Down to Astro

Episode 15

In this podcast, professional astrologers Chani Nicholas, Thea Anderson, and Eliza Robertson look to the sky to make sense of what’s happening here on Earth.

This episode, we’re digging into the astrology of 2025 and what it reveals about the year to come. Marked by major planetary shifts, lots of activity in Aries, and some historically era-defining transits, 2025 is not for the faint of heart. Between the Mars and Venus retrogrades that point to conflict over traditional ideals, Saturn and Neptune transits that seem to signify the erosion of institutions, and Uranus in Gemini promising to usher in a new world order, there’s a lot to unpack. So buckle up. We’re breaking down the year month-by-month to give you insight into what to expect, takeaways to apply to your own chart, and tips to help you plot a course through the chaos. Let’s get into it.

Timestamps:

(00:00) - Welcome to Down to Astro episode 15

(02:28) - Introducing 2025, the year of massive change

(06:53) - January’s major astrological moments

(20:51) - The personal and political impacts of Mars in Cancer

(26:19) - February and the crisis of patriarchy

(35:35) - March and the Venus retrograde parallels to 2017

(39:13) - Counter movements to traditional gender roles

(42:16) - Astrological insights on Venus and Mars retrogrades

(46:24) - Eclipses and their influence on personal growth

(50:55) - Neptune in Aries: the “war of ideals” and the modern implications

(01:01:25) - The American Civil War and the power of historical narratives

(01:09:27) - April 2025 forecast

(01:12:15) - The Venus–Saturn conjunction: committing for the long-haul

(01:17:09) - The Mars–Pluto opposition: the final confrontation

(01:20:40) - May madness: Saturn and Neptune in Aries and the erosion of institutions

(01:30:43) - Jupiter’s exaltation in June: a hopeful turn

(01:35:25) - Navigating Saturn’s challenges and Jupiter’s blessings

(01:39:17) - The tension between individualism and community

(01:40:39) - Utopian visions of collective living

(01:41:37) - July and Uranus in Gemini: a catalyst for change

(01:48:10) - A new world order: shifting borders and information dynamics

(01:55:05) - August’s astrological highlights and cautions

(01:58:10) - September eclipses and returning to old patterns

(01:59:29) - Navigating themes of desire and consequence

(02:02:04) - Sorting through loss and serving your community: the Virgo–Pisces axis

(02:07:58) - Preparing for change: the movements of the outer planets

(02:12:02) - Assessing the landscape: political and global perspectives

(02:17:00) - Ending the year with clarity: a new beginning

This episode was recorded on 12/2/2024.

For more astrological insights, download the CHANI app or follow CHANI on Instagram, TikTok, and Bluesky.

The song “Midas,” featured in the podcast, was created by NISHA and is available wherever you listen to music.

This episode also mentioned the following creative works:

• “Crime and Punishment” by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
• “The Dads,” directed by Luchina Fisher
• “War and Peace” by Leo Tolstoy

P.S. The transcript for this episode is available here.

Episode 6

In this podcast, professional astrologers Chani Nicholas, Thea Anderson, and Eliza Robertson look to the sky to make sense of what’s happening here on Earth.

This episode brings you into the astrological group chat to talk through the ways that recent and upcoming transits mirror the events of the mid-to-late 1960s. Covering everything from how the lunar nodes (and eclipses) in Aries and Libra have coincided with violence and anti-war movements to the ways that the rare conjunctions of Saturn, Mercury, and the Sun in Pisces have reverberated themes of sacrifice and martyrdom, it breaks down how these astro events have manifested in history and explores how they could continue to land this time around. Plus, it includes tips on how to work with the astrology as it unfolds.

Content warning: suicide and genocide

Timestamps:

(00:00) - Welcome to Down to Astro episode 6

(00:21) - Introduction to the parallels of astrology through history

(05:35) - The North Node in Aries, the South Node in Libra, and eclipses today and in the 1960s

(14:15) - The United States’ Chiron return conjunct this season’s eclipses

(15:19) - Chiron, the North Node, eclipses, cazimis, and honoring the life of Aaron Bushnell (content warning: suicide)

(17:50) - The similarities in the astrology surrounding Aaron Bushnell’s act of protest in February of 2024 and Alice Herz’ act of protest in 1965 (content warning: suicide and genocide)

(23:55) - The Saturn–Mercury–Sun conjunction and the “uncommitted” vote in the United States’ Democratic Presidential primary election in Michigan

(25:28) - Saturn in Pisces moving into Aries and the parallels to that transit in the 1960s

(32:22) - Mars aspecting the nodes of the Moon (content warning: genocide)

(34:22) - The lunar nodes and eclipses in Aries and Libra, affirmative action, and civil rights

(45:10) - Venus and Mars conjunct Pluto in Aquarius (content warning: genocide)

(46:10) - The Uranus–Pluto conjunction in the 1960s, the current Uranus–Pluto whole sign square, and the arms and space races of these times plus the upcoming Jupiter / Uranus conjunction in Taurus

(54:30) - The beginning of this eclipse season, the March 25th lunar eclipse in Libra, and the April 8th solar eclipse in Aries, plus the Mercury retrograde beginning on April 1st

(57:50) - Mars in Aquarius’ whole sign square to Uranus, ingress into Pisces, and upcoming Saturn conjunction

(58:43) - Tips for navigating all of the upcoming astrology

(60:49) - Using technology as a tool for mobilization, resistance, and boycotts

(62:27) - More tips for navigating the upcoming astrology

(66:11) - Episode 6 wrap-up

This episode was recorded on 3/15/24, before the US drafted a resolution to the UN calling for a six-week ceasefire in Gaza.

For more astrological insights, download the CHANI app or follow CHANI on Instagram and Twitter.

The song “Midas,” featured in the podcast, was created by NISHA and is available wherever you listen to music.

This episode also mentioned the following creative works:

• Cosmos and Psyche by Richard Tarnas
• “The ‘Colorblindness’ Trap: How a Civil Rights Ideal Got Hijacked” by Nikole Hannah-Jones
• Freedom is a Constant Struggle by Angela Y. Davis
• “An Arms Race Quietly Unfolds in Space” by The Daily
• “Horoscopes for the North Node in Aries and the South Node in Libra” by CHANI

P.S. The transcript for this episode is available here.

Episode 7

In this podcast, professional astrologers Chani Nicholas, Thea Anderson, and Eliza Robertson look to the sky to make sense of what’s happening here on Earth.

This episode brings you into the astrological group chat to talk through how the recent eclipses and Jupiter–Uranus conjunction landed IRL. From the ongoing student protests (and violent backlash) to the discord surrounding the exorbitant Met Gala, we look at how these astrological events manifested in the collective. Plus, we give you a preview of what’s coming next. It’s practical. It’s chatty. And it grounds the current astrology in everyday life.

Content warning: police violence

Timestamps:

(00:00:00) - Welcome to Down to Astro episode 7

(00:01:49) - Overview of eclipse season and the Jupiter–Uranus conjunction in relation to student protests and anti-war movements

(00:09:23) - Timeline of student protests at Columbia University and how the astrology aligned

(00:13:25) - Events that occurred the last time Jupiter was in Taurus, including Occupy Wall Street

(00:17:04) - Events that occurred the last time Jupiter and Uranus were conjunct, including the Arab Spring

(00:18:44) - The 2024 and 1968 protests at Hind’s Hall

(00:20:46) - Saturn in Aries, extreme punishment, and divesting from carceral systems

(00:23:18) - The legality of the student protests in response to the genocide in Gaza

(00:25:19) - The balm of Jupiter conjunct Uranus

(00:27:36) - Macklemore’s song “Hind’s Hall” and the public perception of celebrity wealth amid genocide

(00:29:08) - Jupiter in Taurus, the Met Gala, and the Hunger Games

(00:31:43) - Pluto in Aquarius, the French Revolution, and “haleyybaylee”

(00:32:43) - Ways celebrities can help people in Gaza: Operation Olive Branch

(00:33:23) - #Blockout2024 and the “digital guillotine” movement compared to literal guillotines of the French Revolution

(00:35:34) - How astrology and social movements are seeded in the past but continue to sprout in the future

(00:36:59) - The perception of wealth inequality and the responsibility of people in power to create positive social change

(00:42:16) - Different models of uprising: TikTok, Mercury and Chiron near the North Node, and in-person protests

(00:44:47) - The impact of TikTok, X, and other digital spaces for social organizing

(00:47:46) - Jupiter’s ingress into Gemini, the sign of the twins, amid talks of a two-state solution

(00:53:29) - Student protests at the Democratic National Convention

(00:58:59) - Politicians’ recent and historical responses to protests

(01:04:09) - The anti-apartheid protest at Hind’s Hall in 1985 and Mars’ conjunction with the North Node

(01:06:54) - How Pluto functions in fire signs and impacts each generation’s drive to create change

(01:08:49) - Jupitarian homework: working with hope as a practice

(01:11:11) - Jupiter in Gemini predictions

(01:17:48) - Personal stories about travel during difficult astrology

(01:19:35) - Episode 7 wrap-up

This episode was recorded on 5/13/24.

For more astrological insights, download the ⁠CHANI app⁠ or follow CHANI on ⁠Instagram⁠ and ⁠Twitter⁠.

The song “Midas,” featured in the podcast, was created by ⁠NISHA⁠ and is available wherever you listen to music.

This episode also mentioned the following creative works:

• “ ⁠The Ghost of the 1968 Antiwar Movement Has Returned” by Charles M. Blow⁠
• ⁠Cosmos and Psyche by Richard Tarnas⁠
• ⁠Doppelganger: A Trip into the Mirror World by Naomi Klein⁠
• ⁠The works of Mariame Kaba⁠

P.S. The transcript for this episode is available ⁠here⁠.

Episode 4

In this podcast, professional astrologers Chani Nicholas, Thea Anderson, and Eliza Robertson look to the sky to make sense of what’s happening here on Earth.

This episode brings you into the astrological group chat to talk through how recent astrological events have mirrored what we’ve experienced in the collective and how they could continue to show up IRL. Covering everything from last month’s Mars cazimi and the future of AI to the duality of Mercury’s upcoming retrograde, it breaks down what you need to know about the end of 2023. Plus, it gives us a few tips on how to prep for what’s coming next.

For more astrological insights, download the CHANI app or follow CHANI on Instagram and Twitter.

The song “Midas,” featured in the podcast, was created by NISHA and is available wherever you listen to music.

P.S. The transcript for this episode is available here.

Episode 13

In this podcast, professional astrologers Chani Nicholas, Thea Anderson, and Eliza Robertson look to the sky to make sense of what’s happening here on Earth.

This episode begins with a look back at all the events that played out during the latest eclipse season and in its wake, including Cardi B’s split with Offset, the indictment of New York City mayor Eric Adams, the devastation wrought by recent hurricanes, and the politics of Ta-Nehisi Coates’ press tour for The Message. Then we look ahead and dig into the astrology surrounding the US election — the shadowy power struggles signaled by the upcoming Mars–Pluto opposition, the potential for heightened paranoia with Mars in Cancer, and the inconvenient timing of a Mercury retrograde as we await a final vote count — all while reviewing the birth chart of the United States. Suffice it to say, there’s a lot to unpack in the astrological group chat. So settle in, and let’s get started.

Content warning: genocide, natural disasters

Timestamps:

(00:00) - Welcome to Down to Astro episode 13

(01:44) - Reflections on the Libra eclipse

(05:56) - Recap of world events during eclipse season

(21:42) - Ta-Nehisi Coates and the press tour for “The Message”

(32:45) - Upcoming astrological influences surrounding the US election

(36:26) - The Mars–Pluto opposition: power struggles and hidden conflicts

(39:46) - The enemy within: Mars in Cancer, domestic threats, and paranoia

(42:58) - Mars and Pluto: Reflecting power dynamics in politics

(47:47) - The battle for reproductive rights and Mars in Cancer

(51:52) - Mercury's role in understanding election outcomes

(01:02:29) - Mars opposing the Sun: A final meltdown before Inauguration Day

(01:12:03) - Astrological insights about the US birth chart

(01:14:03) - Transits and their implications throughout US history

(01:16:31) - The United States’ Uranus return and what it signals

(01:20:00) - Election day astrology and predictions

(01:29:00) - Mars retrograde: personal and collective reflections

This episode was recorded on 10/17/2024.

For more astrological insights, download the CHANI app or follow CHANI on Instagram and Twitter.

The song “Midas,” featured in the podcast, was created by NISHA and is available wherever you listen to music.

This episode also mentioned the following creative works:

• The Message by Ta-Nehisi Coates
• The Sibly Chart

P.S. The transcript for this episode is available here.