152 | Taurus Lunar Eclipse: Swords and Torches!
This very full week features a tense Taurus Full Moon/Lunar Eclipse, which promises to make U.S. Election Day more... exciting than usual. Within hours of the eclipse, Mercury connects with the Sun - then both oppose Uranus and square Saturn; ready to break through constrictions and reinvent yourself? And Venus' aspects to Saturn and Neptune promise a happy outcome if we make an effort, tighten our belts, and commit. Plus: A listener question about whether transiting planets' retrograde periods feel different to someone with lots of retrograde planets in their birth chart! Read a full transcript of this episode. Have a question you’d like answered on the show? Email April or leave it here! Prepare for this eclipse season with April's Followed by a Moonshadow eclipse report - details here! Subscribe to April’s mailing list and get a free lunar workbook at each New Moon! Timestamps [1:26] Venus (Scorpio 18°47') squares Saturn (Aquarius 18°47') on Nov. 6, 2022 at 11:33 pm PST. Expect to work a little harder to get what you want. [3:52] Election Day in the U.S. coincides with a Full Moon/Lunar Eclipse (Nov. 8, 2022, 3:02 am PST, at 16°01' Taurus) on the Sabian symbol 17 Taurus: A symbolic battle between swords and torches. The Moon is in an exact conjunction with Uranus, opposed the Sun, Venus, and Mercury in Scorpio, and all of them square Saturn in Aquarius. This is the molecular opposite of "chill." [7:10] The release point for this fixed T-Square is in Leo. Creativity, play, and focusing on your own pursuits are great coping mechanisms for any intensity you may experience. [8:09] Check out Episode 151 for insights into eclipses in the Houses of the Horoscope and aspects to natal planets (use conjunction, square, or opposition within 4° orb). How is your chart affected? Then, look to previous eclipses near 16º Taurus - most recently: May 10, 2013 (Solar eclipse, 19°Taurus), Nov. 9, 2003 (Lunar Eclipse, 16°Taurus), May 10, 1994 (Solar Eclipse, 19°48' Taurus), and Nov. 8, 1984 (Lunar Eclipse, 16°30' Taurus). How do important themes and events in these years relate to the present day? [10:02] Check out April's essays about eclipses, and order one of her Followed by a Moonshadow reports - it'll do all of the astrological work for you. Journaling prompts are included! [10:20] Void-of-Course (VOC) Moon periods for this week. Upbeat Jupiter has the final say right now! [10:54] On Nov. 9th (4:00 am PST), the Moon (Taurus 29°09') sextiles Jupiter (Pisces 29°09') and then is VOC for a little over an hour before entering Gemini (5:37 am PST). Stability and resources are available to support a big vision. [11:49] The Moon at 29°02' Gemini squares Jupiter on Nov. 11th (2:28 pm PST). It's VOC for just under two hours before entering Cancer at 4:22 pm PST. A terrific time to capture your big ideas in writing. [12:50] The Sun and Mercury (Scorpio 16°15') make their superior conjunction on Nov. 8 (8:43 am PST). Mercury opposes Uranus at 16°55' Taurus later that day (6:40 pm PST). Since this is Election Day in the U.S., we could experience some unexpected voting or vote counting issues (though is that really unexpected at this point?). [14:10] The Sun (Scorpio 16°54') opposes Uranus (Taurus 16°54'0) on Nov. 9 (12:26 am PST). This is an opportunity to free ourselves not just from the expectations of other people but also from our own ideas of who we are and who we have to be. See if you can connect the dots to the conjunction (May 2022) and square (August 2022) in this Sun-Uranus cycle. [15:19] Mercury (Scorpio 18°52') squares Saturn (Aquarius 18°52') on Nov. 10 (11:51 pm PST). All things Mercury are going to take more determination and effort. Just keep working hard and success will be yours! [16:42] The Sun (Scorpio 18°54') squares Saturn (Aquarius 18°54') on Nov. 11 (12:04 am PST). This aspect is like trying to grow something, (aka you!) in very hard, compacted soil. You could feel exhausted and pessimistic, but don