The sky is illustrating an interesting dynamic currently. On the one hand, the Moon is waning toward a New Moon in Leo on Sunday; waning Moon phases tend to feel lower-energy. On the other hand, accompanying aspects and planetary sign changes suggest an increase of energy. You might be experiencing this as tension or as feeling a little out of balance in some way.
All of it relates to how you express yourself. And it all feeds directly into the Great American Eclipse on August 21.
How conscious are you of the ways that you express yourself? That is to say, not only the words you use and the actions you take, but also how much energy is beaming through you at any given time, even when you're not doing or saying anything? I'm referring to a variety of interrelated types of energy: emotional, mental, physical, and sexual, as well “subtler” forms (such as what you might tune into during meditation, reiki or tai chi, for example).
As one Planet Waves reader mentioned this week, even when you're not speaking, some people are going to be quite sensitive to how you're expressing yourself energetically. Think of it like the Sun itself: sometimes the Sun releases large amounts of plasma and electromagnetic radiation in the form of solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CME); these events create direct and measurable disturbances in Earth's atmosphere. Yet we don't need that dramatic display to experience and notice the Sun's expression of energy—it is constantly lighting and warming the Earth, both fostering life and (if we're not careful) burning us.
People are kind of like that, too. And we're not always aware of how strong our “everyday” beams of energy are—let alone the impact of the equivalent of an “emotional CME.”
So what's going on astrologically? Mainly, a lot of movement involving the Sun and the sign the Sun rules, Leo. Possibly you've gotten a not-so-subtle reminder from your environment to watch for ego conflicts—such as chafing against restrictions, some kind of sudden upset or outburst, or something breaking down (Sun square Uranus, exact today). Or maybe you're experiencing an ego boost: a healthy sense of your own presence in the world, and the energy to express yourself (Mars enters Leo today).
How much intention can you bring to shifting your routines where needed and understanding what's really bothering you? Also, how willing are you to learn from what you discover? There's real potential to heal what gets your attention (Sun trine Chiron, exact tomorrow).
On Saturday, the Sun enters its home sign, Leo. This puts us in the heart of summer.
It also sets us up for a New Moon in the very first degree of Leo—at 5:45am EDT on Sunday, July 23. This happens conjunct Mars, which is in the second degree of Leo.
Mars conjunct the Leo Sun and Moon definitely speaks of the need to get physical, to get creative and to work on a project you truly identify with— especially something new. If you can bring a current project to a close in the next few days, that will open some space for you to redirect your energy into what's truly calling you now.
Yet, what really caught my eye about this weekend's New Moon chart is this: Mercury will be conjunct the lunar North Node in Leo. The lunar nodes show us when and where eclipses will happen.
Sure enough, on August 21, we'll have a second New Moon in Leo, just a few degrees from the North Node. This second Leo New Moon will also be a solar eclipse visible across the entire continental United States.
During this weekend's Leo New Moon #1, Mercury will be almost exactly at the midpoint between the North Node and the August 21 eclipse. Not only that—Mercury is making trines to the Galactic Center and to the centaur planet Pholus, both in Sagittarius.
I have some general ideas about these aspects. For starters, it looks like Mercury (and what it represents) is acting as a direct bridge between this weekend's New Moon and the August 21 New Moon and solar eclipse.
You might think about what seeds you want to plant Sunday that relate to things like how you think; what you say (and write) and how you say it; how you think about and handle decisions around money; any purchases, contracts, negotiations or repairs—especially regarding anything that relates to how you express yourself. By the time of the August 21 eclipse, Mercury will be retrograde; begin getting your ducks in a row now.
That said, Mercury making an exact trine to Pholus and the Galactic Core with Sunday's Leo New Moon is a signal that how you express yourself now, and your awareness of that, is tapping into something much larger and more cosmic, and with potentially much further-reaching effects than you might normally experience. There may be an element of dharma involved in what you communicate now and in your thought processes, and it connects to whatever develops with the eclipse.
It's okay if you're not entirely sure what to do with that information. Observe yourself, and how others respond to you. Take notes. Do what you can to infuse your ambitions and more rigid opinions with some compassion, willingness to be flexible, and self-awareness. Notice how your energy expresses even when you stay silent. Do your best to shine your light and to own your shadow. The bridge to the eclipse is open for you to walk across, no matter what.
