New Moon in Leo 7*24*25

Thursday afternoon the Sun and Moon meet up at 2 degrees of Leo, forming a New Moon. New Moons are initiatory, time for planting seeds or considering new paths that reflect the themes of the sign they are in. Leo is the fixed fire sign. Like all fire signs, Leo is idealistic. It sees the big picture and is guided by values like honor and bravery. Leo operates from a moral code and due to its fixed nature, it is loyal to this code. Violations to it are rare.

The Zodiac: A path to self-development

The signs of the zodiac offer a template for the development of self-awareness. Aries starts off the cycle. It is the awareness of the self as a separate being, something new, here to experience life in its unique way. This concept of self extends into the environment when Taurus takes over. Taurus is where we develop the Aries idea of "me" and extend it to "mine" and "not mine".  As the zodiacal wheel progresses to Gemini, we move further out into our environment and learn how to navigate it. We learn to communicate our "me-ness" and build social relationships within our local environs like our families and neighborhoods. Cancer comes next, and it is where we begin to attend to our foundation, our home and what we require to feel secure and stable. Having developed our roots,  we are now ready explore another layer of "self"  - one that addresses personal power and the influence the self has in the larger outside world. We are ready to move beyond the family unit and experience affection in our social relationships. We are also ready to explore how we express ourselves creatively through personal interests and hobbies. 

Leo Energy

Leo is ruled by the Sun, the only body in our solar system with its own light. All other planets (and the Moon) reflect this light. During Leo season, it's time to shine. Under this New Moon, consider how you show up for yourself and your social group. Your personal power is a function of your ability to interact with and influence others. Are you able to authentically express yourself or do you hold yourself back to be more acceptable? Are you trying to fit yourself into someone else's mold? 

Leo energy is attractive. In its higher expression, Leo energy is charismatic, warm, and inclusive. People want to be around it and Leo energy enjoys the attention. It also accepts its role as a leader. Leo is inspiring and encouraging. It builds up everyone on the team or in the group. Realized Leo energy walks its talk and expects everyone else in its sphere to do the same. It leads by example and it leads with heart. This Leo understands the responsibility that leadership demands. Because Leo loves to be appreciated, it is generous with its appreciation of others. This Leo energy knows there is always enough of the good stuff to go around and it is generous in sharing its light. 

Undeveloped Leo energy, on the other hand, usually happens because somewhere in the progression through the preceding signs, some aspect of development was not fully integrated. This Leo expression confuses personal power with dominance. Because it is not comfortable with itself or settled in its heart, it looks for external validation. Often, it doesn't just seek this validation, it demands it.  It can be arrogant and easily offended. And while it does have a moral code of sorts, it is not a particularly developed one. It is shallow, overly concerned with appearances and focused on personal aggrandizement. We all have had experience with "leaders" like this. Part of your developed Leo expression is to not let these types of lower energy derail your personal power expression. In fact, this is the demonstration of your true power - how you interact with those who are "unripe". At the end of the day, everything is an opportunity to demonstrate or refine your mastery of your energy. 

A big theme of this New Moon is to clarify how you view and use power in your life. How are you using your influence? What values and ideals guide your behaviors? How consistently do you show up for those who depend on you? Do you take responsibility for your actions and outcomes? 

The Other Players

This New Moon is making lots of connections to other planets. It is opposing Pluto at 3 degrees Aquarius. Oppositions are about balancing two sides of a continuum. Pluto is the planet of transformation and empowerment. Over the next 20 years, as it moves through Aquarius, it will be providing opportunities to first, notice where we as a collective have disempowered ourselves in various ways and then, begin to take back our power, both individually and collectively. Under this New Moon, we are called to explore how to best contribute our skills and leadership abilities to our communities and groups we belong to. In what ways are you being called to step up and shine? Not to dominate, but to work with others towards mutual benefit, honoring each person's unique and authentic contribution. With Pluto in Aquarius, we are all in the process of redefining power from a force of 'control over' to a field of cooperation and mutual benefit. Consider what is calling you, what speaks to your heart? What skillset or unique talent is yours to share? How can you best do so? What is getting in your way of doing so? Are you making excuses to stay on the periphery? What would change if you trusted yourself and your power? 

This New Moon is forming easy and supportive aspects to Saturn and Neptune in Aries (trine) and Uranus in Gemini (sextile). The trine is asking you to consider your dreams and your connection to something bigger than your small self and begin to see them as more than fantasies. Saturn takes the dreams of Neptune and gets to the nitty gritty of bringing them into the material world. Saturn puts the foundations under Neptune's "castles in the air". Trines bring a lot of flow with them. Stop dismissing your "it would be great but it would never happen" scenarios and start exploring the "how can we make this happen" version. Just start the process and see where it goes. Uranus in Gemini will offer innovative and "out of the box" ideas that can be used to expand what is possible. It will bring interesting people with very different perspectives into your sphere.  Again, be open to what shows up. Get curious. Be brave! 

Mercury is still retrograde in Leo until August 11, so it is a perfect time to consider how you wish to show up as your most authentic and empowered version of self. Who is this next level you? How can you best invest in this version? What support will help you embody this expression and how will you access it?  This is the time to choose yourself. You are here for a unique purpose. No on else can fulfill your role. If you opt out or play small, everyone loses. 

"Your personal power is not something that is going to reveal itself at some later date. Your power is a result of your decision to reveal it. You are powerful in whatever moment you choose to be."   ~ Marianne Williamson