Overview of Leo energy:
On August 18, 2020 we have the new moon in Leo. A strong, courageous, charismatic energy, ruler of the fifth house in astrology. This is the house of romance, love affairs, creativity, self-expression, play, joy, admiration, drama, fun, spirit. What drives us, what makes our heart soar, as well as how we creatively express ourselves falls under the Leo fifth house.
A few examples that embody this bold, beautiful, flamboyant energy are actors, models, public speakers, leaders, royalty, artists, happy children, passionate sexy love affairs (which includes extramarital affairs), amusement parks, games, laughter, spontaneous decisions and/or actions. The courage to present a talent, project or idea to others. An individual who is not afraid to stand out from the rest and/or to begin something new.
When someone kicks off their shoes and wades through a fountain in a town square in front of everyone, this is Leo. When someone has too much to drink and puts on a show in front of everyone at the company Christmas party, this is also Leo. (laugh)
Leo, the lion, let’s not forget is a protective energy as well. Strong and fierce, Leo reminds us to have the courage to stand up for what is important to us. And to not let others expectations of us override our own path. The moon relates to our emotions and inner self. So the new moon in Leo is asking us to look inside and examine what this is. What embraces the innocence of who you truly are, that when you are doing that, you are able to express yourself in the purest vibration of love and joy. If you know what this is, you are very lucky indeed. Many spend their lives searching for it. Once you find it, it must be protected at all times. For it is a treasure. Guard your light.
As I mentioned before, this energy has a shadow side. It can get out of hand if we over indulge or lose our awareness of our surroundings in the spirit of the moment. Leo fifth house energy when it’s having it’s moment in the spotlight, is not necessarily concerned with order and responsibility. That is the job of Virgo, the sixth house. Remember the movie Mary Poppins? This is Virgo coming in to get things back in order when Leo gets out of hand.
Leo energy has a healthy dose of ego attached to it. In it’s highest aspect this is a great leader, someone who is honest and true with their intentions, one who inspires others, one who we admire, that individual who has that “it” factor that makes them stand out from the rest. Leo’s shadow aspects can show up as one who exerts dominance over others, an entitled attitude, manipulation of someone or a situation to achieve a desired goal, an entitled “you owe me” attitude, and an unhealthy need to be the center of attention.
Leo in it’s highest aspect, is an inspirational leader, or someone who is charismatic, positive, fun and colorful. The life of the party. People feel good when they are around them. In it’s lower aspects it is a tyrant, moody, forceful, intimidating, sneaky and a drama queen.
The Cards:
These are the cards I intuitively pulled for the New Moon in Leo. We have Strength (this represents the new moon’s sign of Leo in the Major Arcana), The Seven of Wands which is the deacon associated with this moon. The planet associated with the Seven of Wands is Mars. I thought this was interesting. So I looked up Mars’ position on the date of the new moon, and pulled the Four of Wands, which is the deacon associated with Mars on that date. The zodiac sign associated with Mars is Aries, which corresponds to The Emperor in The Major Arcana.
And here is our 8/18/20 new moon spread:
The Message:
So as I look at these cards, we see Strength moving toward the seven of wands with a confident determination. And who would not be confident with a lion by their side! A feminine energy, this card has the four of wands at it’s back, inspired and energized by this wonderful archetype. Perhaps protecting it as well. The four of wands indicates new beginnings, energies that are in their early stages of manifestation. A good sign of an exciting new future full of possibilities.
As I look at the seven of wands, this character is defiantly holding his ground in front of six wands that are raised in front of him. This is a card about boundaries and/or defensiveness. I’m not surprised at seeing this energy in this reading. The sun in Leo at this time has a powerful, bold energy to it. To put it in horse terms, people are “feeling their oats” so to speak. Combine this with the Four of Wands, of which the structure is quite open, and there is plenty of room for a potential misunderstanding. Or for someone to blur the boundary lines a little bit to take advantage of a situation. Another interpretation I see here is one of an obstacle in one’s path. And this is not a negative thing. Sometimes in our pursuit of our goals, we need to be “checked”. Perhaps the timing is not right at this time, perhaps there are some soul lessons to be learned before one can move forward, or a shadow aspect that needs to be cleared. For example, you may want to ask yourself what are your true motivations here? Are your intentions true or is it about your ego? Or it simply may be that the right opportunity has not presented itself yet.
Remember when I said the Four of Wands is the energy of something in the process of manifestation? This could be a message that the energy is still “undercooked” at this time. It’s simply not ready yet.
The Emperor as the underlying energy of the reading, below Strength, is a message that there is a right way and a wrong way to do things. See how he is facing the Seven of Wands? It looks as if The Emperor is Sending Strength as an energetic reinforcement to come to the aid of the Seven of Wands. Or perhaps as a reminder to someone that they need to “check” themselves in some way.
Strength and the Seven of Wands are cards that denote inner strength and perserverance. Our path is our own. This may be a personal message that we alone are responsible for what we want to achieve. We must not rely on others to give us strength. It comes from within us.
The Emperor reminds us that structure, and a code of conduct is necessary within the collective and within groups. Without it, there is a breakdown of communication and this is when we begin to see breaches of boundaries occur. This can take the form of bullying, theft, people feeling that they are being taken advantage of, a gradual increase in manipulative behaviors, a “mob rule” energy, etc. Unchecked Leo energy is not necessarily a good thing!
But as we take another look at the image of the seven of wands in this particular deck, nothing has really happened yet. There is no “action” here. But there is certainly an air of tension. Strength, tells us to trust our instincts. We know when something is not “right”. This is a message to be vigilant. As a collective reading, this tells us to be prepared. Pay attention. With everything that has been going on this year, anything could happen! If this reading resonates with you on a personal level, this is a message for you to put your guard up and pay attention to your surroundings. As well, pay attention to your own actions. Are you pushing a person or situation too far? Are you missing the signs that they are uncomfortable? Perhaps what you think is okay, is being perceived as a boundary breach to the other person.
The seven of wands is also a card of perception. Are you perhaps being too defensive? Maybe too guarded? Unresolved subconcious emotional challenges that we have not quite worked through, can cause us to feel triggered when there may be no reason to be. This where discernment comes in. The Seven of Wands advice is to be ready, but wait. See what happens. Only time will tell what action you need to take, if any. Know that you have the Strength to handle anything that comes across your path, when you have faith in yourself.
Collectively, we are all very suspicious at this time. There is a lot of misinformation out there, and we are having a difficult time discerning truth from agendas. Tensions are high. Strength and The Emperor reminds us to take a breath when we feel tension building up. Take a break from social media and definitely mainstream news! The constant anger and chaos that is spouted on those outlets only adds anger and more tension to an already strained situation. Spend some time with that Four of Wands energy to continue to manifest your dreams into reality. Concentrate on what you actually have control over. Leo loves to win!
The Emperor as the base energy of this spread, and an excellent example of the high vibrational leadership qualities of the archetype of Leo, is impartial and wise. So this may be a message to seek counsel or a higher authority if there is something in your environment or work space that is making you feel uneasy. If someone in your personal life is pushing you beyond your comfort zone, clear communication is needed. Stand your ground.
On a spiritual level, The Emperor tells us that the illusion of lack is just that. The Universe is abundant. However, we must place our trust in the process of divine timing. Do the work of course. But understand, that things will happen at the right time, when you are spiritually, physically and emotionally ready for it, and not a moment before. If we push too hard, or attempt to manipulate the wheel of fortune, the universe will push back. Usually in the form of a lesson to remind us to keep our ego in check and to have faith.
The new moon in Leo is a wonderful energy to bring in abundance, joy, strength, beauty, and to embody qualities that you admire in others. Stand up and stand your ground. Get your hair done, buy some new clothes. Have some fun. Be beautiful! Raise your frequency to attract more of what you love into your life. Use this time to shine!
“Stay in the center of the circle, and let all things take their course” ~ Lao Tzu