TRANSCRIPT Ep. 318 | Mercury enters Sagittarius: Lift Up Your Gaze!

TRANSCRIPT Episode 318
Mercury enters Sagittarius: Lift Up Your Gaze!

Hello Invisible Friend, April here, and the date today is October 27th, 2025. Welcome to Episode 318 of the Big Sky Astrology Podcast.

This week, communication and travel get an infusion of optimism and innovation when Mercury meets with Neptune, Uranus and Pluto, and gallops into the sign of Sagittarius. Enthusiasm emerges as Mars trines Jupiter, but its trine to Saturn reins in our excesses. The Aquarius First Quarter Moon propels the goals of the recent New Moon, with long-term goals and helpful friends. Venus and Jupiter examine true desires and necessities. And because we have such a busy sky this week, I’m afraid there wasn’t time for a listener question. But that segment, or a mini-lesson, will return for next week’s episode.

Mars trines Jupiter (Mon., Oct. 27, 2025, 11:19 pm PDT)

Mars trines Jupiter on Monday, October 27th at 11:19 pm Pacific Time at 24º48’ Scorpio and Cancer. Both of these planets are in comfortable territory; Mars is the ruler of Scorpio, Jupiter is exalted in Cancer, so they’re enjoying kind of a natural flow between them. Trines don’t always guarantee happiness, but they do create a clear line of communication between the two planets involved. In this case, Mars is the planet of action, of will, of aggression and it’s connecting in a nice way with Jupiter, which offers confidence, vitality, and a boost of initiative.

So, this is a really good combination for making progress toward your goals. Maybe starting an exercise program for Mars, or taking on a challenge that requires some courage and stamina. Just be careful not to push yourself too hard. This is an aspect, Mars with Jupiter, that can lead to overexertion or minor injuries. And remember too to be a good sport. Enthusiasm can spill over sometimes into excessive competitiveness.

At a deeper level, Mars is on the Sabian symbol 25 Scorpio, An X-ray, which we’ve talked about in recent weeks. And it speaks to looking beneath the surface and understanding life’s mysteries. While Jupiter is on the symbol 25 Cancer, A dark shadow or mantle thrown suddenly over the right shoulder. And it suggests enacting the soul’s purpose and feeling kind of a dramatic rush of spiritual empowerment.

When we take them together, these symbols are pointing to powerful insight and a sense of purpose. But this energy can be really intense. Conflicts, especially with family or intimate relationships, could increase under this aspect, even though it’s a trine. You might feel the desire to protect or defend what feels like home. If you can channel that intensity in a constructive way, this Mars-Jupiter trine really offers extraordinary strength and momentum to move your life forward with purpose and direction and heart.

Mercury trine Neptune (Oct. 29, 2025, 12:26 am PDT)

On Wednesday, October 29th, at 12:26 a.m. Pacific time, Mercury trines Neptune at 29º50’ Scorpio and Pisces. This is the first aspect in what promises to be a kind of a hectic astrological day and it begins by setting this tone of dreaminess, of intuition.

When Mercury, which is the planet of thought and communication, is in a good aspect with Neptune, which is the planet of imagination, intuition is speaking very loudly. So, listen closely on this day to what your instincts are telling you. This is an excellent aspect for translating your dreams and insights into something a little more tangible that others can understand and appreciate. You might do this through music, photography, painting, dance, any kind of creative form that can bridge inspiration and communication.

Neptune’s like a sponge. It really soaks up all of the impressions that we come in contact with. And Mercury gathers up the words and images and experiences that we come across. So together this can make for a really poetic and inspired combination. But it’s also one that can blur the edges of reality.

Anytime we have Mercury with Neptune, and maybe especially with the trine, we have to be mindful of what we’re taking in and feeding our minds on this day. Because it can really color our perceptions much more than usual. This isn’t the very best day for tasks that really require you to be very analytical or logical, but it is fantastic for storytelling and reflection, and connecting with others through empathy and imagination.

Mercury’s very seasonally appropriate Sabian symbol is 30 Scorpio, The Halloween jester. And it reminds us that just a little bit of humor and wildness can reveal what’s really going on behind the mask and beneath the surface. While Neptune’s symbol, 30 Pisces, The great stone face, which is one we’ve been speaking about lately, speaks of becoming our own ideal and shaping ourselves according to the vision that we have in our minds.

Mercury enters Sagittarius (Wed., Oct. 29, 2025, 4:02 am PDT)

Mercury enters Sagittarius on Wednesday, October 29th at 4:02 a.m. Pacific time. Mercury isn’t always comfortable in Sagittarius. It is in the sign of its detriment, which means it’s in a sign that is opposite its home sign. So, Sagittarius is opposite Gemini, which is a sign ruled by Mercury. Gemini really delights in collecting facts and details and information, while Sagittarius really likes to focus on the big picture and the way everything connects.

This is a placement of Mercury that encourages us to lift up our gaze from the minutiae of life and get the big picture about where we’re heading. It is a wonderful aspect for long-term thinking and for questioning your beliefs, pursuing higher education, and maybe sharing what you have learned by teaching others.

This Mercury in Sagittarius season will last a little longer than usual because of Mercury’s upcoming retrograde period. Mercury is going to move back and forth between Sagittarius and Scorpio until January 1st, when it finally enters Capricorn. Mercury entered its retrograde shadow period back on October 21st, the same day as the Libra New Moon, and it will station retrograde on November 9th at 6º 51’ Sagittarius. Then it will station direct on November 29th, and finally go into Capricorn on New Year’s Day.

Throughout this whole period of time, we’re invited to revisit the stories and the beliefs and assumptions that guide our thinking processes. Mercury in Sagittarius asks, what’s the bigger picture? What do all the individual elements and facts add up to? And what kind of meaning can we make from our experiences?

Aquarius First Quarter Moon (Wed. Oct. 29, 2025, 9:21 am PDT)

And now it’s time for the Moon Report. We begin, as always, with the week’s major lunation.

And this week, that’s the Aquarius First Quarter Moon on Wednesday, October 29th at 9:21 a.m. Pacific time at 6º30’ Aquarius and Scorpio. The Sabian symbols for this lunation are 7 Aquarius, A child born of an eggshell, for the Moon, and Deep-sea divers for the Sun. And they suggest freedom from old ways and the courage to explore what lies beneath the surface.

The First Quarter Moon is the time in the lunar cycle for taking action toward our New Moon intentions. The ruler of this lunation is Saturn, the traditional ruler of Aquarius. And currently it’s at 25º54’ Pisces. This adds a strong water and intuition element to what’s normally a very intellectual and communicative Aquarius Moon. So this is an uncharacteristically emotional lunation for a sign that is known for being very detached and cool.

At the First Quarter, the Moon is in a separating conjunction with Pluto in Aquarius and a trine to Uranus in Gemini. And this further highlights the themes of awakening and transformation. Aquarius represents society’s innovators and rebels and visionaries, the people who are not afraid to shake up the status quo and move humanity forward. It’s also the sign of the local celebrity, the person in your community who dares to be a leader.

But the mark of a true leader lies also in the ability to lift up the conversation and to inspire people towards something greater. During any Aquarius Moon, ask yourself how you can best influence the world – by challenging convention, or by trying to help others be braver and kinder and more compassionate.

This is a great First Quarter Moon to gather with like-minded people to share your ideals, to find a way to walk together toward the future. People will crave belonging and friendship and the sense that they are part of something that matters, something that will continue to echo long after they’re gone.

Lunar Phase Family Cycle

This is the First Quarter in a lunar phase family cycle that began with the New Moon on January 29th, 2025, at 9º 51’ Aquarius. Look to the area of your chart where the first 10º or so of Aquarius fall, because they describe the area that you were focusing on at that New Moon back in January.

What was it that you were thinking of doing? What were your intentions? Was there perhaps a new group that you wanted to join and belong to? Was there something that you wanted to take part in in the world that had to do with moving society forward? This is the First Quarter to take an action toward whatever you were thinking about at that time.

Nine months from now, on July 29th, 2026, a Full Moon at 6º30’ Aquarius makes it a little clearer about what we started back at January’s New Moon. And then nine months later on April 28th, 2027, a Last Quarter Moon at 8º 19’ Aquarius moves us towards completion of this lunar phase family cycle and ask us to review what we have done up to that time toward these Aquarius goals and what we might need to do to change focus or direction just a little bit for the final nine months of this cycle.

Void-of-Course Moon periods

Let’s look at the Void-of-Course Moon periods for this week. On Tuesday, October 28th, the Moon in Capricorn sextiles Neptune in Pisces at 8:38 p.m. Pacific time. It’s Void-of-Course for 17 minutes, then enters Aquarius at 8:55 p.m.

The Moon in Capricorn is a sensible Moon. It’s a practical Moon. It likes to have some kind of specific strategy. When it comes together in an aspect with Neptune, especially in Pisces, it means that we’re allowing an intuitive element into our process of decision-making. This is a really good Void-of-Course Moon period to think about how you’re combining practicality and intuition… the ability to just let things be as they are and not to feel as if we have to be so tightly scheduled in what we’re trying to do.

On Thursday, October 30th, the Moon in Aquarius squares Mars at 11:15 p.m. Pacific Time. It’ll be Void-of-Course for 5 hours 31 minutes, then enters Pisces on October 31st at 4:46 a.m. And… Happy Halloween!

On the west coast of the U.S., this Void-of-Course Moon period is occurring during the time of the day when most of us are settling down for bed. Mars is the planet of action, and it might be a little hard to get to sleep. When you get up that morning, though, and the Moon has entered Pisces and is starting to move in a more harmonious direction to Mars, then this is a really great day to prepare for Halloween if that’s something that you celebrate. The imagination and whimsy of Pisces blends really beautifully with Mars in Scorpio, which is a little bit on the scarier side for Halloween.

And on Sunday, November 2nd, the Moon in Pisces makes its conjunction with Neptune at 7:15 a.m. Pacific time. It’s Void-of-Course for 24 minutes, then enters Aries at 7:39 a.m. Intuition and sensitivity could be high as we are starting this day, and in fact, some of our emotions might be a little bit overwhelming. We might feel a little bit touchy, and with Pisces, sometimes we’re not exactly sure what we’re feeling emotional about.

But if you feel the urge to have a little cry or something, just let it happen. Use this Void-of-Course Moon period – which are times when it’s good to think of a new habit or a new routine for something we’re doing in our lives – and at this Void-of-Course Moon, think about coming up with a way that will help you acknowledge and pay attention to your emotions instead of running toward unhealthy escapist tendencies.

If you maybe eat a little too much or drink a little too much or in some way you’re trying to avoid things, it can be helpful to just sit down every now and again and get in touch with those feelings that are motivating all that excess and denial.

Mars trine Saturn (Oct. 29, 2025, 12:05 pm PDT)

Mars trines Saturn on Wednesday, October 29th at 12:05 p.m. Pacific Time, at 25º53’ Scorpio and Pisces. When these two planets are interacting, it can be a little frustrating because Mars is like having the foot on the gas, and Saturn’s like having the foot on the brake.

But unlike other kinds of aspects between them, a trine offers a nice balance between the drive of Mars and the discipline of Saturn. The trine can actually be incredibly productive between these two. You just have to focus its energy constructively, and that’s what Saturn helps us do.

It is a good time to bring our full effort and energy to organizing our lives and building a strong foundation for whatever is coming next. Under this particular trine, discipline and adaptability can work hand-in-hand and help you move forward with focus and confidence and emotional maturity.

Mercury opposed Uranus (Oct. 29, 2025, 12:36 pm PDT)

Mercury opposes Uranus on Wednesday, October 29th at 12:36 p.m Pacific Time at 00º21’ Sagittarius and Gemini, just a few minutes after the Mars-Saturn trine.

This is an opposition that brings a jolt of energy with sudden or unexpected insights, new information coming our way, maybe in the news, in communications, maybe information that will lead to some travel, especially since it’s unfolding in Gemini and Sagittarius, which are both real travel-loving signs.

Uranus does symbolize a certain rebelliousness and Mercury will give that rebellion a voice. You might come across a person or a book, a film, an idea that awakens your desire for freedom and independence, or makes you shift suddenly in your perspective. This can be an inspiring aspect, but also one that’s a little bit restless and disruptive. You might find that it’s hard to get other people to listen to you, especially if you’re in a new environment or with unfamiliar people. Stay open to the unexpected, and trust flashes of insight that come your way on how you connect with the world.

Mercury sextile Pluto (Oct. 30, 2025, 3:06 pm PDT)

And on Thursday, October 30th, at 3:06 p.m. Pacific Time, Mercury sextiles Pluto at 1º26’ Sagittarius and Aquarius. And this is an aspect that opens up a channel for insight and honest self-examination. Mercury, of course, is the symbol of how we think and communicate. Pluto compels us to look underneath the surface and to face truths that are sometimes uncomfortable. And when they come together in a helpful sextile, they can bring buried information into the light.

A lot of what you’ve been telling yourself about who you are or who other people are can turn out to be wrong, and there’s no use trying to hide from realizations like these.

The sextile takes place on two very tumultuous and restless Sabian symbols. Mercury is 2 Sagittarius, The ocean covered with white caps. And we get this picture of the churning underneath the surface. Pluto is on the symbol 2 Aquarius, An unexpected thunderstorm reminding us that everything’s temporary and that nature has the final say. So taken together, these are symbols that say here is a moment of surrendering to what can’t be controlled.

Venus squares Jupiter (Nov. 2, 2025, 3:16 pm PST)

And Venus squares Jupiter on Sunday, November 2nd at 3:16 p.m. Pacific Time at 25º01’ Libra and Cancer. These are considered the most benefic or helpful planets, Venus and Jupiter. But it also comes with a warning about overdoing things.

Venus talks about what we enjoy, but not always what we need. And it’s very strong right now in its own sign of Libra. So, we want what we want. But when it comes together in a square with Jupiter, we can tend to want to overdo things, spend too much money, buy too many things, and to really overestimate what it’s going to take to make us happy.

Buyer’s remorse is a classic example of Venus and Jupiter. Something looks irresistible, and we pay too much for it, and then we feel less satisfied by it later on.

Jupiter at its best teaches us to recognize what brings true contentment. A balance between pleasure and practicality and enjoying some of what we want without going overboard.

Listener Question returns next week

We do not have a listener question this week because there was so much on the show sheet and I didn’t want this episode to go too long. But we will have something for you next week, either a listener question or a mini-lesson that I have had in mind.

And as always, if you would like me to answer a question for you on a future episode of the podcast, lave a voicemail of one minute or less at speakpipe.com / big sky astrology podcast or you can send an email to me at april (at) big sky astrology dot com and be sure to put “Podcast Question” in the subject line.

Donor Thanks

Well, that is everything 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. It really does help other people discover the podcast! You can 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.

Thank you so much to everyone who has shown support for the podcast and particularly 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 a couple of new donors, Jessica LePine and Heather Shannon!

Heather and Jessica, thank you so much for listening to the podcast and for supporting the show 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!