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TRANSCRIPT Ep. 263 | Aquarius First Quarter Moon: Unmasked!

TRANSCRIPT Ep. 263 (11.04.24)
Aquarius First Quarter Moon: Unmasked!

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Hello Invisible Friend, April here, and the date today is November 4th, 2024. Welcome to Episode 263 of the Big Sky Astrology Podcast. This week, things are much quieter than last week, at least astrologically.

The Sun makes a trine to Saturn, Venus squares Neptune, and Mercury trines the North Node of the Moon. And a First Quarter Aquarius Moon gets us moving on our recent New Moon initiatives. Plus, I answer a listener question about dealing with awkward questions about astrology.

Sun trine Saturn (Nov. 4, 2024, 9:36 am PST)

The Sun makes a trine aspect to Saturn on November 4th at 9:36 am Pacific Time at 12º47’ Scorpio and Pisces. The Sun’s Sabian symbol is 13 Scorpio, An inventor experimenting and Saturn is on 13 Pisces, A sword in a museum. What came to mind for me in thinking about this aspect into water signs, Scorpio and Pisces, is how helpful and supportive it can be if we’re trying to change direction with the things that we turn to, to manage our emotions.

Very often, we will turn to things like food or drinking, smoking, any kind of unhealthy habits. Sometimes, to try to help us cope with the intensity of our feelings. A supportive aspect between the Sun and Saturn suggests a strengthening of willpower, and that’s especially true with the Sun in Scorpio, which has a very strong will.

With the Sun in this good aspect to Saturn, it’s likely we’ve now come to an awareness that the best way to achieve our goals is to be willing to experiment. If you’re a person who has struggled with maintaining a healthy weight or constraining your spending, not going into debt, anything that it might be, the tools that you’ve used before to try to deal with this issue have probably not worked in the long term.

So now, it’s time to look for another way, to look for some alternatives. I like the symbol of the sword in the museum, which says, be willing to let go of old tools in managing whatever issue this is. It’s also about letting go of old grudges, and so often the emotional problems that we face do contain some baggage, things that we’re carrying around from the past and have a really hard time letting go.

The Sun in Scorpio really enjoys looking deeply into things. It is associated with research, and as it makes this lovely trine aspect to Saturn, it’s about the way we take authority over our own lives. And that can be a willingness to look for and experiment with new techniques or tools or supportive therapies.

Mercury trine North Node (Nov. 6, 2024, 6:31 pm PST)

Mercury trines the Moon’s North Node on November 6th at 6:31 pm Pacific Time, at 05º50’ Sagittarius and Aries. Mercury is on the Sabian symbol, 6 Sagittarius, A game of cricket and the North Node on 6 Aries, A square brightly lighted on one side. We have Mercury in Sagittarius here, on a Sabian symbol that is very much communal.

It is about collaborating with others, listening to their opinions, sharing yours, and telling your stories to one another. The North Node Sabian symbol is such a wonderful one for the North Node in Aries, A square brightly lighted on one side. Aries is the sign of singularity, and while the North Node has been going through this sign for nearly 18 months, it’s been encouraging us, inviting us to move forward on an individual path to take our cues from our own instincts about what’s right for us, what’s important. And I like that vision of the square that’s lighted on one side, we could say one of those sides is family, one of them is friends, one of them is society, and one of them is just you, and that is the one that has been lit up.

This particular transit of Mercury trine the North Node says something about this process of communing with others, speaking with them, exchanging views and ideas, and developing a sense of teamwork…is exactly what’s appropriate at this moment for moving us further in the direction of the North Node’s promise about being more truly ourselves. We have a better sense of how to self-correct if we start to move in an antisocial direction. And moreover, sometimes it’s not until we are in the company of others and listening to a lot of different perspectives, it’s not until we do that that our own ideas are crystallized. We know what we are not and so we have a much clearer picture of what we are.

You could get a good piece of information or a wonderful idea at this aspect about how to move forward in an independent way, but you need to act fast because this transit lasts for only a couple of days. So, if a good idea or piece of information comes your way, at the very least, write it down. We often think that we are going to remember things that really capture our interest or attention in a moment, and then, of course, they can slip away very quickly.

Aquarius First Quarter Moon (Nov. 8, 2024, 9:55 pm PST)

And now for the Moon Report, and it begins with the Aquarius First Quarter Moon on November 8th at 9:55 PM Pacific Time. It’s at 17º19’ Aquarius, with the Sun at the same degree and minute of Scorpio. The Sabian symbol for the Moon is 18 Aquarius, A man unmasked. The Sun is on 18 Scorpio, A woods rich in autumn coloring.

Well, the Moon’s Sabian symbol certainly has to do with the truth coming out, and losing our mask, and showing who and what we really are, for good, or sometimes for ill. But Aquarius is a sign that’s a little bit rebellious. And to the extent that we have been getting along and going along for a while, this is a First Quarter Moon that is unwilling to do that any longer.

That has something that it discovered at the Scorpio New Moon on November 1st that had to do with authenticity and about transforming ourselves. How are we changing? How are we becoming more of our true, unmasked self? That’s the question at this First Quarter Moon, and the First Quarter phase is always for taking action toward the intentions that we set at the previous New Moon, in this case, that Scorpio New Moon. So now is the time to unmask ourselves, to stop playing a role that doesn’t reflect who we really are and to take action based on intuition and not necessarily consistent with anything that we have done previously.

It’s kind of an exciting First Quarter Moon. It goes along a bit actually with that Sabian symbol for the Sun when it was trine Saturn, An inventor experimenting, and being willing to take different approaches and move in a different direction.

With the Aquarius First Quarter Moon, sometimes we also change allegiances, we find “our people” and we decide to collaborate alongside them in some kind of important endeavor and ultimately, something that has to do with a deep and true change, a transformation.

I really like that Sabian symbol for the Sun here, A woods rich in autumn coloring, and I think part of us might respond particularly well to autumn, this season of transformation happening before our very eyes. I live in California, we don’t have a lot of deciduous trees in Southern California where I live, and so we’re not as in tune with this dimension of autumn. But in places where you do see those changes of the trees and their colors and the leaves falling, it reminds us that everything is changing, always, and that life itself is temporary. So at the Scorpio New Moon, and Scorpio a sign, again, that is very concerned with all of these things, transformation, and the temporary nature of existence.

Then, at its First Quarter Moon, we act on that. We say to ourselves, I’m not going to be here forever and the only thing we can really depend on in life is change. So that is the tone, I think, of this Aquarius First Quarter Moon. Of stepping out unmasked into the woods rich in autumn coloring, and taking our first tentative steps towards a more authentic life.

Lunar Phase Family Cycle

This is the First Quarter phase in a lunar phase family cycle that began on February 9th, 2024 with the New Moon at 20º 40’ Aquarius.

This is very close to the beginning of the year and we might still have been deciding on our resolutions for the calendar year ahead. With the New Moon in Aquarius, it is often something about getting connected with society in a way that allows us to make a change or to make a meaningful contribution.

So this is the First Quarter phase in that cycle and indicates not only taking action based on the most recent New Moon in Scorpio but also that New Moon back in February that was in Aquarius. The Full Moon in this Lunar Phase Family Cycle is on August 9th, 2025, and that will be the time when it’s a little easier to see what has developed from the New Moon beginnings at that February 2024 Aquarius New Moon. And the Last Quarter in the cycle is on May 9th, 2026, which urges us to take a final, well-considered action in that direction.

Void-of-Course Moon periods

Let’s look at the Void-of-Course Moon periods for this week.

On November 5th, the Moon squares Neptune at 2:23 am Pacific Time. The Moon is Void-of-Course for 4 hours and 54 minutes and then enters Capricorn at 7:17 am. We have to ask ourselves when the Moon is connecting with Neptune: Are the feelings that we have truly ours, or have we absorbed them from somebody else? This happens sometimes when the Moon is aspecting Neptune.

Consider, are you looking at situations through your own eyes, your own beliefs? Or, are you choosing to view things through a lens that was inherited or borrowed from someone else?

On November 7th, the Moon conjuncts Pluto at 2:37 pm Pacific Time. It’s Void-of-Course for 21 minutes and enters Aquarius at 2:58 pm Pacific time. This is a short but very potent Void-of-Course period. Conjunctions between the Moon and another planet at the beginning of a Void period ask us to take time to assimilate recent messages connected with this planet. So we’re assimilating recent power struggles or conflicts that have to do with control and what they might have taught you about yourself.

On November 9th, the Moon sextiles Venus at 4:23 pm Pacific Time. It’s Void-of-Course for 3 hours 37 minutes and enters Pisces at 8 pm. The Moon is a symbol of the things we rely on, the things we feel we really need. Things like food, security, family, home, privacy. And Venus is the symbol of what we like, what we want, what we’re attracted to.

I think when the Moon comes together in a sextile to Venus, what we’re shown is there is an opportunity to bring those two together. That means perhaps beautifying our home, inviting friends to celebrate with us there. It’s a lovely aspect, and it’s not a real long Void-of-Course Moon period, three and a half hours, but what it does suggest is at this time, and especially because it falls around dinner time, at least here on the West coast of the U.S., this is about changing up your routine at home, making it a little more convivial, a little more communal and just a little bit out of the ordinary.

Venus squares Neptune (Nov. 9, 2024, 5:15 am PST)

On November 9th at 5:15 am Pacific Time, Venus squares Neptune at 27º 21’ Sagittarius and Pisces. When Venus comes together in a hard aspect with Neptune, which is the planet of illusion, our eyes can become open about people or situations in our lives. That we may suddenly realize are not quite what we thought they were.

The square is a constructive aspect, however, and we do have the opportunity to build a new situation, a new understanding of a relationship based on what we know of the truth. I’ve often said that this is the aspect that gives us the chance to figure out how whether we can love somebody for exactly what they are, rather than what we have believed them to be. Because Venus is connected with relationships and the people we care about in our lives. Sometimes out of a well-intentioned desire to think the best of the people we care most about, we can be deceived about the reality of who they are, and that may end up being the case after this aspect. But it’s a pretty quick aspect, again, an influence of a day, maybe, either side, but there is some kind of moment or awareness that often will come about, and we can pay attention to it, or, we can just sort of put it back in the closet to take out and look at at another time.

There is an insight that we should not ignore that often comes to us at the Venus square to Neptune. And not just about relationships, maybe it’s also about spending or money because Venus is connected with those things as well. And we might have been fooling ourselves about how much money we’re spending or the investments we’re making. And it’s important to be really clear about how much we have coming in and exactly what we’re spending it on. I’ve often suggested to people, when we have this kind of aspect, that if you’re not in the habit of doing so, take a month and record every cent that you spend, whether with cash, online, whatever it may be. Because it can be really eye-opening to see where that money is going.

Listener Question: Handling awkward questions about astrology

This week’s listener question comes from listener Jeff, who writes, “As I’ve become more and more interested in astrology, I’m excited to talk about it with people I know. But I often get very rude comments about it, like, do I really believe in it? How do you handle comments like that?”

Boy, Jeff, I remember getting these kinds of comments a lot when I was first starting to study astrology seriously, and especially when I began practicing professionally.

It’s really astonishing to me how free some people feel to speak in a very derogatory way about astrology and how their faces would change and become very derisive when they would find out that I was an astrologer. I’ll get back to the rude comments shortly, but first, let’s take this particular one: How does a smart person like you actually believe in something like that?

For a long time, I simply replied that I didn’t consider astrology something I had to believe in, that it was more of a descriptive language that I found useful to describe the world. But over time, I realized that, of course, astrology requires belief.

The belief is the idea that everything and everyone is connected. If we are going to draw comparisons between happenings in the sky and happenings on Earth, that means we believe there’s a connection. Not everyone believes that, just as not everyone believes in God, or in science, or any number of other things. And if you are fervently religious or you’re an epidemiologist, you are likely to get some people who want to quarrel with you as well.

So there actually is a component of belief about astrology. And I suppose what I might say is something like, well, what do you mean by belief? What do you suppose an astrologer believes?

And often it’s stuff like, oh, astrology proposes there are only 12 kinds of people, and that the planets cause us to behave in certain ways. And then you can address those misconceptions, even if it’s only to say, well, I don’t believe in those things. And what I have said a time or two is, what I believe is that all things are connected, and astrology gives me a useful way to explore that connection.

Now as far as rude comments and people who scoff at me, whose demeanor toward me changes radically once they find out I’m an astrologer. It depends on the situation and on my mood. I will say plainly that I seldom find myself in these kinds of situations at this point in my life. I don’t have a lot of free time and I’m very picky about the way I spend it.

But let’s say that I find myself in a crowd of people I wouldn’t normally spend a lot of time with, such as scientists. I have scientists in my family and I have occasionally found myself at such gatherings and I will usually just answer questions about my profession by saying, truthfully, that I’m a writer. Because I really am just not interested in getting in an argument with anyone. So, if the setting doesn’t feel safe, I don’t make myself vulnerable. Also, I was born with the Moon in Gemini, and I find few things in life as delicious as a good conversation, or as agonizing as a bad one. So I’m inclined to make any conversation as pleasant as it can be.

But let’s say I have misjudged a situation and answered truthfully that I’m an astrologer, which honestly most people find interesting and they want to know more about it. But let’s say this person is only interested in being insulting. And I have been known to simply pause and let their comment hang in the air to give them a chance to realize just how rude they’ve been.

After an awkward silence, I might just change the subject by saying something like, “You know, let’s talk about what you do. I expect that you would find that more interesting.” I mean, I don’t want to be rude. I also don’t really feel, though, that it’s my job to defend astrology or to defend myself for being an astrologer, and I really don’t find such discussions interesting in the least.

So I would know in such a situation that this is not a person I will find it interesting to talk to, so I’m going to look for the easiest possible way to exit the conversation.

Now, Jeff, if these people are people in your own life, your dear family members, your trusted friends, who come out with these kinds of insulting questions, then, of course, you have to get into it. You have to go a little bit deeper and defend not so much astrology as anything that you choose to be interested in that’s not harming anybody else. Some people have a bad feeling about astrology because they feel astrologers are trying to take advantage of other people or exert control. By saying something like, “Oh, I know what’s going to happen to you, I know what’s going to happen to your life.”

But I always think a really good approach is to be the one to ask the questions. Not assume why somebody has the bad feeling about astrology that they do, but ask them questions. Like the one about, “What do you think I believe? Or, what do you think astrologers do?” And that, I think, can open up a really helpful conversation, which is appropriate.

If somebody has earned your love and your trust in other areas of your life, it’s natural for them to be interested in your career, if you’re practicing professionally, or just a keen interest of yours. Especially if you’ve brought it up because you’re interested in it and you want to talk to others about it.

Oh, Jeff, I hope that helps. It is something every astrologer and most serious students of astrology have encountered and it is not pleasant, but it’s truly more about them than it is about us. So, react with kindness. And depending on the person who is asking, let that guide you as to how deep you want to go into the subject and try very hard not to take it personally.

If you, Invisible Friend, have a question you would like me to answer on a future episode of the podcast, leave a message of one minute or less at SpeakPipe.com/ bigskyastrologypodcast, or email me at April at BigSkyAstrology.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 the show in your app of choice. Leave a rating or review and I hope that you’ll help spread the word by telling an astrology-loving friend about the podcast.

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This week, let’s give a Big Sky Astrology Podcast shout-out to CHEUNG MULLIGAN and ELLEN STURM!

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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!



Writing and images © 2017-24 by April Elliott Kent

For more on this week’s planetary news, read my column!

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