New Moon in Leo, Venus and breaking away from old patterns

 

The New Moon in Leo for 2023 occurs at 23*17' on the 16th  at 11:38am. This starts a new lunar cycle which will last until the Full Moon on the 31st of August (which, incidentally, is what is called a 'Blue Moon' - the second full moon in a calendar month). This is a time to set your new intentions for this cycle. First, let's have a look at what is going on in the zodiac chart for this new moon. 

Leo is a sign associated with creativity as a means of expressing one's essence. Unlike the full moon, where emotions are at the forefront of this part of the lunar cycle, the New Moon chart is where the Moon is in the same position of the Sun, indicating a balance between the solar self and lunar intuitive part of our psyche. Leo is all about expressing one's ego. The lion is associated with kingship, where we become aware of our own creative prowess and our need to shine.  If we overdo the 'king thing' we become a tyrant, our egos get in the way, and our 'subjects' rebel. A monarch, one must remember, is nothing without his/her subjects. Some people with Leo strong in their charts may grapple with world fame, whereas others' stages may be less visible, for example, in conference rooms or classrooms. In all cases, overdoing the 'king' thing will bring dishonour.

The conditions under which the New Moon operates depend on the positions of the planets in the New Moon chart and the aspects these planets make with each other. If you look at this month's New Moon chart, there is a story that the sky is telling us; Mars, the celestial warrior forms a harmonious aspect to Uranus/Prometheus, a planet associated with unexpected events/a bolt out of the blue. Mars adds some force to this uranian energy. This does not have to be something worrying, as we all know that an unexpected event is something we do not prepare/have not prepared for, and it depends on the individual whether this is something to be welcomed as an opportunity or as an unwelcome occurrence. However, Uranus itself forms a challenging aspect to the New Moon itself, telling us that we are going to have to use our (collective, perhaps) creative faculty to deal with this. Okay, so we know, and we are prepared. 

There is another story being presented to us, however, and that involves Venus. Last month's post included some information on Venus and how it was noted way back in biblical times that Venus' retrograde motion lasted 40 days, a quasi-mystical number that is mentioned time and time again in the Old and New Testament. On the 22nd July, Venus began her retrograde (apparent 'backwards walk') motion. It began with her at 28 degrees of Leo (where in Fixed Astrology, the alpha star Cor Leonis lies). In this New Moon chart, she is found quite close to the Sun and Moon. Venus is now invisible in the sense that she cannot be seen as she travels with the sun. As mentioned last month, during this period of Venus' disappearance from the night sky has something of the quality of 'descending into the underworld', a story associated with Persephone. 

Venus' appearance as a morning star and also an evening star over an 18-month period, attracted the attention of star watchers since time immemorial . Both the Aztecs and the Mayans venerated this planet and were very aware of her 584 day cycle. Their calculations were quite precise, noting that five Venus years (584 days X 5) coincided with 8 Earth years (2920 days). 

Venus will reappear before sunrise somewhere around the 19th August, signifying a new cycle of Venus. this typically signifies the rebirth of Venus, the beginning of a new Venus cycle, this time in the sign of Leo, the sign associated with kingship (or queenship?).

So, all in all, what is this New Moon offering us? The Mars/Uranus aspect tells us that something unexpected will challenge us to do something differently. The shamanic death of Venus (her disappearance at the end of the 584-day cycle) followed by her rebirth in the sign of Leo also signifies a new pattern being laid down. Venus speaks about how we relate to others. In other words, we are being encouraged to embrace change in a more feminine aspect and integrate our Leo creative and playful selves whilst also supporting those who support us. What pattern are you breaking to be a more authentic person? 

I hope you enjoyed reading this. 

Blessings,

Cindy