TRANSCRIPT Ep. 281 | Virgo Full Moon-Lunar Eclipse: Clearing Out the Stress!

TRANSCRIPT Ep. 281 (3.10. 25)
Virgo Full Moon-Lunar Eclipse: Clearing Out the Stress!

Hello, Invisible Friend, April here, and the date today is March 10th, 2025. Welcome to Episode 281 of the Big Sky Astrology Podcast. This week, welcome to the first eclipse season of 2025, which begins with this week’s Lunar Eclipse in Virgo. Should you be terrifiiiiied?™ The Sun makes its annual conjunction to demanding Saturn but gets busted out of jail by Uranus a couple of days later. And Mercury makes a conjunction to retrograde Venus just a couple of days before he begins his own retrograde period. Plus, I answer a listener question about the significance of the Midheaven and IC as South and North points in the chart.

Mercury conjoins Venus (March 11, 2025, 3:55 pm PDT)

Mercury makes a conjunction with Venus on March 11th at 3:55 pm Pacific Daylight Time at 8º47’ Aries. It’s on the Sabian symbol 9 Aries, A crystal gazer. It’s time to think about what we want in life and this is especially true as Venus has been retrograde. In particular, it’s important to look at the area of life that’s represented by the Aries house of your chart and think about what it is that you really want in that area of life.

As Mercury comes into a connection with Venus, it makes it a little easier to figure these things out because Mercury is the thinking planet. So much of Venus is more or less instinctual. We think, “I want that. That looks really good to me. I’m really craving this.” But Mercury brings a rational thought process to these nameless Venus desires.

The Sabian symbol for this conjunction, A crystal gazer, says that some of the clues to what we want may come about as hunches. And although we don’t usually think of the fire signs, like Aries, as being particularly intuitive, they really can be. Their intuition comes not through that deep, soulful, heartfelt instinct of the water signs like Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces. But rather, Aries’ intuition comes through the fire of the spirit. It’s not a passive sense of something that we want or desire. It is something we are passionate about.

Sun conjoins Saturn (March 12, 20225, 3:29 am PDT)

On March 12th at 3:29 am Pacific Time, the Sun makes a conjunction with Saturn at 22º05’ Pisces. It’s on the Sabian symbol 23 Pisces, Spiritist phenomena.

The Sun with Saturn can be a very productive, character-building transit but it usually is not a cheerful one. You can really feel like you’re carrying the weight of Saturn itself on your shoulders. We might feel as though we’re working very hard and not getting any results or not getting the kind of credit we would like to get. Others might think that we’re being too serious, that we’re being a killjoy. It’s like living with a dark cloud over your head and you’re dragging along a heavy load behind you. It’s like trying to plant seeds in the garden, but the ground is frozen solid and full of rocks. You can do it, but it’s gonna take a lot of work.

Nevertheless, this is the kind of transit that shows us our strength, shows us our capacity for endurance, and the work that we’ve been doing ever since the Sun entered Pisces on February 18th will last because we’ve truly earned it and worked for it. Within a couple of days of this transit, your assignment is pretty simple. It is just to show up, to keep your head down and plug away at your work. Don’t look too far in the distance and keep your eyes on your own work and not what other people are doing.

This is kind of a funny planetary combination to have in Pisces, which is a much more relaxed, go-with-the-flow sign. But Saturn is Saturn. And when the Sun is together with this planet, we need to work for what it is that we want.

Full Moon Lunar Eclipse (March 13, 2025, 11:55 pm PDT)

And now it’s time for the Moon Report. And it begins with a Full Moon Lunar Eclipse on March 13th at 11:55 pm Pacific time. The Moon is at 23º56’ Virgo. This is our second eclipse on the Pisces Virgo axis. The first was a Lunar Eclipse on September 18th, 2024, and that was the point opposite this eclipse.

Eclipses bring major change, and they’re not always positive. Truthfully, it often takes difficulty to force us to grow. The signs of the transiting lunar nodes pinpoint the themes that are being highlighted by these eclipses. And I think because eclipses require a New or Full Moon very close to the lunar nodes, I think of them as introducing the kind of crisis that will move us from the South Node point of comfort and complacency and toward the north node point, which is designed to help us grow.

The eclipses that occur close to the Moon’s South Node really highlight these themes of release and of healing and the ones that fall close to the North Node’s side show ways to move forward and what we might fill ourselves up with. The South Node is in Virgo, so each eclipse here will be motivating us to release the harsh or negative aspects of that sign, such as worry and stress, excessive perfectionism, destructive criticism of ourselves as well as of others. And meanwhile, the North Node is in Pisces for the first time since 2007. The North Node offers a new path that can lead to personal growth. And any eclipse in Pisces through 2026 will encourage us to develop a spiritual path or perspective, to devote ourselves to artistic pursuits, to give ourselves in service and kindness to people or animals who are suffering.

This week’s particular eclipse is close to the Moon’s South Node, so it is a “letting go” eclipse. It is opposed to the Sun, of course, a Lunar Eclipse is always when the Moon is opposed to the Sun. And it’s also opposed to Saturn and Neptune. So, let’s say that this letting go process has to do with our sense of self and identity, about being willing to take responsibility for circumstances, and also about the authority figures in our lives, and also responsibility for the ways that we have fooled ourselves from time to time, and let ourselves be fooled.

What’s helpful about working with eclipses is that they have dependable cycles. With this Lunar Eclipse, you can look back to previous eclipses near this degree to get a hint at what it could mean for you personally. This is because an eclipse at a particular degree and sign will fall in the same house of your chart and will make aspects to the same planets in your chart. And because the same territory is getting triggered, similar territory inside of you is getting triggered.

For this eclipse, look back to September 13th, 2015, and a Solar Eclipse at 20ºVirgo; on March 14th, 2006, a Lunar Eclipse at 24º15’ Virgo; and on March 13th, 1998, a Lunar Eclipse at 22º24’ Virgo.

But really, you can look at the eclipses near this degree of any mutable sign, Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, or Pisces, because they will be making aspects to this point, either conjunction in the case of Virgo, or in opposition with Pisces, or a square with Gemini and Sagittarius. I won’t give you specific eclipses, but you can look back to 2020, 2015 and 16, 2011, 2006, 2001, 1997 and 98, 1992, 1988, and 1982 through 84, just as an example.

Lunar Phase Family Cycle

This is the Full Moon in a Lunar Phase Family Cycle that began with a New Moon on September 14th, 2023. That was at 21º58’ Virgo. The issues and intentions from that time are now being carried forward through this Lunar Phase Family Cycle, and every nine months from that New Moon, we see another major lunation near that New Moon degree. So, the First Quarter was on June 13th, 2024; that was a 23º39’ Virgo. So again, really close to this point, the Full Moon now, March 13th, 2025, 23º56’ Virgo. And the Last Quarter in this cycle is on December 11th, 2025, at 20º04’ Virgo. The New Moon in this cycle was the one that set the tone for the coming three years. And then the First Quarter says, what are you going to do in the Virgo area of your life that is in keeping with the intentions you made at that Virgo New Moon?

Now, we have a bigger picture of what it is we set out to do. We have gone down the path for 18 months and now we’re starting to look at things in a slightly different way. This can have to do with work generally. It can have to do with health and how we’re taking care of ourselves. And also, again, the house of your chart, where 23º56’ Virgo lands.

And then the Last Quarter will be about how will you fine-tune what you have been doing up to now in this Virgo area and getting ready to make a final decision, push, or action to try to bring this cycle to a satisfying completion.

Void-of-Course Moon Periods

Let’s look at the Void-of-Course Moon periods for this week. On March 11th, the Moon in Leo squares Uranus at 1:16 pm Pacific Time. It’s Void-of-Course for 11 hours, 40 minutes, and enters Virgo on March 12th at 12:56 am. Void-of-Course Moon periods that begin when the Moon is squaring another planet show that there is some conflict or some challenge. This is a pretty long Void-of-Course Moon period. The conflict of this square is at least partially around having a strong, healthy sense of self, Leo, in the face of external challenges that knock us off course.

Sometimes, this comes in the form of social situations, maybe where you feel that you don’t quite fit in. When we focus on who we are and what we want to express, it’s true that that tends to separate us sometimes from the crowd. In a way, that’s the point. The challenge of this Void-of-Course Moon period is to pay attention during these moments and these situations where this happens, where we feel separate, and carefully consider whether fitting in is worth toning down who you are.

On March 14th, the Moon in Virgo opposes Neptune at 10:47 am Pacific Time. It’s Void-of-Course for 1 hour 12 minutes and enters Libra at 11:59 am.

Void-of-Course Moon periods that begin with the Moon’s opposition to another planet are trying to bring us an awareness. Oppositions usually bring this awareness through our observations or interactions with other people. When Neptune is involved, we may be experiencing disillusionment through somebody that we had idealized. Or we may compare ourselves to a particularly glamorous or artistic or spiritual person and find ourselves wanting. Part of the Void-of-Course Moon assignment here, I think, is to get a clear idea of yourself and sometimes this requires getting past idealizing others.

This Void-of-Course Moon period is coming off that Lunar Eclipse that was exact just hours prior, which supports making pretty important changes in our lives. And this Void-of-Course Moon period is a time that we can contemplate that, and we can work on making that shift that we need to make to get the most benefit from this Lunar Eclipse.

On March 16^th, the Moon in Libra squares Mars in Cancer at 2:53 am Pacific Time. It is Void-of-Course, get this, for 21 hours 37 minutes! That is a very long Void-of-Course period. The Moon then enters Scorpio on March 17th at 12:30 am.

My problem with the way the Void-of-Course Moon is often described is that people feel that it’s a kind of a dead zone where you really can’t do anything because nothing’s gonna work out right. I don’t see it that way. I think sometimes things don’t necessarily turn out exactly the way you had envisioned, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s a bad thing.

This Void-of-Course Moon period begins with a conflict between the Moon in Libra and Mars in Cancer. So, the challenge for the Moon in Libra always is to find balance and equilibrium, and that generally is not easy when Mars is involved. So, what we can do during this Void-of-Course period is to try to break the habit of being very emotionally reactive.

The reason that I say Void-of-Course Moon periods are good for breaking habits and forming new habits is because symbolically, the Moon has finished making all of the major aspects it’s going to make in its sign. And that means nothing is coming along on the Moon’s trajectory to blow it off course. So, it’s a good time to decide you’re gonna divest yourself of some old patterns and to intentionally try to set some new ones, especially with Mercury stationing retrograde a couple of days after this Void-of-Course.

Think long and hard before you send a nasty Mars email or a reactive text. Be very careful, especially about road rage and losing your temper on the road. This very long Void-of-Course Moon period is an important one for breaking these kinds of habits, the ones where we lose our temper and we act out, and instead to get in a new habit of practicing emotional regulation and self-control.

Sun sextile Uranus (March 14, 2025, 2:16 am PDT)

The Sun sextiles Uranus on March 14th at 2:16 am Pacific Time. Thinking back to that Void-of-Course Moon on March 11^th, which invited us to think about the ways we stand out and whether it’s worth trying to modify ourselves to fit in… Here is an aspect that offers the opportunity to connect with people who make you feel as if you, the real you, belong, fit into a particular group or network.

It can be liberating and revitalizing to open yourself up to new ways of being. The Sun at 24º2’ Pisces is on the Sabian symbol 25 Pisces, The purging of the priesthood. It’s about rooting out insincerity, in this case, of anything that isn’t truly you, so that you can be part of the community that’s right for you.

Community is implied by Uranus’s symbol, 25 Taurus, A large, well-kept public park. It’s a symbol of the way the community respects common resources. No matter how singular each of us is, most of us live within a wider community, and we all share responsibility for its upkeep and well-being.

Mercury stations retrograde (March 14, 2025, 11:46 pm PDT)

Mercury stations retrograde on March 14th at 11:46 pm Pacific Time at 09º35’ Aries. Mercury is the planet of connectivity, all of the ways we connect with one another, ways like computers and phones and cars, and of the information that we collect and share and our communications with others.

When Mercury is retrograde, we may kind of lose track of all these things, or they may malfunction. It’s why astrologers constantly advise you, when Mercury is getting retrograde, it’s time to bust out your external hard drive and back up your files or to make sure they’re being saved in the cloud to avoid signing contracts because there might be something in the fine print that you didn’t catch or something about the deal that makes it unfavorable to you. Communication, travel, and purchases can all turn into frustrating experiences.

When Mercury is retrograde, it’s time to really go inward a bit. In general, Mercury retrograde is far better for revisiting past projects than it is for initiating new ones. But it can actually be a rewarding time to catch up with old friends or your extended family, to visit places you’ve been to before, and to review contracts and finish old projects.

The Sabian symbol for this station is 10 Aries, A man teaching new forms for old symbols and this evokes reviewing old understandings, interpreting old ideas and agreements in a new way.

Listener Question: Where Are North and South?

This week’s listener question comes from Listener Savannah, who writes, “This question is about how the Midheaven and Nadir are calculated. The east side of the earth as the ascendant and the west side of the earth as the descendant, I understand pretty well. That’s pretty logical. But why on earth and every chart I see are the midheaven and nadir all over the place? Aren’t they supposed to be north and south? I’m being a little indulgent here because I know that I could sit around and Google this for a couple of hours. But frankly, I really enjoy your insightful and often whimsical analysis, and I’d like to just hear it from you first. Quite a compliment to you as a teacher.”

Well, I take that as a compliment indeed, listener Savannah, and I’m flattered that you would come to me with this question.

I always have to proceed cautiously in matters like this because my grasp of astronomy is not nearly as strong as my grasp of astrology! Everything about the houses and angles of the horoscope start to get confusing once you get past the ascendant and descendant. Those two points are obvious and nonnegotiable because they represent the visible horizon. We can easily identify the east as the point where the Sun rises and the west as the sunset point.

But there isn’t a comparable visible point that helps us identify the Midheaven, marking the highest point in the sky, or its opposite point, the nadir, or IC. They do lie north and south. North is where we generally look for the IC, and south in the case of the Midheaven. They are north and south relative to the equator, but their exact positions and the other problems with house division comes down to house system and latitude.

We imagine automatically that there are 90º between the Ascendant, where the Sun rises, and the Midheaven, where it culminates, roughly around noon. But depending on the location and the seasons, it actually can be quite different. For example, if you see a chart with, say, Sagittarius rising, you kind of expect that the Midheaven will be in Virgo because that’s the sign 90º before Sagittarius. But very often, you will see a chart that has Sagittarius rising and, say, Libra at the Midheaven because of the time of year and the latitude where the person was born.

The Earth’s circumference is much narrower at the poles than it is at the equator. So if you’re born quite a bit north or south of the equator, and again, depending also on the season of the year, the houses of the chart can vary in size quite a bit. That’s in the house systems, like Placidus or Koch, where the houses are uneven in size. This is where we get things like intercepted signs.

These quadrant-based house systems always place the Midheaven on the cusp of the 10th house and the IC on the cusp of the 4th. But the whole sign houses and equal houses methods cut the chart into 12 equal-sized points, with the ascendant as the reference. Nevertheless, the MC and IC are defined points in the sky. So, this results in the MC and IC often being situated in a variety of different houses in these equal house systems, anywhere from the 8th and 2nd houses to the 11th and 5th houses.

In these systems, you still read the Midheaven, which is always included in these charts, as being about career, status, and reputation, the highest point one might aspire to, and the IC, as being related to home, family, and where we’re rooted. It’s just that they’re not necessarily connected to the 10th and 4th houses. And that the Midheaven’s House position gives additional insights into where one might explore one’s career, for example.

Savannah, I hope that this helps. It’s a pretty complex topic, but I hope that helps you understand why sometimes the Midheaven and IC are not exactly where you expect them to be in a chart.

If you have a question you’d like me to answer on a future episode of the podcast, leave a message of one minute or less at SpeakPipe.com / bigskyastrologypodcast. Or you can send an email to april (at) bigskyastrology (dot) com and be sure you put “Podcast Question” in the subject line.

Donor Thanks

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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!