The most anticipated and debated astrological event of the Summer is upon us. The upcoming New Moon in Leo, the second of two Leo New Moons in a row, marks both the grand finale to this tumultuous Eclipse season, and a fiery new beginning on a collective and personal level.
Arriving on August 21, at 6:30 PM UTC, at 28 degrees of the most radiant and theatrical of the signs, this New Moon is a supercharged, blazing sequel to July 23’s previous Leo New Moon, with the added power of bright blue star Regulus, of the transiting North Node, and, most importantly, of a Total Solar Eclipse.
A solar eclipse, as viewed from Earth, occurs when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, fully or partially occulting the Sun; this typically only happens at a New Moon, when the Sun and the Moon are in conjunction. In partial and annular eclipses, only part of the Sun is obscured; during a total eclipse, the disk of the Sun is fully obscured by the Moon. Such is the case with the Solar Eclipse we are about to witness, even though only those who will view it from the locations covered by the so-called “path of totality” (in this case, a stretch of land about 70 miles wide, spanning the USA from East to West) will have the privileged to see the “corona” (the upper atmosphere of the Sun, appearing as a halo during the passage of the Moon). Yet, whether or not the shadow touches our corner of the world, the evolutionary gateway represented by this Eclipse welcomes all of us with no discrimination.
While the audacious, Mars-flavoured Leo New Moon we experienced in July was akin to the initial thrust that set things in motion, the prelude, the foreword to the turn of the tides, August’s New Moon exudes an energy that feels more resolute, uncompromising, peremptory – no hesitation, doubt or reticence will be allowed.
Last month, we might have seeded our intentions for an empowering, satisfying, confident new course; we might have envisioned ourselves building a life that finally proves and showcases our talents, skills and uniqueness to the world; we might have expressed our desire to shine, love and be loved, to the Universe.
But it’s not enough.
This time around, our voices need to be louder, our desires stronger, our wishes bolder. Most importantly, we have to feel the commitment to this future vision of self-fulfillment right into every fiber of our being. We have to be willing to believe before we see. To act as though it’s already happening, to stay centered in the knowing that everything is falling into place, and act accordingly. Our determination must be unwavering, our effort sustained. Our heart must become the generator of this alternate dimension where joy and gratification reign supreme. It’s now or never. Regulus, the “Heart of the Lion” (translation of the Arabic designation Qalb al-Asad), and the brightest star in the Leo constellation, whose traditional name is Latin for ‘prince’ or ‘little king’, demands nothing less than loyalty and integrity, and a burning ardor that can match her warmth and brilliance.
After all, the point of Eclipses is to accelerate our growth and push us past our comfort zone, a process that comes easier if we move with the energy and give up resistance. Here’s a brief excerpt from my post about the Aquarius Full Moon / Lunar Eclipse we experienced earlier this month:
‘ […] an Eclipse (whether lunar or solar) always doubles down on the intensity: Eclipses tend to shake up the status quo and bring significant developments about major life events; they hardly go unnoticed, especially if they hit sensitive points / formations in a natal chart, and they are known for pushing us off the fence and spurring major personal growth. The outcomes are, more often than not, non-negotiable, and they tend to reverberate for weeks or even months. In short, an Eclipse is a wildcard – a game changer, which packs a stronger energetical punch compared to an “average” New or Full Moon. It is, indeed, a New or Full Moon on steroids.’
Triggering this evolutionary potential is entirely up to us, especially with the New Moon / Eclipse falling in Leo, the sign of the Self. We have to show up for ourselves, to believe in ourselves, to be willing to stand up for ourselves, with as much passion and sense of purpose as we can muster – the right amount that allows us to think this alluring alternate universe of plenitude and bliss into existence.
With the Eclipse landing on the North Node of the Moon, we’re being propelled through a space-time funnel directly into the many possible futures that await us, and asked to choose carefully, and live as if the future we strive to manifest is already happening before our eyes. Decisions made in the here and now have the energy and the potential to extend their consequences over a long amount of time; the effects of an Eclipse are typically said to wash over the six months that follow the event itself.
The New Moon / Eclipse is also powered up by the trine with Uranus, ruler of the South Node, and of the Aquarius Full Moon / Lunar Eclipse that happened on August 7. This means we might sense a connection with the themes that surfaced at the time of the Full Moon: liberation, revolution, finding our “tribe” and cutting ties with a toxic, oppressive, restrictive past.
Yet, this New Moon also ties into Mercury’s current Retrograde cycle in Virgo/Leo, with the direct station of the cosmic messenger occurring on September 5, right on the degree of this Eclipse. The writing is on the wall: we are unlearning, de-conditioning, de-programming our minds, in order to learn how to choose joy over despair, enthusiasm over apathy, resourcefulness over inertia, (healthy) pride over conformism and fear – in spite of everything we’ve been taught. It all starts with us.
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