April and Jen take an astrological look at the events of January 6 here in the U.S., including Pluto inching ever closer to its 2022 return in the U.S. chart. And as Inauguration Day approaches, we give some side-eye to the unpredictable combination of Mars and Uranus, and a Taurus First Quarter Moon overflowing with tension. In other news, Sun enters Aquarius and joins up with Saturn; plus Mars and Jupiter face off (again). Plus: honoring Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

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00:30 – April and Jen, recording on Jan. 11 for this Martin Luther King, Jr. Day episode, break down the astrology of the siege on the US Capitol - with Mars at the very end of Aries - and another big week on tap. And while we’re at it…

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03:26 – …Are recent events here in the US uncovering more of the US Pluto Return, peeking out from under the blanket fort? (See Episode 29, Neptune Washing Over All, and the US Pluto Return for our first discussion on this topic.)

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05:18 – The Sun enters Aquarius (Jan. 19), so grab your favorite group of people and work together toward a long-range goal! Plus, between Feb. 9-11, six planets will be in Aquarius! (To hear all about why Charlie Brown is on Team Aquarius, revisit Episode 9, It's Aquarius Season, Charlie Brown! To learn more about the stellium, visit the late, great Donna Cunningham’s website… and to find her two-part eBook on the subject, visit here and here. And to get a copy of our exclusive Solstice episode, where we cover this, just contribute $5 for a year of Solstice/Equinox episodes!)

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09:46 – Mars conjoins Uranus at 6.44 Taurus on Inauguration Day in the US (Jan. 20)! (BTW, Inauguration Day changed from March to January in 1937.) This meet-up happens on the Sabian symbol, “A woman of Samaria,” a biblical story that speaks of reaching out to someone with different beliefs than you.

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11:58 – ** MOONWATCH! ** ​ Also on Inauguration Day, we have a powerful First Quarter Moon at 1.02 Taurus (Jan. 20) on the symbol, “An electrical storm.” The Sun sits in Aquarius, “An unexpected thunderstorm” – two evocative symbols with a lot of tense energy in the chart.

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14:15 – Mars, at 7.59 Taurus, squares Jupiter in Aquarius (Jan. 22). Are we pushing the limits too much? This is the last of 3 opening squares in a cycle that began March 20 (Episode 17, Saturn in Aquarius: All in This Together). The other 2 squares were Aug. 4 (Episode 37, Full Moon in Aquarius & Many Happy (Solar) Returns) and Oct. 18 (Episode 52, A Scorpio Season of Long Shadows & Fellowship).

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17:09 – The Sun gets squished into a container as it meets Saturn at 4.20 Aquarius (Jan. 23) on the Sabian symbol, “A council of ancestors.” Who are people in your life that have some wisdom to offer you?

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20:34 – Helpful info to cope with stress, incoming: a free 8-week Science of Happiness course from UC-Berkeley that offers practical tips on living a meaningful life, articles on 7 Ways to Stop Negative Thoughts & 10 Coping Strategies for Anxiety, and some useful podcast episodes from Brene Brown & the Science of Happiness. (FYI, we don’t get any $$ from sharing this; just take them if they feel right to you!)

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20:53 – April’s quote of the week, “We don’t grow wise just because we grow old.” Perhaps the Sun/Saturn aspect is urging us to try to gain wisdom this week, even in difficult times. Who is your “council of ancestors” that you feel a connection to, and who can you learn from, regardless of age?

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23:28 – Thanks, podpals! If you’re so moved, please give us a 5-star rating, subscribe wherever you listen, and/or give us a kind review. This episode is made possible by Podathon donors KAREN CAROTHERS and SARA MCNEIL! Thank you, Karen & Sara, for contributing to our Podathon! And if any other dear listeners haven’t had the chance to donate, please kick in $5 or more and we’ll send you an invitation to our upcoming special solstice/equinox episodes! Hugs to you this week!