Vanessa Montgomery joins Alejo Lopez to chat about Sagittarius Season and the month ahead. Includes a look at classic Sagittarians Taylor Swift and William Blake.
You’ll also hear about the new and full Moon, Mercury trine Jupiter, Sun and Mars squaring Saturn, Mercury Retrograde, and Sun square Neptune.
- Expand your understanding of the Sagittarius archetype in myth
- Get a deeper understanding of retrogrades in our Retrograde Planets course
Time Stamps for the topics covered in this episode:
0:00-3:46 Introduction to Sagittarius Season
3:46-11:20 Classic Sagittarius: Taylor Swift, William Blake
11:20-17:44 Things to do in Sagittarius Season
17:44-59:09 Astrology of Sagittarius Season
59:09-1:09:13 Monthly Mantra & Wrap Up
Transcript for The Cosmic Eye — Sagittarius Season Episode
Alejo Lopez: Welcome to The Cosmic Eye, the Astrology University podcast. This episode is for this Sagittarius season. I am Alejo Lopez, your host, and today with me is Vanessa Montgomery. Vanessa is a modern mystic and she’s a consulting astrologer based in Australia. She’s the resident celebrity astrologer for Glamour magazine USA, and the author of Astro Power: A Simple Guide to Prediction and Destiny. And of course, you all know her because she’s the former host of this show. Hi, Vanessa. How are you?
Vanessa Montgomery: Hi Alejo. Hi everyone. I’m great. And welcome to Sagittarius season. And thanks for having me back to represent.
Alejo: Ah, it’s fantastic to have you back for this season. Yes. Now before we move into the season, remember please, I would like to mention that if you like the podcast, the best thing you can do to support us is actually to share the podcast with people that might be interested in this. And I would also love to hear your feedback. Sometimes you send me some reflections or some ideas that you had after listening to it to my Instagram, which is @liminalcosmos. I really, really appreciate it. You can also send an email to Tony Howard, and the email address is [email protected]. So when I think of Sagittarius, I think of hope. And I think of the idea of a world of possibilities. A world of possibilities to explore. And I imagine, the image I get is the fire in the night and people gathering around the fire and one of them telling stories about his journeys, or mythical stories even. What do you get when you think of Sagittarius?
Vanessa: I think of movement, actually. A lot of movement. And if I tune in and think about famous Sagittarians, there’s so many, they’re so loud. They’re so in your face, there’s nothing subtle about them. It’s a very unsubtle sign. And I think like, I’ve got five planets in Sagittarius and seven in fire altogether, and I think back to, well, what’s my MO really, and what’s it always been? What’s the energy around it? And it’s always been about intellectual and physical movement. Lots of energy because it’s fire, and a restlessness that just wants to go anywhere but here.
Alejo: Yeah. Like as a mutable sign he doesn’t stay still for long.
Vanessa: No, it does not stay still. It’s got a lot of energy and it’s built to roam. So I always wanted to study and travel. I was really fascinated with other cultures and spiritualities, as you can imagine. All just textbook, classic. My dream was to go to boarding school.
Alejo: Oh, really? Wow.
Vanessa: Yeah. I never got the dream met. But that was my dream to go to boarding school somewhere far, far away.
Alejo: Wow. Nice. So we always pick a classic person that we feel embodies this sign. So what was your choice? What did you choose? Let’s start with you since you are the Sagittarius star here.
Vanessa: Well, I thought of Taylor Swift, who actually only has the sun in Sagittarius. And she has her Eras tour on at the moment and it’s due to wrap up next year. And it will probably come in at the most profitable tour of all time by anyone. And they’re thinking it will collect over a billion dollars in revenue. It’s massive, huge. And I thought of her too because she is outspoken. She’s known for being fairly outspoken and she’s copped a lot of flack over the years. And she will just come back punching. And she will use a sense of humor but also a cheekiness that I think Sag can have and blend in what the naysayers have said. If she doesn’t speak out against it she’ll blend it in and and kind of re-own it as well. I don’t know a lot about Taylor Swift so I was just looking into it all. There was some sort of thing that went down at one point and someone was calling her a snake. So then her big Reputation tour, she had this huge snake, she really wrapped it all in. Snakes are trending for women anyway, so she just made it work for her. And I thought that was very Sagittarian. Because they’re not going to be quiet about things. They’re going to bring it up and punch you back with it, basically. And I thought that was very Sagittarian. And just that larger than life. Like she’s earning so much money and she’s put out so much work. This tour is just so big. And she doesn’t seem like a classic rock star. A classic rock star is this a male vibe and she’s just doing her own thing. And we have to reconsider what that is, the pop-rock star. And I think that it’s great. She’s owning it and she’s influenced the industry. She’s influenced the streaming industry because she’s got so much clout that she can.
Alejo: Yeah, she’s very, very popular. She’s very outspoken, like you said, with her political ideas and her beliefs. And also she’s popular because, I think it was this concert, I think by the end of last year, was it $100,000 she paid to each one of the people who participated in the concert? She has so much money she could do that. So she paid money and the taxes that they would have to pay so they would really keep all that money. So she has like this, you know, like you were saying, she’s very, she’s larger than life. She’s like a goddess, you know, she’s larger than life, she’s very generous. And in Argentina she became very popular because she’s very outspoken about political views, which had just done elections in Argentina which were very controversial. And the guy who actually won the election has been saying things like in favor of the past dictatorship. And so the fans of Taylor Swift started participating in streets, sharing leaflets or information saying ‘don’t vote for this guy.’ So they’re like very active. And I think it all started because somebody attacked another group of fans for another musicians, now I don’t remember the name, and they attacked them or something like that. And it’s the Swifty’s, like we call them in Argentina, reacted to protect this other group. So I think it’s amazing. I think she’s super powerful. I mean, because when you compare her with other figures that are celebrities, that they don’t commit to any belief. I think it’s so interesting how she didn’t care. She risked her reputation to say what she believes is right. And she sets an example, I think.
Vanessa: Yeah, I think so too. And when I was looking her up, there were words that really spoke to the mutableness. So ‘pivot’. She really pivots and adapts is quite a thing she’s known for. And musically and in many ways not fitting into one category. And that’s very mutable as well. You see a lot of mutability with that. She’s won 12 Grammys, 39 Billboard Music Awards, lots of things. And I have a quote that I think shows her faith and the buoyancy of being Jupiter ruled, which is: “Fearless is getting back up and fighting for what you want over and over again, even though every time you’ve tried before you’ve lost.” I mean, Sagittarius is going to lead you aren’t they? And to me that’s less about fearlessness and more actually about faith and a buoyancy of mind and spirit. And I’ll also say she was born a month after the Berlin Wall fell in 1989. So she has that big bunch-up in Capricorn. And she basically has that energy of the Berlin Wall falling, if you ask me. So there’s a lot of people from 1989, that year, millennials, elder millennials, that are really interesting because they’ve got that bunch. ’89, ’90, ’91. Yeah, she’s one of those.
Alejo: Wow, yeah. Nice. I love this choice you made for this classic Sag. Because everybody’s talking about Taylor Swift and the Swifty’s, these fans that are following her. The other day we were having a conversation with some friends and we were comparing Lionel Messi with Taylor Swift. You know, we were asking like, celebrities should or should not commit to their political views? Should they not be outspoken about their political views? And I feel like they have so much influence that they should be. They should promote change, I think.
Vanessa: Yeah, I think so too. If it’s a positive and they’re trying to do their best for the world and other people. Yeah, why not? And Sag is going to have an opinion about everything. So
Alejo: Sag is definitely going to have an opinion about everything.
Vanessa: Everything. Exactly.
Alejo: My choice was William Blake. So William Blake was born on the 28th of November 1767.
Vanessa: Me too.
Alejo: In 1767 also?
Vanessa: No, just the date. The day, as was Anna Nicole Smith. So make it make sense.
Alejo: So he’s a Sagittarius, and he’s also Jupiter in Sagittarius, Jupiter conjunct the Sun. And I chose him because I like this quote he wrote. It says, “Bring me my bow of burning gold. Bring me my arrows of desire. Bring me my spear. Oh, clouds, unfold. Bring me my chariot of fire.” Which I think Sagittarius, yes.
Vanessa: It’s very elementally fire as well, isn’t it?
Alejo: Exactly. And if you see his work, you know, it’s very fiery and Sagittarius also. Like about the religion and meaning. He has the Jupiter in Sag in the fifth house, and the sun in Sagittarius also in the fifth house. So it’s quite prominent. About expression on his art and what he does.
Vanessa: And such Sagittarian art, isn’t it? Such a classic.
Alejo: Yes, exactly. Okay, nice. So the next section, we always look at some things to do before we jump into the headlines of the season. And of course, when we think of Sag I would say, well, travel. Don’t travel in the Scorpio season like I did. I had so many travel complications coming back to my home. Wait for Sagittarius season and travel in Sagittarius season. I would say also, maybe, I don’t know, explore. You know, maybe you cannot afford going on a trip, so just explore. I always like this idea that the expansion that Sagittarius brings doesn’t necessarily mean physically traveling, but also with your mind and your ideas and stuff. So go to nature and try to see what you can find there. Or maybe read some philosophy books or some spiritual books, or maybe join some book club or something that will help you to kind of spread and explore. What do you think? Do you have any other suggestions of things to do?
Vanessa: Well, of course, Sagittarius hosts the silly season. The lead up to Christmas. So I’d say overspend. Don’t take things too seriously, have a joke, laugh, smile, buy your friend a drink or whatever. You know, it’s so generous. In Melbourne where I used to live, it really went off around this time and you get people being so silly and very generous, like all those themes of Sagittarius really come out. So it’s actually Sagittarius season that we’re seeing. And I think people don’t really connect the two, but if you think about it. All the themes are there and then Santa comes along with all the presents. It’s very Sagittarian, too, the jolly kind of fat guy. And I’d also say, yes, I like the idea of the reading and the books, but also why not try your hand at writing? Why not get your ideas down? What are they? Get them out, have more conversations, have have an opinion but keep an open mind. You know, things are still so divisive and it’s from one thing to the next. Get the bigger picture, it’s all about the bigger picture. Look at that rather than jumping to conclusions or taking sides. Things are complicated and things aren’t so black and white. And I think Sagittarians can be very black and white. And so it’s a good opportunity to look at there’s going to be many shades in there.
Alejo: Yeah. I think it’s interesting that one of the characteristics of Sagittarius is that, even though it’s a mutable sign, it can also be very dogmatic.
Vanessa: So dogmatic. It’s such a key word.
Alejo: Yeah, it’s interesting. I would like to share a ritual to do on this season. It starts in Sagittarius and then it goes into Capricorn. So I really like your idea about like a light-hearted approach to life and enjoying life and sharing life with others, and the idea of generosity. So I would like to share this ritual, and again, try to take it not too dogmatically, which might be the challenge for Sagittarius. Try to take it a little bit light-hearted. Try to have some fun with it. So it starts in Sagittarius and it goes all the way into Capricorn. So basically what I do, I discovered this last year and it was amazing. What I do is on the 19th of December, so at the very end of the season, you write a list of 13 wishes. Now these wishes they have to be things that depend on you. Not things that, I wish the world peace. No. I wish to, I don’t know, stop smoking. I wish to lose weight. I wish to be happier. I don’t know, be happier is also a little bit abstract perhaps. But you could do like things, I wish to become a better astrologer. Like things that depend on you, they don’t depend on someone else. So you write them on the 19th of December. And it’s very interesting because you think think that wishes are easy to find, and sometimes it’s going to be tricky. Like the first six or seven wishes, they’re going to come up immediately. But then at some point, they’re like, okay, what else do I wish that depends on me? That’s something that I can do? So then on the next day, 20th of December, at some point maybe you can do a little meditation, or you choose how to do it. Sorry, before that. So you write the 13 wishes in different pieces of paper and you fold them. So you don’t know what each paper has. You have 13 little piece of papers with 13 different wishes, and you don’t know what’s inside of each one. So the next day, you do maybe a meditation or whatever you want to do, and you choose one of them without opening it and you burn it. That’s on the 20th of December. So then every day, you burn one of these little wishes without knowing what you are burning. On the 31st of December, you will burn the last one. And you will have only one wish left. So then on the first of January, you open the wish and that’s your task, let’s say your goal, for the year.
Vanessa: I like that. And I also think that you if you do have a big, you know, world peace, you can still bring that back to well, how can I make more peace in my life so that that radiates out to other people? I quite like that idea.
Alejo: That’s very Sagittarius, I love it. I want to be very pragmatic and realistic, but because Sagittarius is here, she’s like, even that you can do.
Vanessa: Yeah. You know, how can we bring that back to our own life? Totally. Yeah, that’s great. What an interesting thing, like that 12 Days of Christmas thing that they do. Except we’re doing 13.
Alejo: Yeah, yeah. And also the 12 days of Christmas finishes on the sixth of January, I think. Okay, so let’s go now to the headlines of this season. And we have the 22nd of November. I have it here at 2:02:43 precisely, GMT time, the Sun will go into Sagittarius. And the first thing I’ve noticed on this entrance of the Sun into Sagittarius, is of course that Saturn is in Pisces at zero degrees of Pisces. So the sun is, of course because of the orb, the sun was already squaring Saturn. But now you know as it goes into Sagittarius the square perfects. And so we have the Sun in Sagittarius squaring Saturn in Pisces. The exact square is going to happen actually on the 23rd of November. And then it’s quite interesting because on the 25th we have Mars squaring Saturn. So we have these two squaring planets. These two kind of active moving planets, the Sun and Mars in a fire sign. But they are squaring this low Saturnian planet in the depths of Pisces, in water. So there’s a combination of fire and water, and kind of more action driven planets with a more slow, you know, Saturn creates structure. So it’s a planet of time. In Pisces which is also not so quick in motion, I would say. So I think it’s an interesting start because we were saying about how Sagittarius is about expansion and generosity and motion. You said I think of motion and movement. And the first thing that it does is to square the Saturn in Pisces.
Vanessa: Hmm. It’s like you’re at the gate, you’re ready to bust out but the damn gate doesn’t open.
Alejo: Exactly, yes.
Vanessa: Or something like that. Or a sort of false start, like you go and then you hit something. Yeah, the initial the start of the season, we were just saying before we recorded, there’s a lot of aspects that are challenging aspects to start the month off. So there’s like a bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, just don’t fall over. Keep going. Well, maybe the Taylor Swift quote is a good one for starting this month off. You know, just get back up, get back on. I’ve got Saturn opposite my Sun natally, and that’s what it’s like. Very often there’s obstacles and I just want to go, I just want to run and go free, but you know, turn the computer on something doesn’t work or this doesn’t work or that. It’s just almost never ending and you just have to get back to it and not get frustrated. They’re both mutable signs, Pisces and Sag, so there’s a way. You just got to tinker around and find that way. But, obstacles, Saturn. Limitations, Saturn. Restrictions, Saturn. To expressing the self which is the Sun, or Mars, Saturn square Mars is restricting movement or restricting energy or restricting trying to do something, assert yourself, etc.
Alejo: Yes. And you know, what I think is both of them, both Sagittarius and Pisces, are ruled by Jupiter. So I think there is a way of, I want to say bypassing, but like dealing with this square. Like you were saying, okay, in the end it’s a mutable square so there is this opportunity of reshaping right in order to agree. And, you know, this is repeated actually later when we’re going to go to the full moon, but what I was thinking when I was looking at this is that when the Sun goes into Sagittarius, I would say, okay, let’s look at how Jupiter is behaving. And Jupiter is in Taurus. And so the Sun, the fiery sun, because it’s in Sagittarius with fiery Mars in Sagittarius, so the whole thing, expansion and beliefs and your vision, is squaring Saturn. Which is not the reality itself because it’s in Pisces. I think it’s the reality of your emotions, the reality of your inner world, what you can actually cope with inside of you. Like what you can actually deal with emotionally. I think Darby Costello was talking about building like a Noah’s Ark to navigate this time. Being able to hold your inner world, creating this kind of structure to hold your inner sea, let’s say with Pisces there. So there’s a whole like a visionary tension of what you would like to achieve. What you’re driven to do with the Sagittarius thing and Mars there. And with Saturn in Pisces, recognizing what you’re capable of holding on, and because of what you feel, because you’re a human being who has emotions, what you’re capable of resisting to. And then it all goes back, I think, to the Jupiter in Taurus, which is like, I would say, when you feel the restrictions that you’re talking about, I would say pay attention to your body. How does your body feel? What is the story that your body is giving you? Because, you know, with water and fire combined, I think one can become so subjective. It’s not that very objective. They’re not objective elements. So one can become like forgetting a little bit about the the outer reality. And I think with Jupiter in Taurus there’s this sense of slowing down, perhaps, this vision, and grounding it and trying to see what is the real world telling you? I mean, the other world is also real, of course. But I mean, the manifested, the physical world telling you that you can actually do or achieve. So these restrictions, this sense of restrictions and problems that come up, I think maybe it’s a way for you to test and question why you have this drive and what is the true purpose, I would say, with Jupiter ruling both signs. So the Saturn thing is trying to take your vision with the Sun, and your direction, perhaps your sense of action with Mars, to the essence of it. You know, maybe you’re doing something that is not truly what you really are here for. I don’t know, how do you feel about that?
Vanessa: Well, I’m actually just thinking of the rules, you know rules are Saturn. And if anyone is a corner cutter it is Sagittarius. You know, so I’m thinking that as well. It’s just those things that trip you up. It’s the rules, what are the actual restrictions, like that’s the reality. And you’re not going to have go full pelt like you want to. But also remembering these are quick moving, Sun-Mars in Sag. Very quick moving. So unless, it depends what that Saturn is doing in one’s own chart and how this is really configuring. I really would be reading it more that way, but it’s interesting to look at the moving astrology, for sure. But I just think don’t take it too seriously unless it’s outer planets or unless it’s tying in your chart somehow. So where is that Saturn at zero Pisces at the moment? Where are those early planets going through Sag in your birth chart? You know, it’s going to make a lot more sense. But yeah, if you’ve got stuff pulled into this then, I just think you’re going to have to dot your i’s and cross your t’s and do everything by the book. And you’re not going to want to and it will be frustrating. Like that’s a very frustrating aspect when Mars and the Sun are square to Saturn. I think it’s interesting what you’re saying bringing the Pisces in as well. And I always think of the Pisces squaring Sagittarius as Sagittarius wants to, it’s an intuitive sign but it still has this kind of base in knowledge, whereas Pisces is beyond this accepted rational realm. And that’s why it squares Sagittarius, because Sagittarius does struggle to get to that place. You know, it can see that end goal but it doesn’t understand it yet. And I think that’s a lot of the tension with those two signs. And that’s been a lot of tension in my life when I haven’t trusted what I know if I can’t prove it. Even though I’m so intuitive, that square exists also in my chart with the Mars square. So the Saturn in there is very interesting, like you just can’t ignore it. It’s just like a sledgehammer. But you can’t prove it. You have to have faith and it’s really building that muscle, that Pisces muscle, that our culture doesn’t really support so much. Our rational sort of science based culture. It’s an interesting one.
Alejo: Yeah. And I do think this Jupiter in Taurus is perhaps, like you’re saying, trying to find the evidence of what you believe, what you can see. Yes.
Vanessa: And definitely supports slowing down.
Alejo: Yeah. Which is not easy for the Sun-Mars in Sag.
Vanessa: No, no at all. And the Sun and Mars have been traveling together through Scorpio. So they start to sort of split as we move into Sagittarius, but I think the image of looking at them on the chart looks like a shield. You know, carrying a spear. It’s like very warrior. Or maybe in Sag it’s more of a crusader vibe. Yeah, just for people to think about.
Alejo: Yes, yeah. And I agree, I think it’s very important what you said. We always need to take these transits back to our charts. So if somebody has something at zero degrees of mutable signs, or even at 15 degrees of cardinal signs, I would say this Saturn is casting a long lasting aspect on whatever you have on those signs. So the Sun-Mars squaring Saturn might trigger some events. So maybe you are going through a process of slowing down and questioning, depending on what planet is being aspected right. But that’s Saturn. But there might be a questioning or slowing down or trying to see the essence or testing that planet. And maybe you’re feeling somewhat isolated or having to prove whatever this planet is about. And if Sun-Mars comes along, it will probably trigger an event that will manifest that tension, I would say. yes.
Vanessa: Yeah, for sure. That’s a big trigger.
Alejo: Yeah, nice. So if somebody wants to know, Mars will go into Sagittarius on the 24th of November. So on the 22nd we have the Sun going into Sagittarius, on the 23rd the sun will perfect the square to Saturn. On the 24th Mars goes into Sagittarius, on the 25th Mars will perfect the square to Saturn. So it’s like, like Vanessa was saying, the beginning of the season is like boom! Good luck!
Vanessa: Like the game doesn’t quite open.
Alejo: Exactly. The gate doesn’t open. And then on the 27th we get the full moon, right?
Vanessa: Yes. Full moon at 4 Gemini.
Alejo: Exactly. Four Gemini the moon, four Gemini and Sagittarius of course. Mars is still very close to the sun, it’s still two degrees, less than two degrees, I think. And it’s a little bit more than two degrees, but no more than three. And they are of course in the t-square. So the full moon is in the t-square with this Saturn in Pisces. So this whole thing gets really, really, I think, amplified.
Vanessa: Yeah, that square is such a headline for the first week, isn’t it? Because that full moon is going to amplify whatever theme that is all about. T-square with Saturn is very tense. And with Mars in the mix. So if you have planets around there, I mean, I have really been watching people with Mars coming through, and I’ve seen a few people have accidents and break things if it sets off their chart in a really tense way, like through the squares and opposition’s with their own natal Mars. And I think this kind of set up, depending on how it sits in your chart, can be the same. So I think being really mindful because the Mars is in there. Really mindful of your actions and how you’re stepping or running or whatever. You know, keep your mind on what you’re actually doing with your body.
Alejo: Yeah, it’s a good idea. Because the moon will light that up, right, with the full moon. It will share the light to increase that up. Yes. So if you have anything, like we were saying before, at the first degrees of mutable signs, this will probably happen. And also because Saturn is there, right? So it’s kind of setting like the warning, don’t do too much. Mars wants to push you over the edge, and Saturn is saying no.
Vanessa: Absolutely. And you know, Sagittarius is all about overdoing it, just going for it. I wonder with the Moon in Gemini opposite Sag, it’s the axis of knowledge, writing, reading books, speaking, sharing, over sharing. With Saturn there, maybe it’s a good idea to think before you speak. Be very considered, perhaps, in Pisces. Perhaps that is take on a bit of responsibility for, you know, think empathy. You know, take responsibility for that. I will say, I love Instagram. And it started off as a photo sharing site, pretty pictures basically. And now I’m kind of backing away from using any social media because if you open it up you can’t help but go straight to the feed. So the algorithms are going to show you what they decide will slap your body chemistry into a place where it has some sort of control over you. And so the stuff that’s been popping up is horror, literally. It’s so traumatic that people are posting, and the algorithms are choosing to pop up. I think that, you know, in some ways that people aren’t taking responsibility for what they’re showing. You know, me going on there, there’s no consent to what I am exposed to with my morning cup of tea when I’m coming into the world. And so I’ve just taken responsibility for that and I’m not using it much. Just sort of getting out there, posting stuff and getting out because I’ve got some verbal agreements I have to stick with. But yeah, I feel like this kind of astrology at the moment is reflecting what I’ve been thinking about all of that. And you know, there’s different ways to be involved and have impact on the world, but there’s also responsibility for yourself and other people as well in the day to day ground level. It’s complicated but I’m just thinking a lot of this coming up because social media is so about communication and it’s such an amazing network and way for people to have a voice, but that Saturn with that responsibility in that t-square, as well in Pisces. So sensitive, empathy.
Alejo: Yeah. And I’m also thinking, you know, the moon in Gemini, like you were saying, this axis of Gemini-Sagittarius emphasized, has a lot of this idea of social media because you can expand your voice, right. But I was thinking with Saturn in Pisces there, you were talking about the algorithm. And I was thinking, yeah, the rules and the conditions are a little bit, you know, you’re unaware of what the algorithm is about. So is a little bit of a Pisces authority.
Vanessa: You don’t have much control.
Alejo: Yes. And we are exposed to these realities. And then I was also thinking about how you started talking about Taylor Swift. And we were talking about her sense of responsibility with her ideas and her beliefs. So I think it’s a common theme. So I would always look at the rulers when we have a full moon. And we have Mercury in Sagittarius. So the Moon is in Gemini and Mercury is in Sagittarius. So she’s linked to this Mercury. So again, this idea, this danger of being outspoken. you know, just saying,
Vanessa: And Mercury in Sagittarius of course is not at strength. In the sing opposite its rulership. So that’s really interesting, I think. And yeah, it definitely reflects, don’t just kind of mouth off as Sagittarius truly loves to do. I think about thoughtfulness, take responsibility.
Alejo: Yes. And again, going to your theme of empathy, because this Mercury in Sagittarius is squaring the Neptune in Pisces. So this whole thing about information and oversharing, and the watery aspect, like the Piscean aspect. I think its theme. Also I think when we expose our truths to the world and when we share what we believe in, like, how much are we sharing? You know, with a Piscean thing, we think we’re just saying one thing but if Pisces is there and Sagittarius is there, I would say there are other layers of communications that we don’t realize are happening simultaneously.
Vanessa: Exactly. Sometimes you tell people so much that you don’t realize you’re telling them. Also, I’m thinking of Saturn as boundaries.
Alejo: Saturn as boundaries, yes. But you know, because it’s Pisces I think, I don’t know, the sense of boundary that we need to put now… This is also interesting, I think, because it’s a mutable square. So we might not be able to come up with fixed rules on how to deal with this. The sense of boundary that Saturn is asking for the next two years and a half is a mutual boundary. Something that’s flexible, that can adapt to different situations. And I’m thinking how interesting that we’re talking about taking responsibility for what you say, because this is happening on the 27th of November, and only a few days later Mercury goes into Capricorn. So it’s like, now you’re going to deal with the consequences of what you did during the full moon.
Vanessa: Exactly. And yeah, maybe get a bit of an idea on thinking more practically. And Mercury is then going to go into shadow because it’s going to retrograde on the 13th of December. So more Mercury situations.
Alejo: So on the 25th of November Mercury goes into the retrograde zone, let’s say, at 22 degrees of Sagittarius. On December 13th, he’s going to station and turn retrograde at eight degrees of Capricorn. And then on January 1st, he will go direct at 22 Sagittarius. And so then on the 28th of January he will leave the retrograde zone at eight Capricorn. So it’s from 22 Sagittarius to 8 Capricorn that we have this retrogradation. And I think it’s so interesting also that he will be retrograde during the holidays. So be careful when you meet with your relatives what you say.
Vanessa: Maybe don’t say what you really think, or consider consider people’s feelings. Do they really need to hear that? Really? How’s it gonna benefit them? It could come back on you because of the retrograde.
Alejo: When you set the goals for the year, be careful because Mercury is retrograde. So don’t set unrealistic hopes because, yeah, it could be dangerous.
Vanessa: Yes. Well, there’s not much realistic about Sagittarius. I guess that’s the point. That’s why Capricorn comes next. You’ve got to dream big first.
Alejo: Yeah. That’s also a good idea. Maybe like to put it in a positive way, this full moon is about dreaming big. But then with Saturn there and with Mercury moving in Capricorn, it’s like okay, now how can you think about these dreams in a more practical way? In a more realistic way? So perhaps we can use the full moon to dream big. Do your meditation or whatever you do to imagine where you would like to go with this idea of motion and mutability. Where would you like to aim for? And then, on the first of December when Mercury goes into Capricorn, sit down and write a plan. Okay, how am I going to do this?
Vanessa: Yes. And you could even identify the Saturn things. You could identify obstacles and limitations and get more conscious about those things and realistic about them. That could be helpful. Bring it into consciousness. Or fears. Saturn can be fears as well. Could be self imposed fears and limitation. You know, if you ask people, what is your dream? And everyone knows what their dream is, generally. And then you say, well, what are you doing about that? And often people aren’t doing very much about it. Why not? What’s your fear? People are most fearful of what they actually want. So becoming, you know, the psychological approach, becoming conscious of the subterranean fears and self limitation and self restriction as well as the realistic actual limitation one might face but maybe you can work with that.
Alejo: Yes. And I would say sometimes I think it’s not only fear, it’s laziness. It’s Saturn telling you you will have to work for it.
Vanessa: Well, Sagittarius just wants to not work for it.
Alejo: Exactly. It just wants to get there.
Vanessa: Yeah. It wants to run and make it happen.
Alejo: I’m talking to you and I’m thinking of so many Sagittarius I know and you’re describing them so well.
Vanessa: Yeah. Story of my life. I’ll work, but I’ll literally sit at my table and channel, well, you know, what would a Capricorn do? Or what would a Virgo do? It’s always an earth sign. What would this particular sign do? If that’s that earth signs’ wheel house, that’s the way I get around it. It’s like, well, a Capricorn would just sit here until they finish. You know, I just want to get up and get moving. I’m like, well, you can’t, because it won’t get done. So what would a Capricorn do? Because they know what to do. And the answer will come.
Alejo: We have to meet more Capricorns to realize how to handle our lives. Now, also talking about this earthy thing. I think it’s an interesting thing that Mercury goes into Capricorn on the first of December and it will soon trine Jupiter. Because Jupiter at the full moon is at 7 degrees, but by the time that Mercury will trine it, I think it’s going to be… Yeah, because it’s moving a little bit. So Mercury will trine from Capricorn to Jupiter in Taurus. And this trine if you use a wide orb, it’s going to last long because Mercury will start retrograding. So it’s a great opportunity to stop and think and ground your vision. Okay, now that I had this huge dream during the full moon, and maybe the dream is coming up from before the full moon, I would say. You were talking about writing with the full moon, and with this Mercury-Jupiter thing I also think there is this possibility of writing down your ideas, writing down what you want to do, what you want to achieve. Your goals, your aims.
Vanessa: Yeah, I think so. And, you know, it’s funny, I’ve written three books so far. I do a lot of writing. And on book number one, a lot of people said, you know, when I said I was writing a book or I have written a book, they’re like, I’ve always wanted to write a book. Or I’m writing a book. Or I could write a book. I’m like, well, go on then. And by book three no one says anything. And I think well, just do it. Maybe this will shine a light on what is your message? What do you want to get out there? What do you want to record or set down? And even in my glamour horoscopes I try to encourage people to not just consume, but to create themselves. Not just find a novel to read, it’s like, well, why not write your own? Why not write your biography or make up a story or whatever it is? Just give it a go.
Alejo: Yeah. And I would expand it. Not only write, maybe it’s a podcast you want to do or maybe you’re an astrologer and it has to do with the way you do sessions, the way you speak astrology with your clients. I mean, I think, like you’re saying, I don’t think anybody could write a book. Like you were saying that people say, oh I could write a book. I don’t think it’s so easy to write a book. After writing three books you have proven it. But so I would say okay, maybe for some people maybe writing is not the way they can better express themselves. But with Mercury it is about words, it is about communication. And I would say, well, try to find out in which way you can communicate in an efficient way. You know, maybe you’re an astrologer and it’s just about how you set the consultation, how you prepare the consultation. Or again, the Mercury-Jupiter thing. So I guess everyone has to put it back to their own context. What does it mean in their own context. But it has to do with this ability of this possibility of being able to express your vision. Put in words, what you believe in, what you think you could achieve, what you think is your message like you were saying. How to express that.
Vanessa: Yeah. I’ve got a friend with loads of Gemini but it’s all in the fifth house. So you think she’d be a writer because she’s got so much in Gemini, but she is a visual communicator. So she got inspired to do something astrological and she made a portrait of a different person for each sign, but that went through the zodiac signs. Because it’s fifth house so she did that creative expression for getting those ideas across. So someone else was just saying to me today that they have a message that they want to share and get across so they’re going to find time and a way to work that out. That’s coming up for that person. And maybe that’s already this kind of months energy that’s coming up starting to show for her because it’s definitely in line with what we’re talking about, which I think is interesting.
Alejo: Yeah, exactly. And she has a lot of Gemini planets so she’s going to have all of these transits.
Vanessa: Yeah. So I think that’s a really interesting, yeah. How are you communicating? How do you want to communicate? It’s such an axis of communication, isn’t it?
Alejo: Yeah. And like we were saying, when the earth gets emphasized, I would say be responsible for what you communicate. There are going to be consequences. There are going to be real consequences for what you say.
Vanessa: Yeah, that’s a good one to remember—the karma of Saturn, the consequence. Exactly. And what you might be trying to be trying to avoid.
Alejo: On the 12th of December we have the new moon. And now like you were saying it has a completely different flavor. As we move along the season, everything gets lighter. So on the 12th of December, we have the new moon with the Moon and Sun in Sagittarius. So the Moon and the Sun at 20 degrees, Mars is at 13 degrees. So I think still in orb for a conjunction, but the whole chart feels lighter. It doesn’t feel there’s too much tension.
Vanessa: Yeah, I agree. And it just seems a lot happier. Although there is a square to Neptune, so that could be an illusion. And there’s these really great trines to Chiron in Aries and the North Node in Aries. But there is that square to Neptune. So it might feel lighter than it is. Watch that puddle.
Alejo: So you think it’s going to be much lighter than what it’s actually going to be?
Vanessa: Yeah, like it goes from the square to Saturn to the square to Neptune for the new moon. I think the full moon is much more potent. It always feels more powerful. But yeah, I think we might trip into the light fantastic and it’s actually not quite what we think because of the square.
Alejo: Instead of moving from fantasy to reality, we ended up moving from reality to fantasy.
Vanessa: Yes, exactly.
Alejo: It’s like we’ve been so serious about the full moon and take responsibility for things that you say, but then we get to the new moon and well, maybe I could just escape.
Vanessa: Maybe, yeah. So that Neptune in Pisces is really powerful. It’s in sign and ascending through that square. So I guess everything’s not all it could be, or the big vision is, I don’t know, there’s something that one might be missing in it. It’s still a planet in Pisces so maybe we’re revisiting this idea of empathy and compassion and a lot of things that we could all do with more of. I’m thinking about one of the headlines at the moment where, you know, there’s so much division. There’s two sides and people are being empathetic, but the empathy and compassion like makes it worse if it’s fighting for a side. It’s like Neptune in Pisces is that we’re all one and we’re all together and you have to kind of blend it in or the problem perpetuates.
Alejo: Yes. What I was thinking is, you were talking before about taking responsibility and speaking with empathy and taking responsibility. And as we move out from the square to Saturn but now into a square with Neptune, also in Pisces, what I’m thinking is the burden of empathy. Maybe the feeling is going to be more like, you know, it feels like a duty, it’s a burden to be empathic, to be compassionate, to be considerate of others. And then when we go into the square with Neptune it’s going to become more fluid. You know, not so much of a burden, not having to do the effort of being more open, you know? Like, just be more open. I think that maybe at the beginning of the season that we’re going to feel more like it’s a demand, it’s a duty, something we have to do that it’s hard to do. And by the end of the season… It’s still a square so it’s not easy to do. But there is not the sense of a burden of duty, something that comes out, you know, we’re supposed to be empathic. I don’t know. I think it’s also nice to feel, dangerous but nice (not dangerous in a bad way, but nice), to kind of end the year with a Sun square Neptune. Like, okay, we had such a tough year so we can dream a little bit about what’s going to be the next one.
Vanessa: Maybe. It is a is a square though. I guess the square is sometimes that you’re resisting the planet in the square, isn’t it? So your advice is good in terms of, well, maybe rather than resist it, maybe take on the dream. It’s very visionary, isn’t it? Neptune in Pisces and Sagittarius. Talking about William Blake.
Alejo: William Blake. We need to fall in love and to idealize the person we fall in love with. Yes, then of course at some point we will hit the wall. And we will be like, this person isn’t what I dreamt of. But that’s when love starts. But I think like we need this process of first idealizing and projecting onto the other person all of these qualities that we find wonderful.
Vanessa: Fantasy or delusion. Illusion.
Alejo: Yeah. So I would say, be careful, don’t dream too much but dream a little bit.
Vanessa: Also don’t drink too much.
Alejo: That one’s for sure. Yeah, don’t drink too much.
Vanessa: Enjoy the fantasy. It’s very escapist.
Alejo: Yeah. I mean, because only a few days later the Sun will go into Capricorn. So only a few days later I guess we’re gonna start getting a sense of reality. So it’s okay to dream a bit, I think. Also with Mercury, the retrogradation of Mercury, it’s going through Sagittarius and Capricorn. So it is kind of trying to link these two very different signs. The very expanded one and the more restricted, realistic one. So I would say, going back to this Mercury retrograde, if you have anything between 22 Sagittarius and 8 degrees of Capricorn, you know that Mercury is going to be retrograding there. So you know that for sure, I mean for almost sure, that you’ll have to revise some stuff, depending on whatever you have in those in those degrees. So from 22 Sagittarius to 8 degrees of Capricorn, Mercury will make three hits. And this is going to be important probably. Probably there is an area in which there are things you have to rethink about it. So maybe if it’s on the Sagittarius side, it’s more about trying to be more realistic. Maybe it is about not dreaming too much or committing more. But if it’s on the Capricorn side, I would say well, maybe it’s about trying to dream bigger and take risks.
Vanessa: Hmm, I think it’s interesting that Mercury will retrograde back into Sagittarius. So yeah, it’s definitely back and forth with those two ideas. It’s like, oh, maybe the idea is not big enough. Go back to the drawing board and think again, open it up. And then it goes back into Capricorn and okay, let’s see how we can work with this. What actually practical that we can implement into a system?
Alejo: Yeah, exactly. It’s like we had the vision with the Mercury in Sagittarius. We went into Capricorn and, no it didn’t work. We go back to Sagittarius and rethink your vision and then we go back and try it.
Vanessa: Exactly. And Mars will be out of bounds as well. Tony will do the declination report which we’re all enjoying. Mars goes out of bounds on the 20th of December through to the 23rd of January. So there is that as well. It adds a bit more wild card.
Alejo: Yeah. So that with the Sun in Sagittarius square Neptune. Well that’s gonna go away by the 20th of December. Okay. Nice. So now some dates. We didn’t talk a lot about Venus, I’m afraid. She’s doing some interesting stuff. She’s going to go into Scorpio and oppose Jupiter in Taurus. So Venus will square Pluto in Capricorn on the 3rd of December, and then she’s going into Scorpio on the 4th of December. And on the 10th she will oppose Jupiter. And on the 21st she will oppose Uranus. So I think there is this whole journey of Venus, like Persephone’s journey. Questioning what is it that we want, what is it that we value. Why do we value those things? Why do we feel the emotional attachment to those things? Because it’s Jupiter, right? And then maybe the possibility of breaking some kind of cycle with Venus opposing Uranus. But of course, it depends very much on your chart. If this is touching points in your chart. But I guess there is this flavor of something more like deep and difficult and intense with Venus in Scorpio. And as it moves towards the opposition of Uranus, perhaps bringing some kind of disruption that could create more space, more freedom, more creativity. I don’t know, what do you think?
Vanessa: Well, I’ve been watching all the Scorpios actually picking up that Uranus opposition to their Scorpio placements. And really, what I’ve noticed a lot is, as a sign that likes to control things, fixed, the other person because it’s an opposition, is someone in their life that they can’t control. So with Venus, it could be a love thing. It could be feeling like you literally have the opposite look that’s working. Someone else just might be a bit of a loose unit and you can’t control them. And they are disrupting things. And really, the opportunity in that is that quite often it’s that Scorpio could take a bit more space for themselves and just don’t worry about it. Don’t worry about trying to control them, just live your life. They’re actually giving you a space to do that. But Scorpio doesn’t want to do that, it wants to control. So depending on where that is in your chart and if it’s picking things up, you know, that could be a little bit of disruption or a gap that day. You know, you might have had a date set up or to see someone that you want to see and they cancel. It could be as as minimal as that.
Alejo: Yeah, exactly. It doesn’t always have to be super big. Nice. Okay, great. So now some dates that we find might have good opportunities. So I wrote the 22nd. So I don’t know when this is going to be played out, but if we you hear it in time, on the 22nd of November the Mars in Scorpio will sextile Pluto in Capricorn. So I think that’s kind of giving you a driving force to achieve what you want to achieve or to find what you want to fight. Or to face something. Maybe at your work you have to defend something you want to defend, to stand for something you want to stand for. On the 2nd of December, Mercury in Capricorn will sextile Saturn in Pisces. So I also think it’s an opportunity to make pacts with this sextile. To set grounds, to set rules. Not only with others, I would say, I think I would take it in a psychological way also to yourself. So Mercury is in Libra, so it might be with other people. But I would also think to yourself, what do you agree, what do you commit about yourself? So you can think about that. On the 6th of December, Venus is going to be trining Saturn. So again, a good day to commit to your values and perhaps to think about your commitments. Also, if you’re a creative person, if you’re doing creative work, it would be a good day in which you can manifest in a physical form. So it will be a good day to work on creating. And on the 11th of December, we have Mercury in Capricorn sextiling Venus in Scorpio. So again, I think this is a nice opportunity to be able to talk with your partners. What what do you each value? What do you each want? What do you believe the relationship is about? It doesn’t have to be so deep because it’s Mercury-Venus, so it could be just do something with your friends that you enjoy. A book club or something like that. I don’t know.
Vanessa: Exactly. I was going to say because there’s those planets in Sag, a fire sign, when the moon moves through the other fire signs, so when the moon moves through Leo, it will set up a grand fire trine for a day. So pick up on that. And then when it moves into Aries at the end of the month, there’ll be lots of nice trines between the late Sag placements and the moon conjunct Chiron and the North Node in Aries over to those Sag placements.
Alejo: Yes, thank you for that. Okay. And then from the 8th to the 18th, we have this Mercury trine Jupiter which we already talked about. So do you have any other dates for opportunity knocks?
Vanessa: No, I was really just watching the moon and seeing what that might pick up and kind of trigger. So I’m gonna go with that mid-month, the moon when it goes through Leo and get that nice fire trine of energy and positivity.
Alejo: It’s a nice one. The Sagittarius positivity at all costs. So what is your mantra for this season?
Vanessa: All right. So my mantra is, “I easily think, act and feel in alignment with my intuitive impulses in a way that builds trust with myself and others.”
Alejo: It’s a huge one. Because it’s in Sagittarius, why make a short one? So instead I chose a very simple, short one which is, “I believe.”
Vanessa: What do you believe?
Alejo: I don’t know. Just look at yourself in the mirror and say, “I believe.” And are you reading anything right now?
Vanessa: Yes. So on the coffee table I’m currently reading The Patriarchs: How Men Came to Rule by Angela Saini. She’s a British science journalist, BBC broadcaster and author. And she basically aims to answer the question that a lot of people have with patriarchy, etc. Like, well how did it get to here? How did we get here? So that is exactly what she’s taken on. And it’s quite a big book and she is very thorough. And she’s written it in a very sort of calm way, which is great because a lot of the information just makes you feel angry. It makes me angry with my fire because it’s just so much worse than you think. She just goes through all these different cultures. Although she’s British, her background is Indian. So she just has this extra layer that she goes through. And it’s fascinating. And I’ve learned a lot. And then there’s other things that I’ve picked out here and there that she’s put in perhaps better context. Very interesting. And so basically, it looks at the roots of gender depression and how male domination embedded into societies and spread across the globe from prehistory to present, and also how it then reinforces itself now in the current era. Despite the pushback against sexism and exploitation in our own time, even revolutionary efforts to bring about equality have often ended in failure and backlash. So Saini ends by asking what part we all play, women included, in keeping patriarchal structures alive and why we need to look beyond the old narratives to understand why it persists in the present. Fascinating. Very clever. And of course, my whole thing is because I see in astrology that it’s so gendered and it just is constantly reinforcing these gendered stereotypes, which is infuriating. So yeah, how do we get here. And astrology is so old. It’s come from these places a couple 1000 years ago and it’s traveled with all of this. So it’s all been wrapped in. So it’s very interesting to sort of untangle it all. And how about you?
Alejo: It sounds fantastic, that book. I’m rereading the Odyssey by Homer, which has a lot of Sagittarius of course, because it’s a trip. Because we were reading it for my Jungian training and we were doing this workshop on the Odyssey and I decided to read it again. And I’m reading this new version which is by Emily Wilson. And it’s a first translation in English. Not in English, by woman. Sorry.
Vanessa: Oh really? Interesting. The first one.
Alejo: Yes. So I think it’s interesting that you were talking about the patriarchy, and how come we haven’t had a translation by a woman yet? Nice. Also, you were talking about Santa Claus and I wanted to recommend there was this podcast I heard yesterday about, it’s called Not Another Greek History podcast. And they were talking about whether Santa Claus is actually a Greek figure or not. So you know, we usual relate it to Scandinavia and Odin, but he was saying well, there’s something before that. So I think it’s interesting to listen to it if you’re interested in the whole Santa Claus thing.
Vanessa: Ah, that would be interesting. And there’s probably pockets from different cultures, isn’t there?
Alejo: Yes, I guess. Because it’s an archetypical figure, right? Yeah. So how can people connect with you, contact you? Are you having any events coming up?
Vanessa: So you can find me at astroallstarz.com. I’ve still got my social media, Facebook and Instagram, which is @astro_allstarz, with a Z. I’m doing astrology consultations. So you’re welcome to book in through my website. Of course, my three books: Star Power, Cosmic Power, and Astro Power, my newest one. And I don’t have anything coming up. I’m just doing lots of reading and taking notes preparing for book four. And what about you, Alejo?
Alejo: So on the 9th of December I have a webinar for the Faculty of Astrological Studies, it’s called Unveiling the Profound Depths of the Eighth House. So basically we’re going to be talking about the eighth house. And on Astrology University, we’re going to have the social planets course. So it’s about Jupiter and Saturn. It’s from November 29th to December 20th, with Darby Costello, Mark Jones and Tony Howard. So they’re going to help you track down how this Jupiter and Saturn are having an impact in your own charts or in people that you do chart consultations for. And then from December the 8th to December 18th, if you like this podcast I think you will like this workshop or this course, I should say. It’s called Plan Your Year Ahead with Kelly Surtees. So basically she’s going to give us tips on how to organize our next year based on the astrology of our charts. So I think it’s a very good place to go by the end of the year to prepare for 2024.
Vanessa: Excellent. And yeah, planning ahead using the stars. That would make sense, right?
Alejo: Yeah, exactly. All right. So Vanessa, thank you so much for being here. Thank you everyone who has listened to this, and we will meet again on the next podcast on the next season, which is Capricorn.
Vanessa: Stay cosmic.
Alejo: Bye bye.
