbolism of dogs barking at the Full Moon. It’s definitely a time of year when the Sun in this sign shines its light into our unconscious mind and shines brightly on our fears and anxieties.

But letting go of a lot of emotional baggage makes us lighter too. And reflected in Jupiter’s rulership of Pisces, we can begin to feel a little bit of a lightning of burdens. Pisces powers of imagination can point us in directions that are adventuresome and enlightening. Faith practices, indulgences in art and music, examining our dreams, all of these reflect Pisces modern ruler, Neptune, the planet of mysticism, suffering, compassion, and art. Pisces is generally associated with imagination, spirituality, psychic powers, the subconscious. And since Venus is considered to be exalted in this sign, or especially strong, things ruled by Venus are also considered exalted, uplifted, refined in this sign, including love and relationships and artistic efforts.

Pisces does have a little bit of a reputation for escapism. There is a desire to escape the harshness of reality. On the negative side, of course, we can escape reality through less healthy addictions, such as drugs, or alcohol, or shopping too much, dating too much, eating too much. All of that is an expression of just trying to get away.

Now, since Pisces ruler, Jupiter, is currently moving through Gemini, there’s a little more than usual of that sense of nonstop socializing that sneaks into this Pisces season a little bit. Pisces is generally very friendly and very social, but it hits a wall when it knows that it just needs some rest and needs to be by itself. And it retreats. Gemini isn’t so much in need of that, generally speaking, so you might find yourself socializing a little bit more than usual this Pisces season.

Sagittarius Last Quarter Moon (Feb. 20, 2025, 9:32 am PST)

And now for the Moon Report, and it begins with the Last Quarter Moon in Sagittarius on February 20th at 9:32 am Pacific Time. It’s at 2º 19’ Sagittarius.

This is the Last Quarter Moon phase for the Aquarius New Moon on January 29th. Both the Sun and Moon at this Last Quarter phase are in signs that are ruled by Jupiter. But let’s face it, Pisces and Sagittarius are very different signs. Pisces, a water sign, has that misty, otherworldly quality, and Sagittarius, a fire sign, wants to make adventures happen in this world. The friction of this Last Quarter Moon is, will we reach that Aquarian future by dreaming the inspired dreams or by taking inspired action?

Presumably, we need both. And that’s the tension of this particular lunar phase, refining our dreams and then letting them temper our actions. A Moon in Sagittarius that’s energized by a Last Quarter phase accentuates Sagittarius’s most exuberant qualities – honesty, and how it makes us feel free and uninhibited. Laughter, letting ourselves be optimistic with big ideas and plans for the future. I always associated Sagittarius with the spirit of Mardi Gras, which is on March 4th this year. Sagittarius has that big, joyous, “let the good times roll” spirit. I have a friend who always has a candle burning on her front porch, and she likes to choose a candle color that suits the Moon’s sign on that day. Whenever she asks me what color to use for Sagittarius, my brain goes to the colors of Mardi Gras and I tell her purple, green, or yellow: pick one!

The Moon’s Sabian symbol at this Last Quarter is 3 Sagittarius, Two men playing chess. It’s about strategic training so that we’re able to choose the optimal path. The Sun is on Sabian symbol 3 Pisces, A petrified forest. Which is about the long-term reach of our goals and the things that we’re plotting.

Lunar Phase Family Cycle

This is the Last Quarter in a lunar phase family cycle that began with the New Moon on November 23rd, 2022 at 1º 37’ Sagittarius. That was a pretty easygoing New Moon. It was in a conjunction with Venus and other than that, it wasn’t making any serious, terrible aspects. That would have been a time, if you have 1º37’ Sagittarius prominent in your chart or something close to that, then that was the beginning of a 3-year cycle that was pretty positive, in that Sagittarius area of your chart.

So, the First Quarter in that cycle was August 24th, 2023. The Full Moon was on May 23rd, 2024. And now we have this Last Quarter. Anything that you initiated back at that November 23rd, 2022 New Moon has been acted upon at the First Quarter, has revealed the entirety of its themes at the Full Moon. And now we’re at the Last Quarter and our assignment is to take whatever it is we started back at that November 2022 New Moon in Sagittarius and take a final action in the direction of trying to complete this cycle and the objectives that we set forth for ourselves then.

Void-of-Course Moon periods

Let’s look at the Void-of-Course Moon periods for this week. On February 17th, the Moon in Libra trines the Sun in Aquarius at 3:24 pm Pacific Time. It’s Void-of-Course for 55 minutes and then enters Scorpio at 4:19 pm.

The Void-of-Course Moon periods show us moments during the week when we have a particularly strong window of opportunity for ending old habits and beginning new ones. When the Moon begins a Void-of-Course period on a trine to another planet, it brings us a gift or a reward.

Both the Sun and Moon here are in the communicative and sociable signs of Libra and Aquarius. And it brings to mind the art of small talk. A lot of people consider small talk to be a negative thing, and I’ve never understood why. I mean, I have the Moon in Gemini, and I think, what could be wrong with just exchanging a few jokes with a stranger while we’re standing in line at the grocery store, for example?

It certainly can make the drudgery of standing in line just a little bit more enjoyable. Use this Void-of-Course Moon period to practice the art of small talk and to use it in a bright and uplifting way, to share with someone to hopefully improve their day a little bit.

On February 20th, the Moon in Scorpio trines Neptune at 2:05 am Pacific Time. It’s Void-of-Course for two hours and 50 minutes, and then enters Sagittarius at 4:55 am. This is another Void-of-Course Moon that brings a gift. One gift that we have, particularly when the Moon makes an aspect to Neptune, is that intuition and our access to our unconscious mind are very strong. In this day and age, it’s much less common for us to keep journals or to write letters to people that we’ll later be able to look back on, to remember what was happening in our lives – not just on the outside, but on the inside.

This is a good Void-of-Course Moon for journaling, and we’ve talked before about the practice of dream journaling when we have a Void-of-Course period that begins with an aspect to Neptune happens during sleeping hours for some of us. So, if you haven’t had a chance to try that out, here’s another chance to give journaling, and in particular dream journaling, a try.

And on February 22nd, the Moon in Sagittarius squares Neptune at 12:38 pm Pacific Time. It’s Void-of-Course for 2 hours, 31 minutes and then enters Capricorn at 3:09 pm. But of course, periods that begin with the Moon square another planet indicate that there is a conflict or some kind of blockage that we’re trying to overcome. Here we are wrapping up the combination of signs that marked that Last Quarter Moon phase. When the Moon and Neptune are both in mutable signs, as they are here, it can indicate that our moods change quickly. So, maybe use this Void-of-Course period to make a conscious effort to pay attention to your mood and to try to consciously respond to emotions that come up calmly, instead of overreacting. Always the danger with the Moon in Sagittarius.

Mercury square Jupiter (Feb. 20, 2025, 12:13 pm PST)

On February 20th at 12:13 pm Pacific Time, Mercury squares Jupiter at 11º 43’ Pisces and Gemini. Mercury is the planet of communication, and when it’s in a square aspect to another planet, there’s a kind of a contest between Mercury’s love of facts and details, and whatever it is that the other planet holds dear.

In the case of Jupiter, it’s really easy to get carried away and overdo it with things. And in this case, Mercury things, like communication, details, and facts. You might find yourself overwhelmed with details, and with no helpful way to put them to practical use. It’s also easy to get carried away with what it is you think you know, to the point where you won’t listen to any facts that contradict your perspective.

Jupiter is on the Sabian symbol, 12 Gemini, A slave girl demands her rights of her mistress. And this is kind of an emotionally charged picture that stems from deep seated injustices. There is in this symbol a need to be given respect and to be taken seriously. Meanwhile, Mercury’s Sabian symbol is 12 Pisces, An examination of initiates. And this says, well, it’s great to demand respect and to demand your due, but it always works out better if you have facts and details to back up your opinions. In any great Jupiter thesis, Mercury is the footnotes.

But all is not negative, as indicated by the fact that these two planets are in mutual reception. That is, each one of them is in a sign that the other rules. Mercury is in Pisces, which is ruled by Jupiter, and Jupiter is in Gemini, which is ruled by Mercury. That means there is the potential to reconcile any conflicts that come up between facts and opinion, and one can actually enhance the other.

Mercury trine Mars (Feb. 23, 2025, 8:58 am PST)

Mercury trines Mars on February 23rd at 8:58am Pacific Time at 17º 00’ Pisces and Cancer. Mercury trines Mars just before it stations to turn direct. And the way you experience this aspect will depend very much on how you’re doing emotionally right now and especially how you’re handling feelings of resentment, anger, or frustration.

Neither of Mercury and Mars signs, Pisces and Cancer, are big fans of speaking their minds. But we can certainly find ourselves overwhelmed by feelings, including the feelings of those around us. And this is an aspect that can make us a little more prone to express that, and maybe a little less tactfully than we would normally expect from planets in Pisces and Cancer.

Now, because Mercury is connecting with a planet that is changing direction, our minds could be working overtime, and that can be positive, and it can be negative. In a positive sense, you could suddenly have all these great ideas about creative projects you’re working on, or that you want to work on – things that you’d like to do around your house, Mars in Cancer – but you also might be worried about members of your family, or things that are going on around your neighborhood.

Mars stations Direct (Feb. 23, 2025, 6 pm PST)

And later, on the same day, February 23rd at 6 pm Pacific time, Mars stations direct at 17 degrees Cancer, on the Sabian symbol, 17 Cancer, The germ grows into knowledge and life. Mars has been on quite a journey. It’s been retrograde since December 6th, 2024. But before that, it first entered Cancer on September 4th, 2024, entered Leo on November 3rd, and then re-entered Cancer on January 6th, 2025. Now it is finally turning direct, and it will leave Cancer on April 17th.

So, we’ve had this very long protracted journey of Mars being in Cancer, being in Leo, being retrograde. Now on the day that a planet stations direct or retrograde, I think we feel them more. Mars is the warrior planet. So, anger, violence, severing, you know, cutting ties – will be very, let’s say, easily accessible for the week leading up to and following this station.

Protecting your family, your home, maintaining your safety can feel very pressing and urgent. You may be more likely than usual to react in anger around these kinds of issues. But the positive side of Mars, and it is huge, is having access to physical energy. If you’ve been struggling a bit with motivation ever since Mars turned retrograde on January 6th, here is where the tide begins to turn. Where you’ll be able to throw yourself into your work. And the more challenging it is, the more you will savor it while Mars is turning direct. Cancer is a sign of nurturing all the seeds that grow into maturity, whether it’s children or pets or just the seed of an idea. And Mars’ Sabian symbol as it stations direct is 17 Cancer, The germ grows into knowledge and life. So whatever eggs you’ve been sitting on over the past month and a half are ready to hatch and hopefully will not be as costly as eggs in the supermarket right now.

Listener Question: How lucky is Jupiter, really?

In this week’s listener question, Listener Quentin writes, “I’m always reading and hearing about how fortunate Jupiter is, but I have several planets in Gemini in my chart and Jupiter transiting in Gemini has not impressed me. Where are my lottery winnings? My big promotion?”

Oh, Quentin, with my Moon in Gemini, I feel you. Everybody thinks Jupiter is Santa Claus, and it’s true that from time to time he capriciously decides to throw some amazing gift our way. I had astonishing luck back when transiting Jupiter made a conjunction with the transiting North Node exactly on my Midheaven degree. And I was definitely queen for a day, well, for a year, the year that my Progressed Sun made a trine to natal Jupiter.

But mostly, I have to admit, I don’t wake up on the morning of a Jupiter transit and find a bunch of presents under the tree either. Jupiter was traditionally considered the greater benefic, so protective and so rewarding that it seemed to overcome any other difficulties that came one’s way. Maybe it works that way in a horary chart, where you’re asking a question and looking for the answer, or maybe an electional chart, where you’re choosing a date and time for something.

But in a birth chart, it isn’t always so straightforward. For example, Jupiter is a little less supercharged when it’s in Gemini, your sign, which is the sign opposite its home sign of Sagittarius. Now mind you, I’ve known people born with Jupiter in Gemini who’ve had fabulous fortune, especially in Gemini ruled professions like communication or writing. But stacks of presents under the Christmas tree lock every day? Well no.

Much of what Jupiter brings your way is also dependent on its house position and its aspects to other planets in your birth chart. Forgive me for bringing myself into the conversation again, but my own Jupiter is in Aquarius, which is ruled by Saturn. And it’s also conjunct Saturn in Capricorn in my birth chart, so I never get Jupiter without Saturn. That’s probably why I’m so skeptical of his fantastic reputation.

As for transits, we may have a stereotypical picture in mind of what good fortune will look like when Jupiter visits, but my teacher used to warn of Jupiter’s kind of backhanded good luck. For example, I know a woman who ended up in the emergency room on the day Jupiter transited over her ascendant. Ends up that had she not gone there with some troubling but not life-threatening symptoms, which led to treatment for hypertension, she could easily have had a serious stroke. I mean, we could look at Jupiter going over the Ascendant and think, wow, something fabulous must have happened. But you know, I have a relative who had a truly debilitating stroke, and I would not wish her current situation on my worst enemy. So, that Jupiter-Ascendant transit kind of does look like good luck, if it kept this woman from a similar fate.

And finally, we have to remember that Jupiter is not the only thing going on in your chart at any given moment. As I record this, Saturn is moving through Pisces at the same time Jupiter is in Gemini. And at some point, Saturn will or will have made hard squares to all those same Gemini planets in your chart. That can definitely make it a little harder to enjoy Jupiter.

So, does Jupiter deserve all his great press? Maybe, maybe not. But, whenever he shows up it’s pretty reasonable to expect that whatever dark cloud comes our way, Jupiter can provide a silver lining.

Quentin, thank you so much for your question, and I wish you some really lovely benefits from those Jupiter transits!

If you have a question that you would like me to answer on a future episode of the podcast, please leave a voicemail of one minute or less at speakpipe.com/ bigskyastrologypodcast, or you can send me an email at April (at) bigskyastrology.com and be sure you put “podcast question” in the subject line.

Donor Thanks

Well, that is everything I have on my show sheet, so I’m gonna wrap this one up. Thank you 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, 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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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!