Big Sky Astrology Podcast

010 | Neptune & The Zen of Groundhog Day

It’s a quieter week in the Big Sky, with only a First Quarter Moon in Taurus and Venus/Mars vs. Neptune on the cosmic agenda. So, finding themselves with a little time on their hands, your intrepid co-hosts roll up their jeans and wade into a Neptunian miasma of topics, including how January’s Big Astrological News hit Buckingham Palace and why astrology is like theater. Plus: Grab some popcorn and join April and Jen at the (decades-old) movies!
To join the podcast conversation and leave a comment for April & Jen, go to www.BigSkyAstrology.com/podcast.
Read more about this week’s astrology at the Big Sky Astrology website.
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A full transcript of the episode is available here.
Episode links:
Technical note: Apologies for some audio issues this week which left April sounding like Prince Albert in a can. We’ve isolated the problem and will return to form next episode!
00:53 – April (a Leo) admits to a fascination with royalty, as she and Jen link the astrology of the times with Meghan and Harry’s decision to step back from being senior royals.
07:27 – ***Moonwatch!** A First Quarter Moon (see Episode 2) on February 1st at 13 degrees Taurus is on the Sabian symbol “A man handling baggage.” Is this baggage physical or emotional? Is Jupiter carrying your bags? Why are airlines so hard on your baggage? And why are there a couple of different versions of the Sabian symbols out in the world? Plus: still no theme song, but much lively humming.
11:47 – Venus sinks into a soothing Neptunian bubble bath with a conjunction on January 27th. Is what you *think* you want what you *really* want? And the next day…
15:23 – … It’s Mars vs. Neptune! Having touched on planes during the Moonwatch segment, we move on now to trains - along with a raftload of other metaphors. Plus: Are you more like Joan of Arc or Don Quixote?
17:36 – The birth chart as a theater set… oops! Jen had no idea April used this analogy in her book The Essential Guide to Practical Astrology  (*takes sheepish glance at keyboard and hugs April’s book, which recently arrived, closer*). [“Probably not original to me, Jen. Hold your head high!” ~ April] One of your co-hosts loves theatre of all stripes, the other prefers her theatre in iambic pentameter. If you’re a regular listener with keen insight, you might just be able to figure this one out!
21:04 – “Okay, campers, rise and shine, and don’t forget your booties cause it’s cold out there!” Groundhog Day, oh Groundhog Day, how April and Jen do love you!!
22:52 – The plot of this episode’s eponymous film is belatedly laid out. Should April and Jen have led with that? Yeah, probably. They blame Neptune. (Note that April uses this film as an example of the 6th and 12th houses in her Followed by a Moonshadow eclipse report!)
25:36 – The history and symbolism of Groundhog Day. The holiday, not the movie. Think: fertility and purification. Did you know that February comes from the Latin term februum?
26:40 – Jen’s mini-monologue on movies about rebirth and redemption. She pivots briefly from Groundhog Day, makes a pitstop at It’s a Wonderful Life, and drives past The Wizard of Oz while she’s in the neighborhood.
27:20 – April makes the case for February’s vaguely Neptunian/12th house bona fides; Jen scratches her head and has many follow-up questions… it all sounds so Plutonian to her. Things gets deep.
30:11 – Why do we use the birth chart for astrology instead of a conception chart? April untangles that particular knot, first referenced all the way back in Episode 1.
31:33 – Realizing that it’s been ages – maybe four minutes! – since they’ve referenced anything from the 70s, 80s, or 90s, your co-hosts would like to thank you for joining them “At the Movies with April and Jen” (with apologies to Siskel and Ebert)!
32:25 – Hey you! Yeah, you! The one who must’ve not only listened to the podcast, but made it to the end of these show notes! 😊 Have you subscribed to the BSA podcast in your podcatcher? Have you taken one second to give us a 5-star review? You’ll do that, right? To help spread the word? Thank you, thank you!!
 

009 | It’s Aquarius Season, Charlie Brown!

This week in the Big Sky, the Sun dons Charlie Brown’s shirt for a tour of Aquarius, where he’s joined by the New Moon in this future-oriented sign. And while Aquarius may be hip, this week is all about the squares: the Sun and Moon at odds with unpredictable Uranus, and a gentle Piscean Venus crossing paths with zealous Mars in Sagittarius. Plus, Tinkertoys, why Aquarius is not a water sign, and the inevitable home repair metaphor.
Read more about this week’s astrology at the Big Sky Astrology website.
Subscribe to the podcast and April's mailing list.
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Download a full transcript of this episode (PDF).
Episode links:
00:45 – With only momentary lapses into French, April and Jen effusively thank the listeners who’ve sent kind feedback about the podcast - and thrill to the news that they are one listener’s Bob Ross. Sacré bleu!
03:16 – Do check out www.bigskyastropod.com – the new BSA podcast site where you can easily comment on the episodes and access past episodes, show notes, and transcripts!
04:01 – More podkeeping: A plug for April’s weekly column and the Big Sky mailing list. If you’ve not yet signed up, check it out – and you’ll get a free “Working with the Moon” workbook each month!
05:44 – The Sun enters Aquarius, which reminds Jen of Charlie Brown’s shirt. (And now, you can’t unsee it.)
06:10 – Aquarius is symbolized by the water bearer, yet it’s an air sign. April describes air signs generally and Aquarius specifically. And this is how Jen imagines Aquarius.
08:05 – The Sun is in its detriment in Aquarius – because it places the planet of the self in the sign of the many. Employing wide-ranging examples that include Aquarian presidents and Tinkertoys, April explores the rich fabric of this contradictory sign - and impresses Jen with her prior knowledge of Ellen DeGeneres’ Aquarian provenance.
12:25 – As promised: A video of Ellen's DJ, tWitch, dancing! 😊 (Not an Aquarius, but a kindred Libra spirit.)
15:45 – What is “Sun Sign Astrology,” anyway? Jen breaks it down, and April explains how each sign has a particular relationship to your Sun sign.
18:25 – ***Moonwatch!*** This month, the New Moon degree is on the Sabian symbol “A council of ancestors.” (Check out Episode 7 for an explanation of the Sabian symbols.) The Sun squares Uranus in Taurus (January 22), carrying its unpredictability into the January 24 New Moon.
23:33 – Where Uranus is concerned, astrology advises, “Expect the unexpected.” Have you done the foundational work required by the recent eclipses (Episode 5) and Saturn/Pluto conjunction (Episode 6 and Episode 7)? And speaking of the unexpected: will Netflix officially become a sponsor of our show?
26:26 – When Venus Met Mars… We wind down with a discussion of Venus in Pisces squaring Mars in Sagittarius (January 26). If this week were a romantic comedy, this aspect would mark the moment when the two leads meet and take an instant dislike to one another – a sure sign they’ll wind up together by the end of the movie. This week, relationships of all stripe must grapple with this energetic signature… but both planets’ Sabian symbols feature Easter imagery of renewal and rebirth as well. More about that in next week’s episode!

008 | Saturn and Pluto Need a Party

So far, our planet appears to have narrowly survived the Week That Will Live In Infamy (see Episode 7!), and the Sun decides Saturn and Pluto need a party. April and Jen use Venus entering Pisces as an opportunity to spread the loving gospel of Mister Rogers, and April assures Jen that Mercury is far more excellent in Aquarius than seems plausible. This week’s Moonwatch segment is brought to you by the Last Quarter Moon in Libra and April and Jen humming doo-doo-doo. Plus: Bob Ross, people. Bob. Ross.
Read more about this week’s astrology at the Big Sky Astrology website.
Subscribe to the podcast and April's mailing list.
Follow Big Sky Astrology on IG, Twitter, and FB @BigSkyAstrology
Download a full transcript of this episode (PDF).
Episode links:
00:34 – The word of the week is “portmanteau.”  And – recollecting that April has previously deployed the gallicisms bonhomie to describe The Repair Shop (see Episode 6) and bon vivant to describe Jupiter (see Episode 2) – Jen wonders whether her podpal is secretly fluent in French. [“Non.” ~ April]
01:12 – Podkeeping: The BSA podcast arrives in your podcatcher each Monday morning… and if you are enjoying the podcast, please take one second to give us a 5-star review (it helps spread the word)!
02:20 – As the dust settles after the intense Lunar Eclipse (see Episode 7) on the 10th and the epic Saturn/Pluto conjunction (Episode 6 & 7) on the 12th, the Sun joins the soirée. The “official” story behind those celestial fireworks is unveiled; how is it playing out for you personally?
04:44 – What are rulerships? A brief, but hardly concise, description.
7:57 – Also on the 13th, Venus enters Pisces, where she is…
08:37 – …exalted. Jen asks: What is this “exalted” business anyway, how do we know each planet’s sign of exaltation, and will this be on the test? April shares a beautiful example of Venus in Pisces (thanks, Mom), and Jen is reminded of Fred Rogers and the podcast Finding Fred. This cosmic dictate is strong right now: Be gentle, be loving, be kind.
12:40 – Will April and Jen ever do an episode on Chiron? April will have to collect her peanuts first.
15:59 – Mercury dons his lab coat/Geek Squad shirt and enters Aquarius on January 16th. And April explains (and possibly demonstrates) why Mercury is a little too comfortable in Leo.
21:11 – Mercury, moving quickly, squares Uranus on the 18th and spills the real beans on the Sun’s recent conclave with Saturn/Pluto.
21:45 – Uranus is the “higher octave” of Mercury. Neptune and Pluto practice their scales, too, as they are the cosmic collaborators of Venus and Mars.
23:57 – Breaking News! In this week’s Moonwatch segment, we consider the Last Quarter Moon at 27 degrees Libra on the Sabian Symbol (see Episode 7), “An airplane hovering overhead.” What’s capturing your attention? (For Jen, it’s the fact that Blain Bovee looks like one of her favorite movie stars of all time, Jimmy Stewart.)
26:30 – How did the first month of the year get its name? His name is Janus.
26:43 – A plug from Jen: Subscribe for free to April’s awesome mailing list, won’t you? Subscribers get a free “Working with the Moon” workbook, updated each month! This is a 10+ page PDF that you’d pay big bucks for elsewhere! And it’s a real treat – lots of valuable information on the Moon’s cycle and phases that month, specifically what to initiate and release, where the focus is in your chart, and how to set intentions for the New Moon. Plus, cool artwork and free frozen custard! (Okay, the frozen custard part is a lie. But everything else is true! 😊) [“Any mention of frozen custard is proof that: 1) Jen wrote the show notes, and 2) She’s originally from Milwaukee.” ~ April]
28:28 – Two words: Bob Ross!
28:29 – No, Bob does not have Venus in Pisces.
29:44 – April gives a shoutout to returning fictional sponsor Netflix and their excellent film, The Two Popes! Find out how the movie connects with the Saturn/Pluto conjunction. Because sooner or later, everything does.

007 | Saturn and Pluto Go to The Repair Shop

It’s an epic week in the Big Sky, and April and Jen bring you the down-low on the up-high: Jupiter meets the South Node, Uranus brings extra tumult to a highly-charged Lunar Eclipse, and we sound a final “all aboard” for the S.S. Saturn/Pluto Conjunction. Plus: more new (fictional) sponsors than you can shake a stick at, and April takes any opportunity to discuss her latest TV obsession.
Want to learn more about eclipses based on your individual birth chart? Check out April’s Moonshadow Eclipse Report!
Read more about this week’s astrology at the Big Sky Astrology website.
Subscribe to the podcast and April's mailing list.
Follow Big Sky Astrology on IG, Twitter, and FB @BigSkyAstrology
Download a full transcript of this episode (PDF).
Episode links:
00:45 – April enthuses about her new personalized astrological almanac from Honeycomb Collective!
02:22 – She also can’t get enough of The Repair Shop, which is now available on Netflix.  Apparently, English people fixing stuff is just what her life has been missing.
03:58 – Jupiter takes the Saturn/Pluto-ravaged South Lunar Node to the cosmic repair shop (Jan. 8). For our discussion of Jupiter in Capricorn, lend your ears to Episode 2, Falstaff in a Business Suit.
04:30 – What are the Lunar Nodes, anyway? Jen demonstrates her molecular recall of BSA’s first six episodes by immediately identifying our discussion of the topic in Episode 5, Unboxing Eclipses.
7:37 – The Japanese art of fixing broken pottery with powdered gold is called Kintsugi. Find strength in your frailties.
08:29 – Buckle up for a potent Full Moon/Lunar Eclipse on the Sabian Symbol degree A prima donna singing. Includes a quick explanation of these cryptic symbols, which originated in April’s fair city.
11:24 – As promised: This world map locates the Lunar Eclipse’s path of visibility.
14:50 – A recap of other eclipse points near 20 Cancer over the years. Hint: Look for planets and points in your birth chart between 16-24 of the Cardinal signs. And just as Jen breathes a sigh of relief over remembering to mention Aries, she overlooks poor Capricorn. Sorry, Seagoats!!
18:40 – April’s new front path provides a useful metaphor for the planetary lineup in Capricorn during this eclipse. Shockingly, The Repair Shop is not mentioned.
19:43 – Wake up! Uranus stations direct within six hours of the eclipse, boosting the day’s unsettling weirdness quotient. This oddball planet rotates on its side - and we love him for it.
22:12 – At last: the Saturn/Pluto conjunction! Jen compares it to the phoenix rising. And April salutes astrologer Blain Bovee’s lyrical take on the conjunction’s Sabian Symbol, Two awards for bravery in war. (For a full discussion of this important transit, check out last week’s Episode 6, Eat More Crunchy Things.)
24:20 – April’s take on Pluto transits and how even the most devastating events can move us in powerful and positive directions. (Curious about Jen’s injury? Listen to our 10-minute preview.)
26:03 – Demonstrating her Catholic grade school bona fides, April busts a quote from Matthew 26:39. Not that she could have cited the book, chapter, or verse (no one said she was a good student).
Duration: 29:23

006 | Saturn & Pluto Eat More Crunchy Things

Happy New Year! This week, Mars enters Sagittarius and the First Quarter Moon is in Aries. Otherwise, it’s a slow astrological news week - so April and Jen set you up for next week’s big Saturn/Pluto conjunction, which astrologers have been talking about forever! All this, plus: if planets were dogs, an iconic poison control spokescritter, and taking a bite out of the new year with lots of food references.  
Read more about this week’s astrology at the Big Sky Astrology website.
Subscribe to the podcast and April's mailing list.
Follow Big Sky Astrology on IG, Twitter, and FB @BigSkyAstrology
Download a full transcript of this episode (PDF).
Episode links:
00:30 – Did you know Capricorn is the resolutions sign? Are crunchy foods a resolution or a lifestyle choice?
02:03 – April gives a shout out to Honeycomb Collective and their awesome personal astrological almanacs!
02:55 – April finally accepts that someday she’ll move to Minneapolis. 😊 [“Can you tell Jen wrote the show notes?” ~ April]
03:41 – What does Mars mean astrologically? This week, he moves into Sagittarius, and like an ice cream sundae, gets a big plop of Jupiter chocolate sauce on his head.
05:18 – A nutshell of fixed signs: April’s Leo planets and Jen’s Scorpio planets are all, “I’m not stubborn, you’re stubborn!”
10:20 – Mars rules the noggin, so it’s appropriate to say: Head’s up! He’ll be retrograde this fall.
11:22 – The First Quarter Moon happens in action-oriented Aries, but a thundering herd of planets in Capricorn admonishes us not to run with scissors. Killjoys.
15:26 – Yep, April and Jen set you up for the gimungous Saturn/Pluto conjunction next week! You’re welcome.
17:26 – Jen is fairly certain that Saturn, if he were a dog, would be a Border Collie.  And here is a photo of Jen’s dog from back in the day.
18:30 – April shares the colors of Saturn and Pluto, while Jen misremembers the name of a 1970s Poison Control Center image.
21:20 – The North Node in Cancer reminds us to be inclusive. It’s a Big Sky, and there’s room for everyone!
28:18 – April’s Venus in Cancer likes to bake bread (sourdough, of course – her Venus is kissed by Pluto!).

005 | Unboxing Eclipses

Begin your list of 2020 goals, because Mercury moves into Capricorn this week! April and Jen spend the rest of this jumbo-sized episode discussing the upcoming Solar Eclipse, and in general what eclipses mean, how they work, and why we use them.
Read more about this week’s astrology at the Big Sky Astrology website.
Subscribe to the podcast and April's mailing list.
Follow Big Sky Astrology on IG, Twitter, and FB @BigSkyAstrology
Download a full transcript of this episode (PDF).
Episode links:
01:21 – The quote of the week comes from April: “We go nowhere, we see no one, and we do nothing.” Points if you can guess what she’s talking about!
03:19 – Jen is very fancy: She has a basement in her house! (But not a cellar.)
06:28 – What else has nothing to do with astrology? Murphy beds!
06:54 – April is also fancy with her new front path!
07:16 – Jen urges April to take a bite out of the Minneapple. Again.
07:49 – We finally remember we’re supposed to be talking about astrology and get down to business, starting with Mercury moving into Capricorn. We’re pretty sure Capricorn has a basement, but maybe not a Murphy bed.
09:47 – New Moon Solar Eclipse in Capricorn! Depending on your time zone, this will be happening on Christmas Day (December 25th) or…
10:10 – …on Boxing Day (December 26th). Or is it Unboxing Day?
14:04 – April recounts her checkered history of eclipses aspecting her natal Venus, ranging from the ridiculous to the sublime. Venus asks: Do you deserve this treatment? In the end: You love you.
16:53 – What is an eclipse? Solar vs. Lunar Eclipses and what they mean astrologically.
22:42 – Don't call me Shirley!
23:30 – This eclipse is tied to the solar eclipse from December 25th, 2000. We learn about the Metonic cycle and how this eclipse activates the same points in your chart.
25:44 – Eclipses in the house(s)!
27:53 – Eclipses move backwards through the chart – that is to say, clockwise. So forward motion is counterclockwise, which makes no sense… until you learn that the planets orbit the Sun counterclockwise. Aha!
34:50 – We love us some Pema Chödrön!
35:05 – Eclipses in aspect to natal planets!
44:15 – The few aspects April uses in eclipse work, and why.
45:47 – April’s interview about eclipses on Melissa LaFara’s Energetic Principles podcast!
46:18 – Shameless plug for April’s Followed by a Moonshadow Eclipse Report – special promo code for podcast listeners! Use code podcasteclipse5 at checkout to get a $5 discount (through December 27, 2019). Order here!

004 | The Capricorn Solstice is Frequently Sunny in Minneapolis

As April bravely endures a bone-chilling, 55-degree day in San Diego, she and Jen discuss the Capricorn Solstice, Venus in Aquarius (she wants her space), and this week’s Last Quarter Moon. Plus: Podpets on the move, more about square aspects, a preview of the upcoming eclipse, and a courageous attempt to explain mutual reception with a housesitting analogy.
Read more about this week’s astrology at the Big Sky Astrology website.
Subscribe to the podcast and April's mailing list.
Follow Big Sky Astrology on IG, Twitter, and FB @BigSkyAstrology
Download a full transcript of this episode (PDF).
Episode links:
01:50 – What do fireplaces, Girl Scouts, Richard Nixon, and Vienna sausages have in common?
05:18 – Last Quarter Moon in Virgo is time for taking stock and assessing progress. It’s a melancholy, self-critical phase, so take it easy and…
06:52 – Say three good things about yourself!
10:47 – What was the Lunar Phase at your birth? New Mooner Jen marches to her own drummer, and Last Quarter-born April is always looking over her shoulder.
13:40 – Mercury square Neptune is like trying to do math when you’re still waking up from a nap.
17:38 – Venus + Uranus = Independence, space, and breathing room. And here is the link to April’s Venus in Aquarius article.
20:00 – All this talk of independence has our podpets on the move! What Venus and Uranus share in common, how they’re different, and what mutual reception has to do with housesitting.
23:38 – Here comes the Winter Solstice in the northern hemisphere, and the Summer Solstice for the southern hemisphere!
25:57 – The Sun reaches its minimum elevation at noon in the northern hemisphere. From here, there’s nowhere to go but up.
28:41 – April and Jen set you up a little for the upcoming solar eclipse on December 25th. Calculate your birth chart here. And this blog post will help you find where the eclipse falls in your birth chart.
32:01 – Shameless plug for April’s personal eclipse report. Read all about it!
33:55 – If you’d like to give April and Jen something nice to say about themselves, please rate this podcast 5 stars, write a happy little review, and be sure to subscribe so you’ll get all future episodes.

003 | Gemini Full Moon: Alexa, Play “Love the One You’re With”

It’s relationship week on the BSA podcast, with a Full Moon in Gemini and Venus’s close encounter with the Sharks AND the Jets. Plus: Mercury enters Sagittarius and leaves his shadow, Mars trines Neptune, Jupiter trines Uranus, and April and Jen tell Alexa to mind her own business.
Read more about this week’s astrology at the Big Sky Astrology website.
Subscribe to the podcast and April's mailing list.
Follow Big Sky Astrology on IG, Twitter, and FB @BigSkyAstrology
Download a full transcript of this episode (PDF).
Episode links:
00:52 – Mercury entered Sagittarius on December 9th and enters the wide end of a frustrating funnel. Appropriately, April labors to explain Mercury’s shadow period.
05:50 – Jen risks the wrath of Aries, even as she sports their team color – betraying her secret love for her opposite sign.
08:45 – Venus mingles with the Sharks and the Jets (she stays cool, boy). April misses a golden opportunity to grill Jen about her high school appearance in West Side Story.
16:11 – Aww, Pluto has a heart after all!
17:11 – The Gemini Full Moon reveals all. What information will come to light for you?
22:05 – Mars connects with Neptune while April wades into water signs. Jen wins the lightning round as we play The Anatomy of a Fish… because she’s got sole and is not koi!
26:44 – Is Friday the 13th really unlucky? April and Jen discuss how the days of the week got their names. April gets the origin slightly wrong, but details abound in this article at the website.
29:50 – Jupiter trines Uranus and triggers the upcoming Solar Eclipse later this month. It’ll be a biggie!
32:52 – The Scorpionic duo discuss their generally distrustful natures and their specific wariness of Alexa. This inspires Jen to reflect on earbuds that translate, with a natural segue into this week’s media shout-out, Better Off Ted.
35:55 – April name-checks a Stephen Stills hit from the year of Jen’s birth. Because we’re keepin’ those musical references fresh.