TRANSCRIPT EPISODE 95 | Podathon Day 2: Sunstruck!
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 Tuesday, September 21st, 2021. And here with me – on the day that honors Mars – is my friend, astrologer April Elliott Kent. And you’re wearing red today, April. How appropriate!
April: I’m all decked out. Yes, I have my red shirt. I have my red head scarf.
Jen: Yes.
April: I have an elevated Mars in the 10th house. So, every day is Mars day for me.
Jen: Me too.
April: Yes. Well, I’m very excited and feeling very zesty today for the second day of our Podathon.
Jen: Now, you may be asking, “What is a Podathon?”
April: Well, what Is a Podathon, Jen?
Jen: Thank you for asking, April.
April: It’s the least I could do.
Jen: Well, instead of one 30-minute episode, which we’d normally bring you every other week, this week, we’re doing something a little different, something very special, something uber fantastic.
April: Ooh.
Jen: We’ll bring you five mini episodes of about 15 to 20 minutes in length, one each day through this coming Friday, September 24th. This format gives us the opportunity to share to different kinds of content with you. But of course, we do have kind of a sneaky ulterior motive. Don’t we, April?
April: We do. As most of you know, this podcast is audience funded and at the close of each regular episode, we love to personally thank each of you for your support over the past year. We really couldn’t make this podcast without you. But of course, that also means that at least once a year, we run a larger appeal for contributions to help us cover the cost of producing the podcast. Many of you have heeded that call over the past year and we appreciate it very much.
Jen: We do appreciate it so much. So, here we are again… Yes, that is Bear’s collar in the background everyone!
April: I thought so.
Jen: So, here we are again with a fun week in store for all of us. We can’t believe a year has flown by already. This week, we’ll be taking a look at the astrology of each day. We will be laughing. Hopefully we will not be crying. And we will be answering some of your questions. Of course, we’re also hoping to earn your support, and in return, we have some giveaways as well as a raffle for you. Take it away April.
April: To encourage those contributions, we’re inviting donors of only $5 or more to our special episodes for the September Equinox and the December Solstice. This is no small thing. Not only do you get two special episodes, but in the September Equinox episode, we have created the longest, the most comprehensive, the most spectacular three-month look ahead ever. It is more than 45 minutes of content, and this is after Jen’s heroic efforts to cut even more out of it.
Jen:
April: We’ll be looking at the upcoming eclipses as well as all of the major planetary happenings in this three-month period. The September Equinox episode drops this week and you will not want to miss it.
Now, second, everyone who donates $25 or more, as well as folks who make a monthly ongoing contribution, everyone will be entered in a drawing to win one of these fabulous prizes. First of all, somebody’s going to win a solar return report by Mary Shea, which is from my online store. Another listener will win this very cool astrology poster from friend of the podcast, Philip Blasa of Tha Elegant Universe. The poster’s spectacular, it’s this beautiful, colorful overview of all the most commonly discussed terms used in astrology. We are going to link that in the show notes.
Two listeners are going to win a 60-minute personal astrology reading with moi! – a $175 value. And one super, super, special lucky, happy, good looking I’m sure, grand prize winner, will win a 90-minute reading with me. And that is a $225 value, my friends.
Now, finally, of course, all contributors to the podcast, get our hilarious bingo card, so you can play along as you browse our back catalog and listen to future episodes.
Jen: We do want to say, we know that not everyone can contribute financially, which we totally understand, and we still love you just the same. There are other ways to help out. If you like the show, please give us five stars on Apple Podcasts. That would be terrific. It really helps others find the podcast. You could write us a happy review on either Apple Podcasts or any of the other platforms that allow comments. You can always write us comments on the episode page on bigskyastropod.com. Another way to show support is to hit that follow button or you can also tell a friend about The Big Sky Astrology Podcast and encourage them to subscribe and like the show as well.
Now, finally, in the spirit of full disclosure, we do want to let you know that for the time being as we head into the end of the calendar year, we’ll be continuing to bring you episodes every other week. We hope you continue to find value in our episodes, less frequent though they may be, we still pack each and every episode with amount of love and we hope that you will contribute. April, do you want to let folks know how to donate?
April: Yes. All they need to do really is go to our website, bigskyastropod.com. We will make it ridiculously obvious there on that page, how you can contribute.
Jen: Perfect. And how do we start off today, April?
April: Jen. Do you have any idea what time it is?
Jen: What time is it?
April: It is time for Moonwatch…
Jen: Moonwatch…
April: Play it!
April: Ah, yes, today, the Moon is in Aries all day long. Let’s talk about what the Moon means in the daily sky. The Moon talks about the rhythm and the pace of that day. Each sign of the Zodiac has particular characteristics and colors and moods that are associated with it. So, when the Moon is in Aries, we tend to want to do things quickly. We tend to want to do things a little bit impatiently, a little bit impulsively. It’s a really good day for doing something that you’ve been wanting to do, but it’s very new to you, because you will tend to want to instigate new projects today, and you’ll really like to tackle things that you have never done before, and hopefully things that nobody has ever done before. Aries is a very pioneering sign and it really likes to challenge itself. So, this is a really good day for anything like that, especially since the Moon is also making an opposition to Mars today, September 21st at 04:02 AM Pacific Time.
So, here on the west coast, we’re going to be sort of waking up, springing from bed with a glad cry, ready to attack the world headlong. What are your thoughts about the Moon in Aries, Jen?
Jen: How appropriate that today is Mars’s day, and we have the Moon in Aries… because Aries is ruled by Mars. You’re wearing red, I’m wearing orange – close enough.
April: Well, that’s because of your Libra planets toning down that Mars. But I have a super elevated Mars, very close to the mid heaven of my chart, so it’s just reeking of Mars at all times.
Jen: Although your progressed Sun is in Libra…
April: It is.
Jen: So, we’ve got that going for us.
April: Now, Jen, we have been inviting our listeners to sign in and leave us voicemails at speakpipe.com/bigskyastrologypodcast. We have so far had a couple of people who have left eerily similar messages.
Jen: I know. It’s bizarre.
April: I know. I mean, spoken a little differently.
Jen: Yes.
April: The first person you’re going to hear is Elliott. And, I completely approve of Elliott because she spells her name correctly with two Ls and two Ts.
Jen: Like someone I know.
April: Exactly. So, let’s go ahead and play her message.
Elliott’s Message: Hey, Astro podcast. I have a question about when the Sun is in your Moon or rising sign, what happens? Let’s say if I’m a Virgo rising and a Scorpio Moon, do I experience anything different when the Sun is in Virgo or Scorpio? I hope that makes sense. I have not been able to find an answer anywhere in the entire internet. There is no answer. So, maybe you guys can help. Thanks.
April: Then within days we had an an almost identical question from listener, Joe. Let’s roll that tape.
Joe’s message: Hey! I’d love to know about how it can affect a person when the Sun is in their Moon and a rising sign. I am a Sagittarius rising, what might I experience when the Sun is in Sagittarius? If I’m a Taurus Moon, what might I notice when the Sun is in Taurus? Thanks.
Jen: Isn’t that weird that they left the same question?
April: I know. Well, apparently this is a burning question.
Jen: It’s in the cosmos.
April: It is. If we are understanding this question correctly, people are wondering, “How does their chart react if the Sun in the sky right now, what we call the transiting Sun is moving through the sign of their ascendant, their rising sign, or their Moon?”
And it’s kind of a good question. I remember an astrologer friend of mine talking about getting a reading from an astrologer or years before she began studying astrology herself. And she was just fascinated by the accuracy of this reading. Years later, after she had been studying astrology, she listened back to it and she realized that what this astrologer had done was simply follow the Sun through her chart for the year.
Jen: Oh.
April: And she talked about the things that would be important in the month that the Sun was moving through her first house, her second house, her third house, and so forth and connecting with different planets in her chart. The Sun is a huge symbol in astrology because it’s a huge symbol in our world. Without the Sun, we would die. And so, the Sun represents some of the most vital qualities of being alive. If you think of it as this huge spotlight that is shining on your chart at any given moment, what it does when it goes over your ascendant – a friend of mine called this, I don’t think she invented the term, but she heard it from an astrologer once that it’s your second birthday. And that makes some sense to me because the ascendant is the beginning point in our chart. It’s the doorway. It is the beginning of the day. It’s the point that marks the Sun coming up. So when that point is at your ascendant, it really is like Sunrise in your, your chart. It is the moment of the year at that exact moment that it is crossing over that you’re invited to put the spotlight on yourself.
So, what is a really good time for putting yourself out in the world to get noticed. This isn’t always comfortable for every person, not all of us are Leos, but for at least a couple of days out of each year, you’re kind of an honorary Leo, and this is one of them. So, celebrate this day and just know that on this day in particular, and then for about the 30 days as it’s going through the first house of your chart, to let yourself shine and be noticed and put yourself first, at least for yourself.
Now, when the Sun is connecting with the Moon in your chart, which will also happen on a specific day each year, but also both of these will be felt a little bit the day before, a little bit the day after. So, the Moon is where we are very receptive and unconscious in a lot of ways where we are seeking comfort and connection and security. The Sun connecting with that point is not nearly as comfortable as we might expect because the Sun in the Moon are operating on completely different planes. So, the Sun is, “Notice me, notice me.” It’s very hot. It’s very bright. The Moon is, “Oh, I just want to be by myself and be private, and please don’t shine that big light on me.” And so, we kind of tend to go into our little crab shells a little bit.
That has been my experience at it. And I’ve looked at it more in secondary progressions, which is something we’ll talk about someday. But, in that system, the progressed Sun will sit on the Moon if it comes there for a year, not just one day. So, you really see it with people that that’s a time that it’s a little bit too challenging. Because, in the parts of your life where you want to be very private, you’re being asked to go big and be public. What do you think? Makes sense?
Jen: Yes. And what you said about the astrologer following the Sun through the chart resonates. Because when I first had an astrology reading, I remember… and this was probably 20 or 30 years ago, it was fall and I was thinking about my career at that tim,e and what did I want to do and things like that. And he said, “Oh, well, you always think about that this time of year. Don’t you?” And I said, “How did you know that?” And he said, “Well, I was looking at your chart.” And of course, August, September, I am always sort of thinking about, and looking ahead and thinking about what will come career-wise for me.
April: Right. It makes a lot of sense, doesn’t it?
Jen: Yes.
April: And sometimes the simplest ways of applying astrology to our chart are some of the most revealing and some of the most useful.
Jen: Yes. Because, that’s not complicated. That’s not a complicated way to look at someone’s chart.
April: But the Sun generally is bringing some recognition to you, it is bringing often some joy, but the way it starts out when it crosses anything in your chart or any house in your chart is suddenly this fierce spotlight is pointed on some area of your life. And I’ve used the analogy before and I don’t know if I’ve used it on the podcast, but our house faces west, and in the afternoon when that bright light is coming in, every dust bunny on our wood floor, every scratch, every bit of dust is nakedly revealed in the spotlight. And that’s how it happens I think when the Sun goes through the different houses of the charts, like, “Oh my gosh, what a mess I’ve let the place get to” in this area. And then we get in there and we clean things up and very proudly, then, show it off to the world.
Jen: Nice.
April: So, everybody enjoy today, the Moon in Aries. And thank you for those questions, Elliott and Joe, and we’re hoping to share some more of these this week.
Jen: Yes. And if other folks have questions, you can go ahead and leave it at speakpipe.com/bigskyastrologypodcast. And we could get to your question in a future episode, perhaps.
April: Absolutely. It’s a really easy little system. And if you don’t feel terribly shy, you can use a pseudonym. We’re not going to come tracking you down and looking for you. So, if you’re a shy person and would like to ask a question, please feel free to do so. Well, Jen, that is everything we wanted to cover today. Do you think we’ve done it?
Jen: Episode 95. We’re coming in on a hundred episodes – oh my gosh!
April: Oh, I know… this is so exciting!
Jen: I know!
April: Well, thanks to all of you for listening to The Big sky Astrology Podcast. If you like what you’re hearing, be sure to follow us, rate and review, and we hope that you will help us spread the word by telling a friend.
Jen: This is the second day of our Second Annual Podathon. This podcast is audience funded and your generous donations help us keep the podcast coming to you. To donate, please go to bigskyastropod.com. Anyone who donates $5 or more will receive access to two special episodes: Our current September Equinox episode, as well as the upcoming December Solstice episode. And if you donate $25 or more, you’ll automatically be entered in our raffle. One winner will get the fantastic solar return report, one will get a super spiffy astrology poster, two extra-specially lucky winners will get a free 60-minute reading with April and one super, super lucky winner will get a full 90-minute reading with April.
April: Woo!
Jen: We want to thank everyone on the air in the month to come. If you do not want us to mention your name, email April. She’s at april@bigskyastrology.com. You’ll also receive a donor email that will have this information as well, but we did want to mention it here too.
April: Well, join us again, bright and early tomorrow morning for the next in this gala Podathon spree. 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.
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© 2021 April Elliott Kent & Jen Braun
