7:55  am  AHST 07/28/2022
  10:55 am  PDT  07/28/2022

   1:55 pm   EDT  07/28/2022
  6:55 pm   BST  07/28/2022

There’s lots of energy cooking around this New Moon. This is a pretty super-charged chart, with the Sun now in the fire sign of Leo, and in its home sign, as Leo is ruled by the Sun. Jupiter is in Aries in a strong trine (supportive angle of 120˚) to this New Moon. Jupiter, the planet of expansive and spiritual energy, broadens our horizons, and in the sign of upstart Aries, is looking to open doors and have some fun while we’re at it. Jupiter is poised to go retrograde a few hours after this New Moon, adding a bit of uncertainty as to its manner of activation within each of us. 

This Sun/Moon conjunction (the definition of a New Moon) is also closely conjoined with the asteroid Ceres, the Great Mother archetype. In case you missed the last Full Moon report, the Ceres myth was strongly resonant in that chart, and in this one, even more so. Sun, Moon and Ceres are strongly reinforced in their Leo energy. Leo is the sign of creative self-expression, of confidence and inspiration. When positively expressed, it shines light into the darkness and brings hope. In its less aware expression, it can be hubristic, self-important and narcissistic. Look for all these traits to be accentuated this month.

And the caveats: there is a T-square in this chart. That’s when two planets form a 180˚ opposition to each other, while also forming a right angle to a third planet. It’s a tension-filled energetic signature that needs modification in order to be useful. In this case, we have Mercury in Leo in opposition to Saturn in Aquarius, both forming right angles to the volatile Mars/Uranus conjunction. Mercury represents our thinking and communication skills, and in Leo can either be creative, or overblown. Saturn represents limitation in the form of checking when we have too much fire in our brains and mouths, pulling back according to the principles of Aquarian justice and concern for honesty and integrity. Mars/Uranus together can be an explosive combination, however in Taurus it concerns our values, which are pretty much on the line worldwide at this point in our history. Since Trump paved the way for derision and name-calling being the currency of popular dialogue, one wonders what is left of common decency and collective values. We’ll probably see even more of this social insanity this month.

Venus in Cancer being sextile (60˚) to Mars/Uranus is a connection that is a helpful release point, reminding us that caring and nurturing are more helpful than vitriol. But she’s also in a square (90˚ angle) to Jupiter in Aries, so we might be prone to shoot our mouth off first before checking in to see whose feelings are being affected. We have to go deeper into our hearts to make sense of the profusion of energies that characterizes this New Moon. Check in with your receptivity, your feelings, before leaping forward.

And then there’s the proximity of Uranus to the North Node, that symbolic point which represents our future destiny. Uranus asks us to reach beyond the known, beyond the old familiar black and white of good and evil, toward what unites us, what our common cause might be. It might just be that we’re all suffering from the changes in Mother Earth’s ability to host our species. Taurus asks us to pay attention to Earth’s issues first, rather than our own petty power struggles. Fate is calling us.

Mercury at a 90˚ angle to Uranus, which is its higher octave, is a strong caution to watch our nervous systems this month. They’re going to be super-charged, and for those who are sensitives, this might ask us to be more soft and gentle with ourselves than usual, to not try to keep up with the slander wars, or try to change the world, but to show up when and where we can make a difference, and then to retreat to safe places the rest of the time. Pluto is pulling at an opposition to this New Moon, and though it is out of sign and therefore not as strong an aspect, it still cautions us to witness our involvement in competitions, in power struggles, with ourselves, and with others. They inevitably bounce back upon us and drain us of vital energy.

Perhaps we can focus upon the vibrant energy of the Leo New Moon, to play, to dance, move our bodies as a way to transform the darkness, the old traumas, to move them through us, rather than feel beset by them. Jupiter in Aries will push us to get up and get out. Just be cautious of when to be respectful of yourself and others around you who might not be as careful. Leo rules the heart in astrology, and it is always a good practice to act from and honor that connection within each of us to All That Is.