Leo, ruled by the Sun, is the sign of the New Moon on July 28 at 10:55 a.m. on the West Coast. It is the height of summer in the Northern Hemisphere and, it is way too hot across much of the Earth.
Leo is the fixed fire sign, symbolized by a lion and its voluptuous mane. On a Leo New Moon, it is auspicious to set one’s intentions for leonine themes: creativity, romance, taking care of children, having fun. Among the three fire signs, Aries represents birth, drive and newness; and Sagittarius is about the big picture and the whole wide world. Leo comes between those two, and its imperative is to seek and bask in the limelight, or at least to receive some deserved attention for its undeniable radiance. How can one not notice the Sun?
The 2022 Leo New Moon will be in a harmonious trine aspect with Jupiter, the Expansive One, lending a feeling of confidence, opportunity and adventure. Yet Jupiter will be stationary on July 28 and will enter a period of retrograde motion the very next day, on July 29, lasting until November 23, suggesting that despite the enthusiasm engendered by Jupiter’s trine to the New Moon, it’s also wise to slow down and contemplate all those things that bring us joy and excitement.
It’s also a good time to review and honor one’s values, as Venus, the planet of love, harmony, and beauty, entered the nurturing, protective sign of Cancer on July 17, and will remain in Cancer until August 11. Venus’s transit through Cancer is a sweet time to tend to one’s most personal sensitivities and desires.
On July 28, the closest aspect in the sky will be the fixed square between Mercury in Leo and Uranus in Taurus. Mercury in Leo on its own is like a fiery shot of creativity in all mercurial realms, whether that be writing, speaking, singing, or sending someone a love letter or a bouquet. Mercury in a friction-y square with wildcard Uranus suggests that there may be unexpected news. One’s communications might be impulsive or even misunderstood.
The main event at this lunation is the conjunction of Uranus with the lunar north node. This conjunction occurs every 15 years, and the last time Uranus and the north lunar node were together in the sign of Taurus was in 1939. Uranus is the force of liberatory break-throughs, and that is not necessarily easy. The north lunar node, for individuals and for our collective destinies, has something to do with where we’re headed, i.e. the future–even when we’re packing the past along, too. Put the lunar north node and Uranus together and the beginning of their new cycle means that something surprising is underway. In earthy Taurus, that means events and processes to do with finances, resources, and the Earth itself.
What makes this time we’re in right now particularly volatile is the co-presence of Mars, now in Taurus. In traditional astrology, Mars is considered to be debilitated, or stressed, in the sign of Taurus. Mars is go-go-go. Taurus is: let’s stay put. At the time of the New Moon, Mars will be approaching a conjunction with Uranus and the lunar north node. It will be exact on August 1.
Mars brings the energy of bravery, drive, physical force and even, possibly, violence. As if Earth’s inhabitants aren’t suffering enough, there may be explosive events.
Key here is the element of surprise, one of the watchwords of Uranus. We never really know what will happen next, but there are time frames when surprises come faster and more furious than others, and this is one of them.
One saving grace is that Taurus, the Bull, is slow, plodding and knows how to stand its ground, which may be all one can reliably do in these shaky, unpredictable times.
Blessings for the Leo New Moon!
~ Sara
Sara R. Diamond, an astrologer based in the San Francisco Bay Area, is a life-long student and practitioner in several esoteric paths. Her style of astrology combines modern-psychological astrology with insights from traditional astrology. Sara is also an estate planning attorney. In addition, she has published four books on right-wing movements in the United States and earned her Ph.D. in Sociology at the University of California, Berkeley. You are invited to contact Sara via her website at www.SaraDiamondAstrology.com.
Hang onto you hat and don’t stand up…we are in for a ride with this upcoming new Moon and astrological events leading into the beginning of August. In view of the fact that we have a primary election in early August, I am sure that will contribute to the news we hear at that time. You did an excellent review of the upcoming astrological happenings and I have been watching them too.. Thank you, I appreciate your deep astrological insights.
Thank you, Audria.