TRANSCRIPT Ep. 313 (9.22.25)
Libra Season, Mars enters Scorpio, and a Battle of Will and Won’t!
Hello Invisible Friend, April here, and the date today is September 22nd, 2025. Welcome to Episode 313 of the Big Sky Astrology Podcast.
This week, there is no major lunation, but the Sun and Mars are very busy. Mars enters Scorpio, one of the signs of his rulership, and is strengthened for its hard interaction with Pluto in Aquarius. The Sun enters the sign of Libra, ushering in the autumn season in the Northern Hemisphere and spring in the Southern Hemisphere. The Sun opposes sensitive Neptune and combines forces with Uranus and Pluto. And I answer a listener question about self-care and your birth chart.
Mars enters Scorpio (Sep. 22, 2025, 12:55 am PDT)
Mars enters Scorpio on Monday, September 22nd at 12:55 a.m. Pacific time. It’ll be in this sign through November 4th.
Mars is in one of its strongest signs in Scorpio, and it’s a placement that can look somewhat menacing, but it can also be a hero that springs to action during a crisis. There are people who will pass an accident on the highway and maybe feel bad about it, but just keep going. That is not Mars in Scorpio. This is a Mars sign that, along with, say, Mars in Aries, will definitely stop and give any kind of help that they can. Mars in Scorpio is particularly fierce on behalf of people or animals who are not able to take care of themselves, who are legitimately in need.
Mars is also a planet of work, the kind of work we do and the way we approach it. And while Mars is transiting through Scorpio, it’s a good time to do research projects, to perhaps go into your finances and make sure everything is in good shape and the way that you want it. And in your workplace, if you have been avoiding conflicts perhaps with some people who don’t work the way you do or don’t see things the way you do, Mars’ time in Scorpio is an appropriate one for having those hard conversations with people in the workplace.
The Sun enters Libra (Sep. 22, 2025, 11:19 am PDT)
Later on Monday, September 22nd, the Sun enters Libra at 11:19 a.m. Pacific Time. It’ll be in this sign through October 22nd. The Sun entering Libra marks the autumn equinox in the Northern Hemisphere and the vernal equinox in the Southern Hemisphere. It initiates the most temperate and beautiful times of the year. Here in the Northern Hemisphere, if you ask most anybody what their favorite season of the year is, they will very often answer autumn. The crisper weather and the beautiful colors of the trees, finally getting to wear sweaters.
The Libra season is beautiful and we tend to look forward to it. The Sun is considered to be, ironically enough, in its “fall” in Libra. So, if you’re ever trying to remember the sign of the Sun’s fall, you just know it’s in Libra, the beginning of autumn season.
The reason for this is that the Sun is innately about our individuality, pride, and ego. And these qualities have to work a little harder to express themselves when they’re in Libra. Libra is other-oriented. How can we interact with others, have the best possible relationships, see ourselves in those relationships? Libra is a cardinal sign and it is every bit as determined to get what it wants as its fellow cardinal signs like Aries and Capricorn. But Libra has this way of making it look as though serving its own needs is the furthest thing from its mind. It is a consummate diplomat.
During this solar season, we do well to focus on getting along well with others, rather than pushing our own agenda, avoiding excess, getting our lives in balance.
Sun opposed Neptune (Sep. 23, 2025, 5:53 am PDT)
The Sun in Libra opposes Neptune in Aries on Tuesday, September 23rd at 5:53 a.m. Pacific Time.
When the Sun is in an aspect to Neptune, we often don’t have a clear sense of what it is that we want. And I think this is especially true when the Sun is already in Libra, which is, as I said, other-oriented.
Now this is a magical and artistic combination, the Sun with Neptune. We tend to be a little more sensitive than usual, and Neptune generally heightens and accentuates artistic and spiritual impulses. The Sun is a symbol of physical vitality as well. So especially on this day, during this aspect, safeguard your health. Sensitivity is high, as I said, and resistance to disease and also negativity are very low.
The key always with the Sun in Libra is about balance and making sure that you are finding that good balance between helping others get what they need and getting what you need for yourself.
Void-of-Course Moon Periods
And now it’s time for the Moon Report. And this will be shorter than usual, because this week there is no major lunation. There’s a First Quarter Moon we have to look forward to next Monday on September 29th. But this week, all we are looking at are the Void-of-Course Moon periods.
On Tuesday, September 23rd, the Moon in Libra squares Jupiter in Cancer at 9:02 a.m. Pacific Time. It’s void-of-course for 16 hours and 58 minutes and then enters Scorpio on September 24th at 2 a.m. Both Cancer and Libra are relationship-oriented signs. Cancer is a little more focused on family and Libra on one-on-one partnerships, both romantic and otherwise. So, there could be a bit of a conflict at this void-of-course Moon concerning your family and how they get along with your significant other.
On Friday, September 26th, the Moon in Scorpio trines Saturn at 10:44 a.m. Pacific Time. It’s void-of-course for 3 hours and 53 minutes before it enters Sagittarius at 2:37 p.m. When the Moon comes together in a positive way with Saturn, as it does here, we tend to feel supported and, in particular, emotionally supported. This is a good thing for a Scorpio Moon, which often can feel a little bit on its own and needing to look out for itself.
This aspect suggests that we do have people close to us that are also on our side and giving us support. This could be especially true in the workplace because Saturn is connected with work. If you’ve been needing to put together a team for a project or something of that nature, this would be a really good day for it.
Void-of-course Moon periods always say that there is an opportunity to change your habits and, in the case of this void-of-course Moon, I think it is about getting in the habit of doing what needs to be done, which is the Saturn part, but feeling good about it and trusting others to help you get those things done.
Sun trine Uranus (Sep. 23, 2025, 7:55 pm PDT)
The Sun trines Uranus on Tuesday, September 23rd at 7.55 p.m. Pacific Time at 1°19′ Libra and Gemini. The Sun always symbolizes how good we feel about ourselves. It’s about having a strong and healthy ego. Uranus is in a good aspect to the Sun here, but it is also demanding that we reinvent ourselves to some degree or at least leave ourselves open to some kind of change. I often say there are stories that we tell about ourselves that we have told for so long that we don’t even question them any longer. Those moments when the Sun comes together in a major aspect with Uranus are little openings of the door or the window to let ourselves experiment with different ways of being. This can be really liberating. It can also feel a little bit disorienting.
Sometimes with an aspect like this one, we can feel more excited about new possibilities coming our way if we consciously make an effort to connect with the people in our lives who make us feel included, who appreciate us for exactly who we are, but would also be excited to go on this journey with us, of letting ourselves experiment with being a little bit different.
Sun trine Pluto (Sep. 23, 2025, 11:05 pm PDT)
Also on Tuesday, September 23rd at 11.05 p.m. Pacific Time, and so therefore on September 24th nearly every place else, the Sun in Libra trines Pluto in Aquarius at 1°27′ minutes. This happens just a few hours after that Sun-Uranus trine.
When Pluto connects with the Sun, it can feel as though everything is heightened in its expression and we don’t feel neutral about anything. We feel very strongly about our relationships, for example, Sun in Libra, and our friendships, with Pluto in Aquarius. If we’ve taken care of ourselves earlier in the day as the Sun trined Uranus and renewed our invigorating sense of self, at the Sun’s trine to Pluto, it can feel like we’re hooking ourselves up to a very powerful energy source.
It can increase our sense of empowerment, of being in a strong position to be who we need to be and do what it is that we need to do moving forward. And because this sense of power is heightened in us, when we are around people in our world who are important, powerful, wealthy, we will tend to stand out to them on a day like this. Som it can be a very interesting day for powerful opportunities.
Mars squares Pluto on Wednesday, September 24th at 4:51 a.m. Pacific Time at 1°27′ Scorpio and Aquarius. Mars is on the Sabian symbol 2 Scorpio, A broken bottle and spilled perfume. It is a symbol that’s often described as being nostalgic. The sense of smell really can pull us toward the past and emphasize emotions about what has gone and what is now only a memory.
And Pluto is on 2 Aquarius, An unexpected thunderstorm. There is something about this combination of planets, especially in a square aspect, that is ferocious, that seems very fierce.
Mars is a planet that is pushing toward what we want. And Pluto is a planet that tends to put up its palm and say, no, that far, no further. It is a kind of a war between will and won’t.
Mars is our will. And Pluto represents those universal forces sometimes that stand in our way of getting what we want. So when they’re square each other, there can be a certain amount of frustration. And when we get too frustrated, we can often lash out and maybe not behave as well with other people as we should, or as we would have hoped in hindsight.
I guess what I would want to say about a day when Mars is square Pluto is if you’re in a situation where you’re tempted to really go off on somebody, you’re really angry and you feel as if they’re denying you something that should rightfully be yours, really try to wait before you exhibit your temper. Because by tomorrow, you could be able to see things a lot more clearly and through a much gentler lens. I guess we have to sort of resist that unexpected thunderstorm of emotions that can erupt when we’re feeling denied and frustrated on a day like this.
Listener Question: Astrology and Self-Care
In this week’s listener question, listener Ann asks, “One of my resolutions for this year was to practice better self-care. What can I look to in my birth chart to help me with this?”
Well Ann, thank you for that question. I imagine a lot of listeners probably feel the need to take better care of themselves, and astrology can be helpful.
When we think about care in the birth chart, our minds immediately go to the Moon. It’s the symbol of nurturing, of care, of daily routines and habits, and about the connection between emotions and health.
The Moon in your birth chart, by sign and by house, tell us the ways where you most naturally can take care of yourself. For example, if you have the Moon in Sagittarius, things like having adventures, trying new things, getting immersed in learning something new and engrossing, sitting down with a book, send a message of care to yourself.
The house that the Moon is in really symbolizes the situations in your life that you look to for care. If you have the Moon in the fourth house, it specifically speaks to what you need in your home to make you feel cared for. If you have the Moon in the seventh house and your primary relationship is not going well, that’s going to be a source of great stress for you. It’s primarily something you look for in a relationship, is somebody that makes you feel cared for.
The hard aspects in your chart, from the Moon to other planets, tell us about sources of stress that can lead to an imbalance in your life and that need to be dealt with if you want to feel cared for. For example, if the Moon in your chart is in a hard aspect to Mars, part of your self-care routine might be to get a lot of exercise on a regular basis. So, it’s the hard aspects that the Moon makes in your chart that are the key to what needs to be addressed in order for you to be really cared for.
I would also watch the transiting Moon, the daily Moon, the phase that it’s in, where it’s transiting in your birth chart. It has about a 29-day cycle and as it goes through your chart, it’s really interesting to observe days that you’re feeling perhaps like you especially need some care. Take note in a little journal that it helps you keep track of the sign the Moon was in that day by transit, what house of your chart it was moving through.
You will probably find month after month that those are difficult days for you, when the Moon is in a sign or a particular house of your chart, and that’s instructive as well. If every month you’re having difficulties during the days that the Moon is moving through the 12th house in your chart, for example, it probably says something like, in order to practice good self-care on those days, requires that you spend some time alone.
Carve that out in advance when you see those days coming. Keep your schedule lighter. Make time to have a nap or go and get a massage or do some meditation or some yoga on those days. Those are examples of ways the 12th house encourages our self-care.
And finally, I would be keeping an eye on the progressed Moon in your chart. The progressed Moon is in a sign for about two and a half years and depending on what house system you’re using, might be in a house of your chart for about that long.
Just as a quick review, secondary progressions, we call them, refer to the movement of the planets in the days following your birth and connects each one of those days with a year of your life. If you’re currently 32 years old, if we go into an ephemeris and we find the date of your birth and we count forward 32 days, the position of the planets on that day tell a lot about what’s going on in your 32nd year of life. So, we’re talking about the Moon using that method and it’s a lot longer than just a 29-day cycle of the Moon that we deal with month to month. This gives us two and a half years of an experience with the Moon in a particular sign and a particular house.
So, look at the house placement of your progressed Moon currently. It might be very different than the position of the Moon in your birth chart and that’s what’s kind of great about the progressed Moon. Unlike anything else in the progressed chart and many things in the transiting chart, you actually get to experience every sign and every house in your birth chart via the progressed Moon.
It says for two-and-a-half year period, this is what you need. These are the ways you are going to comfort yourself, care for yourself, take care of yourself, and the house that it’s going through in your chart for maybe two and a half years becomes an area of life that you’re paying close attention to and where you really need to take care of yourself.
If the progressed Moon is going through the 10th house, you are very sensitive to what’s going on in your career and in your public life and you have to be able to find ways to care for yourself in that environment. Forging alliances with other people in your field, bringing in a nice bouquet of flowers for your desk, whatever it is that makes you feel safe and good is what you need to be looking at with the progressed Moon. Basically, the Moon is very helpful in talking about self-care because it talks about our very first experience of caring. That is when we were in the womb and immediately after birth and how we were cared for and the kinds of things often that maybe we didn’t feel we got as much of as we would like. That’s often a feeling of lack that we carry along with us further in life.
I love looking at the Moon. I didn’t go too much into the phases of the Moon, but if you want to find out the current phase of the Moon, I recommend you go to my friend, Dana Gerhart’s website, Mooncircles.com. She always has the current lunar phase on the front page of the site, along with a few instructive words about those phases. But generally, if the Moon is in one of its waxing phases between the new Moon and the full Moon, it’s a good time to get out and do things, to exert yourself. And then between the full Moon and the next new Moon, it’s a little bit of a quieter time in the lunar cycle. It’s good for letting go of things that you now realize are not really helpful or working for you.
Ann, I hope that that helps. And I hope you are able to use our friend the Moon to make yourself feel better cared for!
And if you have a question you would like me to answer on a future episode of the podcast, leave a message of one minute or less at speakpipe.com slash Big Sky Astrology Podcast. Or just send me an email, april (at) bigskyastrology (dot)com. And be sure to put podcast question in the subject line.
Donor thanks
Well, that’s everything I have on my show sheet, so I’m going to 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 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!
Writing and images © 2017-25 by April Elliott Kent
For more on this week’s planetary news, read my column!
