144 | Gemini Last Quarter: Half-Mast - a podcast by April Elliott Kent

This week, as the world acknowledges the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, the Gemini Last Quarter Moon squares the Sun on a symbol of collective mourning. With Venus square Mars in Mercury-ruled signs, relationships benefit from clear but kind communications. Retrograde Mercury makes the second of three oppositions to Jupiter, whose grand schemes require that we fill the gaps in our knowledge. As the Sun in Virgo trines Pluto, excellence and merit might finally be rewarded. And April answers a listener's question about the effect of another person's planets on your birth chart. Plus: hanky-panky, pizza boxes, and tea with the dames!

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Timestamps

[0:29] A big "Thank you!!!" to everyone who donated to the podcast during last week's Third Annual Podathon!  You can still make your donation of $25 or more through Sep. 12 at 11:59 pm Pacific time to be entered in a drawing for a chance to win a reading, course, or special astrology poster! An email will be sent out on September 14th to announce the winners.

[2:02] We begin the week on September 11th by adjusting to Mercury retrograde in Libra. The Virgo Sun's trine aspect to Uranus in Taurus may still be felt by some.

[2:16] On September 16th at 11:40 am PDT, Venus (Virgo 14°23') makes a square to Mars (Gemini 14°23').  Venus is on Sabian symbol 15 Virgo, "An Ornamental Handkerchief."  Extremely talkative Mars in Gemini is on Sabian symbol 15 Gemini, "Two Dutch Children Talking."  Both Venus and Mars are currently ruled by Mercury which has just gone retrograde.  Try to find the common language but do not be unkind in our communications.

[5:38] At 3:21 pm PDT, the Sun (24°01' Virgo) makes its annual opposition to Neptune (24°01' Pisces). The Sun is on the Sabian symbol, 25 Virgo, "A Flag at Half Mast."  The Sabian symbol for Neptune is 25 Pisces, "The Purging of The Priesthood."  This opposition forms a T-Square with the Gemini Last Quarter Moon the next day.

[7:48] Moon Report!  It begins with a waning Gemini Last Quarter Moon on September 17 at 2:52 pm PDT, at 24°59' Gemini. This Moon's Sabian symbol, 25 Gemini, "A Man Trimming Palms," suggests curation of our stories and splitting the difference between unvarnished truth and flat-out fictions.

[9:04] This is the final critical lunation in the Lunar Phase Family that began with the Solar Eclipse on June 21, 2020 at 0°21' Cancer. Important dates for this Lunar Phase Family cycle:  First Quarter on March 21, 2021; Full Moon on December 18, 2021.  What do you have in your chart between 25° Gemini and 0° Cancer?  Check out April's conversation with Celeste Brooks on Lunar Phase Families in Episode 141!

[10:24] Void-of-Course Moon periods.  On September 12th, the Aries Moon will square Pluto in Capricorn at 9:53 pm PDT.  It will be Void-of-Course for about six and a half hours before it enters Taurus on September 13th at 4:39 am PDT.  Most of us will be sleeping but it could be a good time to think about how you want to change the way you react emotionally to things like frustration or anger.

[12:31] The Moon in Taurus makes a trine to Pluto (Capricorn) at 5:59 am PDT on September 15th.  It will be Void-of-Course for about seven hours before entering Gemini at 1:16 pm PDT.  The Moon is exalted in Taurus. Excellent time to initiate a new exercise routine, a change in diet and/or a change to a procrastination habit.

[13:25] Finally, on September 17th, the Moon in Gemini makes a square to the Virgo Sun at 2:52 pm PDT.  It enters a Void-of-Course period for about nine hours before entering Cancer on September 18th at 12:59 am PDT.

[14:32] Mercury retrograde (Libra 4°44') will oppose Jupiter (Aries 4°44') on September 18, 2022 at 3:34 pm PDT.  This is the second of three oppositions.  The first was on September 2, 2022 (Mercury direct at Libra 6°39' - April covers this in Episode 138).  The last in this series of Mercury / Jupiter oppositions will be on October 12, 2022 (Mercury direct at Libra 1°40').

[15:45] This second Mercury/Jupiter opposition falls on two Sabian symbols that relate to learning.  Mecury is on 5 Libra, "A Man Teaching the True Inner Knowledge," while Jupiter is on 5 Aries, "A Triangle with Wings." Backtrack to fill in gaps in information or knowledge.

[16:48] On September 18th at 8:58 pm PDT, the Sun (Virgo 26°12') makes a trine to Pluto (Capricorn 26°12').  The Sabian symbol for the Sun is 27 Virgo, "Grand Dames at Tea."  The Sabian symbol for Pluto is 27 Capricorn, "A Mountain Pilgrimage." Excellence can be rewarded at this aspect, but also, nothing succeeds like success.

[19:06] Listener Gerard asks, "What does another person's natal planets superimposed on your birth chart tell you about their influence in your life?"

[25:51] Let's give a Big Sky Astrology Podcast shout out to the first of our 2022 crop of donors - LeiAnne Koch, Stephanie Esman and Tracy Mills!!!  If you would like to receive April's special bonus episodes for the Equinoxes and Solstices, head on over to bigskyastropod.com and donate $10!

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