Leo New Moon: The Courage of the Heart
This month’s new moon in Leo occurs on 16th August at 10.38am UK time. The Sun and Moon align in Leo, in a separating conjunction with Venus - still deep in her retrograde phase - and in an exact square aspect to Uranus. This new moon calls for us to dig deeper than ever into our hearts, and to stand for the truth of love and sovereign expression, even in the midst of unanticipated change and upheaval.
As we sow our intentions over this new moon in this lion-hearted sign, I believe what is being called for above all else is the Leonine medicine of courage. But what is courage? From the French, we understand it as cou-rage, the rage of the heart. We might associate it with an act of passionate heroism in the face of adversity, facing up to an opponent or oppressor, or overcoming a fear. For me, the expression of courage is like a rite of passage, an initiatory step. It a demonstration of maturity where we shift our perspective from that of the child who needs sheltering and validating, to that of the adult who takes responsibility for themselves and others, through their actions, and stands up for what they know in their heart to be true.
These are strong times, and the integrity of the heart is being tested - can we stand in our love and truth, stand for what is right, even if it threatens our own comfort or security? This is the challenge of this new moon. The Venus retrograde shows up deep karmic patterns of relating that can bring us into contact with the most profound and hidden aspects of love, but these can also sometimes seem antithetical to love, challenging us to drop even deeper into our hearts, and recognise what has been forgotten, banished, neglected. One of the great insights of Venus in her most intimate retrograde cycle is the remembrance that we are all connected, already and always related, from the start, and that the purpose of our relating is not just to enjoy each other’s company, but to heal from deep, long-lasting wounds. And this does not happen simply through appeasement, this retrograde in Leo reminds us that the only way we can heal relationship is through re-discovering our true authentic expression, through the courage of the heart.
Giving from the Heart of Love
Leo medicine is generous and expressive. And one of the most beneficial enquiries we can engage in over this new moon is how do we give, and what are we expressing through our giving. Is there an agenda to our giving? Or are we giving truly from the heart of love, where the joy of giving is its own reward? Is our gesture of generosity enough in and of itself, does it complete the circle of giving, or is it conditional upon recognition or favour; when we give, are we actually hanging out for the expectation that we might get something back in return? And if we are, then is this really giving at all? We can talk about give and take, and about things being fair, but if our gift is secretly loaded with “ok, now what are you going to do for me?” then that generates a debt, which in turn can re-activate a karmic bond, and this will be felt more acutely during a Venus retrograde phase in Leo, when our hearts are especially sensitive to, and suspicious of the transactional aspects of love.
The Square to Uranus
The Sun and Moon are making an exact square aspect to Uranus in Taurus, which suggests an unpredictable and uncertain atmosphere into which we place our new moon intentions this month. And we need to dig deep for faith that what we are initiating is true and pure of heart. Things may not go the way we think, and it may feel de-stabilising, but there is a shattering of illusions at play, a breakdown of old kingdoms of power that can no longer be sustained. Such a time calls for radical authenticity, transparency and a willingness to speak the truth that emanates naturally from a pure heart. So much change is afoot now. The pace of change is accelerating like never before and the synchroncities that reveal the underlying choreography of life are revealing themselves ever more apparently. Light is breaking through in new ways and those who see through the eyes of the heart can perceive this.
This is my Leo mantra: “I am as I am, and I shine from the radiant centre of my being.”
