Welcome to Ghost of a Podcast. I'm your host, Jessica Lanyadoo. I'm an astrologer, psychic medium, and animal communicator, and I'm going to give you your weekly horoscope and no-bullshit mystical advice for living your very best life.

Hey there, Ghosties. In this episode, I'll deliver your astrological weather report for the week ahead. Every Sunday, I help you prepare to navigate through life's up and downs and provide you with practical insights for planning ahead and staying on top of your game. And don't forget to hit Subscribe whenever listening to this podcast, or just mark your calendars, because every Wednesday I'll be back with a live, in-depth reading with a listener. Maybe it'll be you. So sit back, relax, and get ready to get astrological.

Darlings, welcome back to Ghost. This week, we're going to look in the astrology of April 9th through the 15th of 2023. And I want to remind you of two very important things. One is that you only have a week to register for my class. It's happening on April 16th, and it is all about the Moon in you. You can register on my website. The link is in the description of this episode.

The other thing is also related to the Moon, which is that we have a Solar Eclipse on the 19th of April, a.k.a. next week. And so, yeah, emotions are running high. Expect to feel a lot and also be dealing with others who are acting from their feelings. Sometimes that means people get really weird and shut down and hard to read, and sometimes that means they act out in really obvious ways, and everything in between. So this is an emotional time, and the best way to cope with emotional times is by the very simple and straightforward thing of feeling your feelings and making every effort to cope with your feelings⁠, not to fix them⁠—to cope with them, which is challenging, but it's part of life. And it's a part of life that, if you can cultivate some chops with, your life gets a lot healthier and a lot easier.

Now, before I get into the details of this week's horoscope, I've got a couple words to share. I love astrology. I absolutely love astrology. I started studying it formally in 1992, I believe. And I will say it helps me make sense of the world and contextualize the present and the past and give me the tools for being more intentional about the future. This is a tool⁠—I don't know how people live without astrology. It is fucking awesome. I love it. And after consulting professionally with individuals for more than 25 years, I've become really invested in understanding how it impacts the collective, a.k.a. groups of individuals. And because as an astrologer I work closely with the outer planets⁠—this is a huge part of my practice⁠—it's a pretty organic extension of my one-on-one consulting practice and use of astrology to look into and center what is happening within the collective because, of course, those outer planets⁠—referred to as the social planets or the generational planets⁠—are related to social conditions and generations of people.

Now, if you have been paying attention to what is happening in this country as well as around the world, you know it seems like something has snapped. Something meaningful has shifted. In many ways, conditions have descended into chaos all over the world. And I want to be clear that, of course, this is not a news podcast. I don't think that an astrologer is a good resource for the news, as a general rule. Also, if I dropped two-hour-long episodes every week where I talked about the news and astrology, you would have every right to roll your eyes at me. I would accept that. But it is really important to understand the times we live in and to recognize that astrology is a tool for being able to do that. And it's a pretty standalone tool because it kind of gives us this mathematical resource for understanding the present and history, which empowers us to prepare for the future.

So there is unrest. There is the rise of strongmen grabbing for power, technology outpacing our ability to socially and legislatively cope, and ecological changes as a result of a human-made climate crisis, and people-led movements that are happening all around the world, not just here in the U.S. but everywhere. And just a couple of things that I will share that have happened in the past week⁠ here in the U.S. is, in the wake of the school shooting in Tennessee, there was the expulsion of two Black progressive elected officials by white republicans for standing with youth-led anti-gun activists. In Kansas, we saw an aggressive ban on Trans youth in athletics that could potentially lead to genital inspections of young Trans athletes⁠—like, of children. It's stunning.

In Idaho, it is now a felony to help a person under 18 get an abortion, whether by travel or by helping them get pills. Idaho law allows for the filing of lawsuits against doctors who perform abortions for people under 18 that don't have a sign-off by their parent or guardian, even if they live outside of Idaho. In Florida, Ron DeSantis went and, behind closed doors, legalized carrying concealed weapons without permits just this past week. There are so many things happening and so many things that are so consequential, not just to the people living in whatever states I've named, but for the legislative precedent being set in this country that is supposed to be a democracy. And again, we are in the Pluto Return of the United States. We need to be vigilant about this stuff. If you don't pay attention, you're likely to be pretty stunned by the world around you in the next few years.

Things are changing rapidly, and we are all a part of it. Pluto currently sits at zero degrees of Aquarius, and Saturn is at four degrees of Pisces. And if you don't know, there's 30 degrees to each zodiac sign. So zero and four degrees is real early degrees. This is the very start of two meaningful cycles. It's the beginning⁠—it is not the middle; it is certainly not the end⁠—of major developments in humanity as well as in our own individual lives.

And as I mentioned in the year-ahead horoscope, when Neptune and Saturn are both in the zodiac sign of Pisces, as they are now⁠—and this happens very infrequently, but as they are now⁠—it is really important for people to come together in a more structured way because there is a risk that with all of the instability that can be reflected in this period, that we become scattered and our movements become scattered. So this is something we have to watch out for, especially people who are activists or motivated to be a part of creating change, to make this world safe and healthy for all of us.

So, on a social level, how you participate, including whether or not you participate⁠—that's your legacy. We are at the early stages of some oppressive and world-changing shit, and it's important to acknowledge your role in it, whatever it is. And on a personal level, I gotta say you, my friend, are most probably changing. And if you're not changing, you're probably digging in your heels because this is a moment of transition.

So, this Eclipse Season, try to carve out some time to reflect on where you're at and who you are within this world that we're living in⁠—your personal life, your personal world, but the world at-large, and remember that the very act of reflection is a Moon action; it's a Lunar action. The Moon governs over reflection, how you show up for others, and how you do or don't take responsibility for your own emotional wellness and conduct is a reflection on you. What you choose to do or not do is not a reflection on your ancestors or your childhood or the shitty conditions that you're living through currently; it's a reflection on you. So, as we approach this Solar Eclipse in Aries on April 19th and the Lunar Eclipse in Scorpio on May 5th, it's important to identify your agency and own up to what you are or aren't doing, who you are or are not⁠—Aries⁠—especially where and when it's messy⁠—Scorpio. Ya capiche? Okay. Ya capiche.

Okay. Let's get into the horoscope. As a reminder, we are looking at April 9th through the 15th of 2023. The first exact transit that we have this week happens on the 11th, and it is a Venus trine Pluto. It's exact at 3:14 a.m., and it is Venus at zero degrees of Gemini and 16 minutes and Pluto at zero degrees of Aquarius and 16 minutes. This transit⁠—Venus trine Pluto⁠—is all about intensity. Venus is related to our relationships, our body image, our finances, and our values. Fucking love Venus, right? And it is trine to transformative, intense, and healing Pluto. Now, Pluto can just as easily destroy as it can heal, but let's focus on the healing because it's a trine, and trines are a benefic flow of energy. We generally experience things as being supportive and easy during a trine.

This particular transit is excellent for romance. So, if you are trying to just get flirty, flirty and weird with someone, or you're in a relationship and you want to affirm your care and investment, this is an excellent transit for doing both of those things. This can be a great time for sensual or sexual connection, for playing with clothes, playing with the way you look. If you're trying to make some sort of a big aesthetic transformation, do it now. Do it before we get any closer to Eclipse Season. Do it before we hit Mercury Retrograde, Venus trine Pluto. That's your move.

Now, you may also develop some sort of attraction or fixation on a person based on very superficial things, like, "This person is so cute," and you know nothing about them, but you decide that they are something⁠—whatever⁠—something you want. So you want to be a little bit mindful that if you feel particularly obsessive or fixated on a person, give it 72 hours. Just give it a solid 72 hours before you make any hard and fast decisions about what that means or you feed the flames of desire with too much of a seriousness, I guess, is what I would say.

This is a great time for tending to your finances. Now, most people are not, during a Venus trine to Pluto in air signs, going to hunker down with their finances. That's not going to be your first instinct. However, it's a great time to organize your finances, to make financially related decisions, because Venus is currency. It's the money you have. It's your liquid resources. So a trine to Pluto simply means that you're going to be able to figure things out in a way that might otherwise be a lot more painful. So, if you have to do your taxes, anything like that, Venus trine Pluto is your buddy.

And then, ultimately, what I want to always bring you back to is Venus is values. Venus is values. And so, whether we're talking about playing with the way you look or obsessing on the way you or someone else looks, whether we're talking about money, like how to invest your money, how to manage your money, or we're talking about our relationships, they're all a reflection of what you value. And so, if you are centering or prioritizing things that actually don't reflect your values, then either (a) you have a fantasy about what your values actually are, or (b) you need to realign. And this transit is a great time for figuring that shit out and making adjustments. Venus trine Pluto⁠—it's very helpful. Make sure that you are aligned with your values in all things. And when you don't, again, be willing to consider that maybe your values are different than you think they are or you would like to think they are.

Now, the other transit that is exact on this day is a Sun conjunction to Jupiter. This transit is exact at 3:07 p.m. Pacific. Sun conjunction to Jupiter is a fan-freaking-tastic transit⁠—wonderful, wonderful, wonderful. And I'm so happy that it is happening on the same day as a Venus trine to Pluto because it can empower us to make better use of both transits. Now, I will start with what can happen on the negative.

On the negative, it can have us being arrogant, not listening, soapboxing, which is trying to tell people how to feel, what to think, what to do, that kind of shit. So it can be a time where people get kind of greedy; people get arrogant. So make sure you're not one of those people. That's my big advice there. So, if you have any planets at around 22 degrees of a cardinal sign, an air sign, or a fire sign, you want to pay especially close attention to this transit because there's so much good you can get from it because this transit is happening at 21 degrees and 45 minutes of Aries. Let me tell you about the positive because there's way more positive than negative with this transit.

The Sun conjunction to Jupiter is a transit that can empower us to feel more resilient⁠—psychologically resilient, physiologically resilient. This can empower us to feel like we can cope with things, and not just give us a feeling, but oftentimes, when you feel a little more hopeful or optimistic, it is easier to see the resources and options you have around you and to tap into them. Jupiter gives us the ability to see the big picture. And so this is part of how it is associated with expansiveness.

If you need to get a big-picture view of a situation in your life, the world, whatever it is, this transit's really supportive to that. It helps us to not get so buried by the details but instead pull back and see the big picture. This can end up being really supportive for, again, your psychological, physiological, or spiritual development. And that has endless, endless applications.

This transit basically means you're going to feel better. You're going to feel better, and you're going to have the impulse to want to spread that. So, a lot of times, when Jupiter is involved, it can kind of lead to a bit of hedonism. But under this transit⁠—Sun conjunct Jupiter⁠—it doesn't give you this contentment. Instead, it gives you some fire in the belly that you can do good things with. This transit can make us feel more generous and open-minded, even openhearted. So definitely do your utmost to capitalize on the best parts of this transit because it can be really helpful.

When we feel more expansive, when we feel more resilient, the impact it can have on our lives is really massive. So, if you gotta put yourself out there, especially in relationships⁠—any kind of relationships⁠—this is your day. And when I say this is your day, the day before/the day after are both great, but this is the day where it's exact. So it's a great time to really take some risks, take some chances. Just make sure you're listening as much as you're leaping. Expansion on its own is not a good thing. Expansion in the right direction, in the right way, now that⁠—that is delicious. So that's what you really want to do your best to make use of.

Now, that brings us, my dears, to the next and final transit of the week. There's not too many exact transits this week, but that doesn't mean there's not a lot going on. There absolutely is. Eclipse. Eclipse in a week. So that means this feeling of energy mounting is meaningfully influencing all the transits that we're going through. On the 14th, Venus forms an exact square to Saturn. This is happening with Venus at four degrees and four minutes of Gemini and Saturn at four degrees and four minutes of Pisces⁠—so mutable signs. If you have anything around those degrees, especially of mutable signs, pay close attention. But this affects all of us.

This transit is exact at 9:38 a.m. Pacific Time. And just as a hot aside, if ever you have a hard time keeping up with all the transits I'm talking about in an episode, every episode every week is transcribed on my website. So you can always go to my website at ghostofapodcast.com and just read the reference material that's there. It's there for you. Use it.

So Venus square to Saturn⁠—this transit is tricky and uncomfortable because Venus and Saturn are two planets that are very concerned with security and safety, in very different ways. But when they form a 90-degree angle to each other, which is tense and uncomfortable⁠—when they form that kind of aspect to each other, we can often feel like our safety is in peril or not stable in some way. This can make us feel really destabilized and stressed out.

Venus and Saturn are also two planets who are really concerned with being liked⁠—probably the two planets that are the most concerned with being liked/other people not disliking you. And so this transit can make us feel really insecure. It can make us feel self-conscious, not in a way where, "I have consciousness about myself," but self-conscious like you're having a scarcity-based evaluation of what other people think or feel about you, what you said, what you did, how you did it, how it landed. It can make you feel really just crummy.

So this transit can bring about relationship problems because you're acting weird. I'm acting weird. They're acting weird. Everybody's acting weird because everybody feels off. Some people in reaction to this energy will bear down, will work hard, will be more demanding. Other people will get really scattered and all over the place because that's how they respond to these kinds of feelings. And there's a bazillion other ways that people react. But I want to just ground you into we do not all respond or react in the same ways to the same feelings. You may get extra nice when you feel insecure, and someone else might get cold when they feel insecure. And you might be having the same feelings.

And so this is just a nice reminder to not personalize how other people are, because if somebody that you're interacting with is hot and cold, that is who they are and how they are. And maybe it's a reaction to you. Maybe it's specifically around you that they do this, and that's very real and very possible. And also, a person who is hot and cold is a person who's hot and cold, and that's information that you have about who they are. It's important that we don't over-personalize other people. In particular and especially, I'm talking about people you're not in intimate relationships with, really close relationships where you have agreements and responsibilities to each other and you know each other.

So you may be feeling real off in your body. This is the opposite of what I said about Venus trine to Pluto. This transit makes you feel yucky about the way you look, can make you feel really uncomfortable in your meat suit. It can just have you tearing yourself apart, or if you like to project a lot, you may find yourself being really critical of the way other people look. All of it is a waste of your energy. All of it is a misplaced direction for this energy to go.

Again, you want to come back to your values. If tearing yourself apart or tearing apart others is in accordance with your values, then have at it. But if you do not value those things, then try to identify, "Wow. I am putting my energy into something that I don't value. I want to try to make an edit here. I want to try to make an adjustment," because Saturn is helpful for that. That's a good use of Saturn. But it takes that you have the self-awareness and the humility to be able to do that while you're feeling kind of shitty, which⁠—you know, easier said than done. But it's a good direction to point yourself in.

This transit can spark feelings of loneliness and depression because fucking Venus and Saturn, right? This can be particularly challenging and activating for people who are continuing to be COVID-conscious and COVID-safe in a world that is pretending that COVID is done. So this transit⁠—again, you really want to be on the lookout for loneliness and depressed feelings. And if you experience that, well, hopefully you'll have put some things in place to support yourself in advance of the transit. And that might mean healthy, constructive distractions from your feelings. It might mean having a friend that you can reach out to to just talk about things. It might mean a bazillion different things, depending on who you are and where you're at.

But the transit of Venus square to Saturn wants us to ask ourselves the hard questions about our relationships and, again, whether or not they reflect our values. And it also wants us to ask questions about how we conduct ourselves as a lover or a partner or a bestie or a pal. And if we don't have the kind of attention and care in our lives that we wish we did, we may feel like shit. That's just how this transit goes. And so I want to remind you that as difficult as these feelings are, it's all awareness. When you recognize what isn't working in your life, it's another level or layer of awareness. And awareness can be leveraged into action, but in order to do that, we can't just have cognitive awareness. We can't just mentally figure a thing out.

We must have the emotional awareness of ourselves to be able to make an emotional shift as the foundation for a behavioral shift. Otherwise, we keep on doing the same thing over and over. Maybe we do the same thing with a hat on. Maybe we do the same thing with sunglasses on. But it's the same thing over and over. Real change takes time. It takes energy. And it means adjusting our internal foundations, a.k.a. our emotions, so that we make different choices in old situations, so that we resonate with different kinds of people, or we respond differently to the same old triggers. Inner work.

So the Venus square to Saturn transit can point us towards the awareness that we need to understand what needs our attention, what needs our care, what needs our presence. It doesn't necessarily give us the empathy and the inner peace to execute on that awareness in this exact moment. But again, what I love about astrology is that there is an order to this chaos. There is a meaning to it. And so, if you can find the meaning, it can make it a lot easier to tolerate the discomfort or the pain that can come up with these transits.

Now, if you're in a relationship, and in particular if this transit hits your birth chart directly or your partner's birth chart directly, this can represent a time where things kind of come to the surface and need to be dealt with. It is not fun. But if there are very real problems, you may just need to deal with them. I won't warn you against that except for to say this transit tends to make us negative. It tends to give us a scarcity-based perspective.

So, if you know you have a tendency to be super negative or to not be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel no matter how short that tunnel is, then this is not a great time for processing with people that you care about. You might need to reschedule. For many people, this transit can be a really constructive time for identifying problems in a relationship, for working through shit. It really just depends on who you are, where you're at, etc. But it's good to be aware of what this transit can bring.

Now, one more thing I'll say about it is Venus square Saturn is a pain in the ass around finances. It is not a great time to work on your finances, necessarily. I mean, for some people, it will be exactly the energy you need to do annoying things and organize your resources, but for a lot of people, it can put you in a real scarcity mindset. You may come across some sort of unexpected expense that you actually have to deal with. Venus square Saturn⁠—Saturn is reality. Reality is what it is. You can fight it. You can judge it. Reality is reality. So what are you going to do? Right? Now, I know that probably raised the hackles of many of you. But I'm a triple Capricorn. What did you expect?

The other final thing I want to say about this particular transit is that Venus square Saturn⁠—we may see some really hellacious things legislatively from men in power against women and people who are not cis men, people of all genders who are not cis men. So we definitely want to be on the lookout for that, and we want to stay informed and aware so that we can respond accordingly.

And that, my friends, is your horoscope. That's it. That's what's going on this week. Again, you remember that we are dealing with big emotions as we move closer and closer to the Eclipse, the Solar Eclipse that will be happening next week. And remember that Eclipses bring emotions to the surface so that healing can occur. You don't need to freak out. You don't need to freak out. You don't need to be like, "Oh shit. I was planning on going to a party around the Eclipse." That's okay. Just know that you may have emotional conditions emerge or present themselves that are meaningful to your development, and all you need to do is show up.

Show up to the best of your ability with your whole heart. And sometimes showing up to the best of your ability with your whole heart means having excellent boundaries so you don't make yourself vulnerable to people that you don't trust. When I say your whole heart, I don't mean to be a bleeding heart walking around town. Sometimes a whole heart means you need shielding. Anyways, we will talk about this more next week.

And again, if you want to learn more about the Moon in your birth chart, what the Moon is about, how to work with it, how to think about it, join me for my class on the 16th. And I hope to see you there. Thank you for joining me this week and every week here on Ghost. And if you want more astrology and more woo, join me over on Patreon. In the meantime, I hope you are taking really good care of yourself and others, and I will talk to you in just a couple of days. Buh-bye.