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