We are now in Leo season, a sign that encourages us to express ourselves and to do what brings us our greatest joy. Leo rules the heart and so this Moon could inspire us to listen to our hearts and follow where they lead. Leo is the part of us that likes to sing, dance, create and play, allowing our inner child to have some fun and lead the way. Leo is ruled by the Sun, so we are invited, during this New Moon, to truly allow ourselves to shine and to create the life we truly want. It could help to get playful with our intentions during this Moon, having fun, being spontaneous and getting creative about our wishes and desires for ourselves. Leo season is a bit like playing in the sandpit - what kind of castle do we want to build for ourselves? The sky’s the limit! Leo is the sign of creative self-actualisation, whereby we have a chance to play around with possibilities, take charge of our destiny and fulfill our true potential.
Leo is also the part of us that needs to feel special and seeks validation and recognition. It is the part of us that needed encouragement from our parents when we were young and thrives from knowing that they are proud of us in some way. If we didn’t receive this approval and positive reinforcement then we may suffer from insecurity or low self-worth, feeling a lack of confidence in our abilities and tending to seek validation from outside of ourselves. We may crave the attention that was lacking and do whatever we can to receive it and gain approval and recognition.
These themes could come up while the Sun moves through Leo, so it could help to get in touch with that part of us that still needs attention and for others to reinforce that we are somehow special. In an ideal world our self-worth and self-confidence does not depend on the approval of anyone else. It’s an inside job.
Jupiter in Aries is supporting this Leo New Moon, which could bring about a wonderful boost of energy, inspiration, self-confidence and the courage to create the life we want. Jupiter is the King of the Gods, and in assertive, brave, independent and pioneering Aries we could feel ourselves positively filled up with infectious enthusiasm, eager for new experience! Those of us with personal planets or angles around 8° of a sign will feel Jupiter’s energy the strongest, although planets and angles in the Fire signs Aries, Leo and Sagittarius will probably feel the biggest boost.
All this fire energy could burn out of control, of course, but is more likely to bring creative inspiration, the spirit of adventure and the capacity to take a risk and expand our horizons. Jupiter is especially strong during this Moon as it is stationary, getting ready to go retrograde. This could give us a much needed renewal of faith in ourselves and life, helping us to have some fun and do whatever we may have been putting off through fear, resistance or lack of confidence.
Mercury, the planet of mind and communication is also a very big player during this Moon, as it is forming aspects to a few planets. Most noticeably, it is forming a challenging, dynamic square to the conjunction that is building in Taurus between Uranus, the North Node and Mars, exact on 2 August. It is quite possible, around the time of this New Moon, that we will hear some surprising news or information that brings some kind of a wake-up call or leads to changing plans or making unusual decisions. Mercury in aspect to Uranus can bring messages and news that force us to think outside of the box and see things from a different perspective. With Mars and Uranus coming closer and closer together there is the potential for unrest, rebellion and revolution, which could potentially be triggered by some important information we receive while Mercury is involved during this New Moon.
With Uranus, the North Node and Mars all joining together in Taurus, the sign of survival, financial security, money and Mother Nature, we could experience some shocking events or some kind of shift around the economy. Volcanoes and earthquakes are not out of the question. There could also be a considerable amount of civil unrest, especially as we build up to the Aquarius Full Moon on 12 August. With Uranus, the planet of technology in the sign of money and Saturn the planet of authority and control in Aquarius, the sign of technology, there is much potential for the greater use of technology as a means of authoritarian control, combined with the continuing movement towards digitisation of currency. This conjunction could bring some kind of shift in this area, setting the tone for the next 15 years when Uranus and the North Node will next join together.
Uranus tends to bring breakdowns that lead to breakthroughs. It is the planet of sudden insight, epiphanies, wake-up calls and “aha” moments. Taurus is the part of us that is quite resistant to change and can easily end up in a comfortable rut. It is quite possible that Mars and Uranus could force us to make changes that we might usually resist for the sake of security and a quiet life.
Mercury’s involvement during this New Moon could have us thinking creatively about what needs to change and how we might go about it. Whenever the Nodes are involved, as they are now, there is the potential for events to occur that help us to make a shift in terms of our destiny, both personal and collective. This could be a time of considerable soul growth that involves us stepping outside of our comfort zone somehow. Many of us only tend to initiate change when things become really uncomfortable or when we feel like we have no choice, and this could be one of those moments.
Those of us with personal planets or angles around 18° of a sign, especially the fixed signs of Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius, will feel the tension and urge for change most acutely. Uranus is the planet of freedom and liberation and in Taurus it does bring the potential for a greater sense of financial freedom, innovation and the capacity to think outside of the box when it comes to survival and our capacity to be self-sufficient. It encourages us to be utterly true to ourselves, liberating ourselves from the shackles of the past and any unhealthy conditioning that might be preventing us from living a truly authentic life. Uranus invites us to contemplate what it means to be free and what we might need to do to achieve the sense of liberation we so dearly want and need. Change is afoot!
Saturn is also opposing Mercury during this New Moon which could bring fearful thoughts and the potential for mind control and censorship of information and communication. The Saturn Uranus square, which we experienced three times last year, is also starting to build again until the beginning of October. This is an interesting combination, with the planet of freedom, awakening, rebellion, revolution and change squaring off against the planet of authority, control, structure and government. This could mean the continuation of the breakdown of the structure of our lives, not to mention the potential for people rising up against authoritarian control. There is also the possibility of liberation from any programming or conditioning that might be keeping us prisoner, both personally and collectively. Uranus definitely can help us to wake up, shifting our perspective and prompting us to question and move beyond the mainstream narrative.
The Sabian Symbol for this New Moon, at 6° Leo, is very interesting considering all of this Uranus energy around at the moment! It almost feels like it describes the Saturn Uranus square!: “A conservative, old-fashioned lady is confronted by a “hippie” girl” which Dane Rudyar describes as “The need to transcend our subservience to fashion, in morals as well as in clothes. This refers to the ever-changing pageant of social values, as ideals of human relationship succeed one another, one generation facing in the next an antithetic picture of what it has been brought up to consider worthwhile and decent. Then confrontation may lead to great bitterness, yet it should show us the impermanence of most of what society impresses upon our collective. This degree refers to a collective, cultural and social crisis which challenges us to realise THE RELATIVITY OF SOCIAL VALUES”
This symbol feels like the square off between the tried and true established ways of Saturn, which are more conservative, and the modern, progressive and innovative ways of Uranus. The one thing that is absolutely true is that change is inevitable. Things cannot stay the same and it certainly seems as if we are witnessing a moment in time when the old structures are crumbling and we are being asked to be as flexible as possible and bend with the wind rather than resisting it. This Leo New Moon could give us a lovely boost of energy, confidence and courage to make any changes that are necessary for us to be more true to who we really are. It is important to harness one of Leo’s greatest superpowers during this Moon, and that is the capacity to listen to our heart and to go where it leads us. What is wrong with recognising what brings us our greatest joy and doing whatever we can to follow it? Jupiter in Aries says “Go for it!”
Much Love
Amy
xoxo
Painting: The Joy of Life - Douglas Girard