Soli-Lunar Cycle: The Leo New Moon

The Leo New Moon occurs on July 28th at 10:55 am PDT, marking the start of a new lunar cycle where a seed idea may come into our awareness. This “seed” allows potential to be realized through projects, ventures, and connections. The New Moon is often referred to as the “Dark Moon” because it is not visible in the sky. This suggests a veil of obscurity at the beginning of the cycle, an archetypal reflection of the moonless night. It is a time when caution is favored as we must be careful not to act prematurely on emerging ideas. Our intention should be developed and visualized during this time.

The sign of Leo is focused on personal creative expression and inspires us to share the light of our Being with the world. The Sun, representing our will, and the Moon, representing our intuitive feeling side, together in Leo symbolize a unified sense of deeply rooted joy and even playfulness. Creativity at its highest expression is an adventure in seeing what we have before us and making something out of it just for the sake of doing so, for the fun of it. The potential shadow side of Leo is to be so concerned with shining as brightly as we can that we may discount this star quality in others, or perhaps fear being outshone. This can lead to casting shadows over others rather than simply adding our light to the sum of light created by the collective of Beings.

The Sun and Moon at 5º Leo are in a flowing trine with Jupiter at 8° Aries, placing high emphasis on our fiery nature. It calls us to create, lead and inspire in our own world while taking notice of doorways that lead to expansion and opportunity. Aries’ bold and proactive approach makes it an easy and beneficial time to start new projects. You can trust this rousing alignment to take risks on anything you want to create. Furthermore, Jupiter is quite powerful as it is stationing retrograde on the same day as the New Moon. This amplifies the potential for internal growth and suggests we could experience a shift that leads to unfolding events having significant meaning for us.

There are also many planets in fixed signs in the New Moon chart. Mercury joins the Sun and Moon in Leo, while Uranus and Mars are in Taurus, and Saturn is in Aquarius. This suggests the potential for the creation of sustainable projects. Yet with Jupiter turning retrograde, and Saturn continuing its retrograde, it is essential to assess long-term viability before embarking on a venture. Our efforts will have the best opportunity for success when rooted in reality and open to refinement.

Mercury at 18° Leo also squares a Mars/Uranus/North Node conjunction in Taurus and opposes Saturn in Aquarius creating a tension-filled T-square alignment. This reinforces the concept that creative endeavors require a step-by-step approach based on practical ideas worthy of our effort. Uranus relates to substantial change and with its long-term square to Saturn in fixed signs, the changes are likely to endure. During the Uranus/North Node dance we may be more likely to accept the “new normal.” Being willing to release attachment to old ways of being makes moving into the future less painful and exceedingly liberating. With Mars entering the mix, there is the potential for us to feel super-charged motivation to begin to set into motion real and lasting action that leads us towards the future we want to see.