Leo New Moon: The Dress Rehearsal

There’s a difference to a Masters Degree and a PhD.

I had this book I never finished called “Getting What You Came For” which was recommended to me by a professor. At this point the information is less relevant because it was published in the 90s, but I imagine still useful. It describes in great detail what I’ve already stated, but I mention it because the title caught me today as I was looking in the mirror. “Why am I feeling all of these feelings” and to that, a voice in my head responded “Because this is how you become what you said you wanted to be…”

My friends and I were talking in Glastonbury about why I don’t go by astrologist and choose instead astrologer. While I do also study Astrology and historical transits, I do so in a less intellectual or studious way. “I know enough to be dangerous”. In other words, I prefer the experiential learning of living in the transits and taking down notes. I want to get my hands dirty, so to speak. I ask people about what is going on in their life during a transit, I have clients that offer me data as well. In fact, it is my way of making art from the energy.

Now for the Astrology, I have quite a lot to go over. The upcoming month is pretty spicy. Mars is in the air sign of Gemini until the 4th of September, where Jupiter has been since earlier this Summer. We are coming away from the Mars/Uranus conjunction that took place on the 15th of July. Taurus is steady and doesn’t necessarily give Mars room to take all the action it feels it needs to take.

So, after what felt like an excruciating wait, we all saw the grand finale. Mars switched out of Taurus and into Gemini but not before setting off some explosives in Venus’s domicile. Now that the red planet has shifted into the air sign of Gemini to be with Jupiter, what was once a great wind in our sails has turned into aggressively blowing air on embers. It's as though one of those smoke bombs was dispensed and thrown in the mix of planetary chaos. I get the image in my mind of a can spinning in circles and dispersing a thick fog all around. There’s scattering and scampering. It doesn’t feel quite as sinister as it feels playful, in a trickster kind of way. Its a lot lighter and a lot more scattered, keeping in mind that “it” means our masculine principle energy. The fuel from our desires. The curtain is open and yet the audience is still blind to what is happening behind the scenes even as it takes place right before their very eyes. It's smoke and mirror energy. Movie magic!

There’s certainly a whole lot more to where we’ve been only recently, but that’s just the Mars/Uranus part of where we’ve been. That was the conjunction that all the community was abuzz about. It took place and it was as shocking, horrifying, and indeed it has been disorienting. Now we are all left to fumble around in the dark for a moment, its fitting because there is a New Moon approaching.

But first, Venus will move into a square with Uranus, which goes exact on the 2nd of August. We can start off by thinking about about what the square aspect means because it is often considered a challenging configuration. Its a hard right turn. Its a sharp slope with only difficult ways down. Geometrically speaking and from our geocentric perspective of course, it means that the planets are at a right angle from one another. The energies that participate do so begrudgingly.

Now we take the planets that are participating in said square: Venus and Uranus. You might remember that Uranus is a planet of shocking revelations and surprises. Venus is the quintessential goddess energy. She represents love, harmony, relationships, sisterhood, creativity, beauty. She is the receptive and open minded ideal. However, in a square with Uranus, even the desires of Venus could feel uncomfortable or just out of place. I’m remembering a couple of episodes from TLC’s show Trading Spaces where people on the show were not thrilled at all with renovations that were made to their home. Its that long puzzling stare of trying to let a new idea grow on you.

Uranus is in Venus’s home sign of Taurus, so she still does have a bit of input when it comes to these decisions being made. Venus is in the Sun’s sign of Leo and the Sun is there as well shining a light on the area of life that is going to be experiencing a new beginning. Uranus is adding some unpredictability to this area of life. In order to have confidence, Venus could really use some reassurance to get in the spotlight. The surprise that Uranus brings may at first feel like a complete disaster. Uranus has been getting rid of all the furniture and possessions in Venus’s home of Taurus. It is full on Marie Kondo over there. With Mercury turning retrograde very shortly after, this new beginning is the start to an interesting process of review. In fact, the beginning itself may not even feel like the beginning yet because its all part of the pre-boarding checklist.

The New Moon

Then on August 4th, the New Moon will take place in the sign of Leo. New Moon simply means that the Sun and Moon will meet in the sky from our geocentric perspective at the same degree in the same sign. New moon is a time of new beginnings, this is a time when we plant our seeds, and write down our intentions for the month. The sign of Leo is represented by the Lion and is the masculine domicile of the Sun. During this New Moon, we could say that the Sun is at home and the Moon is visiting with the Sun. The plot (sun) and the setting (moon) are aligned and they are made for the stage in the sign of Leo. Leo is dazzling and charming. We all love to be an audience member when Leos go into their enchanting performances. Other words like alluring, mesmerizing, magnetic, and courage come to mind for the sign of Leo. There is some area of our life (over which the sign of Leo rules) that will be experiencing a new beginning.

Venus will be separating from the square to Uranus that I already mentioned and will be at the very last degree of Leo at the time of the New Moon. This is known as the anoretic degree and often times I hear it described as an exhausted expression of the energy of the planet in the sign. It gives the impression that the Venus / Uranus Square might reveal something that initiates a project which will be starting around the time of the new moon.

When I think of Venus in this sign of Leo, I think about the word bold. There is a sense of nobility and pride, and even veering into vanity to some extent. The Venusian elements in our lives will be accentuated and emphasized during this New Moon. That is a part of the seed being planted.

Only a few hours after the Leo New Moon, Venus will move into her fall of Virgo and Mercury will station retrograde at 4° of Virgo.

Let’s take that apart: we can think of each elements as conditions under which the new beginning (New Moon) is starting out. I’ve heard Virgo described as the way that Leo handles being booed off the stage. Why do we call Virgo the fall of Venus? In terms of the zodiacal wheel, the exaltation of Mercury opposes the exaltation of Venus. Mercury is exalted in Virgo while Venus is exalted in the sign of Pisces. So directly after the New Moon takes place, our feminine principle (Venus) enters this space of discomfort (her fall of Virgo). Venus in Virgo isn’t bad, but it brings to mind words like ‘critical’, ‘severe’ and ‘crucial’. For Venus, that is a little off-putting and so if we find ourselves experiencing this self-judgement or judgement from or towards others, that could be telling us something about the project we’ve just begun for the New Moon on the 4th.

The second Venus enters Virgo, Mercury stations retrograde. Mercury has a much better relationship with the sign of Virgo. It is his home and his exaltation. His earthy mutable domicile. Think of it as a humble abode; well-maintained but always requiring maintenance. For Mercury, the sign of Virgo doesn’t feel so bad, in fact, he loves details and solving puzzles. The constructive criticism isn’t so disheartening for Mercury. He receives Venus into his Hobbit House and then immediately starts moving in the direction from which he just came. It's fascinating that this should all happen in sequence as it will. The Astrological transits do tend to be more obvious experientially when there is a pile up, as is the case for this New Moon.

Keep in mind, Virgo will be the sign within which the New Moon takes place next lunation cycle. In the case of this Leo New Moon, Mercury is going back into the sign of Leo to take care of whatever Venus tracked in from the square to Uranus. Mercury is going back to the Sun’s house (Leo) to meet up with the big guy (the Sun) which happens on on August 19th. Mercury then lingers about in Leo and re-enters Virgo in mid September to return back to where he was around the time of the Leo New Moon I am writing about today.

Retrogrades are a time within which many will turn inward regarding themes of the planet that has changed directions from our perspective. I have also heard that when planets are retrograde they are closer to the Earth, which is just another good way to remember to be reflective.

Themes of Mercury are simple advice like: double check your work, re-read your emails and be sure you have the correct recipients, slow to a stop at the yellow lights, and give yourself the space to make mistakes. Mercury also rules over Gemini, and Mars is approaching Jupiter in the sign of Gemini, which means this is leading up to some pretty significant choices we are going to be making as this month continues.

Mercury will straddle the Leo and Virgo Houses in our charts, so two areas of life are threaded together for the months of August and September. Whatever fixes are needed to carry forward the energy of this New Moon in Leo will be discovered and reworked during the Mercury Retrograde and will be ready to relaunch in September. Make the most of this Mercury Retrograde in August and use it to stay aligned with the future you want to move toward, remaining on the frequency that matches your desired outcome.

To sense into the overall feeling of the New Moon, take for example: an actor that will be in a play. This person is going to the first dress rehearsal for this play. The rest of the cast members are also going to be going through the play for the first time in front of each other. If you are someone that has participated in theater, you know that there are times when the rest of the cast is impressed by a performance. It’s the feeling of witnessing a shockingly good character portrayal that catches everyone off guard. For example, the quiet guy from math class turns out to be the best bass note vocalist anyone has heard in their life. Maybe the kid with coke bottle glasses is the most incredible track star. This New Moon feels a little like that… like everyone is adjusting to this new way of relating with talents of others or even their own. Being seen for your gifts for maybe the first time. It might feel a little awkward as Venus enters into Virgo and Mercury retrogrades back into Leo. The good news is that we are going to see some sort of major improvement to the new beginning that we start this New Moon by the time we reach the next New Moon. That improvement might just be that we feel more comfortable with the role we’ve chosen this time around.

I keep returning to this contemplation of the difference between writing about experiences that I associate with the astrology transits versus trying to use words to describe how I understand them conceptually. It’s like learning the grammar as opposed to the the words used to categorize elements of grammar. The dense lived-experience over the meta perspective. After writing this I can even add, the dress rehearsal versus the actual performance. I think that is where I feel the New Moon in Leo is guiding my thoughts. How will I emerge from the ashes? When the dust has cleared, what will the light show of me? Leo is the sign of the heart, it’s associated with drama and expression, but also of courage and bravery.

For this Leo New Moon, be gentle and graceful with yourself if things don’t go the way you originally planned. This season is about embracing your playful side and shining bright from deep within your heart.