Leo New Moon

Leo New Moon – August 18, 2020; 7:41 pm PDT

One of the best aspects this month occurs on August 16th. This is the Sun in Leo squaring Mars in Aries. The Sun in Leo is very empowering and instills us with confidence. This is much more productive energy than the Mars/Pluto interaction that we experienced earlier this month, around the 13th. This Sun/Mars energy is positive, affirming and you may have strong insights into how to move forward in your life. The overlay of this energy will give us a strong sense of self and an inner power that is about action, being decisive, and getting things done. It will also bring the opportunity to make decisions and to take the lead on something you desire to create. There is also a strong leadership quality making this energy excellent for coming together to achieve a common goal. Your physical body will be quite strong as well, so it’s a fantastic time for sports or physical play, especially outdoors.

Think about the topics of your Aries house and your Leo house. See how they can work together to move you to a place you want to be. Set yourself a goal or challenge around those topics and you’ll find that you can manifest something quite wonderful. These are two very vibrant fire signs so channel that cosmic energy into a particular outcome and allow it to happen.
The New Moon at 26 degrees of Leo occurs on August 18th at 7:41 pm PDT. Mercury is very close to this lunation so we can expect a mental buzz to come with the New Moon energy. It’s going to feel quite good because there are no problematic aspects connected to it and it’s not being influenced by the heavy energy of the Jupiter, Saturn, Pluto combination.
We have an astrological configuration called a Grand Fire Trine at the time of the New Moon. This is a creative energy that brings a strong blessing or boon. It emphasizes Mars in Aries and the South Node in Sagittarius (our collective soul intention) which is sitting exactly at the Galactic Center. The Galactic Center represents Creator energy. Leo is also very creative and Mars, especially in Aries, is very much about the strength of the individual and the need to be free and independent in order to ‘create our own lives’. That desire to freely self-actualize will fuel the new beginning energy connected to this New Moon and because the ‘status quo’ is breaking down and resistant to new creation, there is the potential for some ‘push back’ from the ‘powers that be’ in the form of rules and regulations that the population will see as ‘enforced control’.
We can step out of that perceived control by allowing our light to shine into the world. When we do that, it’s likely that we will receive some wonderful insights and clarity. Let your presence be known to the people around you and allow the spark of who you are to come through in a creative way. This can manifest through your personal energy or in how you support another in shining their light.
This is a ‘classic’ New Moon that will bring fresh starts, new beginnings, and help you initiate action especially around the area of life where Leo sits in your chart. This is a great time for manifesting success in love and romance, creative projects, self-actualization and expression, and expansion for your children. The strength of this New Moon is not enough to turn 2020 into a magically different year from what we have experienced, but it will give us the opportunity to have a break from the intensity of the last few months.
Venus moves into a lovely aspect with Uranus on August 18th and we get to enjoy an exhilarating energy. Historically, this combination has highlighted issues and themes connected to women, feminine roles, and feminine archetypes in society. It will be interesting to see if any innovation around these topics is pushed to the foreground this month. Venus is strongly about relationships and when it interacts with Uranus in a positive manner like this, it can bring excitement, an effervescence, a ‘sparkly’ and romantic feel to your relationships – even those that have been around for a while. This is great energy for trying new things, especially connected to relationships and dating so do something fun with your honey! If love comes to you during this time, you may find yourself attracted to someone who is very unique and not your typical ‘type’.
This energy is asking us to break out of the old patterns and molds – to think differently, and act differently. This can also help you bust through a situation that has become stagnant or bring an ‘aha’ idea or understanding that helps you remove an obstacle that has been holding you back. This also has a feeling of quickening energy so life tends to speed up and things happen quickly. While Venus is in this innovative combination with Uranus it is in the sign of Cancer. Venus quite relishes the energy of Cancer and encourages us to enjoy simple pleasures that make us feel safe and at ease. Is there something different that you’ve been interested in trying? It may be just the thing that allows you to truly relax during these trying times. This can be creative and financially beneficial energy as well, even though it may be a bit erratic.
Mercury moves into Virgo on Aug 19th. This is a positive and strong combination and gives us the most functional Mercury we can have. Mercury is about communication, learning, teaching, and organizing so, this is the perfect time to plan, strategize, analyze, or schedule projects. This energy will also support any work where attention to detail is vital. If you’ve been stuck in a decision or mired down with the nitty gritty, this will now break up and you will see ways to move forward. You will be able to spot issues or inconsistencies in your projects and your life.
This energy can positively impact your health (as it pertains to eating and food preparation), exercise, and general wellness. It also impacts your finances to the degree that you have to deal with taxes and paperwork, and makes it easier to be organized. These areas of our lives are made more efficient and effective when Mercury is in Virgo. Mercury is also one of the planets that impacts business and negotiation so if you are thinking of signing a contract or making a deal with another, this is an excellent time to do it.
The Sun moves from Leo into Virgo on August 22nd. Virgo is very efficient and streamlined, almost minimalist. With Virgo, we achieve a desired outcome in the most efficient and direct way. It’s an Earth sign so that helps us slow down and gather our scattered energy. Because we are more ‘embodied’ when the Sun is in an Earth sign (especially along with Mercury) we have an opportunity to review what we’ve done and maybe revise or update our work and systems.
Virgo also tends to help us see what no longer serves our basic lifestyle. We have an energetic connection with every physical item we own and Virgo helps us recognize when that energetic connection has become too intense or even toxic. It shows us what needs to be gotten rid of. Hence, Virgo season is the perfect time to clean out the closets and/or the garage and get rid of all the stuff that hasn’t seen the light of day in years.
Exact on August 24th we have a very classically challenging interaction between Mars in Aries and Saturn in Capricorn. This is the first in a sequence of two. The second one will be in late September, but it’s quite likely that we will feel this energy continuously from late August to late September.
This is an aspect of frustration. It’s like driving with the brakes on. Efforts to push forward hit a wall or roadblock. This is not about getting what you want right away but more about thinking strategically and long-term.
The lower expression of Mars in Aries is reacting to circumstances without thought and usually with animosity or aggression. But, by tapping into the higher energy of this combination we can adopt a more hero-like energy which is also very descriptive of Mars in Aries. The best way to navigate this productively is to understand that we may have to experience short term pain for long-term gain. Another way to look at it is that if you willingly accept a delay now you have a better chance of reaching your goal in the future. Is there something you’ve been doing that focuses on the short-term but does not really give you a good result in the long-term? What comes to mind is spending money with no thought of the future. If there is something like this in your life, then this is a time to rein that in and reconsider your choices. Perhaps a change needs to happen.
In general, Mars square Saturn is one of the more difficult aspects that we experience and it can be a bit scary because it feels like you may never be able to fulfill your desires. But if you ask yourself questions like; What do I need to do to protect myself? What do I need to be cautious about? What do I need to do to preserve my lifestyle and prepare for the future? this will point out areas of your life where changes need to be made in order to accomplish these more long-term goals.
When this Mars/Saturn aspect occurs, Mercury will have moved into the sign of Virgo and this will give us the added support for logical and clear thinking. That will also help us manage any frustrations that may arise. This is an opportunity to change a long-term pattern that isn’t taking you where you want to go. And if there’s something new that you want to start, be sure that you have done the appropriate planning, due diligence, and created a foundation upon which the new endeavor can grow. It’s very Saturnian – logical, practical, and grownup, but it’s also the best way to navigate the next few months.
— Beth Lauderdale ~ Evolutionary Astrology