Episode 279 (2.24.25)
New Moon in Pisces + Venus Enters Her Confinement!
Hi there, Invisible Buddy, April right here, and the date at present is February twenty fourth, 2025. Welcome to Episode 279 of the Massive Sky Astrology Podcast. This week, Mercury sails the turbulent Piscean seas, connecting with Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and the North Node, on the best way to a high-flying Pisces New Moon. The Solar crosses paths with Jupiter in Gemini and desires for a bit of peace and quiet. Venus stations for her 40-day retrograde interval; I’ll inform you what meaning. And I reply a listener query about minor points: What makes them so minor?
Mercury conjunct Saturn (Feb. 25, 2025, 4:02 am PST)
Mercury makes a conjunction with Saturn on February twenty fifth at 4:02 am Pacific Time at 20º 15’ Pisces. And at any time when Mercury comes along with Saturn, a actuality examine is so as. Are we telling the reality about ourselves? Our targets, our lives. This is a chance to revisit these previous tales about ourselves, to realize a greater perspective on our present ambitions, maturity, repute.
These are insights that may include the assistance of siblings or neighbors who’re dominated by Mercury. It’s an opportunity actually to take duty for our actions and our ideas and that may lead our minds to sober and even miserable ideas. However fortuitously, this can be a fast transit, so we don’t have an entire lot of time to get caught in that destructive mindset.
In a extra sensible sense. That is a side that brings focus, and actually, that’s one thing that Mercury in Pisces can discover very useful. It is a good day to get your earnings tax paperwork collectively to type out your submitting system, tidy up your artwork provides, restring your guitar.
Mercury sextile Uranus (Feb. 27, 2025, 1:38 am PST)
And a few days later, on February twenty seventh at 1:38 am Pacific Time, Mercury sextiles Uranus at 23º 35’ Pisces and Taurus. And when Mercury connects with Uranus, it can slough off the seriousness and excessive focus of its conjunction with Saturn and the thoughts awakens to new concepts, new potentialities. Particularly with the sextile facet, new concepts are inclined to come up in dialog, or within the classroom, in one thing you’re studying or listening to, and even watching tv.
Pisces New Moon (Feb. 27, 2025, 4:45 pm PST)
And now it’s time for the Moon Report, and it begins with the Pisces New Moon, on February twenty seventh at 4:45 pm Pacific Time, at 9º 40’ Pisces. And after I say Pisces New Moon, I imply, wow, a whole lot of Pisces. There’s a massive stellium of planets in Pisces at this New Moon – the Solar and Moon, after all, Mercury, Saturn, Neptune, and the North Node. Should you ever wished to actually be taught one thing in regards to the Pisces expertise, concentrate at this New Moon, since you may hardly get something extra Piscean than what’s going on on this chart.
Pisces’ ruler, Jupiter, is squaring this New Moon so, count on some battle between Pisces’ need for peace and quiet and Jupiter in Gemini’s propensity to convey limitless sources of chatter, noise, and distraction our means.
Pisces is a really delicate signal and having a lot planetary power converging round this signal on the New Moon can perhaps be a bit of exhausting. Pisces is an indication the place we’re so delicate to all the things and everybody round us that we get burned out a bit of bit from all this publicity to different individuals’s ideas and emotions. Take numerous naps if you might want to.
The Pisces New Moon when it comes to setting intentions or pondering forward for the following months to what we would wish to accomplish within the Pisces realm, this must do with our non secular path, amongst different issues. However there’s a time and a spot to ponder that, and the Pisces time appears actually acceptable.
I like the Sabian image for this New Moon diploma, 10 Pisces, An aviator within the clouds. And there may be on this image the great feeling of freedom and expansiveness, of being up excessive above the bottom within the clouds. But in addition importantly, it speaks of getting a bigger perspective of getting excessive above all of it, taking the bigger view of what it’s that you just’re doing in your life and the way significant it feels or doesn’t really feel.
And should you’re feeling a necessity for non secular assist, should you’ve been feeling down or disoriented or conflicted, this can be a great lunar cycle, really, for looking for your non secular footing. It’s a very artistic and inventive signal as effectively. And should you’ve been planning a artistic mission, or eager to get along with individuals, particularly in collaboration and brainstorming new artistic tasks or concepts, this can be a great cycle for that.
It’s additionally a cycle about forgiveness and therapeutic, each emotionally and bodily. If in case you have been beneath the climate, unwell, that there are these little nagging points that it’s best to handle together with your well being. However it’s exhausting to make the time to do it. Pisces season is that point, and that’s true spiritually as effectively.
Lunar Section Household Cycle
That is the New Moon in a lunar part household cycle that can unfold over the following three years. The issues that you just provoke at this cycle, the brand new concepts or intentions or practices, can for the meantime stay within the realm of creativeness. You’re making an attempt to determine precisely what would scratch the actual itch that you just’re feeling presently? The craving for one thing extra, for a much bigger imaginative and prescient in your life, maybe.
A primary motion will be taken towards these targets on the First Quarter Moon on November twenty seventh, 2025, when the First Quarter is at 06º17’ Pisces. 9 months later, on the Full Moon of August twenty seventh, 2026. There may be extra readability about what it was we set in place at this New Moon, and readability is a very essential phrase after we’re speaking about Pisces, as a result of it has many presents, this signal, however readability isn’t all the time amongst them, in order that Full Moon on August twenty seventh, 2026, is a second of readability.
9 months after that, there’s the Final Quarter Moon on Might twenty eighth, 2027 at 07º01’ Pisces. By then, you’ve got a reasonably good thought of what this general plan goes to seem like. Perhaps it’s a artistic mission, perhaps it’s a non secular path, however you’ve got a a lot clearer image of it after that Full Moon.
After which on the Final Quarter Moon, it’s making one closing motion, one closing massive push within the course of these targets.
Void-of-Course Moon intervals
Let’s have a look at the Void-of-Course Moon intervals for this week. On February twenty fourth, the Moon in Capricorn sextiles Neptune at 7:28 pm Pacific Time. It’s Void-of-Course for two hours, 12 minutes, after which enters Aquarius at 9:40 pm. The Capricorn Moon is pragmatic, methodical. It will get all the way down to brass tacks. However when it connects with Neptune, these sensible qualities of getting issues completed are put into the service of one thing much less sensible, which is symbolized by Neptune. And if there’s something that you just’re wanting to perform on a Piscean or Neptunian degree… let’s say you’ve determined that you just’re going to attend an area yoga class each week and it’s been actually exhausting so that you can get your self to go and make that occur. This Moon in Capricorn sextile Neptune will really provide the get-up and go to go and make {that a} actuality. And Void-of-Course Moon intervals do this for us. They get us out of previous habits and hopefully into new and useful habits.
So, if you wish to start one thing new, going to a category each week, no matter it is perhaps, this can be a good Void-of-Course Moon time to implement that.
On February twenty sixth, the Moon in Aquarius squares Uranus at 2:04 pm Pacific Time. It’s Void-of-Course for a very good very long time, 10 hours and 42 minutes, after which enters Pisces on February twenty seventh at 12:46 am. The which means behind this Void-of-Course Moon and the chance that’s accessible to us is to resolve a battle that now we have, round overcoming our personal tendency in direction of stubbornness and to domesticate flexibility and the willingness to see issues from one other viewpoint.
On March 1st, the Moon in Pisces makes a conjunction with Neptune at 12:05 am Pacific Time. It’s Void-of-Course for 1 hour 47 minutes after which enters Aries at 1:52 am. This Void-of-Course Moon interval concludes the remainder of the Moon’s journey by way of Pisces following the New Moon.
Use this Void-of-Course Interval to get within the behavior of getting ready for a greater evening’s sleep. We regularly don’t do the issues we all know that we must always do to advertise higher sleep. So perhaps turning off your gadgets a few hours earlier than you go to mattress, perhaps simply studying a bit of one thing earlier than you drift off, having a soothing beverage, an natural tea or one thing, listening to a guided meditation. A chilled non secular follow that may soothe your nerves, enable you obtain the day’s occasions and get them out of your head, and actually will get you prepared for sleep, whether or not it’s just some stretching workout routines, perhaps, or a follow of jotting down a number of notes about what occurred that day. I do know lots of people swear by gratitude journals, and this is a wonderful time to undergo that train as effectively.
Venus stations retrograde (March 1, 2025, 4:36 pm PST)
Venus in Aries stations to show retrograde on March 1st at 4:36 pm Pacific time at 10º50’ Aries. It’ll station direct in Pisces on April twelfth, 2025. Venus is starting her retrograde confinement, is how I like to think about Venus retrograde, like when girls used to retreat to their house, to their bed room earlier than giving start.
And Venus is starting this confinement in Aries, which is a really rowdy and headstrong signal. It’s the signal of Venus’s fall and it’ll flip direct in April within the signal of her exaltation. The way in which I learn that is we shall be higher at loving and connecting by the point this retrograde interval is over.
Retrograde intervals, for all of the planets, favor inside work over outer motion within the issues which are dominated by the retrograde planet. So, within the case of Venus retrograde, we must always attempt to keep away from making main purchases and that is very true of shopping for a home or a automobile or one other big-ticket merchandise. And as for what qualifies as massive ticket, effectively, that’s fairly subjective and it is determined by your sources and your spending habits.
I’d additionally say whereas Venus is retrograde, it truly is finest to not make everlasting relationship adjustments. Should you may help it, I completely wouldn’t marry whereas Venus is retrograde, or for that matter, actually, get divorced. And the reasoning is that you could be not see the entire image or be in possession of all of the information that you might want to make such a critical choice.
I believe Venus retrograde intervals are for wanting inside to determine what we have to do to like ourselves, and to be probably the most lovable model of ourselves. Venus additionally guidelines the looks, so this isn’t a good time to get beauty procedures completed, like cosmetic surgery or tattoos. Issues which are kind of everlasting. Assume twice earlier than getting a very excessive haircut that can take a really very long time to return to the best way it was, must you determine that you just don’t prefer it.
Venus retrograde will be occasions when artwork, relationships, cash issues go towards the mainstream. It is a little little bit of a rebellious Venus, and particularly so being in Aries, which inevitably marches to the beat of its personal drummer and all the time has to make some changes in an effort to be completely happy in a relationship.
Mercury conjunct Neptune (March 2, 2025, 8:22 am PST)
Mercury makes a conjunction with Neptune on March 2nd at 8:22 am Pacific Time at 28º57’ Pisces, on the Sabian image, 29 Pisces, A prism. Neptune is sort of a sponge, and Mercury is a cheerful little gatherer of phrases, photographs, experiences, and data. Be a bit of cautious with what you absorb round this conjunction, what you feed your thoughts, as a result of it can turn into a part of you. Take a while on today to actually indulge your imaginative pursuits or concepts.
Now, it’s a much less productive day, if I’m trustworthy, for making use of ourselves to actually logical and sensible duties. However instinct is particularly sturdy throughout this facet. The logical thoughts turns into one with the strongly imaginative thoughts, and this makes breakthroughs doable.
It’s additionally a very good time for imagining, “what if.” What should you determined to get a distinct job or transfer to a distinct place or regardless of the “what if” could also be. A part of it, I believe, is that the logical thoughts being form of let off the leash offers us the chance to only discover different potentialities that perhaps we hadn’t thought-about earlier than.
Should you’re a musician, artist, or author specifically, something that we consider as a conventionally inventive or artistic, that is the day for the breakthroughs which have been holding you again from creating what is de facto in your coronary heart.
Solar sq. Jupiter (March 2, 2025, 10:19 am PST)
And later that morning on March 2nd at 10:19 am Pacific Time, the Solar in Pisces squares Jupiter in Gemini. The Solar’s Sabian image on the sq. is 13 Pisces, A sword in a museum, and Jupiter’s Sabian image is 13 Gemini, A fantastic musician at his piano. So, now we have a few symbols that talk on the one hand of the sword within the museum, which I all the time think about as an emblem of laying down our arms and now not preventing, now not participating in battle. However, additionally the good musician at his piano, stunning and inventive.
It is a actually good transit, all the time. We get this sq. twice a 12 months and any facet between the Solar and Jupiter is fairly nice for placing ourselves on the market and getting seen, exploring our creativity, having some enjoyable. After all, with Jupiter, now we have to be a bit of bit cautious to not overdo issues.
Good alternatives can current ourselves to you round this date, however we do have to make use of a bit of little bit of warning earlier than we are saying sure. Loads of the issues that the Solar in Pisces desires us to do, like meditate, make music, take pleasure in our personal ideas, all of these items require peace and quiet and focus, however Jupiter in Gemini gives nothing however distractions.
So, now we have to determine, I believe, when now we have this sort of sq. when we have to simply push by way of all these distractions, and when we have to go forward and take a bit of break and stroll away from what we’re doing and have interaction in what’s round us. After which come again to our activity, and normally then we’re refreshed. We have now new concepts, new enter that has come from that Jupiter in Gemini.
The opposite dimension of the Solar with Jupiter is that our tolerance for being advised what to do, or particularly what to consider, is extraordinarily low throughout points like this. We actually really feel that no person needs to be giving us any enter into our habits or concepts. It is a sq. the place, not directly, we’re requested to evaluation whether or not we’re perhaps simply being a bit of bossy typically in our lives, if we’re just a bit too hooked up to our explicit beliefs, or whether or not it’s essential for us to carry that line and maintain these boundaries. In order that we actually know who we’re and that may’t come from anyone else.
Listener Query: Why are Minor Features Minor?
On this week’s listener query, Listener Carmel asks, “Why are minor points thought-about minor? When a transiting planet is shifting and we’re learning our natal chart, ought to we take into account minor points as essential as main points? Do we have to pay further consideration to minor points when an outer planet transit is going on?
Why do some astrologers embrace the quincunx generally, however by no means the semi-sextile? In your latest listener query about Saturn cycles, and after we have a look at Moon cycles, key points are 45º and 135º. When are the minor points essential, and why?”
I like this query, Carmel. Thanks.
Let’s start by first contemplating what are the most important, or what we name Ptolemaic planetary points, as outlined and utilized by Ptolemy within the first century AD. These are the conjunction, which if it’s actual, the planets are separated by zero levels, the sextile, 60º; the sq., 90º; the trine, 120º; or the opposition, 180º. These main points are these which are divisible by 10 and evenly divided in relation to the 360-degree wheel, apart from the semi-sextile.
Within the start chart, these points are thought-about to signify the most important and most evident dimensions of an individual’s character and main life points. They’re massive and shouty and really exhausting to miss. Should you get collectively in a gaggle of astrologers and also you ask individuals, “What’s your most influential facet?”, they’re most likely going to call one thing that falls within the class of the most important points.
Now, minor points are usually, I believe we’d say, extra delicate of their expression. A number of the mostly used minor points, although there are a lot of extra, embrace the semi-sextile, which is 30º; the semi-square, 45º; the quintile facet, 72º; the sesquiquadrant, 135º; and the quincunx, 150º.
They’re all fairly difficult, even the semi-sextile, which isn’t fairly as nice as its title would suggest. And apart from the semi-sextile, which occurs in adjoining indicators, they’re all a bit of bit more durable to be taught to establish in a horoscope.
However not at all are they unimportant. One in all my favourite quotes from my trainer was as regards to the sesquiquadrant. She mentioned, “It’s a sq. with a semi-square added to it. Does that sound minor to you?” And she or he was proper! You realize, should you’ve bought one in your chart, you’ve bought an upfront and private view of one thing that may be actually exhausting to take care of.
There are astrologers who work very carefully with the minor points. Rick Levine involves thoughts, Noel Tyl was an enormous proponent of the minor points, however I’d say it’s extra of a specialization than it’s the norm. In a start chart studying your common astrologer has their palms full with the most important points and albeit hardly ever get to the minor ones until you’ve got a pet minor facet that you just all the time wish to speak to individuals about. And I’d say the quincunx is so depressing that we regularly discover ourselves speaking about that one as effectively.
Relating to transits, most astrologers are most likely solely going to take them into consideration if it, as you talked about, is a sluggish outer planet transit, making a minor facet to a natal planet. However in secondary progressions, I exploit minor points really quite a bit relative to different conditions.
For instance, the semi-sextile, 30º will be extraordinarily highly effective on this system the place a natal planet can spend 30 years in the identical signal, after which when it flips into the following signal, the semi-sextile, the expertise will be actually dramatic. Additionally fascinating in secondary progressions is when a natal planet that’s in, say, a trine to a different planet within the start chart progresses right into a quincunx facet to the planet, or a sesquiquadrate within the start chart progresses right into a trine. Then we actually have a look at these minor points and start to query, yeah, what’s so minor about them? As a result of they appear actually vital.
You talked about the lunar cycle, which I’ve known as a template for all different cycles and I used it in a single episode, as you mentioned, to explain the transiting Saturn cycle as being related. That was in Episode 260, and we are going to hyperlink to that within the present notes. And sure, with the Moon cycle, we generally use the eight phases of the cycle. The New Moon, which is the conjunction, the Crescent, which begins at 45º, the Quarter Moons, that are on the squares at 90º. The Gibbous Moons on the sesquiquadrate at 135, the Full Moon opposition at 180, after which one other sesquiquadrate, sq. and crescent.
However extra typically, it truly is simply the 4 main lunar phases which are, say, marked on non-astrological calendars. You seize nearly any calendar and they’re going to have the New Moon, First Quarter, Full Moon, and Final Quarter phases marked – the massive, apparent, shouty ones that punctuate the month in 4 easy-to-spot examples, one per week. Those that stand out and make themselves seen and felt as turning factors within the month with no misunderstandings.
Thanks a lot in your query. I do hope my reply was useful.
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Donor Thanks
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That’s it for this episode. Be a part of me once more vibrant and early subsequent Monday, and till then, maintain your toes on the bottom and your eyes on the celebrities!
Writing and pictures © 2017-25 by April Elliott Kent
For extra on this week’s planetary information, learn my column!
