NEW MOON IN LEO & TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE – The Great American Eclipse of 2017 (August 21, 2017)

by Anne Reith, Ph.D.
Astrology

Astrology-New-Moon-Full-MoonIn the Pacific Time Zone, the New Moon will occur at 11:30 a.m. on Monday, August 21.  This New Moon finds the Moon and Sun in conjunction (0°) at 29° of Leo.  To further clarify how this New Moon will impact you on a personal level, locate 29° 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.

It’s here . . . the Leo New Moon and total Solar Eclipse that we’ve been waiting for!  This is both an astronomical event and an astrological one.

  • Astronomically, a solar eclipse occurs when the shadow of the Moon passes in front of the Sun, blocking out the Sun’s rays. Due to the trajectory of the orbits, not all solar eclipses are total, but this one is.  It also has been referred to as the “Great American Solar Eclipse,” because the total eclipse will be visible from Oregon, across the continental USA, and all the way through South Carolina.  It has been 99 years since those in the USA have been able to see a total Solar Eclipse.  This is why many are flocking to areas where they can visually witness this event.
  • Astrologically, all eclipses are times when the interruption in the flow of the sun’s rays onto the earth plane is believed to provide an opportunity to recalibrate our level of consciousness, much like rebooting a computer when it needs an upgrade. The geographic area where the eclipse is visible is believed to be most impacted by the effects of the eclipse.  Significant personal and societal events are historically more common and more intense under the path of the eclipse, correlating with times when some doors close and new doors open.  However, the impact of any eclipse may not be immediately apparent.  Although major events can occur at the time of the eclipse, the true impact of each eclipse is cyclical and difficult to predict because it will unfold over the next 6 months and, to a broader extent, over the next 19 years.

This is the second consecutive Leo New Moon.  The first Leo New Moon occurred on July 23 at 1° of Leo, and this second New Moon on August 21 occurs at 29° of Leo.  When we have back-to-back events like this, the first one often correlates with an introduction (1°) to the new energy and the second ushers in a culmination or completion (29°) of this energy.  The 29th degree is referred to as the “critical degree” of a sign.  It’s a time when we are asked to master the qualities of that sign in order to reap its benefits.

Each eclipse is believed to amplify all of the effects of the sign in which it occurs.  However, this Leo New Moon is like Leo energy on steroids for several reasons:

  • Not only are the Sun and Moon in Leo, but so are Mars and the North Node, and all four are located within 8° degrees of each other. This forms an astrological configuration called a stellium, which makes for a powerhouse of Leo energy.  Having Mars in the fiery sign of Leo gives us the courage and energy to go after what we want, and the North Node reminds us that where we move should be into new territory.  There are many of us who will feel a need to take action; but given Leo is all about love, it will need to be action that is heart-centered and not based on self-centered needs or aspirations.  Due to other aspects, it may be that we will seek ways to attain a better balance between the power inherent in the masculine and in the feminine.  Consequently, in one or more areas of our lives, we may experience a softer, gentler type of power becoming the norm.
  • This Leo New Moon is also conjunct (0°) a fixed star called Regulus, which is often described as “The Heart of the Lion.” Given the Sun and Moon are in Leo (the sign of the lion), their being conjunct (0°) with Regulus greatly amplifies all the Leonine themes of leadership, creativity, passion, love, confidence, and idealism.  But all eclipses also have the potential to bring out the shadow or lower expression of the sign involved, which in this case would be drama, egotism, childishness, self-centeredness, attention seeking behaviors, arrogance, and tyranny.  It is time for each of us to (a) look carefully at how we have been expressing the Leo energy in our lives and (b) determine if we need to make any course corrections.

Luckily, the Leo stellium and Regulus are all part of a grand trine (equilateral triangle) with trines (120°) to Saturn in Sagittarius and Uranus in Aries.  Grand trines represent a very positive, supportive flow of energy, and this one is occurring in fire signs (i.e., Leo, Aries, Sag).  Fire energy gives us energy!  If we have recently felt stuck in an area of our life, this may get us moving forward.  With Saturn being part of the grand trine, any actions will likely be well-thought out, strategic, and responsible.  And given Saturn is currently in Sagittarius, our actions will likely be ethical and move us in the direction of our goals and aspirations.  But with Uranus in the mix, we need to remember to “go with the flow” and not fight any unexpected events or changes that come across our path.  Given the free-flowing energy of the grand trine, it is unlikely that we will resist.  However, if we do notice any resistance, it will help to remember that these events are Divinely orchestrated to bring us closer to our heart’s desires and the next step on our spiritual journey.

At the time of the New Moon/Eclipse, the Sun and Moon will be in an awkward 150° aspect to Chiron.  This aspect is called an inconjunct (AKA quincunx), and the key word associated with it is “adjustment.”  We do need to find ways to freely express all this Leo energy, but it needs to be in a manner that supports and doesn’t compromise our ongoing efforts to heal our own core wounds.  This may require some adjustments in our lives, such as learning to trust ourselves at a deeper level and/or believing that we really do have something unique and important to give to others and to the world around us.  It may also require us to look carefully at whether we are attached to Leo’s need for melodrama or attention-seeking behaviors.  Finally, this aspect tells us that we need to be careful not to allow our vibrational rate to be pulled downward by focusing on the negativity and fear in the world around us.  Instead, we need to serve as a source of Light, much like a lighthouse serves as a beacon through the darkness for ships during a storm.

NOTE:  For those who haven’t yet had a chance to read the blog post I channeled a few years ago, here is the link:  Darkness cannot exist where there is Light and advice for Lightworkers.  This powerful message was provided by the Council of 12, and it is still very timely and provides many valuable suggestions regarding how we, as Lightworkers, can help when difficult events are occurring around us. 

Just a little warning about the time period around the Leo New Moon/Eclipse:  When you combine the powerful energy of the Eclipse with so much fiery energy, this could be a time when we experience (or witness in others) impatience, impulsivity, over-confidence, irritation, anger, recklessness, and even accidents.  Some recommendations would include choosing positive outlets for any excess energy (e.g., exercise), avoiding any important decisions for a few days, and postponing any difficult conversations until another time when we can be sure that we are speaking from the heart and not our ego’s needs.

During all of this, it’s important to remember that we have Mercury, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, and Chiron in retrograde.  As mentioned in the last Moon Update, this means that some of the changes we are thinking about may still be in the planning stages.  And as mentioned previously, the effects of this Solar Eclipse will likely take time to unfold.  So we should remember to breathe, observe what is happening, and trust in Divine Timing and Divine Order in all things.

The good news is that we don’t have to wait too long before action becomes more likely.  On Friday, August 25, Saturn ends its 5-month retrograde period, which began on April 5.  If we look back to when Saturn went retrograde, it is likely that we will likely see several areas of our lives that stalled or were blocked.  Although very frustrating for many of us, astrologically this was an important time period.  The projects we were thinking about at that time needed time to establish a firmer foundation upon which to build our future endeavors.  Given Saturn was retrograde in Sagittarius, this time period may have included revisiting our belief systems, ideals, and even our goals.  We may have also had to look carefully at where there were weaknesses, both inside and outside us, that might have sabotaged our efforts.  In a bigger sense, this retrograde period provided us with an opportunity to remember that all happens at the Divinely Ordered time, and sometimes delays really do work to our advantage.  If we’ve done the work of this retrograde period, we will finally be ready to make positive progress on some of those previously thwarted projects or business plans (or perhaps completely revamped goals).

Two days after the New Moon/Eclipse (Wednesday, August 23), the Sun will move out of Leo and into Virgo.  Virgo is an earth sign, so this will calm down a little of the fiery energy and support us in making grounded decisions that will express our inner Light.  If we’ve felt a little distracted recently, this next month should bring us down to earth and help us get organized.  Our focus will shift from the forest (big picture) to the trees (details), and we will be ready to take care of all those very practical concerns that we’ve recently been putting off.  This may not always be fun, but taking care of all this unfinished business will likely provide a great sense of accomplishment and free up our energy.  We just need to be careful to not become overly critical of ourselves or others while the Sun is in Virgo.  Remember to carry-over the lessons learned from all the recent Leo energy and come from a place of love and acceptance.

In addition to Saturn moving direct on Friday, August 25, Venus will move out of Cancer and into Leo that day, where it will remain until September 21.  Venus loves being in Leo because they are both about love.  We will likely feel warmhearted and generous, which will help counter-balance the sometimes critical nature of the Sun in Virgo.  But Venus in Leo can get stuck in the romance stage and not see a relationship as clearly as we should.  We also can be too extravagant with our finances, so it’s wise to think twice (or thrice) before making a big purchase.  But it’s an excellent time to be adored, pampered, and receive validation or acknowledgement.

The next day (Saturday, August 26) is a mishmash of energies.  The Sun will be in conjunction (0°) to Mercury in Virgo, and Mars will form its exact conjunction (0°) with the North Node in Leo.  The Mars-North Node conjunction does increase our desire to make an impact on the world in some way, but given Mercury is still in retrograde, our words may sound great in our heads but won’t seem to come out right.  It may be best to just think things through today and form an action plan that will be better initiated the next day (Sunday, August 27) when a sweet sextile (60°) between Jupiter and Saturn will give us the optimism and motivation to take positive action toward our goals.

Overall, it is likely that many of us will feel the effects of this second Leo New Moon and total Solar Eclipse, although the true impact may unfold slowly over the next six months, especially for those living in the continental USA.  Only in retrospect will we see how much our lives have changed.  We are being called to embrace the highest qualities of Leonian energy, such as leadership, respect, dignity, poise, and heart-centered love.  Wherever and whenever we can, we need to provide steady heart-felt leadership, have the courage to project our loving power outward, and serve as a beacon of Light and positivity to those around us.  When we have a choice, it is best to move away from any drama, because that will bring down our vibration and inhibit our ability to provide our gifts to the world.  Astrology tells us that we always have free will and can choose how to use the energies, and this is a time when we need to stay centered and courageously take full responsibility for our choices and actions.  But keep in mind that we don’t need to be perfect.  When we slip back into a lower expression of Leo’s energy (e.g., ego-based behaviors), our job is to love and accept ourselves, learn any lessons inherent in the “slip,” and get back on a positive path as quickly as possible.  And we also need to use the same approach when those around us “slip.”  Staying away from blame and focusing on love is the lesson inherent in all this Leo/Eclipse energy!  So remember, “Go out into the world today and love the people you meet.  Let your presence light new light in the hearts of people.” (Mother Teresa)

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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 29° of Leo

  • Monday, August 21, 2017, 11:30 a.m. PDT
  • Monday, August 21, 2017, 2:30 p.m. EDT
  • Monday, August 21, 2017, 6:30 p.m. GMT

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