Sunday 4 August 2024:

• New Moon in Leo 12:13 BST: This marks a time for setting new intentions, particularly around creativity, self-expression, and leadership.

Monday 5 August 2024:

• Venus into Virgo 3:23 BST: marking a period where love and relationships are expressed through practical means and attention to detail. Encourages a grounded and analytical approach to matters of the heart, service, efficiency and  improvements.
• Mercury Retrograde 5:56 BST: Communication mishaps, technical difficulties, and a need for review and reflection. Go slow with important decisions.

Wednesday 7 August 2024:

• Sun sextile Jupiter 14:37 BST: Optimism and opportunities for growth and expansion.

Thursday 8 August 2024:

• Mercury conjunct Venus 4:12 BST: Harmonious communication, good for expressing love and creativity.

Wednesday 14 August 2024:

• Mars Conjunction Jupiter 11:21 BST: High energy for taking bold, expansive actions.

Thursday 15 August 2024:

• Sun Trine Chiron 13:12 BST: Opportunities for healing and integrating personal wounds.
• Retrograde Mercury into Leo 1:14 BST: a period of thinking and communication more confident and grand, with expressions of creativity and leadership. While retrograde period, expect a review and rethinking of these themes.

Friday 16 August 2024:

• Mars Square Saturn 6:30 BST: Frustration and obstacles in taking action, requiring patience and perseverance.

Sunday 18 August 2024:

• Mercury Square Uranus 10:46 BST: Potential for unexpected changes or disruptions in communication.

Monday 19 August 2024:

• Sun Conjunction Mercury 2:58 BST: Clear thinking and effective communication.
• Venus Square Jupiter 6:53 BST: Tendency for overindulgence or excess in relationships and finances.
• Venus Opposition Saturn 9:29 BST: Challenges in balancing love and responsibility.
• Sun Square Uranus 17:45 BST: Sudden changes or disruptions, requiring flexibility.
• Jupiter Square Saturn 17:46 BST: Tension between expansion and restriction, requiring balance.
• Full Moon in Aquarius 19:26 BST

Leo, ruled by the Sun, is a sign that thrives on courageous expression, inspired creativity, being the centre, and living from the heart. This New Moon is a time to set or reset intentions related to creative projects, and shining in our own unique light.

This New Moon is especially auspicious due to the 8/8 Lion’s Gate Portal shortly after this New Moon. The alignment of the Earth, Sirius and Orion in the constellation of Leo is an opportunity to focus on our manifestations. As it occurs just days after the new moon, every sign receives an extra cosmic push to bring dreams into reality.

A Leo New Moon is favourable for all solar-related endeavours. The Sun, having now moved away from a sextile with Mars and moving towards a sextile with Jupiter, a highly supportive, aspect, brings faith, optimism, growth, and fresh beginnings. There’s a degree of waning excitement also, as Venus moves away from its square with Uranus.

Mercury turns retrograde in Virgo shortly after the New Moon, quickly makes his journey back into Leo. Mercury will be retrograde from 5 August to 28 August, connecting the energies of Virgo, Leo, and in particular the fixed star Regulus. Venus is also tied in with this and relationship dynamics are on the table mid month.

With Regulus activated by Venus on 5-6 August and then Mercury on 14 August, it’s important to act with integrity and avoid any actions that could adversely affect public reputation. Regulus’ themes are that of leadership and ambition, with warnings against arrogance and pride.

Regulus’ connection to retrograde Mercury speaks of a time to work towards strengthening or enhancing public image, perhaps by addressing any past actions, misunderstandings or mistakes. It also brings illumination to our past arrogance, pride, lack of humility or plain abuse of power and position. Something that most of us can relate to from at least one end of the spectrum.

While Leo season is a time to shine, Mercury retrograde encourages quite the opposite, a time of deep reevaluation of our sense of individual expression. When Mercury retrogrades in this fiery sign, it encourages us to revisit and reflect on how we express ourselves, assert our personal power and stay true to who we are at the deepest space. Perhaps what we were once attached to, proud of, is changing. This is about us seeing ourselves differently now, with the value of hindsight, and making different choices.

The Moon conjoins Venus, then Mercury on 6 August, in the early hours of the morning and then Mercury and Venus form a conjunction on 8 August, which should be quite supportive even though it points to reevaluation in terms of relationships and communication. I say ‘should’ as its Mercury retrograde, which tends to bring misunderstandings, and also Venus has just formed an uncomfortable quincunx with Pluto. Venus isn’t at her best, but she can add some salve to any emerging issues.

From this point in the month, the more challenging energy starts building. It has to be noted that as we come to mid August it is not the easiest time. With Mercury now within a 4 degree square to Mars, and Mars applying to a conjunction with Jupiter and square to Saturn, exacting around mid-August, the core challenges of August will then materialise.

Mars with Jupiter can be a celebratory energy, highlighting both conflict and harmony. Jupiter also brings a sense of moral justification and enthusiasm to martial themes. It can be a positive fight for a cause but we need to watch for over confidence and things happening too quickly, getting out of control, losing awareness. Saturn’s influence will cool things off and slow things down.

With Saturn and Jupiter at odds in their first quarter square, what we began at the Jupiter-Saturn conjunction of December 2020 now comes into it’s next phase of growth. These two energies are in tension meaning we need to balance themes of Jupiter – freedom, expansion, hope, idealism, with Saturn themes of contraction, consolidation, limitation and realism. They are trying to find a way to work together, and might need our focus.

Mars squaring Saturn is about meeting resistance and having to face adversity, it’s where we are held back and need to learn withdrawal, but as Mars is a pushing forward planet especially when he hits Jupiter, to then meet Saturn can be frustrating. Combined they require a lot of awareness of timing, patience and right action. The ego inevitably gets attached to outcomes and so we need to watch where Saturn can show up in terms of blocks to correct our attitude or approach.

Venus and Jupiter are both enclosed by both malefic – Mars and Saturn. This means the malefics have the upper hand. Additionally with Mercury being the ruler of Jupiter and Mars (transmitting through Mercury ruled Gemini) any opportunities and potentials indicated by Jupiter are influenced by this retrograde. Essentially this means that any high, optimistic moments are followed shortly by a reality check.

This flip flop between both positive or negative changes or outlook, may potentially causing confusion, but also we could feel a lack of grounding, uncertain as to where things are. If we do not have a centre, a facilitating awareness, a connection to the Divine within, it will be highlighted.

It’s a time to anticipate in advance technical issues, travel complications, giving yourself more time than usual to complete things. More than anything it’s a period of reflection and introspection, where we revisit old themes and reconnect with people from the past. We may also feel dissatisfied with our current communication style, prompting us to find new or fresh ways to express ourselves, that’s the Mercury-Leo influence.

The Leo New Moon’s aim is to guide us toward more expressive styles of leadership and empowerment, rooted in a more authentic connection to ourselves. Part of this empowerment must encompass going with the changing tides this month, as things slowly develop, then perhaps unexpectedly, then stall, then move forward again only to have then another twist or turn.

With Mercury stationing at 4 Virgo, close to square to Mars, it’s a more conflict orientated time. By the end of August, Mars is out of the picture and there’s some resolution and settling. But there’s a potential for plenty of conflict throughout the month as other planets, especially Venus, also make awkward contact with Mars.

When Venus ingresses into Virgo, sending it into a slow building square to Mars that peaks on the 22 August, this feels like another combative layer is added to the already present Mercurial misunderstandings. To delinenate; Jupiter conjoins Mars on 14 August while Mars square Saturn on 15-16 August, Saturn squares Jupiter on 19 August, Venus is exact with Jupiter and Saturn on 18 August, then squares Mars on 22 August.

On that Aquarius Full Moon day, 19 August, Venus opposes Saturn, amplified by Mars conjunct Jupiter, forming a T-square, at the same time the Moon comes around to oppose the Sun-Mercury conjunction at the Full Moon, which is also in and exact square to Uranus! Even on 18 August, when the Moon does its monthly conjunction with Pluto the energy is building, so the trigger could come earlier.

While we cannot escape the fact that these energies mid month, all in quick succession might lead to stress and tension, we can work with this combination by moving into our energy reserves, harnessing our discipline, drive and determination, and just engineering the force of the will to make things happen.

The caveat is to be aware that when we are attached to something happening or and outcome, we sometimes apply too much force, and the fact that such energy is required might indicate it’s not necessarily the right thing or direction, more that you are being taught something about how you process or approach matters.

Waking up the force and intent of the will might be what we need at this time. But it might be a time to deeply question where you are at, where you are coming from and what is in the driving seat, especially during Mercury retrograde. What we think is important might not be, keep more openness, question more, do not strive for answers, but open up to the gentle wisdom when you follow the retreat and withdrawal.

Dropping into your Divine presence, allowing it to lead you through this month, could be your saving grace. Take the approach that it will be interesting to see what that challenging set of dynamics brings up, go in with the knowledge and awareness of what you can and can’t commit to, and keep yourself within your boundaries, if it’s feels safer for you.

More on Leo New Moon 2024 see Card Guidance