TRANSCRIPT FOR EPISODE 87 | Capriccorn Full Moon: Mullet Over! (June 21, 2021)
Jen: Welcome to the Big Sky Astrology podcast, with April Elliott Kent and me, producer and cohost Jen Braun. Hey friends, Jen here. Today is June 21st, 2021. And here with me – to tell us if she ever had a hairstyle that was business in the front and a party in the back – is my friend, astrologer April Elliott Kent. Before you answer that question though, pal, why don’t you mullet over?
April: Hilarity! I don’t have to mull it over. I had some incredible hairstyles in the 80s that I’ve told you about, but I never rocked a mullet. However, I have seen photographic evidence – as have some of our listeners – of you with a mullet. Because I think I incorporated that in our art for Episode 80. Did I not?
Jen: That permed hair was mullet-ish, I would say. Yes. So, if folks want to go to bigskyastropod.com and click on Episode 80, you can see the episode artwork that April did of when we lived in the 80s and what our hairstyles looked like…
April: When we were in our heyday.
Jen: Or our hair day…
April: Our hair day!
Jen: …as the case may be.
April: Oh my gosh. Mullet over, indeed.
Well, this episode, since it’s Episode 87, we are celebrating our favorite songs of 1987.
Jen: Do you want to say why we’re celebrating the 1980s, for those that maybe are new?
April: Now that we are in our episodes that begin with 80, we have decided to celebrate that by acknowledging and sharing some of our favorite songs from each of the years in our 80’s episodes. We also have a YouTube playlist where you can listen to all of our picks since 1980, as well as the ones in this episode.
Jen: Yes.
April: Jen, what have you got for us?
Jen: 1987 was difficult to pick… really, really difficult. I’m actually going to start with a song that I heard this person play live in concert, maybe… I’m going to say 15 years ago or so. I was in the front row center of Lyle Lovett’s concert. And my number one pick for 1987 is “If I Had a Boat.”
April: I love that song!
Jen: Me too!
April: It is so sweet.
Jen: Yes.
April: And there was another one on that album I liked a lot too, that I can’t think of right now, but that’s an excellent pick.
Jen: Yes. I just love that song.
April: And your second pick?
Jen: My second choice is by the absolutely fabulous Gloria Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine, “Rhythm is Gonna Get You.”
April: It is going to get you!
Jen: It is totally going to get you! It’s so going to get you, that rhythm!
April: I am not a big sort of dance music person, but that stuff gets me going.
Jen: It’s such a great song. So anyway, hats off to both of those. I had two close runners up, but I’m going to go with those two.
April: They are very different songs! It’s a testament to your versatility and your eclectic tastes.
Jen: Thank you. I did say at the outset that I really do have very eclectic taste in music.
April: You do indeed. Well, those are excellent picks.
Jen: Thank you
April: I endorse them.
Jen: What are yours?
April: Well, my number one pick for that year is, I have to say, well before I was acquainted with my husband from New Zealand.
Jen: Okay.
April: It is “Don’t Dream It’s Over” by Crowded House.
Jen: I don’t know if I know that one…
April: Which is a wonderful – oh, don’t tell me you don’t know that song!
Jen: I’m sure I’ve heard it, but it is not just jumping to mind, I have to say…
April: Phenomenal song. We’ll of course put it in our YouTube playlist there.
Jen: Of course. Yes.
April: The members of the group at that time were from Australia and New Zealand, but I always like to think of them as a New Zealand band. And one of my favorite songs of the 80’s, full stop.
Jen: Crowded House…
April: Hey now, hey now, don’t dream it’s over…
Jen: Oh, I know that song! Yes!
April: So beautiful.
Jen: I totally know that song!
April: And you know, there are a number of possibilities for runners up here. And although I could have put this one over to the next show, I have to go with “Faith” by George Michael.
Jen: Yes! That was one of mine; I almost picked that!
April: Fantastic.
Jen: Again, we have crossover.
April: Yes. See, as we’re getting later into the 80’s, Jen, the Venn diagram of our musical lives is beginning to overlap, and it meets at George Michael and Madonna doing “Live to Tell,” apparently, from the last episode.
Jen: Yeah.
April: Like you. I had a few very worthy runners up that are very meaningful to me and that have stood the test of time but I’m standing by those two picks.
Jen: That’s great. And George Michael? Two thumbs up from me.
April: Fun video, snappy tune. I’m a sucker for snappy pop tune. What can I tell you? He was rocking it.
Jen: He was rocking it.
April: Well, thanks to all of you for following along with our ongoing sentimental journey through the songs of the 1980’s. In our show notes, we will provide a link to our YouTube playlist where you can enjoy all of these songs with us.
Jen: Absolutely.
April: Well, fast forwarding to the present, perhaps, we should take a look at the top astrological picks for this week. Jen, where do we want to start off this week?
Jen: Let’s kick it off with Venus trine Neptune on June 21st at 06:57 AM Pacific Time. Venus is in Cancer at 23°, 11 minutes. Neptune is at the same degree of Pisces. Maybe you could start by telling us what Venus and Neptune represent, April.
April: Well, Venus is the way we love. Neptune, it’s also about love, it is more unconditional love. Venus is quite conditional. Venus’s affections are based on basically what we’re getting out of something as well as what we’re bringing to it. We don’t stay in relationships with people unless we’re getting something from it, some element of affection. For some people, they’re getting money or they’re getting status, they’re getting something from a relationship, but Venus is always conditional in its affections. Neptune on the other hand is unconditional. It is loving the humanity of another person. Just the fact that they exist on the earth, that we are all part of each other and that however somebody struggles to be their best self, whatever regrettable qualities they might have from time to time, Neptune is that part of us that says, “I love you anyway. I love what you’re getting at. I love the potential of you.”
So, when you have Venus trine Neptune, what you get as a situation, if it’s in somebody’s birth chart… I have this in my birth chart and it can be a situation where you fall so in love with the potential of a person that you don’t necessarily see when they are not reaching that potential. And if it’s not a quality person, they can drag you down with them basically. Because Neptune is not always a good guy. I like to say a lot of good things about Neptune as I do all the planets, because they do have those beautiful sides to them. But Neptune also represents where we’re not seeing clearly, where someone’s trying to put something over on us, where somebody is trying to get away with something. It does have those negative attributes. I think most of us, if we’re honest, at some point in our past have had a relationship where we fall prey to these regrettable dimensions of Neptune. Where so besotted with the person that we don’t see what’s really going on and it’s to our detriment. So, that’s the downside of Venus with Neptune.
But the upside of it is that Neptune sort of takes away that element of Venus that is conditional. And it says, “I love you, even if I’m not getting something out of it at this moment.” Neptune, we often describe as the higher octave of Venus, and I think that’s why… is that they’re both about love, but one is conditional and one is not. So, when they come together in a trine, it’s really nice. It’s a one-day transit. It’s not super significant in the grand scheme of things, but it says, “This is the week to give people a little bit of a break and to be especially kind to the people we love and to forestall criticism, negativity and that kind of thing.”
Jen: That sounds very lovely.
April: It does sound lovely.
Jen: I often think of Neptune as something that takes us out of ourselves. And that’s where the idea of, you know, “We’re all one” comes in… that we’re all connected.
April: That we’re exalted. That we’re exalted through a true sense of the love of another’s humanity.
Jen: Yeah.
April: And love beyond what they are right now, because everybody has bad days. You know?
Jen: Sure.
April: And somebody who has Venus with Neptune or Venus in Pisces – which is associated with Neptune and modern astrology – seem to have a real gift for loving people as they are, regardless of how they’re showing up right now. So, this is a little moment of grace this week that we have. Because Venus is also making a difficult aspect. We’ll talk about later. So, we’ll need this Neptune going into this week.
Jen: Yes. It’s a little break from some of the difficult and dramatic energy that we had last week.
April: For sure. We also have Mercury turning direct at last this week.
Jen: And there was much rejoicing!
April: Oh gosh, was there ever! Because this one’s been tough around my house. I don’t know about you, Jen.
Jen: Yeah…
April: But June 22nd at 03:00 PM Pacific Time, Mercury turns direct on 16° and seven minutes of Gemini. And just to recap where we are in Mercury’s cycle. Mercury entered its initial shadow phase of the retrograde on May 15th, it turned retrograde on May 29th, it stations direct on the 22nd and then it will leave a shadow on July 7th and enter Cancer on July 11th. It’s a much longer cycle than it appears on the surface when we talk about… yes, it’s three weeks. But it’s at least a week either side I would say. And this one has been tough for technology, for communication. Being at a business as I am, where I’m scheduling a lot of things all the time…. you and I working with technology, with the podcast… with some webinars I’ve been doing… basically every textbook example of things going wrong with Mercury retrograde have manifested themselves in my world during this retrograde. How has been going for you?
Jen: Yes. I’ve definitely noticed a few things. So, what would you recommend to folks that have been really kind of waiting on buying a new computer or some electrical device?
April: Keep waiting if they can. I mean, I’m shivering in my boots because we just ordered a new toaster this morning.
Jen: Oh, boy.
April: That’s electronic. Who knows what’s going to happen? It’ll be possessed in some way. No, I mean, in all honesty hold off if you can. Sometimes you can’t. We’ve talked about this. Sometimes you have to accept the job offer, or you’re going to lose it. Or you have to sign a contract, or your car dies and you’ve got to have another one, same with your computer. These things happen. But we just say, “Just make sure that you’re really doing your homework, you’re doing all your research, you’re buying warranties and all of that. The time will come. I mean, the reason things go amuck when Mercury is retrograde is because we are out of step with natural time. When we’re trying to live a life that’s very outward focused, that is trying to make things happen, that’s scheduling things, it’s initiating lots of activities that are of a mercurial nature. That’s when we run into trouble because Mercury retrograde says, “This is not the time to do that. This is the time to reflect on what you have done and reflect on what you would like to do, but not necessarily run out and do it.”
Jen: Keep us posted on that toaster, won’t you?
April: I’ll let you know about it. We’re pretty excited, I have to tell you…
Jen: Have you been living without toast? More seriously…
April: No. We’ve been having toast. We have a four-slice toaster but only two slices have been working. A piece of my special homemade bread got stuck down in one side one day and in trying to dislodge it, we messed up.
Jen: Tragic. Tragedy!
April: It is tragic. Now, Jen, do you know what time it is? Well, do you?
Jen: Well, what time is it?
April: It’s Moonwatch…
Jen: Moonwatch…
April: Play it!
April: Yes, this week for Moonwatch we have a Capricorn Full Moon on June 24th at 11:40 AM Pacific Time at 3° and 27 minutes of Capricorn. This Full Moon is a very volatile chart, and we’re going to talk as well about a couple of the major aspects that are forming just in advance of the Full Moon. But we will talk about it all within context of the Full Moon. As always with the Full Moon, it’s time to sort of stop and review what we’ve accomplished so far in the lunar month, which began at the big solar eclipse on June 10th at 19°, 47 minutes of Gemini. But this one also takes us back to Christmastime of 2019 when we had a New Moon solar eclipse at 4° Capricorn. And what episode did we talk about that one in, Jen?
Jen: Episode 5, “Unboxing Eclipses.” That was about a month after we started the podcast. Go back and listen, folks. You’ll be able to hear about the energy that was happening at that time that is connected to this time.
April: That is a perennial favorite, that episode. And we hope one of you yours.
Jen: Absolutely is. Well, tell us what we need to know about this Full Moon, April, and what other aspects do we want to tuck under this Full Moon?
April: Well, the Full Moon is in Capricorn, as I said, which of course places the Sun in Cancer. And during the Cancer season, we tend to be concerned with our family, the people closest to us, our home lives. And Capricorn is about the way we are out in the world. So, that is why they are opposites. One’s more internal. One is more external. And to me, the Full Moon always acts as kind of a check on the sign that the Sun is in or the previous New Moon. And in this case, the Capricorn Moon is rising up to show us it’s all good and well… you have to have your home in order, you have to pay attention to your family and all the people closest to you. But with the Full Moon in Capricorn, it says, “But it’s also important to get out and make a contribution to the world, to be seen in the world, to stand as an example of something, to do good works.”
Summer here where we are in the Northern hemisphere is a more kickback time. It tends to be a little more leisurely, taking the vacations with the family, spending a little more time at home, perhaps. But whenever we get to this Capricorn Full Moon in the summer, I know that it’s coming along to remind us to not totally let go of our more worldly responsibilities. And some of these for us, we can track back to that Christmastime of 2019 when there was a solar eclipse at this same point. And wherever that fell in your birth chart, 4° of Capricorn, you may have at that time been at a little bit of a turning point when it came to your career, your path in life, the direction that you really wanted to go in the long haul. And also about how you show up in the world as an authority and in your own life as the author of your own life story. We’ve kind of come to an interesting point in that cycle. And if there is anything significant that comes to mind for you back at Christmastime of 2019, know that now you’re at a point of revelation with that. You’re beginning to see the results of things you might have initiated at that time.
A lovely thing about this chart is the Sun and Moon are both making nice aspects to Jupiter. Even though the Capricorn Full Moon always wants us to work hard, the Sun trining Jupiter in Pisces wants us to make time for pleasure as well, and celebrate yourself. The Sun is trine Jupiter in Cancer it says, “Celebrate yourself, celebrate having some fun, celebrate those nice times with your family and those close to you.” It’s not saying don’t do that at all, but it’s saying there is a way to combine the two of being able to honor your responsibilities. But it’s always sad to see somebody who has had a great success in their career, but their family life has suffered because they haven’t spent enough time with their family, they haven’t really watched their children grow or anything like that. So, I think this polarity is always just a reminder to us that you need both to have a full life. And that’s always the case with a Full Moon. It shows us that both sides have to be honored and kept in balance.
Jen: So true.
April: Now also, Venus is approaching an opposition to Pluto on June 23rd.
Jen: That doesn’t sound as nice as the Sun trine to Jupiter.
April: Well, this is why we started with Sun trine Jupiter. Not only because it came first… you know, it’s June 23rd at 03:11 AM Pacific and Venus is opposed Pluto like that afternoon at 04:39 on the same day. Venus opposed Pluto… as always with oppositions, it’s time of clarity. It’s a time of exposition, of revelation. This takes us back to Venus’s conjunction with Pluto on January 28th at 25° of Capricorn, which we talked about on Episode 66, “Leo Full Moon: Dinner and Bingo!” Venus and Pluto’s issues regarding, money, relationship, money in a relationship, power struggles in relationship or in financial dealings. And this unfolding cycle between the two planets is about the planets moving into different aspects over time so they can see each other more clearly and realize what they are to each other. So, now we’re at the mid-point of that cycle. It started at the end of January, and now we’re at the point where they are opposite, and we get a lot more clarity on these issues. Any thoughts about that, Jen?
Jen: Pluto hasn’t moved very far. I mean, it went from 25° to 26° Capricorn.
April: Well, Pluto is still at that Sabian symbol, 27 Capricorn, “A Mountain Pilgrimage,” which we’ve been talking about ad nauseum. Because it just doesn’t move very quickly. Transiting Pluto might cover a degree or two a year. It really, really takes its time. The Sabian symbol for Venus at this opposition is “A Storm in a Canyon.” So, we get the idea that things aren’t necessarily going super, super quietly. The vision I get is of one of those great summer storms like you get in the Midwest, with thunder and lightning and all of the rest of it. It doesn’t have to mean the end is near but what it does mean is we’re seeing things clearly, and some things have to be renegotiated with Venus opposed Pluto.
Jen: One thing I always think about with Pluto is that Pluto’s about transformation. And so, with Venus here in an opposition, it might be helpful to release what no longer serves. Look at the parts of your life that maybe either need transformation or that aren’t serving you well, and think about what you can release there. And I think Full Moons are often thought of as a good time for releasing, as well. Isn’t that true?
April: Indeed, that begins the waning cycle of the Moon. The two-week waning period when we are asked to release. It’s a better part in the cycle for letting go of things or fixing things rather than initiating new things. Great time for a yard sale.
Jen: Oh, yes.
April: Where you are , do they call them yard sales? Do they call them garage sales?
Jen: Yes. Both. It can be both here.
April: Okay.
Jen: How about there ?
April: Yard sale, I think, Or they’ll call it a garage sale, but it’s never in somebody’s garage.
Jen: They’ll say that here too. They’ll say garage sale, but it might be in someone’s front yard.
April: Exactly. We won’t get too pedantic about it.
Jen: Nah.
April: So, something else that is building in this Full Moon chart, but these aspects are not exact yet… it’s a T-square involving Mars in Leo that’s opposed Saturn in Aquarius, and Mars will also square Uranus. It’s a lot of tension in this chart. The Sun and the Moon are opposed each other. They’re in a square with Neptune, an out-of-sign square. And it’s a lot of tension. I mean, there is the flow with the Sun and the Moon with Jupiter. Thank goodness. Because, that will be nice.
Jen: It feels like a lot dramatic energy. And Capricorn is not a lot about drama.
April: No. It would prefer to avoid that.
Jen: It would prefer to just climb its mountain and get to the top.
April: Exactly. Exactly. It has a goal, and nothing is going to get in the way of it meeting its goal. So, Sun and the Moon square Neptune just says that moments of awareness… sometimes things that we weren’t quite facing are now really illuminated in the light of the Full Moon. And we of course have the point opposite Neptune in late Virgo. And then maybe up into the early degrees of Aries, which are kind of the escape route when things get super tense in this chart.
Jen: Okay.
April: So, cleaning out a drawer…
Jen: …as Dee Elliott would say.
April: Yes. Getting started on something new is something that Aries likes to do. Or just getting some exercise is always good with Aries as well.
What else do we have, pal?
Jen: We have Neptune turning retrograde on June 25th at 12:22 PM Pacific Time at 23°, 11 minutes Pisces.
April: Yes. Neptune has been direct since November 28th of 2020. It’s one of the slow-moving planets that is retrograde for a lot of the year. And so it stays direct a good long time, but now it is getting ready to turn retrograde and it will appear to be moving backwards in its orbit until December 1st. So, if Neptune is always a little bit about sleepy time, Neptune retrograde is doubly so. It’s about looking within to find our faith. With Neptune sometimes it seems unclear. We have Neptune prominent as well in this Full Moon chart, of course, square the Sun and the Moon. And it can be unclear sometimes which direction we should go, and that’s frustrating for the Moon in Capricorn, which wants to have a plan and a system and a schedule and just get things done. But Neptune doesn’t work quite that way. Neptune reminds us that things come up, there are contingencies that we have to consider, we can’t always go in a straight line.
So, as Neptune turns retrograde, we’re invited – as we always we are with retrograde planets – to look within to find guidance within ourselves about what it is that we really have faith in, what is really our guiding principle, our guiding light. And that it’s just like it’s half of each year… basically that Neptune is like the tide coming in and the tide going out. And right now, as it turns retrograde, it’s like the tide going out. And what that can mean is things are a little more visible than usual. There is more of the beach front that is exposed. We can see all the things that Neptune has left for us since it’s been direct and all kinds of funny little pieces of glass and license plates, whatever you see, sand shoes hanging out on the beach. So, it’s a time to sort through all that stuff. Is there anything valuable? Is there anything that we want to keep? Anything that’s especially beautiful? And then when it goes direct, the tide comes in and it will take out what we didn’t use, maybe bring us some new things. So, this is a little bit of a dry period for Neptune.
Jen: Okay. So folks could think back to November 28th of last year, because that is the last time that Neptune stationed. And think about how that energy was affecting them, because Neptune’s going to station again.
April: Yes. How was Thanksgiving? Thanksgiving here in the US was just before that. And I know for me it was one of the first Thanksgivings ever that I didn’t spend with my family because of the pandemic and all of that. So, things have changed since then. It’s a very different world that we’re looking at right now.
Jen: Yes, for sure.
April: And finally, this week, Venus enters LEEEooooo!
Jen: LEEEoooo!
April: June 26, 09:27 PM, Venus enters the glamorous sign of Leo. It has been in Cancer since June 2nd. A beautiful, lovely, home-loving sign. It would be a wonderful time to doll up your house, buy a new toaster, plump up the throw pillows, play with the cats. But once Venus goes into Leo, and it will be there through July 21st, so a good long time… the things that we enjoy and that make us feel good, take a little more of a Leo hue. In Leo, we like to treat ourselves to indulgences, we like to create things, we like to play games, we like to go on vacation, we like to get attention for all the things we do. Are you going on vacation this summer, pal?
Jen: No.
April: Oh, only in your own mind…
Jen: I mean, I think of vacations as flying somewhere and spending time somewhere away from where you normally would. So I’ll see family a little bit and I suppose that’s a mini-getaway, but no big vacation. How about you?
April: No, nothing big. I am having a big birthday in August, and we have some plans for that, but that is after Venus has already gone into Virgo. So, between now and then it’s really just about like maybe getting an extra facial here or there or buying something zippy for the cats.
Jen: Maybe something sparkly.
April: Yes. Again, I always like to think: If Venus were a person and the world were a shopping mall, where would Venus in this sign shop? And Venus in Leo would go to the high-end stores or go to a spa or salon and treat itself to something special. It’s like, it doesn’t have to be something that’s super expensive, but it’s usually expensive for what it is. You know?
Jen: Yes.
April: It’s like buying a really, really fancy coffee cup. If you have to buy a coffee cup, it has got to be really flashy and have all the bells and whistles because Leo enjoys that. But anything that we can do where we pamper ourselves a little bit, something that is a luxury, not something that it’s a necessity. And so, a manicure, pedicure, personal service things now that we’re able to do a little more of that.
Jen: That sounds very nice.
April: Yes. Really nice.
Alright. Well, there’s nothing else on the show sheet. Have we done it?
Jen: We’ve talked about toasters and mullets. I think we’ve covered it all!
April: We’ve covered the big news! This is what the people show up for!
April: Well, thanks to all of you for showing up and for listening to The Big Sky Astrology Podcast. If you like what you’re hearing, be sure to subscribe or follow, rate or review, and we hope that you’ll help us spread the word by telling a friend. You can read show notes and full transcripts and leave your comments about each episode at our website, bigskyastropod.com.
Jen: Thank you so much to everyone who showed support during our Podathon last fall. Each week, as you know, we thank some of you by name. Who do we have this week, pal?
April: This week, we want to give a Big Sky Astrology Podcast shout-out to Jasmine Viehe, Melanie Hardcastle and Genine Barel!
Jen: Yay… Woo…
April: Woo…
Jen: Yay…
April: Woo…
Jen: Our arms are going in the air when we do that, just so folks know!
April: We are flailing and gesticulating in a most joyous fashion! Jasmine, Melanie, and Janine, we truly appreciate you. We thank you so much for listening to the podcast and for supporting us during last year’s Podathon.
Jen: Big thanks to you three.
April: Alright now, friends, we’re going to do something that we haven’t done since we launched the podcast back in November 2019.
Jen: Yes. It’s true, it’s true.
April: We’re going to take a little time off this summer. We’re in the process of figuring out our schedules and what we can tell you right now is that the next episode will be in two weeks just in time for the Cancer New Moon. That episode will drop on Monday, July 5th. So, stay tuned for that. We do hope that you’re getting a little rest and relaxation this summer too.
Jen: Totally.
April: So, join us again, bright and early two weeks from now. And until then, keep your feet on the ground…
Jen: …and your eyes on the stars.
Thank you for listening! To learn more about April Elliott Kent, please check out her website, www.BigSkyAstrology.com, where you can sign up for her newsletter, read her thought-provoking weekly essays, purchase her books, sign up for a personal astrology reading, and more.
That’s all for today. If you like what you’re listening to, please take a moment to rate and review this podcast and hit subscribe to stay current with new episodes.
You can follow Big Sky Astrology on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter: @BigSkyAstrology
To help support the Big Sky Astrology Podcast and to keep it going for as little as a dollar a month, please visit www.bigskyastropod.com.
Thanks again for joining us, and we’ll catch you next time!
© 2021 April Elliott Kent & Jen Braun
