TRANSCRIPT Ep. 270 (Dec. 23, 2024)
Jupiter vs Saturn: Legs Spinning in Midair!
Hello, invisible friend. April here and the date today is December 23rd, 2024. Welcome to Episode 270 of the Big Sky Astrology Podcast.
First, Happy Holidays to everyone who is still celebrating last week’s Capricorn Solstice, Christmas on December 25th, and the first days of Hanukkah and Kwanzaa on December 26th! Enjoy the lights and feasting and fellowship as we prepare for the new calendar year ahead.
This week, the Sun in Capricorn squares the lunar nodes and marks the midpoint between eclipse seasons; the second of three squares from Jupiter to Saturn, with trickster Mercury finishing its own series of aspects to both of those planets; Venus in sparkly Aquarius shakes things up with Uranus. And there is no major lunation for the Moon this week, but I answer a listener question about what it means for a planet to be strong in your birth chart.
Sun square Lunar Nodes (Dec. 23, 2024, 2:40 am PST)
The Sun squares the lunar nodes on December 23rd at 2:40 am Pacific Time. When the Sun is square the nodes, it may seem as if you’re not getting anywhere, that you will never reach the elusive brass ring of the North Node and escape the tyranny and stuckness of the South Node.
Fortunately, the Sun in Capricorn refuses to accept defeat. This square is a challenge to recommit ourselves to taking even the smallest step toward what is important to us.
As the Sun squares the nodes, it’s at what is called the South Bending, where the Sun is inclining toward the South Node. This is a point of release -we might even say a kind of surrender. It’s an inward facing time with a sort of Capricorn quality of looking back and reviewing our past efforts. The Sun at the south bending requires us to give up our own ambitions for the sake of something larger, something that serves the collective.
The Sun square the lunar nodes indicates that we are at the midpoint between eclipse seasons. The December 15th Full Moon was at 23º 52’ Gemini and Sagittarius, square the Pisces lunar eclipse back in September, and the lunar eclipse in Virgo that’s coming up in March of 2025. And the December 30th New Moon at 9º 43’ Capricorn is square the solar eclipses of October 2nd, 2024, and March 29th, 2025.
So, this week we can expect a little bit of a surge of change and critical experiences connected to that September eclipse and a little bit of a foreshadowing of what’s coming up in March – especially if you have planets around 24 degrees of the mutable signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, or Pisces), or 9 to 10 degrees of cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn).
Jupiter square Saturn (Dec. 24, 2024, 1:59 pm PST)
Jupiter squares Saturn on December 24th at 1:59 pm Pacific Time, at 14º 01’ Gemini and Pisces. This is the second of three Jupiter-Saturn squares in this series. The first was on August 19th, 2024, and the last is on June 15th, 2025. This is the opening series of squares in a cycle that began at that beautiful Jupiter Saturn conjunction on December 21st, 2020 at zero degrees Aquarius.
Squares between Jupiter and Saturn reflect times when we feel tension between going big, taking lots of risks, taking chances, expanding our horizons, versus the need to hold ourselves back a bit, not go too far in any given direction.
And the Jupiter and Saturn cycle, in particular, has important consequences for the economy. They tend to be times when the balance is uneasy between generosity, giving, expanding the economy, versus the contracting principle of Saturn that says No, there’s not enough. We don’t have enough to go around. What we’ve been seeing during this series of squares has been the increasing discrepancy between the economy, which looks good on paper, and how people are actually experiencing it in our daily lives.
On a more personal level, this is a transit that can inspire us to push for more career success and to act on what was conceived around that December 2020 conjunction. If you’ve been setting the bar too low for yourself, Jupiter will encourage you to push for bigger things. Especially with transiting Pluto still near that zero degree of Aquarius conjunction point.
But it won’t all go easily because that’s Saturn’s part. Jupiter’s job is to push us harder, to move forward, to dare and to risk. And Saturn’s job is to make sure we don’t go too far and we don’t go running off a cliff, like in a cartoon with our legs sort of spinning in midair.
Mercury opposed Jupiter (Dec. 26, 2024, 2:48 pm PST)
This week, Mercury completes series of aspects to Jupiter and Saturn that have been ongoing since mid-November. Mercury makes an opposition to Jupiter on December 26th at 2:48 pm Pacific Time at 13º 46’ Sagittarius and Gemini. The first of these oppositions was on November 18th when Mercury was direct. Then, while Mercury was retrograde, there was a second opposition on December 4th. While Mercury was retrograde. And this is the third and final opposition.
As Mercury has made these oppositions to Jupiter, the question has been, what’s more important, the details or the big picture? Mercury is on the Sabian symbol 14 Sagittarius, The pyramids and the Sphinx. It signifies respect for the common knowledge, the knowledge that’s generally agreed upon. And Jupiter is on the Sabian symbol 14 Gemini, A conversation by telepathy. That’s a symbol about exceptional connectedness, rapport.
Both the difference between Mercury and Jupiter, which come from completely different mindsets, and these symbols really imply to me that we have to be a little bit careful that we don’t make assumptions based on what’s generally accepted, you know, “everybody knows that”, or our closeness with someone that might lead us to believe we know what they’re thinking or how they might react to something.
Mercury square Saturn (Dec. 26, 2024, 11:29 pm PST)
Also, on December 26th, at 11:29 pm Pacific Time, so this will be December 27th practically everywhere else, Mercury squares Saturn at 14º11’ Sagittarius and Pisces.
Mercury has also made three squares to Saturn during its extended stay in Sagittarius. The first square was on November 12th, while Mercury was direct. The second square on December 6th, while Mercury was retrograde. And now this third and final square.
When Mercury is connecting with Saturn, there can be a tendency to get stuck on certain ideas, to defend a position very intractably. Expressing yourself may have been challenging on and off since mid-November. It can feel sometimes as though there’s a rock in your mouth that makes it impossible to get the words out.
And it could be that you’re just plain afraid of how your words might be taken. Mercury’s Sabian symbol is 15 Sagittarius, A groundhog looking for its shadow, and it conveys the idea of caution. The groundhog sort of sticks its head up for a moment before it emerges, just to make sure everything’s okay. And there’s caution, especially about revealing yourself too much in what you say and maybe revealing your emotional shadow.
If you’ve been working on a project that’s related to communication in any way and have experienced a blockage, this is the time to take a strong action to try to overcome it. That’s the beauty of the square aspect. It doesn’t make things easier, but it means that we’re a lot more apt to push when we experience a blockage.
Venus square Uranus (Dec. 27, 2024, 11:42 pm PST)
Venus squares Uranus on December 27th at 11:42 pm Pacific Time at 23º 43’ Aquarius and Taurus.
What does Venus in Aquarius want most? The sign that Venus is in will tell us what we’re longing for, what we’re really wanting for about a three-to-four-week period. And when it’s in Aquarius, what we want more than anything is freedom and independence.
And Uranus brings the disruptive factor. It might say something like, Hmm, you really want freedom from that oppressive job, huh? Well, let’s see what we can do about that. And then the job is changed, or ends altogether. It could be that something that you own – a car, a house, an appliance – is disrupted and breaks down and gives you problems. Yes, this can even happen when Mercury is not retrograde!
Because what Uranus will be saying at that point is, well, being free financially can mean giving up some of these things which can cause you problems. As long as you own things, as long as you’re connected to them in some way, they have the power to disrupt your life.
When things go wrong, socially, Venus in Aquarius and Venus connecting with Uranus can bring a kind of enhanced popularity or, less positively, notoriety. But you could have some kind of artistic or financial breakthrough that happens around this date when Venus is linking up with Uranus. And it could be that people are more attracted to you, want to be around you, want to get to know you.
The Moon Report
And now for the Moon Report. There are actually no major lunations this week. The Capricorn New Moon comes next Monday, so we’ll be talking to you about that then. But let’s look at the Void-of-Course periods for this week.
Void-of-Course Moon Periods
On December 24th, the Moon in Libra trines Venus at 2:44 am Pacific Time and is void-of-course for a whopping 21 hours and 22 minutes, before it enters Scorpio on Christmas Day at 12:06 am Pacific Time.
When the Moon begins a Void-of-Course period with a trine to another planet, we know that there is a gift or a reward that’s coming our way. And what a beautiful way to begin a holiday devoted to gifts! What a lovely aspect, and a nice long stretch of time to work with this Void-of-Course Moon period as well.
Both the Moon and Venus are in social signs. So, this is a really beautiful time to practice kindness to others, to bring balance to relationships, and to share holiday cheer with everybody you meet.
One thing to remember is that this time of year can be a really hard time for a lot of people. Maybe they’ve lost people in the last year. Maybe they have lost their homes in a disaster, or lost a job. Just remember that everybody that you meet can be suffering a bit in some way. And go into this holiday, I would say, with that sense of humility and of kindness. To not assume that everybody is ready to ho ho ho and ring bells, but might appreciate just a sweet smile and a warm holiday greeting.
On December 27th, the Moon in Scorpio trines Neptune at 6:24 am Pacific Time. It’s Void-of-Course for 5 hours and 22 minutes, and enters Sagittarius at 11:46 am.
This is another Void-of-Course Moon period that’s beginning with the Moon trine another planet, in this case, Neptune. This is a transit that asks us, again, to get in the habit of being kind and inclusive with others. Consider reaching out to those who seem that they could use some company this holiday season. Maybe invite them over for dinner or coffee. Share a little time with you and your family.
And on December 29th, the Moon in Sagittarius squares Neptune at 3:34 PM Pacific Time. It’s void-of-course for five hours and three minutes, and then enters Capricorn at 8:37 pm Pacific Time.
A Void-of-Course Moon period that begins with the Moon square another planet introduces a conflict that we are trying to deal with. This could be that we have been indulging too much – the Moon in Sagittarius. We have maybe been eating and drinking to excess this holiday week, and as a result, we could be experiencing some mood swings.
If you have a habit of doing this, whether it’s the holidays or not, take this Void-of-Course Moon period to interrupt that tendency, to take good care of yourself with a bath or a sauna. Get outside for a brisk walk in the beautiful outdoors.
Listener Question: What’s a “strong” planetary placement?
In this week’s listener question, listener Jamie asks, “I often hear astrologers mention a transit as affecting someone in particular if they have a strong placement of a planet in their chart. I have pulled my natal birth chart, but don’t know whether any of the planets would be considered to have a strong placement. How do I determine this? Is it the sign it’s in, as far as the planet being in its detriment or exaltation, or a certain degree within the house placement? Thank you, and I love your insight every week.”
Well, thank you for that, Jamie, and thank you for your question. It’s a really good one. It is the kind of thing we say as astrologers, kind of assuming people will know what we mean, and of course that isn’t necessarily always the case!
I’ve been trying to think of a particular example of a transit affecting someone in particular if they have a strong placement of a planet in their chart. Maybe something like, a square from transiting Mars to natal Mercury might be more consequential if Mercury is strongly placed in your chart…? I mean, that does sound like something an astrologer might say. I’ve probably said something like that myself, possibly even on this podcast!
In any event, different astrologers might give a slightly different interpretation of what it means for a planet to be strongly placed in your chart, but here is mine.
First of all, I consider a planet very strongly placed if it’s within, say, 5 to 10 degrees of an angle: the Ascendant, Descendant, IC, or Midheaven. In a house system like Placidus or Koch, these angles are the cusps of the first, seventh, fourth, and tenth houses. Now, the planet doesn’t actually have to be in these houses, just very close to one of the angles.
This is a placement that gives real oomph to a planet. Honestly, it’s what comes to mind for me first when I think of a planet that’s strongly placed, especially if a planet is close to the Ascendant or the Midheaven. It often describes qualities that are immediately obvious when people interact with you.
A planet in any major aspect of the angles can do this to some extent. For example, astrologer Jackie Slevin calls the planet that makes the closest major aspect to your midheaven, the “principal planet.” She says it has a huge influence on your career.
But across the board, a planet that’s in a close conjunction with an angle is considered strongly placed.
In traditional astrology, the traditional planets, Sun through Saturn, are considered “in their joy,” or especially happy and strong, in particular houses. The Sun has its joy in the 9th house, the Moon in the 3rd house, Jupiter in the 11th, Venus in the 5th house, Mars in the sixth, Saturn in the twelfth, and Mercury in the first house.
Now, secondly, as you suggested, a planet that has strong essential dignity is considered strong. There are lots of ways to weigh this, especially in traditional astrology, but it’s enough for our purposes to know that a planet in the sign that it rules, for example, Jupiter in Sagittarius or Saturn in Capricorn -These are sometimes called the sign of the planet’s domicile – or the sign of its exaltation, such as Venus in Pisces or Mars in Capricorn, are considered very strong. This can be mitigated by things like aspects to other planets, however. You can have a Sun in Leo, which is very strong, because that’s the sign it rules. But if it’s square, say Neptune, it can lose a lot of its confidence and strength.
And since you mentioned it, within the sign of each planet’s exaltation, there’s a particular degree that’s considered very fortunate. I don’t have personal experience working with these. But experiment with them and charts you’re working with to see if a planet at one of these degrees seems especially prominent for the person. I suspect they’re a little more helpful when you’re working, say, with horary or electional charts than in birth charts, but again, they’re not something I really have experience with.
These would be the Sun, which is exalted in Aries at the 19th degree of that sign. The Moon at the 3rd degree of Taurus. Mercury at the 15th degree of Virgo, Venus at the 27th degree of Pisces, Mars at the 28th degree of Capricorn, Jupiter at the 11th degree of Cancer, and Saturn at the 21st degree of Libra.
There are other considerations, but I think that these are a good basic start:
First, is the planet within 5 to 10 degrees of an angle?
Second, is the planet in the sign of its rulership or exaltation?
And three, is the planet in the house of its joy?
Jamie, thank you so much for your question and for listening to the podcast. I hope you found that explanation helpful!
And if you have a question you’d like me to answer on a future episode, just leave a voicemail of one minute or less at SpeakPipe.com / bigskyastrologypodcast, or send an email to me at April (at) BigSkyAstrology. com and be sure to put “podcast question” in the subject line.
Donor Thanks
Well, that is everything on my show sheet, so I’m gonna wrap this one up. Thank you for listening to the Big Sky Astrology Podcast. If you like what you’re hearing, be sure to subscribe or follow the show in your app of choice. Leave a rating or a review, and I hope that 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!
Writing and images © 2017-24 by April Elliott Kent
For more on this week’s planetary news, read my column!
