The New Moon in Leo
Dear Friends
We have a new moon in Leo on Thursday 24th July (8.12pm, UK time) and it is a potent one, as the Sun and Moon conjoin at 2˚ in fiery, forthright Leo, making an exact opposition to Pluto at 2˚ Aquarius. A Leo new moon carries the seed energy of power and confidence, conviction and radiant self-expression. It is a moment to be bold, to seize the initiative, to take charge of a situation, to get people's attention, to take a chance on life, to play your heart out! However, with the exact opposition to Pluto that bright, charismatic Leo part of us must remain aware the dark shadow that its radiant light inevitably casts, and so easily becomes blind to. The Sun and Moon also make a trine aspect to the Saturn-Neptune conjunction in Aries, and a sextile aspect to Uranus (more on that below).
The Opportunity & Challenge of a Leo New Moon
I want to look deeper into the Pluto opposition, as this is by far the most challenging aspect in the new moon chart. First, though, let us consider that a new moon is a seed moment in the month, and the attitude that we adopt as we cross this monthly threshold will tend to determine the way that we approach any situation that we are facing in our lives at this time - it will form the basis of how we perceive a situation, and will likely inspire actions or resolutions that conform to the perspective that we take.
As this is a Leo new moon, the intentions that we sow in this lion-hearted sign, enrol our courage and commitment to what is in our hearts. Leo rules the heart, and demands authenticity and sovereignty of expression. It is the heroic part of our being that will face up to adversity and make a stand for what it perceives to be honourable. It a demonstration of maturity where we shift our perspective from that of the child who needs sheltering and nurturing, to that of the adult who takes responsibility for themselves and others, through their actions, and stands up for what they know in their heart to be true. At the same time, Leo will tend to promote the interests of the ego, causing us to lose perspective and become too centred on our own self-importance, and the elevation of the false self. This is an ever-present danger with the immature Leo, for whom it is far more important to be seen to be good, right, virtuous and true. With that in mind, let’s examine the significant shadow aspect of this new moon.
Sun-Moon Opposite Pluto: Facing the Shadow Teacher
Being in opposition to the Sun and Moon, the Pluto archetype might typically (though not necessarily) manifest through a crisis of trust in relationship. We might experience some action or behaviour in the other as being domineering, manipulative or abusive in some way that makes us feel unsafe. We could also be powerfully attracted to another person who carries material, emotional or spiritual power, and from an unconscious part of ourselves we might hand over our own sovereignty to that person. This is ultimately a question us holding the tension between the light and dark parts within ourselves, which always constitutes the deeper learning, but often this gets played out in relationship dynamics, especially through the opposition aspect. Whether the relationship involves a partner, friend, teacher, work colleague or family member, that person in some way acts out a projection of our own shadow nature.
One of the hardest things to face in such a power dynamic is to recognise that even if the other person is acting unconsciously, irrationally, or out of a deeply wounded or traumatised place in themselves, they are actually holding up a dark mirror to us. We have a choice. We can look deep into that mirror and learn something very important about ourselves (while still recognising the unconscious behaviour of the other) - or we can ignore it and look only into the face of the person who is apparently tormenting us. If we do the former, and acknowledge the other as a ‘shadow teacher’ then we could receive a deeply valuable lesson that could raise our self-awareness, and bring about a profound transformation in the way we relate to others in the future. If we do only the latter, however, and condemn the other and/or their behaviour as being inherently bad or ‘evil’, then we also condemn ourselves to ongoing ignorance and deny ourselves the opportunity to evolve. We have attracted that person or situation into our lives, karmically or otherwise, in order to face some banished or unacknowledged dimension of our being, who is trapped within our ignorance. It is an opportunity to set that part free, but we cannot do that unless we take responsibility for the way in which we project power onto another.
This theme of the ‘shadow teacher’ will be particularly applicable to those who have significant chart placements (especially Sun, Moon, Ascendant, Mercury, Venus or Mars) between 0˚- 3˚of the fixed signs: Leo, Aquarius, Taurus or Scorpio. This may be something that we simply have to face within ourselves - the part of us that wants to shine with radiant light and imagines that we are predominantly a being of light, and that dark part that mistrusts this and convinces us that the truth lies in the dark, hidden recesses of the psyche, ‘where the Sun don’t shine’!
The Aspects to Saturn, Neptune and Uranus
As mentioned above, the Sun and Moon also make a number of more harmonious aspects: the trine to Saturn and Neptune in Aries, and the sextile to Uranus. To some extent these aspects can offset the raw potency of the Sun-Pluto opposition, or at least open up other perspectives on the ‘crisis of trust’ situation that we may be confronted with. The trine to Saturn can facilitate the establishment of boundaries and allow for an element of control. However, being that Saturn and Neptune are currently conjunct in the first degrees of Aries, the Sun and Moon are also making a trine to Neptune which, confusingly, promotes sympathy and compassion, potentially blurring the boundaries that Saturn seeks to establish. The involvement of Uranus, making the sextile from its position in Gemini, offers a very different take on things, a radical, off-the-wall or even humorous perspective on a situation, that could help lift it out of the gloom with some revolutionary insight, perhaps offering a creative breakthrough.
Mars Square Venus on the Nodal Bendings
There is one other really significant aspect pattern in the new moon chart, and that is the t-square formed between the North Node, Mars and Venus. Mars in Virgo sits at the south moon node in a tight square aspect to Venus in Gemini, which in turn is square the north and south node, at the place we call the bendings (or turning point) of the nodal axis. A planet that occupies this point, carries a karmic flavour, known in evolutionary astrology as the ‘skipped step’, a life lesson that must be revisited before one can evolve toward the qualities of the north node, even though that lesson seems to be at odds with one’s evolutionary path. A Venus-Mars square creates a lot of sexual chemistry or strongly charged energetic force, which can provoke conflict in an attempt to resolve two clashing perspectives. When this signature is involved with the nodes in the way it is in today’s chart, it emphasises karmic relationships as a potential theme, or else a need to confront a particular conflict within the self. If you have significant placements in their own birthchart around 19-22˚ of the mutable signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius or Pisces), then this theme may be particularly pertinent to you.
The Leo Medicine Mantra
These are strong times, and the integrity of the heart is being tested here - can we stay strong in our love and truth? Can we stand for what is right, and act authentically and with integrity, even if it means acknowledging some dark or uncomfortable realisation about ourselves? This is the challenge of this new moon.
My Leo mantra runs:
“I am as I am, and I shine from the centre of my Being”.
New moon blessings to all.
John
Website: www.kairosastrology.co.uk