Show notes
April and Jen plunge themselves into a full week, with creative activities getting a boost from the Sun, Mercury, Mars, and Jupiter – as long as Pluto decides our efforts are sincere. Venus enters Taurus, a reminder to stop and smell the roses (but keep an eye out for a few Saturn/Uranus thorns). This week’s lack of a major lunar phase to sing about makes room for a mini-lesson on the Crescent Moon! And finally, Jupiter rewards at least some of our Mars-in-Gemini projects. Plus: Are we counting the weeks until we can start talking about specific 80s songs? Why yes, yes we are! Three to go!
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Read a full transcript of this episode.
Episode links:
00:30 – Want to learn some more astrology? Do check out April’s fantastic book The Essential Guide to Practical Astrology! (Psst! Oprah likes it, too!) And don’t forget to forage through our podcast archives – plenty of learning opportunities in each and every episode!
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03:15 – The Sun, at 24.14 Aries, sextiles Mars in Gemini (April 13). The Sun represents selfhood and heart, and Mars is how we get things done. In this case, the heart is made visible through our work. (Review Episode 16, Let's Talk about Sextiles for more on this aspect.)
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05:00 – Then the Sun sextiles Jupiter at 25.56 Aquarius (April 15). The Sun is on the Sabian symbol, “A man possessed of more gifts than he can hold.” Jupiter sits on, “A hydrometer.” Are you doing too much? Just because you can do everything doesn’t mean you have to!
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06:03 – The Sun continues on and squares Pluto at 26.46 Capricorn (April 16). While the Sun is about self, Pluto is about the communal experience and what serves the greater good. We might find ourselves pushing to believe in ourselves this week. (Hint: Often, the best way to regain confidence is to confront a difficult challenge.) Pluto is on the symbol, “A mountain pilgrimage” (which we discuss in last week’s Episode 76, Aries New Moon: An 8-Track Mind).
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08:39 – Remember, squares and oppositions (hard aspects) often force us to take action (whether we want to or not). We may or may not notice trines and sextiles (soft aspects), and we often have a choice about responding (or not).
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10:40 – Venus enters Taurus (April 14 - May 8)! Venus represents what we want, our values, and our relationships. In Taurus, we may feel more patient for what we want, and we may find ourselves enjoying the pleasures of the good life.
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12:27 – Head’s up! Venus will make a conjunction with Uranus and square to Saturn next week, so this Venus in Taurus may bring unexpected financial/relationship developments. (And let’s not forget that Saturn and Uranus are in a square all year! Here’s a great one to listen to: Episode 69, Saturn and Uranus: That Escalated Quickly!) And, if you have planets between 9°-12° of Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, or Aquarius… you’re probably feeling the squeeze, podpals.
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16:28 – Mars, at 26.12 Gemini, trines Jupiter in Aquarius (April 16). While Mars has been in the sign of the twins, the drive to learn more and explore different options has been at the forefront. It’s possible that now we will see some rewards! Yay!
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19:13 – This week’s Moonwatch segment is brought to you by our newest non-imaginary sponsor: Victoria Pendragon! Check out her personal natal chart paintings! (Note: V's new site is all set up!)
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22:37 – **MOONWATCH ** This week we welcome the Crescent Moon at 11.28 Gemini (Apr. 15, 10:57 pm – Apr. 19, 11:59 pm PDT)! The Crescent Moon begins when the Moon makes a semisquare aspect (45°) to the Sun; in this case, the Sun is at 26.28 Aries. This is the moment in the lunar cycle when something often captures our interest. The Moon sits on the Sabian symbol, “A slave girl demands her rights of her mistress,” which speaks to standing up for yourself, or appreciating someone who does. (Check out Episode 74, Libra Full Moon: Go Fly a Kite! for more on that symbol, or learn more about the lunar phases in Episode 34, The 8 Lunar Phases: Have Them with a Salad!) Don’t forget to sign up for April's mailing list to get her free Moon tutorial!
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27:13 – Mercury is busy on the 17th!! The planet of communication is at 27° Aries, and first sextiles Jupiter in Aquarius (9:00 am PDT), then sextiles Mars in Gemini (12:09 pm PDT), and finally squares Pluto in Capricorn (2:49 pm PDT). The sextiles represent opportunities being presented to us, but we are likely to feel the square the most because we may be presented with a problem we are forced to untangle.
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29:56 – Cazimi! Mercury joins up with the Sun at 29.14 Aries (April 18) on the symbol, “A duck pond and its brood.” Time to get your ducks in a row! (And here are some NASA skywatching tips.)
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31:04 – Here’s your refresher on what it means when a planet is at the last degree (29°) of a sign! We also covered planets at 0 and 29 degrees in Episode 15, Venus + Pie: 0-29 Degrees of Separation.
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34:37 – Hi, friends! If you’d like to support the show (at no cost to you!) please give us lots of stars, subscribe or follow, and/or leave a happy review – here’s how! This episode is made possible by donors ANNIE YAKUTIS, JACINTA ARMSTRONG, and MARINA VASILIC! Thank you, Annie, Jacinta, and Marina for contributing to our Podathon! And if any other dear listeners haven’t had the chance to donate, please chuck $5 or more our way and we’ll send you an invitation to our upcoming special solstice/equinox episodes! Have a good week, podpals!