Astrology Highlights (printable)

LEO NEW MOON

Sunday, August 15, 2004
6:24 pm PDT
9:24 pm EDT

Sun and Moon joined at
23.31 Leo

Sabian Symbol: "A yogi, with transcendent powers - yet untidy, unkempt."

What does listening to the zodiac do for us at each moon cycle? It attunes us to the yet living quality of this ancient rhythm. It sharpens our senses to new ways to bring ourselves forth. It puts us on the alert -- as an animal living in the wild -- to something new in the air...

What's in the Sky this New Moon?

Mercury is retrograde from August 10 through September 3. One of the pieces of advice astrologers traditionally give their clients during Mercury retrograde is to delay making important life decisions. This may not always be possible. But there is something sage in the counsel to thoroughly think things through before undertaking a significant change or reaching an important decision. Like the clear sound of a bell, something about the still pause or the silence of a solitary hour reflects purity of moral intention. And although the kind of silent, uncluttered time that lends itself to depth of thought is a rare phenomenon, Mercury retrograde is an optimal time to introduce the quality of thoughtfulness into our lives. It is a time to step back and mull things over, in order to increase our capacity to be guided in our words and our actions by our inner voice. Building silent hours into our mornings, evenings, or weekends while the communications planet is retrograde is a powerful way to work with the stars to deepen our thinking processes. To spend hours immersed in reading, listening to music, hiking in nature, or silent contemplation strengthens the quieter side of our personalities--a valuable source of inner light and inspiration.

Adapted from Mercury Retrograde: Its Myth and Meaning, (Tarcher/Penguin) By Pythia Peay

Leo New Moon 'Scope
by Dana Gerhardt

One of the most calming and powerful actions you can do to intervene in a stormy world is to stand up and show your soul. Soul on deck shines like gold in dark times. The light of the soul throws sparks, can send up flares, builds signal fires, causes proper matters to catch fire. To display the lantern of soul in shadowy times like these, "to be fierce and to show mercy toward others, both, are acts of immense bravery and greatest necessity." Struggling souls catch light from other souls who are fully lit and willing to show it. If you would help to calm the tumult, this is one of the strongest things you can do.
-- Clarissa Pinkola Estes, "We Are Made for These Times"

My street is filled with stars—not the celebrities you hear about on the news—but those with a determined radiance that quietly lights up the whole neighborhood. There is the woman who picks up the garbage cans scattered by the wind while her neighbors are at work. There is the couple who rescued a lost dog and worked for a week to find its owner. There is the man across the street who repaired my broken irrigation pipe without even telling me his name. And slumped in the back bedroom of my own house, there’s my eleven-year-old, struggling with his first experience of football practice. It’s not what he thought it would be. Awkward and slow in the drills, he is one of the stragglers at the back of the pack, panting, bruised and wanting to quit. Nevertheless, however glumly, he keeps showing up. None of them will receive a standing ovation for their performances. But they are stars.

Each year, the Leo New Moon gives us an opportunity to reflect on star quality—the courage, the generosity, the creativity and unabashed playfulness—the "heart" in ourselves and others. Leo is about visibility—allowing our inner radiance to be seen by others. Seeing ourselves reflected in their eyes, we learn what’s special about us, why we matter in the world. There is a difference between "divinity" and "celebrity." The latter is an exclusive club. Yet divinity is widespread—every one of us carries that mega-glittery star stuff inside. Especially in the Leo cycle, you’re encouraged, as Pinkola Estes writes, to "stand up and show your soul." If you’re feeling weak in the knees, begin by appreciating the radiance of others. See how beautiful, unique, and necessary they are. Appreciating others is Leo’s secret formula for unlocking the divinity within.

Moments after the New Moon, the Moon goes void for approximately twelve hours, suggesting we begin this cycle by unplugging ourselves. Moon voids are an excellent time for going inward, for jumping off the cultural grid, and going into conference with your inner genius. Mercury is also retrograde—another clue: The way to succeed this cycle will be through reflection more than energetically furious activity. While Leo is an out-going, expressive sign, this late-degree New Moon brings us to the cusp of Virgo. During this "cuspal" period, as Gary Goldscheider suggests in The Astrology of Time, observation may be more important than action. Watching, waiting, and listening are especially useful now. That can help you handle the New Moon chart's most startling celestial arrangement: Mercury conjunct Mars opposite Uranus. This is a potentially explosive combination—and the astrologically forewarned will proceed carefully in the first two weeks of this cycle. When the Moon triggers this alignment on August 16, surprises or uncomfortable secrets may suddenly come to light. To the degree you’ve gone inward, you’ll understand exactly what you need to do with them.

Your Personal Season

I used to hate the month of August. It wasn’t until I became an astrologer that I understood why. Every year, during Leo’s month, the Sun was in my 12^th House of self-undoing. The Sun in the 12^th is often a time when we feel at sea, itchy and disconnected. With conscious attunement, however, this month can be a spiritually rewarding time. But as a child, I only knew that once school started (when the Sun entered my 1^st House), I’d be feeling much better.

The house in your chart were Leo falls describes your personal experience of the season. Where Leo appears may be where you need to be more courageous and self-expressive. It’s important to feel that you’re in charge of this part of your life. Here you need to leave your mark on the world. If you’d like to learn more about your personal experience of the Sun/Moon cycles, I encourage you to enroll in my monthly workshop Twelve Moons.