Leo Roars Itself to Life as Eclipse Season Begins
The Leo New Moon Eclipse takes place at 20° on Wednesday, August 12th at 10:36 am Pacific and 1:36 pm Eastern.
Thick, yellow haze blankets the landscape as burnt air sits upon the earth, nestling itself into valleys and troughs that hold it tightly, only willing to let it go when a strong wind howls across the land. And that is momentary, for what is blown out and cleansed gives way to the next pocket that comes to stay for a while. Air filters run on a constant high day and night, and the place that is often our refuge becomes what we must escape. How quickly the Earth is changing. Yet we knew before we came that this would be the way—that this must be the way.
I settle into the reminder that having a place of shelter is a boon in these quickly-changing times, these topsy-turvy, twisting, turning times. That I chose to be here for reasons that will keep me beyond the current script, that will hold me when it gets to be too much. Though my heart aches for the forests and animals, the people and places so affected by what is happening, I know how resilient we all are—communities, families, herds, and flocks. How when we are tested, we only grow more so in the face of what is.
Isn’t this what the planets promised—those celestial bodies that so clearly impact our lives, now all in Fire and Air signs—with only a small smattering of Water and Earth? The story of this land isn’t the same across the continent, as wildfires and droughts make their mark in some places—and floods of torrential rain threaten to stream down for an eternity until all is washed away in others. But in the midst of it all, something within me knows that this was always how it would be. And that thriving is more than possible when the world seems it’s damaged beyond repair. Isn’t this the place where breakthrough truly happens?
Eclipse Seasons are known for creating possible breakdowns and certainly breakthroughs on the other side, if we so choose this path. And with the first eclipse on the Leo-Aquarius axis since January 21st, 2019, a cycle that began on February 11th, 2017, we are welcomed to be present with what comes to the surface to be seen, felt, and understood before it’s integrated and released. We’re invited to insights that abound and make themselves clear, and the deepened awareness and discernment that arise when we become available to all that is ready to be known. This eclipse begins on the axis that will continue until January 26th, 2028.
A cosmic ‘basket’ that took place just one month ago with Cancer’s New Moon is similarly positioned, only with a couple additional players in the mix. Let’s start with Leo, where the Sun, Moon, Jupiter, and Mercury are all hanging out. Leo is here to roar its creativity into the world. It is not here to be daunted or stopped, but to express itself fully in the ways that it knows best. It sings to life, brings to life, dances to life, acts to life its birthright, and encourages us to step into the shine that is inherently alive in the heart of all. It is meant to be seen and heard, radiating its bright energy upon others so they feel called to do the same in their own way. Its presence naturally calls forth in others what is meant to be known and expressed. It reminds us to show up as the divine beings that we are, in all the ways that are most vital within us—and right now! Blinding as it may be, it inherently glows and reminds us to do the same. Those with Leo in their birth charts have a mission to do just this, and the sign, house, and aspecting planets will support the how, why, and in which ways.
Of course all signs have their shadows, and Leo is not immune to these. Though it’s ruled by the Sun, it can still go astray from its own clear energy. When out of balance, it can’t handle what it considers being outshone by anyone else. It forgets that this is only possible when we see energy as a limited resource, which hinders the ability to attract it even more. In constantly seeking the spotlight, it learns to live from a place of egotism, not leaving space for who it is as a soul. And when it forgets that others are meant to shine just as beautifully and brightly, it becomes an insatiable void in the room that sucks the light from everyone else. It disregards the reality that we are all meant to shine in our unique ways, and we’re here to celebrate others’ gifts and skills alongside our own, even lifting them up to honor who they are and what they bring.
This eclipse will give us the chance to let the creative force move through us, as well as to celebrate the way it moves through others. It asks that we be playful, even downright silly, and to do the things that bring a childlike joy that has no comparison. And speaking of the Child, this is an archetype of the Lion. By tending to and nurturing the one that lives within, Leonine energy grows bright on its own, without needing external approval or the validation of others. If this part of us needs to be seen and integrated, this eclipse will bring the perfect opportunity.
Archetypically, Leo is also the Sovereign, i.e., the Queen or the King—and not in the hyper-dramatic sense of the word. In the Celtic view of reality, anyone who stepped into the role of Kingship was marrying himself to the land by swearing a sacred oath to uphold and honor the relationship he held to it. The King vowed to care for the earth and the people it housed, and thus, to care for the Goddess at the heart of all life. When a King abused the land (or people) he swore to protect, it was thought that drought, famine, fires, and floods would ensue. Interesting. Though this may sound more like Taurean energy in the zodiacal wheel, this vow of sovereignty was innate to the Celtic way of being. This form of power within ourselves asks that we tune into and deepen our relationship with the earth, showing up to protect and love it in the ways we can, for it gives us a home, food, and resources—everything made comes from the earth in some form. It also asks that we show up as sovereign beings—divine beings having a human experience—ones in which we’re meant to grow, transform, and evolve as part of our pact for taking on the body we also call home. And roaring like the Lion in ways that celebrate life and our connection to it, as well as the work and play we’re here to call to life, are at the heart of this eclipse cycle.
With Jupiter and Mercury in the sign of the Lion—though not technically conjunct the New Moon, but in relationship to the planets below—our capacity to express ourselves creatively expands exponentially, especially when it comes to using our voice, shifting our perceptions around value of self and other, and speaking the truth when it is time. Though I wrote this a month ago, I feel called to share it again here: Opportunities abound when Jupiter is around, and in the sign of Leo, anything is possible. We are meant to shine these possibilities from deep within our own beings, aligning with the creative force of reality to make it so. We are here to be seen, to be inspired and inspiring, and to live into the truth that is our most fundamental nature. We’re here to creatively express what makes us unique and to manifest and share what lives in the depths of our beings. And with Mercury conjunct the ‘King of Gods,’ we’re meant roar in ways we haven’t yet, lifting our voices together to bring to life from the Creative realms what will heal the world, one breath at a time.
With Pluto opposing the ‘Messenger of Gods,’ if we are not shining authentically, we are meant to see the how and the why of it. If we’re still needing to go into the deep, unconscious self to reclaim super powers and magical skills that are waiting for us, we’ll know it. If we’re still blaming others for our own inability to step into our innate divinity, we’ll know it. Pluto holds up the mirror of reality, and in Aquarius, he shows us all the parts of our authentic selves we’ve been unable or unwilling to bring home into the current version of who we are. This New Moon eclipse and Pluto-Mercury opposition is the perfect time to go in and do the inner work required for us to embody and express our most brilliant nature. Pluto reminds us that what was most authentic may have been buried deep within our DNA or within the wisdom of our souls or ancestral lines, only to be sought out and integrated. Doing so allows us to shine more resplendently, as Leo encourages.
Uranus sextiles Mercury and Neptune and trines Pluto and Venus. From last month: This planet shakes up reality in a way that encourages us to inhabit all of who we are, relinquishing the outdated thought patterns, belief systems, and limiting structures that can no longer take up space in our bodies, minds, hearts, and energy fields. When in the Air sign of Gemini, insights and revelations, a-ha moments and bright ideas are its currency, expanded awareness sometimes shocking us into the truth a part of us has always known. We’re invited to stay open to the possibility of embodying our most clear selves, as well as the notions that help us know how to do just that. When we claim this Uranian energy as our own, what we once felt ‘shoulder shrug’ about is now a resonant ‘no’. What we once only dreamed we could do becomes a resounding ‘yes’. Anything else, and we’re left in the confusion (and/or rigid misunderstanding) of our own outmoded ideas that may have nourished a 30-year-old version of ourselves, but certainly cannot sustain the current self. (If you’re now 30, just input 20 to that last sentence!)
Neptune in Aries wants us to step out of living our ‘spiritual selves’ in the confines of our homes, temples, churches, or yoga studios—the hidden parts of our lives. It asks that we live this version of who we are fully in the world, claiming this as a fundamental part of ourselves, hands down. Rather than losing ourselves to anger or rage, Neptune in the sign of the Leader and the Pioneer asks us to embody our most true Self, to be sovereign in our innate divinity, and not just when it’s comfortable. With Aries, action is required, for non-action is also a statement and a stance. Courage is necessary, for if it were easy, we wouldn’t get to know just what we’re capable of. Fierce grace is prescribed, for if we can’t claim the things in ourselves and lives that are the most challenging to claim, we’ll forever be living in the shadows of our potential selves, wondering what might’ve happened if we’d chosen differently.
Venus in Libra asks that we spend time with those who are able to truly see, feel, and understand us, those who can meet us reciprocally as the authentic beings we came here to be. She needs connection that doesn’t ask her to step out of her real self to force this reality, but instead lovingly brings the dignity and grace that welcomes the truth of who we are into the relationship. Those who are comfortable with the way in which we shine, and we, them, are certainly included here. Those who make it clear that they are not—well, that’s an obvious one. And it’s not bad or wrong to naturally feel at home in some relationships and not in others. This is the way of life, and Venus asks that we honor this fact for ourselves and others so that we may all walk our paths of embodied evolution. It is the way of the Sovereign.
As we approach this eclipse season, may you roar in the ways that are most aligned with your soul truth and path. May you let your shine burst forth in the ways that only you can, reclaiming your song and your voice, your body, mind, and soul. And may you delight in doing it, as well as the beauty that transpires because you did.
