At this New Moon, we’re invited to feel the energy of lions in all their splendor.
With us humans, speaking of splendor suggests opulence, wealth used for display, and concentrated power. Lions are different. They are apex predators, for sure, and yet their strength lies in fully embodying who they are. There’s no need for embellishment.
The Sun and Moon meet at 16 Leo, the second decan. The tarot card associated with this section of Leo is the 6 of Wands, the victory card. The major arcana associated with the 6 is Strength, a card that often depicts a lion. These are cards that speak to success through effort. Victory comes about through learning to manage our inner drives.
This is a dark time for the Moon, so it might seem paradoxical to be talking about strength, power, and victory.
Rising Moon Astrology is now a PODCAST on iTunes and many other platforms. Please listen, subscribe, and leave a review.
Instead of expecting to be victorious at the New Moon, we’re asked to explore what it takes to embody the strength of lions.
Picture a pride of lions resting in a field of golden grasses. They are at rest while remaining aware, quiet and also attentive. What would it take to reach such a state? What might we need to do to experience that kind of integrity?
The word ‘integrity’ comes from the word ‘integer,’ a whole number. With integers, you know exactly where you are. No fractions, nothing to take away from the wholeness of a number being what it is.
Now when we speak of integrity we might mean structural integrity, that a steel beam, for example, is made of solid steel right through, not adulterated with something that will make it weak.
People have integrity when their actions reflect their speech. When they live according to the values they espouse. There’s a wholeness to such people. That same sense that whatever it is they’re made of, it goes right through, giving strength of purpose and action.
Integrity is not a popular virtue these days. Expediency seems to be the thing: Doing whatever it takes to get what you want. Everyone does it, we hear. The system is crooked anyway. I deserve what I have. It doesn’t matter how I got it. A lack of personal integrity is justified because our government systems, business systems, religious institutions, and others lack integrity.
What are the costs and consequences of this? They are many. All are based in an inability to trust. If the Sun in Leo is all about “what you see is what you get,” then not being able to trust what we see and experience undercuts our own ability to shine.
At the New Moon, we have an invitation. Where might we struggle with integrity? How do we foster that capacity to act according to our best beliefs?
Mercury conjuncts this New Moon. Past the superior conjunction, this Mercury is still hidden, not yet visible in the sky. This means we can’t get the full Mercury cazimi message yet, although we know it’s coming. We sense new information almost available about how to Leo in this crazy world. How to shine with purpose and meaning.
The New Moon squares Uranus in Taurus which means things are getting shaken up. Uranus in the second decan of Taurus carries some of the very qualities we might need to strengthen our integrity. The energy of this decan speaks of practicing virtue over time, and especially of generosity.
Uranus, who is the revolutionary trickster, asks, what does radical generosity look like? What virtues do we need for the kind of future we want to live in?
We’ll be offered several ways to explore these questions during the four days of the New Moon phase. There are three aspects, each one linking a personal planet to an outer planet, that occur during this time.
On August 9, Venus in Virgo opposes Neptune in Pisces. There are different ways we might feel this one, depending on how we relate to Virgo, Pisces, and Neptune.
Certainly, if our experience of Venus in Virgo is one of needing to get everything organized perfectly right now, Neptune is not going to help and might cause some anxiety. On the other hand, if we can feel the priestess, the hedge witch, and the healer within Venus in Virgo, then Neptune will add magic while reconnecting us to Spirit. Finding the deeper messages within ordinary life enlivens Venus in Virgo (and us).
On August 10, Mercury opposes Jupiter. Mercury in Leo waits only for full visibility to speak openly and passionately about creative growth. The connection with Jupiter, newly returned to Aquarius, reminds Mercury we’re not only meant to create for and about ourselves but also for our communities.
Jupiter connects us to history and the wisdom of the past. This can balance Leo’s tendency to be singular, the lone figure in the spotlight. We came from somewhere and that influences who we are and where we’re going. This context can also support integrity.
On August 11, Venus in Virgo trines Pluto in Capricorn. Here, Venus eases our path into transformation. Pluto pushes for integrity at the deepest levels. Sure we want to improve but … does it have to go that deep? The Venus trine says, sure, we got this, just take things step by step.
All this happens before we reach the Crescent phase on August 12. With this much activity during a dark Moon time, we might go through times of strong emotion. We might struggle to put words to what we feel even as we sense shifts happening. We may not be sure exactly what’s going on inside us.
Given the prominence of Leo and the participation of Mercury and Venus, we know some form of personal expression will help. This is a great time for open-ended writing, for exploring with color, collage, crafts, and images of all kinds. Let things emerge in an unplanned way. Take creative chances. Be bold.
In the dark incubation of the New Moon, we express what’s in our hearts, in our psyches, in our dreams. We don’t need to share it with anyone. It’s all about fostering our own processes, leading to greater coherence, clarity, and integrity.
Do check your birth chart. You’ll want to see where the New Moon falls and what is being aspected in your chart. Also take a look at where Mercury and Venus are, and Neptune, Jupiter, and Pisces–all the players involved in this rather active dark Moon. These positions will offer clues to which parts of your chart, and your life, are being invited into the explorations of the New Moon in Leo.
Image adapted from Prince David
https://unsplash.com/photos/MMKAbQPIXg8
The astrological charts are my own. The images in this post include the title,
adapted from the lioness by Prince David,
and the following images:
the hands by Austin Kehmeier, and
the studio by Matthieu Comoy