069 | Saturn and Uranus: That Escalated Quickly!

April and Jen fasten their seatbelts for the first of three squares between rule-making Saturn and rule-breaking Uranus! Yes, there is a tense, unpredictable atmosphere this week, especially with Venus and Mars clashing and a tip-toeing Gemini First Quarter Moon urging caution. But all is not lost: The Sun enters take-it-easy Pisces, and Mercury turns direct, leaving his retrograde hijinks (mostly) behind - hooray! Also, firmly secure the bow on your head and pull up a chair as we chat about solar houses (what’s the deal with that, anyway?). Plus: Leo pussycats, Ron Burgundy, and major appliances!

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Episode links:

0:30 – April and Jen take a bite out of an Apple Podcasts review from artgoddessmama. Want to leave a warm review of your own? Here’s how!

2:10 – Are Leos really brimming with confidence, or holding their tails? Consider the astrological Sun as aspirational, a symbol of what we’re learning to be.

3:06 – We “welcome” the first of three closing squares between Saturn, at 7.13 Aquarius, and Uranus in Taurus (Feb. 17)! Jen uses a helpful astronomical model to explain the astrological symbolism of these two titans, one a rulemaker and the other a rulebreaker. (Remember, the nature of a square is such that both planets have to be honored and learn to coexist!)

7:05 – Pressure is building: This Saturn/Uranus cycle began with a conjunction in late Sagittarius in 1988. Accidents, demonstrations, and difficult world news occurred at critical points in this cycle, which peaked in 1999/2000 and 2009/2010.

10:11 – How do we deal with this challenging transit between two planets that are so unlike each other? Work consciously with both personal responsibility/boundaries and the need to step outside our comfort zone to try new things. Where are you able to respond within your boundaries? How can you feel more in control of your life? And what do you actually have control over? (As Viktor Frankl said, “When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.”)

13:11 – From new imaginary sponsor Anchorman: “Boy, that escalated quickly!”

14:43 – Do the planets cause things to happen? April answers that astrology reflects the things that are happening, it doesn’t cause them.

15:55 – Is all of this confusing? Feel free to book a personal reading with April to go deep about this aspect, and to learn what’s happening in your chart!

1​6:05 – Indulge your imagination: The Sun enters Pisces (Feb. 18 - March 21). The Sun tells how we shine, and in Pisces we shine by putting aside schedules and to-do lists. Spend a little time dreaming!

17:27 – Don’t know your birth time? A quick explanation of Solar Houses (translation: placing the degree and sign of your Sun on the Ascendant, or front door, of your chart).

18:48 – The house the Sun is going through in your chart will come under examination; it tells you what to pursue for energy and joy. (Need help finding Pisces in your chart? This blog post and video might help.)

19:43 – April posits that Pisces is the finishing-up season leading up to the energetic New Year at the Aries equinox. This is the season for looking in the unexamined places, filtering through everything you’ve collected over the past eleven months, and letting some things go.

21:45 – **MOONWATCH ** This week brings a Gemini First Quarter Moon (Feb. 19), in happy aspect to the Aquarius crew. The Sabian symbol for 2 Gemini is, “Santa Claus furtively filling stockings.” The Sun sits at 2 Pisces, “A squirrel hiding from hunters.” Is there tension between hiding out and socializing? Gemini encourages us to maintain contact with others – don’t hide out like that furtive squirrel! (Here’s the link to a helpful planetary aspects cheatsheet!)

27:08 – The urge for freedom versus maintaining the status quo: Venus, at 23 Aquarius, makes a square to Mars in Taurus (Feb. 19). The relationship planet is on the symbol, “A big bear sitting down, waving all its paws.” The planet of action is on, “A jewelry shop.” Is our desire for pleasure and harmony in conflict with our desire to get what we want for ourselves? This is the closing square in a cycle that began in late August 2019.

30:23 – Forward march! Mercury stations direct at 11.01 Aquarius (Feb. 20), after moving backwards through the sky since Jan. 30. It will leave its shadow on March 13 at 26° Aquarius. How has this retrograde been for you, dear listener? Any voices from the past saying hello? Any appliance issues? (We commiserate!)

33:11 – Thanks, podpals! If you’re so moved, would you please take one sec to give us a 5-star rating, subscribe wherever you listen, and/or give us a friendly review? This episode is made possible by Podathon donors BETH WILUSZ, LAURIE SCHAEFFER, and ROXANNE KENNEDY! Thank you, Beth, Laurie, and Roxanne, for contributing to our Podathon! And if any other lovely listeners haven’t had the chance to donate, please contribute $5 or more and we’ll send you an invitation to our upcoming special solstice/equinox episodes – and you’ll also receive our fun bingo card! See you next week, friends!