July 24: Leo New Moon
We are blessed to live during interesting times. The Leo New Moon at 3:11PM ET on July 24, asks what you are going to do about it.
Four major planets have shifted since the Vernal Equinox and they are in conversation at this lunation. The New Moon at 09°Leo is in a trine with Saturn and Neptune in Aries, sextiling Uranus in Gemini, and opposite Pluto in Aquarius. This concentration of outer planet power is creating a super charged seed that will germinate for the next 6 months and burst forth in the new year.
This Summer has brought change, challenge, and the opportunity to start fresh. But the Sun's opposition to Pluto in Aquarius, and the Mercury retrograde in Leo, means our initiation happens in the heart of the Underworld. The Mercury retrograde cycle began at the mid-way sacred Lammas point at 15°Leo on July 18, is causing us to question our ambition and the drive towards the top that gets ingrained in us from an early age.
Mercury symbolizes our conscious mind that communicates ideas, and analyzes and assimilates information from the outside world. During the retrograde cycle there is a pause that prevents us from moving forward in the usual way. We simply can't progress as we are cursed with inconveniences or beset by delays that force us to reconsider where we even thought we were going in the first place. It's an opportunity to stop and observe and ask ourselves if the path still feels right and true.
Reality is often described as a play of light. The spark in our soul is light dancing. We feel alive when we follow its rhythm and move to its beat. This is when we know joy. Yet the light we experience to be ourselves is simply a reflection of the true light. There is always a shadow in the world of duality and Pluto reveals what we are ignoring, avoiding, or simply missing within our limited perspective. Leo season, July 22-August 22, is an invitation to let your light shine, but there is also a deeper questioning of what is worthy of our efforts.
The tarot Major Arcana card XIX The Sun is depicted as a joyful young child riding a white horse surrounded by sunflowers with a red banner waving in the background. Solar rays stream down indicating health and vitality. This card represents material abundance, success, and receiving recognition for one's efforts.
When you get the Sun card in a tarot reading, the path forward is clear and you can trust your vision and sight. Enlightenment is knowledge that comes from divinity, which provides clarity for our personal growth. When we feel connected to Source we trust our place in the world. Even if we're not exactly sure where we're going.
If the Mercury retrograde period turns things upside down, the cazimi at 09°Leo at 7:41PM ET on July 31, provides a divine download to help us find our way forward and set us on a new course over the next three months. People with planets or placements in the first decan of Leo are being called to fulfill their natal promise–not what they must do, but what they can do if they try.
The Leo New Moon in a trine with Saturn and Neptune in Aries is an opportunity to use the spirit and spark of change that has been activated this year to create something necessary and beautiful in your life. We can not ignore the darkness but it need not take us over. This lunation is asking what we can make in this world of great beauty and horrible cruelty. By letting your little light shine you illuminate a path forward for those coming behind. And if that's the best we can do then it's still worth a whole lot.