LEO NEW MOON - 16 August 2023
This New Moon brings much potential for profound shifts, breakthroughs and breaking down of old, outworn programming, especially within our relationships. As with all New Moons, we have a chance to leave whatever isn’t serving us behind in the dark of the moon and to focus our attention and intention upon whatever brings growth and helps us to move forward with a lighter step. Leo asks us to contemplate what sparks joy in us, and to truly listen to our heart’s wisdom. Much like the playful child, it might help to consider what lifts our hearts and makes us feel light and excited, and to also recognise what tends to lower our vibration because it feels heavy or onerous. Leo is a playful, creative, fun loving, warm, enthusiastic sign, so this Moon calls for us to honour that part of us.
Leo is also the part of us that likes to feel special, and loved, and appreciated. With Venus currently retrograde in Leo, very close to the Sun and Moon, there is much emphasis on our relationships during this Moon. We are being called to go back over old ground, perhaps to clear any unhelpful patterns, grudges and feelings so that we can move forward free of unhealthy clutter. Leo calls for us to reconnect and rekindle any joy and romance that can so easily get lost along the way. Do we feel loved, cherished and appreciated for all that we are? Do we make sure that we show our loved ones how important they are to us, or have we fallen into the habit of taking them for granted?
In an ideal world we would not be too dependent on validation from others, but it surely is nice to know that we are loved, and that we are special in our loved one’s eyes. Leo is the part of us that keeps the romance alive, through simple gestures, complements and the spirit of open-hearted fun. The New Moon seems like an ideal opportunity to express what is in our hearts and to remember what we love and appreciate about one another. Venus and the Sun will join together on 13 August, which is a special day, although the energy of this conjunction will still be strong during this New Moon. Those of us with personal planets or angles around 20° of a sign will feel the radiant, loving, playful, joyful vibes of the Sun and Venus the most acutely, especially the fire signs of Aries, Leo and Sagittarius and the Fixed signs of Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius.
Uranus is a massive influence during this Moon, as the planet of change, wake-up calls, liberation and revolution is forming an almost exact and very dynamic square aspect to the Sun and Moon. Not to mention that Uranus is also aspecting Mercury, Venus, Mars and, more widely, Jupiter. This is a lot of Uranus! This is the planet that prompts us to be true to ourselves, helping us to liberate ourselves from old conditioning that is simply not serving us or our relationships anymore, if indeed it ever did. Uranus has been active all month, as it was the ruler of the Aquarius supermoon and has also been squaring off against Venus all month, an aspect that was exact on 9 August.
Uranus has the potential to bring revelations, shocks, realisations, curveballs and epiphanies that jolt us into a greater awareness of what needs to change and where we might have deviated from our personal truth. It is so easy to fall into comfortable ruts and patterns of relating that are not helpful, and indeed can sabotage our happiness and our mental and emotional health. There could be a few shocks in store for us during this Moon, which could upset the apple cart, but only if it was wobbly anyway. When it comes down to it, we know, deep inside of us, what doesn’t quite feel right and what needs to change but can sometimes lack the courage to actually do something about it.
This is the kind of Moon that has the potential to bring it out into the open, giving us the courage to recognise what isn’t working, talk about it and act on it. Mercury and Mars are joining forces in Virgo, supported by Uranus, helping us to have some open, honest, brave, frank and candid conversations about what needs to change and how we might go about doing it. The only danger of this being in Virgo is that we may get too caught up in nit-picky details, so it is important to be mindful of being over-critical of ourselves and our loved ones. Vigo can seek a perfection that simply doesn’t exist, and can be quick to point out flaws, especially when Mars is involved. However, a lot could be brought out into the open which could bring about significant breakthroughs and solutions to long-standing issues.
Chiron the Wounded Healer is also active during this Moon, which could bring about a significant amount of healing. Chiron is forming a supportive trine aspect to the Sun, Moon and Venus, helping us to be honest with ourselves and our loved ones about our hurts, insecurities and vulnerabilities. This could be very helpful, as so often we act or react defensively when our sore spots are triggered, whereas this can help us to work through some thorny material in a gentle, healing and accepting manner. Chiron is forming a nagging inconjunct aspect to Mercury, which could also mean that some of what is said around this time could be a bit hard to hear, although ultimately it has the potential to help us to have some significant breakthroughs. This certainly does feel like a watershed month. It reminds me of the expression – it’s time to shit or get off the pot!
Those of us with personal planets or angles around 19° of a sign will feel the healing or hurtful energy of Chiron the most acutely, especially the cardinal signs Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn. However, the Mars/Mercury conjunction is triggering the degrees between 19° and 22° of Virgo, which is a mutable sign, and the Sun and Moon are 23° Leo, so there is a lot of planetary action between about 17° and 25° during this Moon, whether they be cardinal, fixed or mutable!
It is important to remember that overriding planetary energy of Pluto squaring the Nodes, as it is still very much in effect even though it is slowly waning. This truly is a watershed moment, when we are being called to take a leap forward in our soul growth, although this does call for us to make some very honest psychological enquiry, taking a long hard look at ourselves and bringing the darkness out into the light. It is so easy to project our fears, wounds and the uncomfortable material that we have relegated to the shadows out onto others, blaming and shaming them for how they have “made” us feel. It is much harder, but so much more rewarding, to turn the mirror on ourselves and do the inner work to gain more insight into what raw, sore part of us that has been triggered and take radical responsibility for it.
The North Node, which is now in Aries, is also calling for us to stand up for ourselves and do what is right for us, even if it feels a bit uncomfortable or unfamiliar at first. No more people pleasing, playing small, or making ourselves into something we are not in order to feel loved and accepted. We must do it for ourselves. Aries calls for us to simply be our Self and to not settle for less than we deserve. Those of us with personal planets or angles around 26° and 28° will be feeling the empowering, transforming and exposing energy of Pluto and the Nodes most acutely, especially in the Cardinal signs Aries, Cancer, Capricorn and Capricorn. This is an important moment, however, for all of us. Not particularly comfortable, as it pulls us into some rather dark places to confront some rather difficult material, but it will be so worth it in the end.
The Sabian symbol for this New Moon is quite profound: “Totally concentrated upon inner spiritual attainment, a man is sitting in a state of complete neglect of bodily appearance and cleanliness” which Dane Rudyar describes as “An inner focalisation of energy and consciousness at the expense of all forms of outward activity and care. The traditional image of the Hindu holy man in the typical Western mind may well hide the fact that without proper training and intense concentration, what we usually consider spiritual attainment, self-realisation and the “God experience” is not possible. The “intoxicated chicken” of the Leo 21° symbol must learn self-discipline if they want to “fly.” There can be no halfway measures if the goal of true Yoga is to be reached. This symbol suggests a certain kind of “technique,” or at least an adequate means to reach an envisioned goal. The means is TOTAL CONCENTRATION”.
This symbol gives the sense that if we are prepared to do the inner work, we have a chance to take a step forward on our spiritual journey. Pluto reminds us that we must take a long hard look at ourselves and be prepared to be very honest, which isn’t always easy. It does seem as if our relationships are in focus during this Moon, and they can certainly provide the mirror we need to see ourselves more clearly. Leo invites us to follow the path of joy, to recognise what makes our heart sing and to wholeheartedly embrace it. If the joy, romance and play has drifted away over time, now is the time to reconnect to it or to let go of situations or relationships that may be dimming our light.
This Moon does hold the potential for bringing us the odd curveball or two, bringing about much needed clarity, whether we like it or not! And once one sees the truth it is very hard to unsee it! Leo calls for us to shine our light brightly, so now is the time to let go of anything that might prevent us from doing that, whether it be our patterns, our programming, our relationships, unhealthy situations or our own behaviour, tendencies, beliefs and attitudes. It is time to express all that is in our hearts!
Much Love
Amy
xoxo
For a personal reading, visit my website: https://www.amybirdartandastrology.com/astrology.html
Picture: Follow Your Heart by PsychoShadow Art
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