LEO NEW MOON - 1 August 2019

Exact at 4.11am BST

This New Moon should lighten things up a bit after the intensity of Eclipse season! The energy has now shifted from emotional Cancer to spontaneous Leo, with the Sun, Moon, Venus, Mars and Juno all in this playful, enthusiastic sign. New Moons are a time of planting seeds for the month ahead, and whatever is gestating in our consciousness around this time will tend to blossom and grow as the month progresses. Leo asks us to focus on what brings us our greatest joy. Like the playful child, we are encouraged to listen to our hearts and follow where they lead us. As we follow our joy and trust our hearts to point us in the right direction, so we will hopefully find ourselves walking down the path that was meant for us, towards our destiny. In the words of Joseph Campbell : “If you do follow your bliss you put yourself on a kind of track that has been there all the while, waiting for you, and the life that you ought to be living is the one you are living. Follow your bliss and don't be afraid, and doors will open where you didn't know they were going to be.” This is the gift of a Leo New Moon.

Eclipse season has brought endings and new beginnings, and a sense of starting a new chapter. At the same time we have had Saturn on the South Node, causing us to confront ourselves in no uncertain terms and recognise how the past it repeating itself, both personally and collectively. Just to add to the mix, on Friday 19 July retrograde Mercury slipped back into Cancer, the sign of the past, our childhood, our family and our emotional foundation. This has the potential for us to gain a lot of emotional understanding from taking a trip down memory lane, whether it be from looking through old photos, letters, or thinking about people we haven’t heard from for ages, or even hearing from people from the past whom we have unresolved business with. Old hurts, unresolved emotional issues and grievances may resurface to be acknowledged, sat with and accepted or even released.

The timing of this retrograde in emotional Cancer is very interesting, because while we are embarking on a new chapter, before we can fully move forward it seems that we are being asked to look back and clear the past. Saturn on the South Node may ask us to look our past honestly and without a filter, potentially facing up to some uncomfortable material and recognising how we might be repeating certain unhealthy patterns. This is a valuable process, as we take responsibility for all that has been before and then let go, stepping forward with integrity and a clean slate. Mercury will be turning direct on the day of the New Moon but will remain in Cancer until 11 August. In the few days before and after Mercury turns direct there is more chance of misunderstandings to occur, especially in Cancer as it is such an emotional sign. Things we say could be misinterpreted and taken more personally than usual, so it is important to be clear and concise in the way we communicate, not to mention kind and considerate of one another’s feelings.

There is a lot of helpful , loving, compassionate  energy around for this New Moon, which is a beautiful thing! Venus, the planet of love and relating, is sitting right next to the Sun and Moon in Leo, bringing the potential for some playful, passionate, romantic, loving and heartfelt interactions with our loved ones. Leo is that part of us that likes to feel special and unique somehow and can also encourage others and make them feel like they are the centre of our universe. Of course Leo is also the part of us that needs attention and validation when we feel insecure, so it is important to be mindful of this potential with so much Leo energy around in the next couple of weeks. With Mars and Venus in this expressive and creative sign, we are very much encouraged to follow our hearts’ desires and walk down the path of joy. During this New Moon we might like to contemplate what kind of life we would like to create for ourselves, and to be really playful with the process.

Bountiful Jupiter is also forming a harmonious aspect to the Sun and Moon, which could give us a much needed boost of faith and hope. Jupiter is also in Sagittarius, a fire sign, so there is certainly the potential for a good dose of enthusiasm and inspiration, not to mention a sense of somehow being guided in the right direction. Fire has an infectious quality, so hopefully some of Jupiter’s optimism and generosity of spirit will “catch like wildfire”! Chiron the Wounded Healer is also forming a helpful trine to the Sun, Moon and Venus, which could really help us to bravely and honestly face some of our deeper wounds and also have tolerance, compassion and understanding for the wounds of others. Indeed, during this time we could have some incredibly healing experiences within our relationships, potentially bringing up some quite challenging material in a kind and loving way.

Uranus is squaring off against the Sun, Moon and Venus, however, which could mean that we are thrown the odd curveball or two. Uranus in Taurus is taking us through a process of stripping away anything that may be stagnant or stuck, shaking up any area of our life where we might be playing it safe for the sake of security alone. Taurus is the sign of material security and our value system, while Uranus is the maverick, the planet that abhors stagnation and will quite happily unsettle our sense of safety and security if is preventing our spiritual growth.  We could experience some kind of wake-up call during this time that upsets the status quo and reminds us that nothing stays the same forever. Change is inevitable and our sense of safety and security should come from within, rather than from whatever we cling to in the physical world. There is an air of unpredictability that comes with a Uranus transit that ultimately brings a sense of freedom but which can certainly rattle our cages! Anyone who has personal planets close to 5° any of the fixed signs of Taurus, Leo, Scorpio or Aquarius may feel this energy the strongest.

The Sabian symbol for this New Moon, at 9° Leo, is: “Glass blowers shape beautiful vases with their controlled breathing”, which Dane Rudyar describes as “The need to involve one’s most spiritual and vital energies in the creative act if it is to produce significant and beautiful new forms. The breath represents the power of the spirit, animator of all living manifestations. Because the glass blower uses his breath to shape the glass vessels, he is a fitting symbol of how deeply any creative individual has to involve his total being in his creation.” This feels like an invitation to connect to spirit and use the power of our souls in a controlled manner to shape our lives or situation into something meaningful and worthwhile. It is important to let go of the past and any fears we may have, so that whatever goes into the act of creation is pure and unfettered. This feels like a spiritual and passionate act of intense focus which is asking us to pour our heart and soul into whatever we are creating for ourselves right now. No half measures!

The Nodes of the Moon in Cancer and Capricorn are providing the current backdrop, prompting us to question where we belong, where our home is and how we can take better care of ourselves on an emotional level. With the South Node in Capricorn we are being shown all too clearly what responsibilities we may be carrying that feel too heavy and how our work life may be taking over to the detriment of our family life and emotional health. Similarly we may become all too aware of how trying to keep everything under control and put up a capable front or stiff upper lip might not actually be serving us at all. Maybe there is another way which allows us to take down the walls and show a bit of vulnerability, being more inclusive of others allowing them to shoulder some of the load. How can we nourish ourselves better? Where are we supposed to be now? Who are we if we take the trappings of our careers and the layers of societal conditioning away? What does it actually mean to be a successful human being?

The Eclipses will have brought these issues up to the fore, and the focus is on creating a life that makes us feel emotionally rich rather than what society deems a “successful life”. This Leo Moon is a chance to have a little fun and to play around with what we might want for ourselves and, like the glass blower, to breathe our heart and soul into whatever we want to create. New Moons are a very powerful and potent time for setting intentions for the month ahead, and this one is no exception! As Joseph Campbell said, we just need to follow our bliss and not be afraid, and if we do our path will surely reveal itself to us. It is very important right now, with the help of Mercury Retrograde, to clear the past and release ourselves from any fears, unhealthy patterns, attachments or unresolved emotional material that may be impeding us from stepping towards the life we were meant to live.

Much Love

Amy

xoxo

My website: www.amybirdartandastrology.com

Image: Follow Your Heart, by Donna Coburn