NEW MOON IN LEO – This New Moon is the proverbial match that lights the fuse on the upcoming Leo eclipses (July 23, 2017)

by Anne Reith, Ph.D.
Astrology

Astrology-New-Moon-Full-MoonSection divider on IMPART pages and postsONLY A FEW DAYS LEFT before the start of my 10-part course Beginning Astrology: Understanding Yourself & Others.  We have a few seats left!  The class begins on Thursday, July 27, and each class in the 10-part series will meet from 7:00-9:00 p.m. on the 4th Thursday each month (July-October 2017 & January- June 2018).  The class will be closed to new members after the 1st meeting, and my next Beginning Astrology course will not be offered until at least mid-2019.  Click on the link above to learn more.  Or to sign up, email us at Anne@AnneReith.com or call (714) 599-0017.   

NOTE:  With apologies to those outside the Southern California area, this is an in-person course and is NOT available through distance learning.  I hope to convert it to digital format in the future, so stay tuned!

Section divider on IMPART pages and posts

In the Pacific Time Zone, the New Moon will occur at 2:45 a.m. on Sunday, July 23.  This New Moon finds the Moon and Sun in conjunction (0°) at 1° of Leo.  To further clarify how this New Moon will impact you on a personal level, locate 1° of Leo in your birth/natal chart.  The issues associated with that house are going to be most influenced by this New Moon’s presence.

This New Moon in Leo is the start of a very important astrological period that will actually extend through the next two months (through mid-September).  This will include the eclipse cycle that begins with the Aquarius Lunar Eclipse on August 7 and peeks with the Leo Solar Eclipse on August 21.  The Solar Eclipse will actually be a second New Moon in Leo, so we get two New Moons in Leo this year.  This first one on July 23 occurs at 1° of Leo, and the New Moon on August 21 occurs at 29° of Leo.  This means there will be an introduction (1°) to this new energy and then a culmination or completion (29°) of this energy.

All New Moons always represent new beginnings and a chance to set new intentions or goals in the areas associated with the sign.  The keywords associated with Leo include self-confidence, big heartedness, love, loyalty, idealism, pridefulness, drama.  It is a fire sign in a fixed modality.  Leo’s energy is often associated with both the solar plexus chakra (identity) and the heart chakra (love).  It is also the sign most often associated with the ego.  As many of my students have heard me say, I feel that the ego has gotten a bad rap in the field of metaphysics.  We all need an ego in order to live effectively and peacefully in our society.  Without some rules, societal chaos would ensue.  For example, I don’t know about you, but I want drivers to stop at red lights.  But the ego, as with any aspect of our personality, can serve us well or be taken to excess.  All astrological signs, including Leo, require us to use our free will choice to embrace the higher expression of the energy rather than the lower expression.  With Leo, it’s all about making choices based on heart-felt love versus ego-fueled drama.

This first of two Leo New Moons is providing us with an opportunity to begin the process of determining how we want to express our identity and our ego in the world.  Given this is beginning of a series of Leo events, this one may entail pulling inward for introspection and contemplation, particularly when it comes to how we want to use our unique and creative gifts in the world around us.  We might want ask ourselves, “Where do I want to shine my light and create something that reflects my unique identity?”

The Sun and Moon are also in a very close conjunction (0°) with Mars in Leo, which just entered Leo on July 20 (and will remain there until September 6).  Mars adds energy, strength, motivation, assertiveness, courage, and self-confidence to this New Moon.  Mars in Leo is sometimes described as “the Warrior of the Heart,” and we may, therefore, be more willing than usual to take an emotional risk.  This could be especially true if our action involves moving in the direction of expressing ourselves in a heart-centered leadership role.  However, this combination of Mars and the New Moon may also nudge us toward looking carefully at where we might be overly “prideful.”  This would be a good time to think about how we react when our ego is wounded.  If you aren’t sure, look for when you get particularly angry.  Although not always the case, this type of reaction (i.e., where you want to roar like a lion) often occurs when our ego is bruised.

Mars likes being in Leo because Leo is a fire sign.  We will likely have an abundance of energy!  Being active, athletic, and playful are good outlets for this energy.  However, if you were to look up into the sky, it would be difficult to see Mars right now.  Given its close proximity to the Sun, it means that the light of Mars is dimmed.  The Sun is often thought to override the energy of Mars when they are close together, as they will be for another five weeks or so.  However, this is an important time when we are being asked to look inward to see where the lower expression of Mars (e.g., aggressive, childish, self-centered, controlling) may be sabotaging our goals.

An opposition (180°) between Venus & Saturn during this Leo New Moon will likely help us see this shadow side of Mars very clearly.  This aspect says that the way out of problems is to focus on responsible love, especially in the areas of our relationships and finances.  Remember, Leo is all about love, but it needs to come from a place of ego-less giving and not giving with the goal of being acknowledged.  A square (90°) between the New Moon and Uranus adds further emphasis on the need for self-reflection.  Now is a good time to ask ourselves questions like, “How much is my self-esteem dependent on the approval of others?” “Am I allowing my true self to be dimmed for fear of judgment from others?”, and “Are my behaviors determined by what will get me recognition or are they aligned with giving from my heart without expectation of return?”

A supportive trine (120°) between Mercury and Saturn will likely help us mentally sort everything out, and another trine (120°) between the New Moon/Mars and Chiron shows us that deep healing is entirely possible if we are willing to face our inner wounds, especially if related to a wounded ego.  The next two months are highlighting how important it is to have a self-esteem that is based on an internal sense of well-being rather than external sources of approval.

On Tuesday, July 25, Mercury enters Virgo.  Normally Mercury stays in a sign for about three weeks.  However, during the month of August, Mercury will be going retrograde in Virgo, which means an extended stay in Mercury’s home sign (i.e., the retrograde period will be August 13-September 4).  Mercury is a happy camper in Virgo.  Our thoughts and words will become more precise, analytical, and detailed.  Recent messes can be cleaned up, and organization will be much easier.  Virgo is also associated with our physical health, so we may be analyzing this area of our life and/or changing how we think or talk about our health.  The only warning is that Mercury in Virgo can push us into being hyper-critical of others and ourselves.  As with all astrological events, it’s our choice how we use this energy.

On the last day of the month (Monday, July 31), Venus enters Cancer, where it will remain until August 27.  When Venus is in emotional Cancer, we may feel more vulnerable than usual.  This may prompt us to feel like we want to inward or withdraw to a safe place in order to protect ourselves.  But lots of love and nurturing awaits those of us who have earned the right to follow someone into their safe place because Cancer is all about the maternal need to mother (for men or for women).  And if we withdraw alone, this can be a very self-loving, self-nurturing time.  But don’t use this energy as an excuse to escape or run away.  Retreat until you feel strong enough to come back into the world and re-engage in a nurturing way with others.  Also remember that it’s OK to look back at the past, but don’t get lost in the nostalgia and forget to live fully in the present.

On Wednesday, August 2, Uranus will start its annual retrograde period, which will extend all the way until January 1, 2018.  This means that all three of the outer planets will be in retrograde for almost all of August and September.  All retrograde periods tend to turn our attention inward, and society as a whole may be doing some soul searching regarding bigger issues related to humanity, oneness, and how we can all live together in harmony on this big, watery planet of ours.  But all three outer planets are very slow moving, so their influence is often subtle.  With the addition of Uranus to the retrograde mix, we may find drawn to explore areas of our lives where we can express more freedom.  Come the first of the year when Uranus turns direction again, we will likely be ready to take steps to express our individuality in a new way.  But in order to take those first steps, some things internally may need to shift.  With Uranus involved, it means that those internal changes may be prompted by unexpected external events.  It’s always a good idea to remember that the energy of Uranus is often described as “change or be changed.”  Everything will go more smoothly if you work with the energy and don’t fight to hold onto something that no longer serves us.

Overall, this New Moon in Leo is like the match that lights the fuse leading up to a dramatic explosion of eclipse energy in August.  This first of two Leo New Moons is a time to prepare by going inward.  We need to explore new habits of self-approval and heart-centered giving and leadership.  We always serve ourselves and others best when we lead with our hearts.  This will lay the foundation for the powerful growth opportunities to come.  Another way to look at this New Moon is that we each need to make continual, moment-to-moment choices between love and drama.  Therefore, this would be a good time to remember that, “Drama doesn’t just walk into your life out of nowhere. You either create it, invite it, or associate with people that bring it.”  (Unknown)

WOULD YOU LIKE TO RECEIVE NEW & FULL MOON REPORTS?

If you are not already on our email list, please be sure to join Anne Reith’s Online Community so you are guaranteed to receive her New & Full Moon Reports.

THIS BLOG POST WAS WRITTEN BY

  • Anne Reith, Ph.D. (AnneReith.com)
  • For information about Dr. Reith’s downloadable ebooks and meditations, feel free to visit her online Store

SOME INFORMATION TAKEN FROM

  • The Mountain Astrologer (magazine)
  • Various online sources (e.g., www.cafeastrology.com)

REMINDER

  • New Moons and Full Moons often influence us for the 3 days before and 3 days after the actual event.

NEW MOON

New Moon at 1° of Leo

  • Sunday, July 23, 2017, 2:45 a.m. PDT
  • Sunday, July 23, 2017, 5:45 a.m. EDT
  • Sunday, July 23, 2017, 9:45 a.m. GMT

You may also like