Lunar News: New Moon in Leo

Astrological vibe check: it's so over, but we're also so back

New Moon at 23° in Leo, August 16, 3:38 AM MST.

The Sun throws a block party for the end of Summer with special guest: the Moon. Leo New Moons are always a great time to reflect on the physics of the syzygy. At this point in the cycle of the Moon’s orbit, the Sun’s rays have no surface off of which to reflect and the Moon completely disappears. The Sun refuses to be outshone and sets an example for us and the emergence of our own individual will, vitality, and persona. This is an excellent time for embracing courage in self-expression.

The Sun’s party is disrupted by a belligerent Uranus demanding everyone pay attention to him and making Venus cry. The square from Uranus in Taurus creates an interesting tension here because the message from the luminaries in Leo is to make waves, but when Uranus follows this advice, he just ends up ruining everyone’s night (especially Venus’). How do we reconcile this paradox? The energy from Uranus is destabilizing and raucous; he’s not bringing attention to himself because he has something worthwhile to say. His disastrous actions are a vector for finally repairing what we were putting off for far too long. The square from Uranus to a depleted Venus is delivering harsh reality checks and brutal honesty. The Leo energy with the New Moon in this same aspect is trying to help us pick up the pieces and move forward with a renewed sense of self. The heart wrenching and confusing disruptions to our lives and relationships force us to remember that each unique purpose we are given in this life can only be fulfilled by our individual selves. It is detrimental to look for our life paths in others, or to expect others to tell us what to do and how to live. The thing we must do is develop an authentic personal expression, which in turn hones our gut instinct and intuition.

The tension of this moment is somewhat diffused through an ebullient Jupiter in Taurus who just wants everyone to get along. Despite any and all interpersonal conflict, we are encouraged to look charitably on the chaos of our collective reality. The downside to being so fiercely committed to yourself, as the Leo New Moon calls us to be, is that it feels lonely. The warmth and security from another person is hard to sacrifice, but when the only options are either to remain bound to another, stifled by their presence, or to live a life that’s true to your unique purpose there is only one right answer.