TRANSCRIPT Ep. 325 | Sagittarius New Moon: A Slow Celebration!

Transcript Episode 325 | Sagittarius New Moon: A Slow Celebration! (12.15.25)

Hello Invisible Friend, April here and the date today is December 15th, 2025. Welcome to Episode 325 of the Big Sky Astrology Podcast.

This week, the adventuresome Sagittarius New Moon season gets under a little bit of a strained beginning as the Sun squares off with Saturn and Neptune. Relationships and values are put to the test when Venus and Saturn meet in a difficult aspect. We honor the solstice as the Sun marches into Capricorn, and I answer a listener question about being born at the new or Full Moon.

Sagittarius New Moon (Dec. 19, 2025, 5:43 pm PST)

We’ll begin this episode with the Moon Report and the Sagittarius New Moon on Friday, December 19th, at 5:43 p.m. Pacific Time. That’s at 28º24 minutes Sagittarius. And we’re beginning here rather than the Sun’s square to Saturn, which happens a couple of days earlier. But because it plays such a big role in this New Moon, we’re going to combine them all.

Each year, the Sagittarius New Moon is a reset point for big dreams and goals, doing some traveling, maybe taking on a new subject to study. A couple of days ago, a friend was talking about learning a new language, which we agreed sometimes seems like a bit of a superpower.

This particular New Moon’s degree, 28º24’ Sagittarius, is on the Sabian symbol 29 Sagittarius, A fat boy mowing the lawn of his house on an elegant suburban street. What a funny symbol. It makes me think of a boy whose parents are forcing him outside to mow the lawn, first of all, in order to get some exercise, or maybe just to teach him some character, since I’m almost sure that a family who is living in an elegant suburb could afford to pay for a gardener.

Generally, this Sabian symbol is a sign of productivity, but not always of the most essential variety. The Sun always reaches this degree at the end of its Sagittarius season in late November, so maybe it’s about what you need to get done before the holidays, cleaning up the house, even finishing your shopping, planning a menu.

The Sagittarius New Moon often marks a fun time of parties and celebration, but this particular Sagittarius New Moon is weighed down a little bit by a square from the Sun to hard-working Saturn and a square to Neptune, which can sap the Sun’s energy.

You’ll need to guard your energy during this New Moon season and just anticipate that any tasks or any clarity you hope to gain will be hard won and might take a little while for you to see.

Sun square Saturn (Dec. 16, 2025, 8:33 pm PST)

The Sun’s square to Saturn in Pisces is exact on Tuesday, December 16th at 8:33 p.m. Pacific time, just a few days before the New Moon. The Sun’s approaching square to Saturn is especially exhausting. Think of a plant that’s having a hard time bursting through hard, compacted Earth to reach its full potential.

Things that are initiated at this time often don’t flourish, and this is also true of the balsamic phase of the Moon, when this happens, and that is when energy is also at a low ebb. I think probably we should use this time before the New Moon, with the Sun’s square Saturn, to plan and prepare for things that we want to get done at the New Moon, rather than pushing hard to actually do them.

Sun square Neptune (Dec. 20, 2025, 5:02 pm PST)

Now at the New Moon, the Sun will be within a degree of squaring Neptune, which will be exact on Saturday, December 20th at 5:02 p.m. Pacific time. Expect to feel drained, maybe a bit confused or unclear about what you want to accomplish during this New Moon cycle. If you need extra sleep during this 29-day cycle, or even extra time watching holiday movies, listening to seasonal music, don’t feel like it’s a waste of time. As humans, we’re built to be productive and then to rest, and just think of this as more of a resting New Moon season.

Sagittarius does like to get out and do something new, have an adventure in some way, and do that to the extent that you can. If it comes naturally, if it’s not a strain to prepare and to get out and do something, by all means, enjoy this New Moon season in that way. Just don’t be too hard on yourself if you find you just don’t have the energy.

Lunar Phase Family Cycle

This is the New Moon in a Lunar Phase Family Cycle that will unfold over the next three years, with high points at nine-month intervals. The First Quarter in this Lunar Phase Family Cycle comes on September 18th, 2026. That’ll be at 25º 57’ Sagittarius. That will be a time to take action, to initiate something related to this New Moon’s goals and ambitions.

And again, know that this New Moon is a fine time to be planning what you want to do in the next year. Just know that it’s going to take a little extra time at each step along the way. So, with the First Quarter, some modest effort in the direction of these goals and ambitions is what we’ll be looking for.

Then nine months later, at the Full Moon of June 18th, 2027, at 27º33’ Sagittarius, we are standing on top of the mountain, and we can see the road behind us and the road ahead of us and what we might need to do, how we might need to adjust our plans for the coming year and a half.

Then the Last Quarter Moon in the cycle comes on March 17th, 2028, at 27º53’ Sagittarius. That’s the point in a lunar cycle where we find ourselves reflecting on what we have done for the rest of the cycle. And you have to be a little bit aware of a tendency to take yourself to task if you haven’t gotten as far along your journey as you had hoped.

That’s just the nature of the Last Quarter Moon. We have a little bit of a crisis of confidence, often, at this phase. So instead, just look realistically at how far you’ve come and what it is you can realistically do in the next nine months to complete this cycle.

Void-of-Course Moon Periods

Let’s look at the Void-of-Course Moon periods for this week, and there are not that many. The first is on Wednesday, December 17th, when the Moon in Scorpio trines Neptune in Pisces at 7:24 a.m. Pacific time. It’s Void-of-Course for one hour and 14 minutes, then enters Sagittarius at 8:38 a.m. Pacific time.

When the Moon trines another planet as it turns Void-of-Course, we believe that it brings us a gift. And this Void-of-Course Moon period happens between two of the most intuitive planets, the Moon and Neptune, in very intuitive signs, Scorpio and Pisces. And it occurs on the 29th degree, which gives it extra emphasis.

During this time, the gift is that our psychic senses are activated. And this might be a good time to play around with your favorite form of divination, maybe tarot or even astrology, to see the messages that the universe would like you to pay attention to on that date. Use this Void-of-Course Moon to get into the habit of connecting with the divine on a daily basis and observing the messages that come your way.

And on Friday, December 19th, the Moon squares Neptune at 7:41 p.m. Pacific time. It’s Void-of-Course for one hour, 11 minutes, then enters Capricorn at 8:52 p.m. Pacific time. This could be a square that brings some scattered energy and thoughts, because the Moon is in Sagittarius, which is a mutable sign, and it is in a square to Neptune, which is not always the most clear.

So, consider a quiet evening at home, doing something imaginative, maybe working on an art project, watching TV, listening to some music, trimming your tree, whatever it is that sounds welcoming and restful to you on this Friday evening.

Venus square Saturn (Dec. 20, 2025, 9:09 pm PST)

On Saturday, December 20th, Venus in Sagittarius squares Saturn in Pisces at 9:09 p.m. Pacific time at 25º37’ Sagittarius and Pisces.

This is not the jolliest combination of planets. Think of Venus in Sagittarius, which loves the outdoors, maybe going out to do some sledding or skating, and instead finding a lot of sleet or rain making things muddy. Or maybe planning a festive solstice party and then coming down with a virus. If you have to do some last-minute holiday shopping, you may have trouble finding what you want at the right price. Or maybe you’ve been looking forward to a weekend with your significant other, but they end up having to work, or they’re stuck out of town due to a storm.

Venus in aspect to Saturn often brings delays or disappointments, but sometimes the lesson is to have patience, and in the case of Saturn in Pisces, acceptance. Maybe the thing you wanted to do got canceled, so that you can do something different and even more enjoyable later on. And you might just enjoy it more because you had to wait a little longer for it.

Sun enters Capricorn: Solstice (Dec. 21, 2025, 7:03 am PST)

The Sun enters Capricorn on Sunday, December 21st at 7:03 a.m. Pacific time. When the Sun enters Capricorn, it’s the beginning of winter in the Northern Hemisphere and summer in the Southern Hemisphere. In the North, this is the shortest day of the year, and it’s the longest day in the South.

This is one of four important solar ingresses that mark the beginning of the four seasons: Capricorn, Aries, Cancer, and Libra. And the Sun’s ingress into Capricorn in many ways describes what the next few months hold in store in world affairs and in our personal affairs as well.

The Capricorn and Cancer solstices generally are a wonderful time for standing still, which is what solstice literally means: the Sun standing still. And when that’s happening, it means that it’s a good time for us likewise to be, if not completely stationary, at least taking the time to be quiet and still. A little bit difficult for us to do that sometimes at the Capricorn solstice because Christmas is just four days away, New Year’s is coming up very quickly, and we tend to be in a flurry of activity to try to get everything done for these holidays. So at least carve out a little time maybe at the end of each day or the beginning of each day to be still, maybe to do a little meditation if that’s your thing, but maybe just listen to a favorite piece of music, sit in front of the fire or with a candle to celebrate the return of the light and the longer days ahead.

In the Northern Hemisphere, this is when Yule is celebrated. It celebrates the return of the longer days, and we often say that this is a time to celebrate with fires, with bonfires, with lights, and decorating your home with evergreen branches, for example, from pine trees. It’s a reminder of enduring life during these cold, dark months.

Of course, in the Southern Hemisphere, Midsummer is being celebrated. This is the beginning of summer, and traditionally, this was celebrated with rituals that celebrate the Sun at the height of its powers, good fortune, and healing. And it was celebrated with dancing and singing, drinking, cleaning house, lighting bonfires, collecting flowers.

The Capricorn Solstice is the beginning of Capricorn season from December 21st, 2025, to January 19th, 2026. This is when the Sun enters the sign of Capricorn, which happens this year at 7:03 a.m. Pacific time. This is a season of worldly ambition, of setting goals, of asserting our leadership.

The thing to remember about Capricorn season is it’s when the Sun is lowest in the midday sky. There’s no place to go but up. And that’s how I always like to think of Capricorn season, because we associate Capricorn with ambition, with wanting to rise, and that is the feeling of Capricorn season.

It’s when traditionally people set their goals or their resolutions for the coming calendar year. What is it that we want to accomplish? What mountain is it that we want to climb?

Listener Question: Full Moon and New Moon natives

In this week’s listener question, listener Ivana writes, I have been wondering whether there is anything particular you can say about people or their lives who are born under a Full Moon or during a New Moon.

Well, Ivana, thank you for that question, and I thought I would share some thoughts from a lecture I gave some years ago about the lunar phases in relationship.

First of all, about the New Moon. Go outside on the night of a New Moon, and you will see no Moon at all, because it sets with the Sun. In the city, with all of its light pollution, it’s the best chance that you’ll get all month to actually watch the stars.

On these nights, I pause as I take the trash outside in the evening, trying to see which planets I can identify. I sit alone on the stoop for a little while and get lost in the sky. Now, I’m happily married, but I’m also an introvert, and if you had told me when I was young that I’d ever be able to spend so much time with another human being as I do with my husband and be happy doing it, I probably would not have believed you.

But when you’re a married introvert, there’s something extra precious about the time that you spend alone on the stoop. It’s about being alone with your thoughts, entertaining all kinds of ideas with no pressure to interact with another person. For people who are born at a New Moon, this is the most natural state of being.

Listening to your own voice, looking at the world through your own lens, it’s not that you always want to be alone. You’re human after all, and we are a convivial species out of necessity. But when do you feel most like yourself? In the dark, alone, perhaps in the earliest hours of the day before the Sun rises.

The New Moon soul needs enough space to think your own thoughts, to listen to your own voice. When you’re in relationships, you need to be left alone to pursue your many passions and hobbies. Actor Paul Newman was born at this phase with a Sun-Moon conjunction, and he claimed that his long marriage to Joanne Woodward was successful because she supported his interests, even drag racing, which she abhorred.

You tend to be best in a relationship with someone who feels most like you, whose habits and politics and interests are like your own, or at the very least, who will never try to change you.

Now, the Full Moon. When I used to do a lot of wedding electional work, helping people find dates for their weddings, clients constantly wanted to be married at the Full Moon. And I get that. A Full Moon is very pretty to look at. But just try getting some solid shut-eye on the night of a Full Moon.

I’ve tried blackout drapes and a sleep mask, and I still have trouble managing a full eight hours. Think of the Full Moon as the opposite of a solar eclipse, and almost as unsettling. There’s just something unnerving about the sky turning dark during the daytime.

And when the unsettling about that much light in the nighttime sky, it makes the night more vivid, but less restful. And I think that’s true for many who are born at this phase. The inner landscape is not that restful.

And the bright, full light of the Moon offers no place to hide from one’s emotions or from the pain of what might be missing. In an astrological sense, we might say that a Full Moon person represents the side of each of us that craves relationship. There is an emptiness inside them that demands to be filled.

And they often fill that void with especially dramatic relationships, which are often noisy and demand a lot of attention. Mind you, plenty of people born at a Full Moon do partnership beautifully. But the secret to relationship happiness for a Full Moon person is completeness.

Completeness within oneself. Completeness in union with a complementary personality. I think that the condition of the Sun in the birth chart is absolutely crucial to how this Full Moon plays out for the person born at this phase.

If the Sun is very strong and prominent by sign or by location in the chart, then the Full Moon person’s need for attention can be dramatic. And over the top, they will need a partner who is strong enough to hold their own and take the drama in stride. And if their inner light is a little more dim, if the Sun is disadvantaged by sign or house placement, then they enjoy the passion and excitement that a more dramatic partner might bring to their life.

In any case, a Full Moon person will always be happiest in relationship when they know beyond a doubt that they can get along fine without one. Ivana, thank you so much for listening to the podcast and for your question.

I also heartily recommend that people read the work of Dana Gerhardt on the phases of the Moon. You can find many of her articles at astro.com and she is an absolute gifted genius on the subject of lunar phases.

If you have a question you’d like me to answer on a future podcast, leave a message of one minute or less at speakpipe.com (slash) bigskyastrologypodcast. Or you

can just email 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 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, please be sure to subscribe or follow 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!