In an episode that will live in infamy, April and a very throaty Jen discuss this week’s Last Quarter Moon in Virgo! Also: The Sun and Mercury aspect Neptune, signaling a crisis of confidence and identity; Mercury is both out-of-bounds AND in Sagittarius, which should be as good for communication as it sounds; Venus grants a New Moon wish; and the Sun energizes Mars en route to next week’s Solar Eclipse! All of this, plus: 12th house transits, pelicans, and Zambonis!

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00:30 – Someone’s under the weather this week, but the podcast must go on! Is it Deep Throat? Brenda Vaccaro? Or did someone just have too many good cups of coffee?

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02:07 – ** MOONWATCH! ** It’s a Last Quarter Moon at 16.22 Virgo on a date that will live in infamy (Dec. 7). The Moon is on the Sabian symbol, “A volcano in eruption.” And the Sun sits on 17 Sagittarius, “An Easter sunrise service.” Virgo, an earth sign, can be surprisingly volatile when angry; some say the sign is associated with Vulcan, the Roman god of fire. The symbols taken together indicate something new that’s born of disaster and calamity. (Take note: This triggers the June 5, 2020 Lunar Eclipse point. Listen to Episode 28, Eclipses and Nodes: Why be Mean when you can be True? for more on that.)

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07:15 – The Sun at 18.11 Sagittarius squares Neptune in Pisces (Dec. 9), which speaks to a crisis of self-confidence and sense of purpose. How confident do you feel in who you are?  

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08:49 – Four days later, Mercury follows in the Sun’s footsteps to square Neptune on the same degrees (Dec. 13). In this square, the cosmic messenger struggles to define the self. Have you been floundering with how to tell your story?

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09:44 – Mercury goes out of bounds (Dec. 12 – Jan. 4), all unsupervised and breaking the rules. If someone goes on a rant during this time, maybe just ignore them if you can! And, it might be helpful to think carefully before you speak! On the plus side, this is a good time to do innovative thinking. (To hear more about out-of-bounds planets – and to hear Jen’s lovely parents – listen to Episode 22, Taurus New Moon and Venus Gone Wild.)

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12:23 – For the Neptune square, the Sun and Mercury occupy 19 Sagittarius, “Pelicans moving their habitat.” And the god of the sea has been on 19 Pisces for the past 2 weeks, on “A master instructing his pupil.” It’s time to let go of the parts of the story that no longer serve us, as we still learn from Neptune, who tells us what those parts are. What needs releasing? Maybe the Buddhist concept of non-attachment could be helpful as you examine your inner narrative.

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14:29 – Venus, at 23.31 Scorpio, sextiles Pluto in Capricorn (Dec. 10), offering an opportunity to attract power to oneself. Venus is on the symbol “Crowds coming down the mountain to listen to one man,” which was also the degree of the recent Scorpio New Moon! Is a wish we made then going to be granted? (To hear more, scurry on over to Episode 55, Scorpio New Moon: Rolling in It!)

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16:32 – The Sun trines Mars at 19.39 Aries (Dec. 10), and then moves on to align with the South Node (Dec. 11) at 19.56 Sag – which sets us up for the Solar Eclipse that arrives on Dec. 14! Change may be incoming to help us let go of things! We are leaving one journey behind and entertaining options for the road going forward.

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17:53 – The Sabian symbols are both wintry: 20 Sag is “Men cutting through ice.” And 20 Aries is “A young girl feeding birds in winter.” Both speak of survival in harsh seasons. Is the blade related to ice fishing, creating ice sculptures, or ice skating? (And important info for you, friends: Fodor’s Travel placed the St. Paul Winter Carnival in its top spot of America’s coolest winter festivals, which is really just one more reason April should move to Minne-snow-ta; yes, a zamboni has a blade; Jen’s not sure how she forget the fabulous MN ice palaces?!; and finally, to hear April & Jen wax poetic about their favorite Bill Murray movie, visit Episode 10, Neptune and the Zen of Groundhog Day.)

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23:18 – Many thanks, dear listeners! If you’d like to support us at no cost to you, please kindly give us a 5-star rating, subscribe wherever you listen, and/or give us a happy review (and perhaps we will read it on air)! This episode is brought to you by Podathon donors SARA FRIESEN and PENN GREGORY! Thank you, Sara & Penn, for contributing to our Podathon! Remember that we have a big December Solstice coming up in a couple of weeks - to receive our exclusive Solstice content, please please pitch in $5 or more and we’ll invite you to a year’s worth of solstice/equinox episodes! Thanks thanks thanks! (*Jen scurries off to find her throat lozenges*)