Mercury the Messenger enters Capricorn this week, offers practical planning tips for the new year, and triggers imaginative Neptune. The lunar nodes enter the signs of Pisces and Virgo for an 18-month stay. Mars retrogrades into Cancer, where its trine to Neptune encourages compassionate action. The Aries First Quarter Moon is one of the most first-quartery First Quarters of the year. And a listener question about those transits that hit the same point in your chart over and over. Plus: Cognitive dissonance, tea kettles boiling, and proving your sincerity!

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Timestamps

[1:32] Retrograde Mars reenters Cancer (Jan. 6, 2:44 am PST). It will station direct on Feb. 23, 2025 and reenter Leo on April 17, 2025. 

[2:37] A quick review of Mars in Cancer; why does it struggle there?

[5:14] Mercury squares Neptune (Jan. 6, 5:56 am PST) at 27°22’ Sagittarius-Pisces. When Mercury meets Neptune, intuition is especially strong. 

[7:07] Moon Report! The Aries First Quarter Moon (Jan. 6, 3:56 pm PST) at 16º55’ Aries-Capricorn, is one of the better Moon signs for breaking old habits, standing up for yourself, and doing what you’re afraid to do. 

[8:14] Lunar Phase Family Cycle (LPFC). This is the First Quarter in an LPFC that began at the New Moon/Solar Eclipse on April 8, 2024 (19º24’ Aries). The Full Moon in this LPFC comes on Oct. 6, 2025 (14º08’ Aries), and the Last Quarter on July 7, 2026 (15º41’ Aries).

[9:59] Void-of-Course (VOC) Moon periods for this week. On Jan. 7 (1:16 pm PST), the Moon in Aries squares Mars in Cancer. It's VOC for just under one hour and enters Taurus (2:11 pm PST). Practice speaking up when you’re upset so that things don't build up and then blow up!

[11:19] On Jan. 9 (2:50 pm PST), the Moon in Taurus sextiles Mars in Cancer. It's VOC for 2 hours and 17 minutes and then enters Gemini (5:07 pm PST).

[12:52] On Jan. 11 (4:03 pm PST), the Moon in Gemini squares Neptune. It's Void-of-Course for 4 hours and 21 minutes, then enters Cancer (8:24 pm PST). 

[14:26] On Jan. 8 (2:30 am PST), Mercury enters Capricorn and will be in this sign until Jan. 27, 2025. While Mercury is in Capricorn, it leans into its tempered, disciplined, organized side. 

[16:06] The lunar nodes enter the signs of Pisces-Virgo (Jan. 11, 3:02 pm PST). The North Node has been in the sign of Aries, and the South Node in the sign of Libra, since July 2023. Eclipses will now begin happening on the Pisces-Virgo axis until Feb. 20, 2027. As the North Node moves into Pisces, embrace compassion, spirituality, artistic interests, intuition, and faith. As the South Node transits Virgo, release negative judgment, criticism, and the insistence that only what we can experience with the senses, is worthwhile.

[18:50] Mars trines Neptune at 27°29’ Cancer-Pisces (Jan. 12, 1:16 pm PST). Volunteer, take care of others, make it a priority to give. 

[20:21] Listener “Saturn's Little Helper” asks about transiting planets making several exact aspects to a planet or point in the birth chart.

[25:34] If you’d like to have a question answered on a future episode, leave a message of one minute or less at speakpipe.com/bigskyastrologypodcast or email april (at) bigskyastrology (dot) com; put “Podcast Question” in the subject line. Free ways to support the podcast: Subscribe, like, review and share with a friend!

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