The New Moon in Leo occurs on August 18th at 7:42 PM PT. Leo knows that each of us is the center of our own solar system. Each one of us is too brilliant to need help shining. Outside of the systems of supremacy, no one needs to be lifted up, given a voice, or spotlighted.
We are all made of stars.
Leo loves the stage, lives for accurately portraying the human condition to the masses, and aims to give us access to our shared experience through the sacred act of illuminating it. Leo is regal because of its ability to offer itself as a vessel for creative intelligence to move through it. The notion that we are the greatness that visits us every so often is distorted. Greatness can only be aligned with, channeled. Greatness is a divine intervention.
Leaders and followers often get this confused. We need to disavow ourselves of the notion that any one person could ever be all we assume they should be. No one is coming to save us. No one else has our answers. Everyone is as flawed as we are and celebrity culture has turned public service into another saviour complex.
It’s too late for a leader.
Patriarchy promotes either/or, white supremacy sells “us” and “them”, and capitalism hawks greed without consequence. The more we can refuse the creation of pedestals, the less time we will waste looking up. Then we can really do the work of holding each other accountable and reclaiming our projections of good and evil.
The ground is where fertility lives. Community is where the answers are.
Leo rules the heart. Inside each of us beats the heart of the leader we need now. In each of us there is the capacity to find our way forward, together. In each of us there is a need to shine, and the more we consider how and where we best do that, the less likely we are to want others to do it for us.
This New Moon is trine Mars. Helped by the planet of courage and ferocity, this lunation reminds us that there is no time like the present to believe in our power and to use our energy in ways that move us in the directions we need.
The New Moon is followed by Mercury’s well-informed trip through Virgo (August 19th – September 5th), a rough patch of Mars pre-retrograde action, and an investigation into the power dynamics and boundaries of our partnerships thanks to Venus in Cancer opposing Pluto and then Saturn in Capricorn (August 30th – September 2nd). Mercury in Virgo will momentarily remind us of the power of critical thinking, how important small things are, and that the macro is held in the micro. The more we look at the details of our lives, the more we find solutions for the problems that scale so large we couldn’t get them all in the frame if we tried.
Your New Moon affirmation horoscopes are meant to be read as inspiration. If you know both your rising sign and sun sign, please read both horoscopes. You’ll know which resonates more for you from week to week. Take what works for you, leave the rest. If you want to share this work you must quote it and link it to this post and website. Thank you for your support and for spreading the work around. We really appreciate it and you.
Aries & Aries Rising
I know that as much as the world needs me to help it progress, I need to relax into myself in order to do so. I know that to make a sustainable change in the world, I have to move inward as much as I do outward. Without a little inner peace, nothing changes. With a lot of inner peace, everything is possible.
I treat my body with respect. I adore its needs. I am amused by its cravings. I am the bestower of its desires.
I create what calls me to it. I know not to force a project, relationship, or situation. Too many times life has shown me that if I had gotten what I wanted when I wanted it, I would have been way off base. I choose to make a home for my dreams outside of the timelines the world has imposed on me. No matter what tricks my mind plays on me, I reside in the soulful sentiment of trusting my life and its timing.
One deep breath at a time, I reclaim my energy from the tyranny of trying to keep up. It takes courage to live outside the norms of accomplishment, but I know that creating a masterpiece out of this life is impossible otherwise. With this New Moon, I remember that if it doesn’t strengthen my connections, foster my joy, help me shine, or generate creative solutions, I can’t include it in the curation process.
To work more deeply with this New Moon, please join me for A Workshop for the New Moon in Leo, Full Moon in Pisces, and Astrology of Aug 18-Sept 16 + A Journey through Mars Retrograde Pt 1. The workshop includes a detailed reading and guided meditation for your sign.
Taurus & Taurus Rising
Home is where I feel at ease, a space where my soul feels breezy. The luxury of feeling safe in a space is not lost on me. Even after leaving inhospitable places, the work of uprooting how I’ve internalized the rejection is ongoing. In order to live in the present, I have to continually untangle myself from the past.
With this New Moon, I build a home for myself that’s spacious enough for all the connections I need. I know that in order to build a family, I have to be willing to work through the inevitable issues that surface within them. I remember that everyone feels the same extreme emotions that I do. I am not the only one who knows loneliness. I am not the only one who has experienced being misunderstood by their besties, or who has felt belittled by the world.
I remember to extend my affections in small and large ways, especially to those that I assume are strong and ok without me. The fabric of my connections have to be woven with conscious care if I want this tapestry to tell our story. It takes work to establish a brood of beloveds, but I shine when doing so.
To work more deeply with this New Moon, please join me for A Workshop for the New Moon in Leo, Full Moon in Pisces, and Astrology of Aug 18-Sept 16 + A Journey through Mars Retrograde Pt 1. The workshop includes a detailed reading and guided meditation for your sign.
Gemini & Gemini Rising
I refuse to let my days be consumed with the world’s demands. I know that there is always space for me to swim in. I know that there is always room when I make it. If I don’t defend my time it will be stolen by the chaos of those that do not know how to manage their own.
I may be the most dexterous sign of the zodiac, but I don’t bend just because I can.
This world needs the most mature, joyful version of me so I say no when I need to and choose health over status. My well-being is my wealth.
Humor is hard to come by when I haven’t had enough rest. Staying open to the solution when my system is flooded is an unfair ask of myself. Overwhelm is a symptom of watching a world coming apart, but I know that the solutions to my stress are also a part of the solution to the world’s woes.
This New Moon reminds me that I deserve to shine, no matter how dim the situation is. I know that to keep my spirit lit is part of my contribution to the collective. My light will be one of billions that will get us through the long nights.
To work more deeply with this New Moon, please join me for A Workshop for the New Moon in Leo, Full Moon in Pisces, and Astrology of Aug 18-Sept 16 + A Journey through Mars Retrograde Pt 1. The workshop includes a detailed reading and guided meditation for your sign.
Cancer & Cancer Rising
takes courage to make a life centered around what my self-expression craves. That kind of far-off-if-ever reward is a risk that requires me to focus more energy on the process than on the goal. If the craft that I practice doesn’t sustain me in substantial ways, I have to reevaluate its worth.
I don’t live my life for future success only; present pleasures are central to my planning.
I shine in spaces and places where communal safety nets are nurtured. I light up when I use my resources to support what’s important to me. I am aglow when healing happens.
With this New Moon, I recommit to helping myself thrive given what I have to work with. I trust that the resources I need will come when the timing is right. I plant the seeds that I want to prosper and I remember to give what I most wish to receive. There is no shortage of bright ideas, informative conversations, or important messages when I most need them. When something starts to unravel, get complicated, or confound my best efforts, I listen more intently. There is no guide as powerful as my intuition so I serve it the respect it deserves.
To work more deeply with this New Moon, please join me for A Workshop for the New Moon in Leo, Full Moon in Pisces, and Astrology of Aug 18-Sept 16 + A Journey through Mars Retrograde Pt 1. The workshop includes a detailed reading and guided meditation for your sign.
Leo & Leo Rising
Nothing makes my roar as pitch perfect as when I give myself the affection I crave. Nowhere in my contract with life does it say I need to contort myself into shapes pleasing to the public. I give the people what they need: an example of a life lived without bowing to standards set by those that would rather we all wilt in shame.
With this New Moon, I blossom defiantly by doing so on my own time and in my own way. I am always becoming my own role model. I admire my reflection in the shattered glass ceilings I leave in my wake. With every crack I make, every opening I refuse to fear, I am not alone.
There are networks that move with me, carry me alongside them, and come with me wherever I go. Nothing shines as bright as a person with a purpose, and I am here to dazzle with my devotion to our collective liberation. We’ve all been sold the lies of individualistic living, but the truth is, I want you in my audience as much as I want to be in yours.
To work more deeply with this New Moon, please join me for A Workshop for the New Moon in Leo, Full Moon in Pisces, and Astrology of Aug 18-Sept 16 + A Journey through Mars Retrograde Pt 1. The workshop includes a detailed reading and guided meditation for your sign.
Virgo & Virgo Rising
Without a time-out, it’s nearly impossible to be connected to what moves me, heals me, and holds me. What I do behind the scenes is the reason that I can do everything else. No amount of affection I show myself is ever in vain.
With this New Moon, I remember to withhold no love from myself. I imagine what it would be to feel flooded with it each morning; to start the day caring for myself instead of rushing; appreciating what I was about to receive instead of assuming it would be there for me. I know that pain makes it harder to experience gratitude, connection, and ease. I know that when I am suffering, I curl up into myself and forget how to extend outward for help. I know that it’s normal to feel alone but it’s not helpful to pretend that it’s the whole truth.
When I am unsure of how to bridge my sorrow with my strength, I remember to get curious, ask questions, and start the necessary research. I know that the more I allow myself to seek wisdom, the more easily it finds me. Like turning on a signal, being in relationship with the answers I need means putting myself out there instead of assuming they’ll show up when and how I want them to.
To work more deeply with this New Moon, please join me for A Workshop for the New Moon in Leo, Full Moon in Pisces, and Astrology of Aug 18-Sept 16 + A Journey through Mars Retrograde Pt 1. The workshop includes a detailed reading and guided meditation for your sign.
Libra & Libra Rising
I play the long game with my relationships. I don’t ask that people be perfect. I know that none of us are our worst moments and each of us needs to find ways to be our best. I know that if I want to grow, I have to be willing to let others stumble through their lessons too. I am not above learning in public and I don’t demand anyone else be.
I know that strong bonds are formed through many breaks and changes. I know that other people’s patience with me has allowed care between us to flourish. I’m grateful for those that have been generous with me, especially when they didn’t have to be. I extend the same offering to others, especially when it’s hard to.
I can love you from a distance, until your intentions come into focus, without degrading your humanity. Until I can understand how our most difficult parts clash, and most healed parts can work together, I don’t know what our partnership is capable of.
With this New Moon, I ask for the courage to have patience and the wisdom to apply it when needed. I don’t stick around when folks need a time out. I don’t offer myself to those that can’t come through, but I do hold the possibility for humanity to reveal itself without having to be harmed in the process.
work more deeply with this New Moon, please join me for A Workshop for the New Moon in Leo, Full Moon in Pisces, and Astrology of Aug 18-Sept 16 + A Journey through Mars Retrograde Pt 1. The workshop includes a detailed reading and guided meditation for your sign.
Scorpio & Scorpio Rising
Under capitalism, everything is framed through the lens of dominance: popularity contests, pyramid schemes, winners and losers. If it doesn’t end in profit, it isn’t deemed pursuable. If it’s not upholding a type of supremacy, it is misunderstood.
With this New Moon, I remember that my self-expression is a ritual, a rite of passage, and a way of recording my story. My creativity exists outside of the paradigms I’m told to squeeze into. Beyond marketing and strategy, publicity and performance, I know that it’s the spirit that’s within what I offer that is important.
The intelligence that is buried deep within me comes from a time before this one. It is a knowledge that can’t be bought or sold, only passed on through the little offerings I make each day.
With this New Moon, I reignite my commitment to finding all the possible ways in which I am meant to shine in my life’s work, both publicly and privately. I know that there is no rushing this process, there is only softening into it, allowing myself a little more permission at every turn. A little more acceptance of my flaws. A total divestment from pressuring myself to be anything I am not.
To work more deeply with this New Moon, please join me for A Workshop for the New Moon in Leo, Full Moon in Pisces, and Astrology of Aug 18-Sept 16 + A Journey through Mars Retrograde Pt 1. The workshop includes a detailed reading and guided meditation for your sign.
Sagittarius & Sagittarius Rising
Strategy is necessary now. With this New Moon, I make note of all my long-term goals and protect them with my time. I bundle them in the days, weeks, months, and years they need. I don’t give up just because praise doesn’t come swiftly. I relish the anticipation of revealing to the world what I have made when it’s good and ready. Until that time, I am busy serenading them privately.
I know that my resources have to be spent wisely and a little caution can help me to understand my impulses. I don’t let fear drive my creative process, I don’t invite scarcity to the drawing board, but I know the brilliance of being practical when necessary.
I know the power of efficiency and the intelligence of working with what I’ve got instead of being greedy about what I want. Being economical with my energy allows me to be so with my work. I’m here to share my ideas with the world in the most precise way possible. I don’t need to over explain the information when it’s been thoroughly researched, put together, and graciously offered. Some will receive it, some will still confuse it, but I offer it because it can stand the test of time, not only grab the attention of the moment.
To work more deeply with this New Moon, please join me for A Workshop for the New Moon in Leo, Full Moon in Pisces, and Astrology of Aug 18-Sept 16 + A Journey through Mars Retrograde Pt 1. The workshop includes a detailed reading and guided meditation for your sign.
Capricorn & Capricorn Rising
I know that while they take work, the right collaborations will always bring abundant offerings while the wrong ones never cease to shut doors and stall the engines of my life. If the energy is stagnant in a partnership, there is something not quite right about the set up. I am willing to put my ego and expectations aside so that I can investigate how and where my collaborations need a tune-up. There is too much riding on the exchanges in my life to fear dealing with their details.
With this New Moon, I make sure that those that work with me know that I am also working for them. Any feelings to the contrary must be straightened out or further inspected. Any old issues that come up in the process are met with a careful inspection.
I won’t pretend that something doesn’t matter when it does. I’m rebuilding from the base upwards, and in the process I am unwilling to gloss over my needs, or pretend my flaws aren’t for real.
What is made obvious to me now is also made available for change.
To work more deeply with this New Moon, please join me for A Workshop for the New Moon in Leo, Full Moon in Pisces, and Astrology of Aug 18-Sept 16 + A Journey through Mars Retrograde Pt 1. The workshop includes a detailed reading and guided meditation for your sign.
Aquarius & Aquarius Rising
It takes courage, consistency, and care to heal. It takes villages, cities, decades, and droves of deeply committed partnerships to stitch a life of love together.
Whenever I feel like what I want isn’t realistic, I remember that I had no idea I’d ever get this far in the first place. It’s my duty to dream up what my doubts say is impossible. It’s my responsibility to ready myself for the unimaginable.
With this New Moon, I remember that if I want partnership I need to be just as good to myself as anyone else. Others can teach me how to let love in, but ultimately I am the one that has the final say. I can be led to water, but I’m the one that has to drink.
I let my intimacy issues surface so that I can have a better understanding of when they get the best of me. I know that fearing my feelings doesn’t excuse me from dealing with them, doesn’t make them go away, or engender trust. I know that breaking down a nightmare in the daylight helps to disavow it of any power I think it has, and releases the potential that it points to.
Fears have a funny way of showing me what I assume, and hiding what might heal. I refuse to pass up an insight or be deterred from the truth no matter how much of my pride is on the line.
To work more deeply with this New Moon, please join me for A Workshop for the New Moon in Leo, Full Moon in Pisces, and Astrology of Aug 18-Sept 16 + A Journey through Mars Retrograde Pt 1. The workshop includes a detailed reading and guided meditation for your sign.
Pisces & Pisces Rising
I serve others as a way of honoring myself. I know that the best of me comes forward when I focus on what I can give instead of what I am going to get. I shine when I work on projects that promote well-being. Others may think that my end game is fantasy, but I know the power of telling a well-timed myth.
The truth is that so much of my energy gets wasted when I’m invested in winning anyone’s game but my own. There is a difference between service and self-sacrifice. I make sure that the stages I set myself on are in front of the audiences I cherish. I’m not trying to impress, but I am determined to leave an imprint of what kindness can look like no matter the extremes we are working within.
I am not trying to win the awards of a system built to fail, but I am trying to love myself through the process of dismantling it, keeping generativity at the center of my days and ways of being in relationship to myself and life.
To work more deeply with this New Moon, please join me for A Workshop for the New Moon in Leo, Full Moon in Pisces, and Astrology of Aug 18-Sept 16 + A Journey through Mars Retrograde Pt 1. The workshop includes a detailed reading and guided meditation for your sign.