TRANSCRIPT Ep 350 | Mars Enters Gemini: Slow Your Roll!

TRANSCRIPT Ep 350 | Mars Enters Gemini: Slow Your Roll! (6.22.26)

Hello Invisible Friends, April here, and the date today is June 22nd, 2026. Welcome to Episode 350 of the Big Sky Astrology Podcast.

This week, there is no major lunation, but we will look at the Void-of-Course Moon periods for the week. Venus’ trine to Saturn offers an opportunity to bring structure and longevity to our creative projects. The Sun’s square to Neptune brings perspective on mentors, leaders, and our own sense of self. Competition and moving toward goals are highlighted by Mars and Jupiter in a sextile aspect. Communication can take an assertive or possibly aggressive tone as Mars enters Gemini, and I answer a listener question about transits that are highly touted but end up being a disappointment.

Void-of-Course Moon periods

We begin the week with the Moon Report, and this week, there is no major lunation, but we will be talking about the Void-of-Course Moon periods for this week.

On Tuesday, June 23rd, the Moon in Libra squares Jupiter at 9:11 p.m. Pacific time. It’s Void-of-Course for two hours and 32 minutes, and then enters Scorpio at 11:43 p.m. There is tension or conflict when we see the Moon square another planet as it goes Void-of-course. And that continues through the Void-of-Course period.

The tension here comes from Mercury conjunct Jupiter, both of them being squared by the Moon in Libra. And this can show up as an overactive, hectic home life. Maybe you’re hosting family or friends, or your kid’s soccer team descends on you for pizza and a sleepover. Or maybe something breaks, and suddenly there’s a parade of people in and out of your house. However it plays out, the theme is imbalance and a strong desire for more peace at home. If you’re feeling stressed out or even close to a meltdown, step back and try to look at the situation calmly. During this Void-of-Course Moon, remind yourself that annoyance is not a crisis. And focus on slow and deliberate breathing until you can regain a calmer state of mind.

On Friday, June 26, the Moon in Scorpio trines Jupiter at 10:10 a.m. Pacific time. It’s Void-of-Course for one hour and 31 minutes, and then enters Sagittarius at 11:41 a.m. This transit is taking place on the anaretic degrees of Scorpio and Cancer, meaning the very last degree of those signs. And at an anaretic degree, we can feel as if something is getting ready to change or is wrapping up. And Jupiter at this time is wrapping up its time in Cancer over the last year, a sign in which it’s been strong and exalted.

So, emotions will probably be pretty lively. Intuition will be strong. Try to work out these feelings, maybe with exercise, because the Moon is in Scorpio, which is ruled by Mars, and likes to get out and work the body. Bonus points if you can include a body of water in your activities, going running by the lake or river, or down by the ocean. Use this Void-of-Course Moon period to establish a habit or routine of cleansing intense feelings through movement and enjoying beautiful scenery.

And on Saturday, June 27, the Moon in Sagittarius trines Venus at 10:04 p.m. Pacific time. And then it’s Void-of-Course for a good long time, 26 hours and 14 minutes, before it enters Capricorn on Monday, June 29, just after midnight at 12:18 a.m. It’s a long Void-of-Course Moon period that’s characterized by the passion and excitement of the Moon in Sagittarius and Venus in Leo. This happens mostly over the weekend, so it is an exciting weekend for socializing, for dating, for enjoying entertainment events like going to a play or a concert, something of that nature. And enjoy that over the entire weekend. And then when it goes into Capricorn, we’re getting into a much more business-like frame of mind, which is appropriate for a Monday morning.

Venus trine Saturn (June 25, 2026, 5:02 am PDT)

Venus trines Saturn on Thursday, June 25, at 5:02 a.m. Pacific time at 13 degrees 55 minutes Leo and Aries.

Venus is on the Sabian symbol 14 Leo, The human soul awaiting opportunity for expression. And I always think this is a lovely Sabian symbol for anything creative or expressive. If you have had a creative project on the back burner and you’re ready to bring it to life, this is a good transit for that. Because Venus connecting with Saturn can supply structure and ensure that the project will be brought to completion. It also brings accountability and integrity, and longevity.

This is a transit that puts you in the driver’s seat. Take responsibility for the Venus things in your life, such as your finances and the success of your relationships. Pay particular attention to your relationships with authority figures or elders. And make a plan to improve the financial and relationship sectors of your life if you’re not happy with them.

Saturn always says we have to make things happen. When life gets tough, sometimes the most responsible course of action is to ask for help and Venus in Leo doesn’t like to do that. And heaven knows Saturn doesn’t like to do that. But sometimes it can be helpful even just to ask for advice from family or friends or the universe via ritual. Understanding what you need to the extent that you’re able to articulate it, to ask for that help, is a very particular, powerful Saturnine magic.

Sun square Neptune (June 25, 2026, 3:38 pm PDT)

On Thursday, June 25th, the Sun squares Neptune at 3:38 p.m. Pacific time at 4 degrees 22 minutes Cancer and Aries. The Sun squares Neptune twice each year. And when it does, these are times that I’ve often made plans to go up to a favorite place on the central coast of California to take three or four days and relax and take walks, and listen to the waves.

It’s a lovely way to spend the Sun’s aspect to Neptune. Neptune does rule water and specifically the sea. And the Sun is about how we are going to revitalize ourselves. The square to Neptune often says we have to make a little bit of an effort in that regard, even if the effort is as simple as setting the time aside to get that rest and that relaxation that we need. Around this aspect, you know, a couple of days either side, it’s a good idea to safeguard your health. Your sensitivity is probably going to be higher than usual, and your resistance to disease or negativity can be a little lower than usual.

I was born with the Sun square Neptune, and definitely, I feel as if I only have so much gas in my tank when I get up in the morning. And if I start running on empty, I really have to be conscious of that and take the time away from all of my obligations in the day and try to get some rest, even if it’s just a little nap. So be aware of that as the Sun is squaring Neptune.

It’s also a great day for doing some music. If you like to play an instrument or sing, this is a wonderful day to indulge in that. Or just listen to the music that you like the most. Or do any kind of art or engage in some meditation. Whatever takes you out of your rational conscious mind and into a free-flowing, unconscious place.

Mars sextile Jupiter (June 27, 2026, 9:50 pm PDT)

On Saturday, June 27th at 9:50 p.m. Pacific time, Mars sextiles Jupiter at 29 degrees 33 minutes Taurus and Cancer. And again, we have an aspect where the planets are at the very ends of their signs. In this case, Mars is at the very end of Taurus, and Jupiter, again, at the very end of Cancer.

When planets are at these final anaretic degrees, things can feel a little volatile or a little erratic, or unpredictable. And Mars already has a reputation for being a little bit impulsive and a little bit hot-headed. Jupiter tends to expand whatever it touches. So reactions can be bigger than usual or bigger than necessary. And especially if anger or frustration are simmering, as we can see with Mars, there’s a tendency in particular to blow slights out of proportion. If somebody says something to you that just lands the wrong way, try to let it go for the time being. Because in time, when you look back at it, you might view it in a completely different way. It is fine to assert yourself and go after what you want when Mars is in an aspect of Jupiter, especially a friendly aspect like this one. But don’t lose sight of good sportsmanship and being generous toward others.

Now, on the plus side, confidence and initiative tend to be pretty strong under this aspect. And it makes it a really favorable time to make progress toward specific goals. It’s especially favorable for initiating something like a serious exercise routine.

Again, Mars favors getting some physical activity or getting involved in some kind of sports. You might feel eager to push yourself stronger and faster because you’re full of energy. And just moving your body can feel really good. So definitely move your body on this day and a couple of days either side. Just be mindful not to push too far, too fast.

Mars enters Gemini (June 28, 2026, 12:29 pm PDT)

Mars enters Gemini on Sunday, June 28th, at 12:29 p.m. Pacific time, and it will be in this sign until August 11th. Mars is moving from Taurus, which tends to like to take things at a slower pace and go slow and steady. As soon as Mars enters Gemini, we should feel a shift in that energy and feel as if we want to move, not necessarily superfast, but certainly in a way that is lighter and more flexible.

Mars, the minute it enters Gemini, will also begin to make its conjunction with Uranus. So this ingress itself is a little spicy, and Uranus always brings a note of unpredictability. It does say we want to do something different, usually, which is something Gemini really likes as well. Having a little variety, a little change of scenery. Mars also brings speed and aggression to Gemini matters such as communication, driving, interactions with neighbors, and siblings. So take it a little bit easy out on the road. Make sure that before you take off, you have already downloaded your directions, queued up your podcast episodes, and you won’t have as many distractions while you’re trying to drive because Gemini can also be a little bit of a distracting influence, especially as it’s close to Uranus.

This can be a placement of Mars that brings on arguments or road rage. Anything where you are engaged in activities are prone to a little bit of that tempestuous energy that we associate with Mars.

Until August 11th, just know that we are in this Mars phase, and in particular, this is a time of year people might be heading to the open highway to go on summer vacation or take a road trip. So be very aware that Mars is in Gemini and watch your speed. Don’t give in to the temptation on the road to get really angry if somebody cuts you off or something like that.

Mars in Gemini is excellent if you are in the business of words. If you’re a writer, a lawyer, a salesman, anything that you do that has to do with communication, Mars does bring a lot of energy to those things. So, it’s not necessarily so easy to settle down in one place and work on these things, but it is a time where inspiration can be really high.

So, be making a lot of notes now through August 11th of the things that you would like to do more with. And then, as Mars goes into Cancer on August 11th, we sort of take those ideas into the nest and sit on them until they hatch.

If you’d like to look back to the last time Mars was in Gemini to see what it brought for you specifically, then look back to July 20th, 2024, through September 4th, 2024, and look especially at the house of your chart that Gemini is in. And know that it’s not that the exact same things are likely to happen, but that it tells you the particular area of your life that tends to get excited by Mars in Gemini.

Listener Question: Disappointing Transits

In this week’s listener question, listener Vicki writes, “Lately, I’m struggling to believe in astrology after many years of study. Today’s Venus and Jupiter conjunction was touted by many experienced astrologers as the best day of the year. I saved some activities to launch specifically on this day, but well, to be frank, it was crud. Letdowns and frustrations, plus genuine pain, heartbreak, and loss of much-needed support, were the rulers of my special Monday. I’m really not being negative, just purely honest in an open-hearted way.

“What about when reality doesn’t line up with astrology? I’m especially frustrated with major, good-quality astrologers constantly referencing wars as proof of astrology. There is always a war somewhere, and always a major war in history to point to and say, ‘Aha!,’ to prove some transit does what they say. I’m just not buying astrology anymore, and this makes me sad.

What do you think of this? Has it ever happened to you?”

Vicki, thank you for your question, and I’ve heard variations of it all over social media, especially after that Venus-Jupiter conjunction on June 9th, which was touted far and wide as promising everything from love affairs to world peace. And for many people, it fell short.

First of all, yes, there are some planetary combinations that seem more promising than others, and the conjunction of Venus and Jupiter, the traditional lesser and greater benefics, especially with Jupiter strong in Cancer, the sign of its exaltation, certainly sounds like a great combination, and it looked beautiful in the evening sky.

But that was an example that shows the importance of context and tempering of expectations in interpreting anything in astrology. A lot depends on other things that are happening in the sky at the same time, and especially on the aspects that those planets are making in your particular birth chart. Some planetary combinations also come along relatively often. The Venus-Jupiter conjunction is an example of that. It comes along every 10 to 15 months, even though Venus is not always visible at the conjunction. This conjunction even happens in one of Jupiter’s strong signs every 12 years or so, so it’s not staggeringly rare either.

I think astrologers sometimes get carried away about the potential of a transit, and part of that, I think, is the desire to deliver good news, when so often we have to deliver pretty negative news! But the problem comes, of course, when there are sweeping statements made about something that just may not pay off on an individual basis.

As far as your point about war, yes, the world is rarely at peace. Often, astrologers interpret particular transits, eclipses, and the like as possibly bringing the onset of war.

For example, the war in Iran came after an eclipse that was conjunct the U.S. chart’s Moon, that had a Mars and Pluto conjunction in the chart, and that’s a combination of two very war-like and intractable planets. This referred specifically to the beginning of a conflict, which, probably a year ago, would have been fairly unexpected.

I think astrologers often point to war to give examples, number one, because, of course, they’re striking events. And also, traditionally, one of the things astrology was used for most was to anticipate things like war or the downfall of leaders. So, I hear you, and it’s not necessarily my way of using astrology. I think I did talk about it a little bit around the time of that eclipse, because I write about eclipses a lot, and that was so striking, having that Mars and Pluto conjunction in that chart. So it has to be something really big for me to comment on it, so I can understand why people were talking about that.

But I can also understand that sometimes it seems like a very convenient thing to look back in history to back up your assertion about a particular transit. But it is a big part of astrology’s tradition well before astrology was used to interpret the charts of individuals, it was primarily used to talk about the fate of the ruler and things like war.

In summary, I guess I would say that we have to be wary of sweeping predictions that may or may not pertain to our own charts. After you’ve watched your own chart for many years, and it sounds like you have, you do begin to get a feel for the particular transits or eclipses that will most likely really affect you and in what areas of your charts. They’re not always the ones that you would expect. Jupiter, for example, can be a little bit of a troublemaker, making us overreach or raising our expectations to an unrealistic level. While Saturn can sometimes repay us for our past efforts.

So, a whole lot of this is individual in nature. And when we are reading astrologers in their newsletters or on their websites or on social media, making these sweeping predictions, we have to understand they’re talking about the general astrological weather. And maybe something good will come of it for us on an individual level, but maybe it won’t.

I’m really sorry you were disappointed by that transit, Vicki. You were not alone. And the trick, I think, is to approach these things with a sense of possibility and to consider what we can learn from them rather than what can necessarily be predicted by a single planetary aspect or transit. You asked whether I’ve experienced the same kind of disillusionment with astrology, and I can honestly say that I haven’t. But I think that’s because my approach and my interest in astrology is much more about what it can teach me rather than what it might predict for me.

Well, Vicki, thank you for your question, and I know that it’s one that a lot of listeners probably share.

If you have a burning question about astrology that you’d like me to answer on a future episode of the podcast, leave a voicemail of one minute or less at speakpipe.com slash bigskyastrologypodcast, or send me an email at april (at) bigskyastrology (dot) com. And be sure to put “Podcast Question” in the subject line.

Donor Thanks

Well, that is everything I have on my rather short show sheet for the week, so I’m going to wrap this one up.

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