TRANSCRIPT Ep. 292 (5.26.25)
New Moon in Gemini: Performing a Nosedive!
Hello, Invisible Friend, April here – and the date today is May 26th, 2025. Welcome to Episode 292 of the Big Sky Astrology Podcast. This week, Mercury is the star of the show, making a conjunction with the Sun, ruling the Gemini New Moon, and making aspects to imaginative Neptune and introspective Pluto. And we conclude my mini-lesson series by briefly examining Saturn in Aries aspects to planets.
Mercury sextile Neptune (May 26, 2025, 1:37 pm)
Mercury sextiles Neptune on May 26th at 1:37 pm Pacific Time at 01º46’ Gemini and Aries. Let me tell you a little Mercury-Neptune story. When I was young, but old enough to know better, I invited a pen pal from another state to come for a visit. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but it ended up a complete disaster. As it turned out, this friend had certain misunderstandings about the nature of our friendship and things turned out very awkwardly for everybody involved.
Mercury, and for that matter, the sextile aspect are symbols of invitations, of extending one’s hand out in an offer of connection. But when Neptune is involved, these kinds of misunderstandings can be pretty common.
So, before you put that hand out in friendship, clarify your terms, and you may have to continue having clarifying conversations along the way. That said, this is a wonderful transit for artistic projects, which involve pulling together a number of pieces into one big thing. And in particular, if you’ve already completed some pieces of art, this is a great transit for promoting them. Because Neptune is in Aries and that is a sign that is not shy about self-promotion.
Gemini New Moon (May 26, 2025, 8:02 pm PDT)
And now it’s time for the Moon report. And we begin as always with the week’s major lunation. This week, it’s the Gemini New Moon on May 26th at 8:02 pm Pacific Time, at 06º05’ Gemini.
Gemini is like a bird or a bee that takes the wealth, the pollen of the Taurus season and spreads it around. The spirit of the Gemini season is about movement. It’s the season of road trips with the family, of gatherings, with friends, moving the air around as we speak. It’s about transmitting thoughts and ideas through writing, catching up on email or maybe making actual phone calls.
Have you been spending time with your siblings and your cousins? This is a very good time to catch up with them. Gemini rules siblings, as well as neighbors. If you don’t know your neighbors, this could be a good period of time to introduce yourself, maybe with a homemade treat. If you’re already acquainted with your neighbors, maybe even pretty close as we are on my street, maybe a block party would be fun.
Whatever you do in the weeks ahead, you will want plenty of variety in your routine. New books and movies and TV shows. You’ll want to break out some light pastel garments that blow around in the spring breezes. Brush off your bicycle, have lunch in the park. It’s time for lightness, in the fragile spring weather.
The Sun is in Gemini until the Cancer solstice, which this year is on June 20th. That begins summer in the northern hemisphere and winter in the southern hemisphere. Summer is the warm, slow gestation period of the year. It’s when we use the colored strings and twigs that we collected during Gemini season to build a little nest where we can perch during Cancer season, letting eggs and ideas come to fruition. Now is the free time, the Gemini time, to explore and collect.
This New Moon chart features the Sun, Moon, and Mercury all together in Gemini, in a sextile aspect with Saturn and Neptune in Aries. Aries turns up the temperature and the speed of things. It makes everything move a little more quickly. Interests that we give our time and attention to during this New Moon season may take our attention very quickly but they don’t always last a really long time. I say not always, because Saturn will make Gemini’s new ideas a little bit stickier, and one or two of them may maintain our interest for maybe a month or two.
For example, it’s a really good season for learning something. Because the Sun and Moon and Mercury altogether in the learning sign of Gemini is a pretty great combination.
Lunar Phase Family Cycle
This is the New Moon in a lunar phase family cycle that will unfold over the coming three years. What you prepare at this New Moon really has long-ranging consequences.
It’s a pretty friendly-looking New Moon chart, and that’s good news as we go through the next few years, sort of writing the energy of this New Moon. So, for example, let’s say you wanted to write a book, which would be of the nature of Gemini, and you make plans about that at this New Moon. You don’t have to finish the book in a 29-day transiting New Moon cycle. Instead, with the lunar phase family cycle, you would have a full three years to finish the project at the First Quarter. In this lunar phase family cycle, which comes on February 24th, 2026, we take some kind of initial action on the thing that we wanted to do. So, in the case of writing a book. This would be when you actually begin the writing process. You’re done with the research of it, and you make your outline and you actually begin to write, and the First Quarter is great for things that we’re not really confident a hundred percent, that we can do this thing, and we just have to go on faith.
Then the Full Moon in this lunar phase family cycle comes on November 24th, 2026. And that’s a time when maybe you’ve finished all your writing and you can sit with your manuscript and review it and really decide where its strengths are and where you need to do some extra work.
The Last Quarter in this lunar phase family cycle comes on August 24th, 2027, and that is the last action point in the cycle. It’s when we review the changes that we’ve made to the manuscript, we’re considering it pretty much ready to send out at this point, but the last quarter is the one that really makes us review exactly what we’ve got and then find the courage to put it out there for the world to enjoy.
Void-of-Course Moon periods
Let’s look at the Void-of-Course Moon periods for this week. On May 26th, the Moon in Taurus makes a conjunction with Uranus at 6:52 am Pacific Time. It’s Void-of-Course for three hours, 29 minutes, and then enters Gemini at 10:21 am. The Moon in Taurus is usually a Moon that just likes to continue on the way it’s been going, and not make a whole lot of changes, but as it makes this conjunction with Uranus, we are sort of in a situation where we really have to make some changes to move forward.
So the Void-of-Course Moon, that begins on this conjunction, it’s a Void-of-Course Moon that encourages being inventive, independent, unconventional. This is the Void-of-Course Moon period, to really embrace the parts of your personality that are maybe a little bit quirky, celebrate your differences.
On May 28th, the Moon in Gemini conjuncts Jupiter at 6:01 am Pacific time. It’s Void-of-Course for four hours, 32 minutes, and then enters Cancer at 10:33 am.
The Moon in Gemini loves to gather things, to gather information, and Jupiter just expands this desire. Jupiter likes to focus on optimism and hope. So, we should use this Void-of-Course Moon period to kind of initiate a habit of focusing on the brighter and happier side of things and enjoying more lighthearted news or topics instead of just sitting and doom-scrolling.
This is a good Void-of-Course period for taking an adventure, kind of a local adventure in your own neighborhood or in your own town, discovering something new. Pretend you are a tourist in your own town and have a day of going to lunch at a new place, and maybe seeing a couple of the local sites that you haven’t enjoyed previously.
On May 30th, the Moon in Cancer sextiles Uranus at 9:50 am Pacific Time. It’s Void-of-Course for three hours, 27 minutes, and enters Leo at 1:17 pm. Here is a chance, an opportunity, as we always say with a sextile aspect, to peek out of your shell, share your personality more with those who are around you. Since the Moon is in Cancer during this Void-of-Course period, this could involve sharing a meal or some snacks with some of your favorite people or animals.
A friend told me that recently she and her partner have been feeding the pigeons that live in their apartment courtyard. Pigeons are very intelligent creatures and my friend has befriended them through sharing sunflower seeds with them. She says it’s always such a delight to see them looking into their window for snacks, and their cat gets very excited when the pigeons show up as well. And of course, the cat gets very animated and exuberant, and that kind of chases the pigeons off, but they always come back.
You can probably do the same thing with people in your life. You’re trying to get to know a little bit better, use this Void-of-Course period, to get in the habit of reaching out and connecting through sharing.
And on June 1st, we meet the new month with the Moon in Leo sextile Jupiter in Gemini. It goes Void-of-Course at 4:38 pm Pacific time, is Void-of-Course for three hours and 22 minutes, and enters Virgo at 8:00 pm.
There is always an opportunity when the Moon begins its Void-of-Course period on a sextile to another planet, and the Moon in Leo is playful and fun. It wants to get together with friends or family and maybe do something fun and creative. Play some cards or board games, or miniature golf or video games, some other kind of competitive activity that’s a lot of fun.
This can also be a really good opportunity to promote yourself or a business, because the Moon in Leo is a good showman, and Jupiter in Gemini is terrific at communication. So put yourself out there and make sure that your message is very positive and confident.
Mercury trine Pluto (May 27, 2025, 10:56 am PDT)
Mercury trines Pluto on May 27th at 10:56 am Pacific Time at 3º41’ Gemini and Aquarius. This is a transit that’s happening between planets in air signs, so this is, to a great degree, about the power of the mind. A trine aspect, by the way, although it’s considered an easy aspect, doesn’t necessarily mean that the connection between these planets is all that upbeat or positive. It means, rather, that nothing much gets in the way of their connection with each other.
Mercury with Pluto is a fantastic combination for deep focus, for research, for troubleshooting, but with this kind of aspect, we always run the risk of getting so deeply in our heads that we get a little overwhelmed by negative emotions like anxiety or fear, we can drift into self-talk that is very negative and really hard to shut off. So, the challenge here is to make use of that Mercury-Pluto mental depth in a productive way.
Back between March 5th and April 20th, there was a series of sextile aspects between these two planets. You may have explored a number of ideas at that time, but Mercury was retrograde for part of this period, and you may have just run into problems getting things going or completing them. But the trine aspect between these planets now virtually guarantees that you can finish some things that are very worthwhile.
Sun conjunct Mercury (May 29, 2025, 9:13 pm PDT)
And on May 29th at 9:13 pm Pacific Time, the Sun makes a conjunction with Mercury at 09º01’ Gemini. The Sabian symbol for this conjunction is 10 Gemini, An airplane falling. Dane Rudyard stated it a little differently, An airplane performing a nose dive, which gives a little bit of a note of control and an intentionality that I prefer!
Mercury or any planet coming together in an exact conjunction within 17 minutes of arc with the Sun is said to be cazimi, which means “in the heart of the Sun.” When Mercury is cazimi, profound moments of mental or communicative clarity are possible. The actual cazimi period falls between May 29th at 3:44 pm Pacific time through May 30th at 2:41 am Pacific. With the exact conjunction, of course, at 9:13 pm on May 29th. This whole period is a powerful time to deliver a message. Just make sure it’s exactly the message that you want to send, because it will have all the power of the Sun behind it, as well as Mercury being very strong, being in one of the signs that it rules. Is the airplane falling, or is its fall a deliberate maneuver? Make sure you are confident behind the controls.
Mini-Lesson: Transiting Saturn in aspect to natal planets
In this week’s mini-lesson, I’m giving you the last in a series of lessons about Saturn moving into Aries. Two episodes ago, I gave a really general overview about Saturn moving into the sign of Aries. You might want to go back and listen to that, about our great work over the next two and a half years, about disciplining those wild Aries parts of ourselves and taking responsibility for doing our part to make the world a better place.
Last week, we looked at Saturn moving through the houses of the birth chart to give you some idea of where this kind of meaningful work will be taking place for you over the next two and a half years. And now this week we’re looking at Saturn in aspect to the planets of the birth chart.
We begin with Saturn in aspect to the Sun, and this is always an aspect that’s about character building. It’s a time also to become more productive, but I have to be honest, it’s not usually the most cheerful aspect. It can be one in which you feel that you’re carrying a lot on your shoulders, and your confidence can actually be a little low. And I think the way through is to just keep tackling the things that feel difficult, because under a Saturn influence, those are the things that will actually build your confidence and your strength of character. You’re building yourself into the person you need to be to do Saturn’s work. If the aspect is a difficult one, say a conjunction or a square, or to some extent an opposition, this work can feel pretty difficult. And there are often people in your life, especially authority figures, who can make you feel as if you’re not doing your best and are really pushing you hard.
In the end, it is your choice about what you do with that, and you can let it stop you and discourage you, or you can let it make you stronger. Let’s face it, easier aspects from Saturn to the Sun, like a trine or a textile, tend to be a little easier. It’s still the hard work of becoming your best self, but you have more resources that are helping you and making the process a little smoother.
Saturn in aspect to the Moon… Saturn’s kind of a tough daddy, and the Moon is that part of us that’s like the mom who is comforting us and taking care of us. So, when Saturn comes into an especially hard aspect to your Moon in your birth chart, it is a very tough authority who will not let you be comfortable.
The Moon just wants to feel safe and comfortable, and Saturn says. No, you’re not going to grow if you just keep retreating into what is safe. A good aspect between transiting Saturn and the Moon is about creating healthier boundaries and building structures that let you grow while also letting you feel safe.
And that’s kind of the difference between a sextile or a trine from Saturn to the Moon and a square.
Saturn in aspect to Mercury. Mercury is very much about what we tell ourselves that we are. And Saturn with Mercury brings a kind of reality check. Are you telling the truth about who you are, about your goals, and about your life? This is the time to revisit and reconstruct past stories with a renewed perspective and understanding. This is also actually a wonderful transit to undertake some kind of important and difficult studies.
Like we said earlier in the episode, if, for example, you’ve been wanting to learn more about astrology, but it’s always felt really hard, this would be an ideal aspect for digging into it, because you’re well suited to difficult things just now. You could have this aspect up to three times over a one-year period at some time while Saturn is in Aries. Find out when those dates are, and those are really wonderful times to dig deep and get into something that feels difficult. If things like aspects are a little bit difficult for you, order a Steven Forrest Sky Log report. You’ll find it on my website, in the online shop.
Saturn aspecting Venus. Now, Saturn actually wants us to feel good about ourselves, but authentically good, based on having concrete goals and having worked hard to achieve them.
Saturn also wants us to have relationship and financial goals. When it’s connecting with Venus, so no more pretending that you can’t resist bad love affairs or that you’re doomed to be poor or make bad investments. Saturn is not going to accept any of that. Saturn says there is a way to achieve what you want in the areas of love, self-esteem, and money.
So, this is the time to gain some clarity about what will make you happy, versus what you just kind of think you want.
When Saturn aspects Mars, you are challenged to really get on top of your temper, your impulsiveness, your physical drives, and your ambitions. This is about learning effective ways to be the authority over yourself and your life, to bring maturity to that youthful Mars spirit and pursue the things that are really healthy for you and really good for you.
This can be a frustrating aspect, especially if it’s a conjunction, a square, or an opposition. You can feel blocked. You can feel like you’re hitting your head against a brick wall. But as always, with a hard aspect, the key is to just hang in there. Keep doing the work, and on the other end of it, you will find you are much stronger.
Saturn aspecting Jupiter wants to bring Jupiter’s dreams into reality, but if it’s a hard aspect, it can really feel like Saturn is squashing your optimism. Like Saturn’s a real buzzkill, because Jupiter has all these great ideas and enthusiasm, and Saturn goes, well, yes, but what about this? How are you going to make this part of it work? And Jupiter’s just sitting there rolling his eyes.
The easy aspects between transiting Saturn and your Jupiter will make this process easier. Jupiter can still get a little frustrated with Saturn, but it’s a little easier to see how this Saturn influence is working for you.
When Saturn is aspecting your natal Saturn, it means you’re at an important moment in the 29-year Saturn cycle. The most critical of these aspects are probably the conjunction or Saturn return, followed roughly seven years later by the opening Saturn square, where we have to act on our ambitions and goals. Seven years after that, the Saturn opposition, and then seven years after that, the closing square.
Now, each of these are aspects that refine your ambition, responsibility, authority. Trines and sextiles between transiting Saturn and natal Saturn support the self-discipline and career achievement and reputation building that Saturn wants for us.
Saturn in aspect to Uranus is about finding compromise between conforming and being a non-conformist. It’s about how we fit into society. Sometimes when Saturn is aspecting Uranus, we feel sort of like we’re in jail. But if it’s an easy aspect, we may find ourselves a little better supported by those in authority as we try to make our way outside the mainstream.
So, we have our way of fitting into society: our way of fitting in is to question things and upset the apple cart.
Saturn in aspect to Neptune finds us asking, how can we face reality without descending into despair? When Saturn comes together with Neptune, we can feel kind of disillusioned and once we have to face reality, which is what Saturn brings to Neptune, then we’re actually in a position to appreciate the beauty of what things truly are.
This is also a really good aspect for achieving something on an artistic level. If you’re an artist, a musician, a dancer, a singer, a poet, Saturn coming on the scene can be terrific in that it gets you to prioritize, to set goals and to achieve them, and also to bring your artistic gifts into a form that others can recognize.
When Saturn aspects Pluto, we have to face the little troll inside of us that tells us that we are insignificant, that we are a deep disappointment to our family, to ourselves, to all of humanity. This can show up sometimes as a person in authority in your life, a boss or even a parent who is very discouraging, who really triggers that part of you that feels that you’re not bringing anything valuable to the table.
What is important under this aspect is to use Saturn’s ability to just keep moving forward step by step, as a way of taking that power back.
Saturn in aspect with the lunar nodes. Now, this is the axis in the chart where we try to move away from the safe default position and to move in the direction of something that’s a little more challenging, but that can ultimately bring great satisfaction.
So, if Saturn is aspecting this nodal axis, it’s putting pressure on us to do just that, to move away from just doing the easy thing and consciously move ahead towards what is going to be more satisfying. And if we let ourselves move toward the north node in our charts, this is a time that can bring truly life-changing success.
When Saturn is in aspect to the ascendant of the chart, a few things are possible. One is that you might move to a new place. Saturn also reminds us that none of us lives forever and it’s up to us to create the environment that we want to live in while we’re here. This also extends to our physical bodies, so very often Saturn aspects the ascendant and someone goes on a kind of a self-improvement routine.
Most of all, when Saturn aspects the ascendant, it’s very much like Saturn going into the first house that I talked about in the last episode. Because we really have to be careful about the obligations that we take on, because we will tend to underestimate how much work and effort it’s going to take to fulfill those obligations. And before you know it, we’re not really in a position to do the things that are very important to us.
Saturn aspecting the Midheaven can make us feel as if all of our goals are just never going to happen, or they happen and they aren’t quite as satisfying as we’d hoped. It’s very common when Saturn is aspecting the Midheaven to feel tired and fed up and frustrated, like you’ve reached your limit. But really, by the end of this transit, you really can have learned what works for you and what’s really important for you in your life, especially as it pertains to your life path, your career, your calling. You’ll have begun to learn that the more you respect yourself, the more you’ll attract other people who will respect you as well.
And finally, Saturn aspecting Chiron. A lot of you know that I don’t really work with Chiron much, but I know enough about it to know that it represents those really sore, hurt places that we keep trying to deal with and that we often stumble over. This transit is an opportunity to take responsibility for how we respond to these hurts.
Chiron is called the wounded healer, but we fail if we get stalled just focusing on how wounded we are. Saturn says, use the healer part of this symbolism to help others who have suffered similarly.
Well, my friend, that is it for my three-part mini lesson on Saturn going into Aries. I hope it’s been somewhat helpful for you! It’s been a little whistle-stop tour over the real high points of all of these things. And if you want more information on Saturn transits, I can happily recommend to my books Astrological Transits and The Essential Guide to Practical Astrology as just a couple of good resources that are out there.
I’ll be returning to listener questions in my next episode. So if you have a question you’d like me to answer on any future episode, leave a message of one minute or less at speakpipe.com / bigskyastrologypodcast. I would really love to hear your voices. Or you can email me at april@bigskyastrology.com and just be sure to put “Podcast Question” in the subject line.
Donor Thanks
That is everything on my show sheet, so I’m gonna 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 the show in your app of choice. Leave a rating or a review, and I hope 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’s 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 © 2017-25 by April Elliott Kent
For more on this week’s planetary news, read my column!
