The Cosmic Story: Leo New Moon, August 2, 2016

The Cosmic Story: Leo New Moon, August 2, 2016

Personal Ego or Higher Self

 

Lammas and the Leo New Moon 2016

This year's New Moon in Leo falls on the Wheel of the Year's power gate of Lammas, an ancient festival of the First Harvest, when the bread baked with the first grain harvest was blessed and offered to the gods. Ancient peoples knew how to live in harmony with all of Nature. Even if you don't believe in God or Goddess, the goal of a life lived in balance and harmony always includes gratefulness to something larger than our personal ego. That's when we find ourselves centered in what Carl Jung calls the Self, the animating Spirit within each of us, the Spirit that is our truest connection with each other. And the New Moon in Leo wants to celebrate that Self.

We are living in the hottest time of summer, the gardens are full and the grain is high, and it's time to give thanks for the bounty of the Earth. We'll notice that now the daylight really begins to decline as our Sun heads south toward the Equator, and we'll see the days growing shorter as we head into the autumn. Where did the summer go? The first harvest of the year is upon us. 

In Celtic countries, this festival was dedicated to the god Lugh of the Long Hand, a multi-talented god who combined all the skills the Celts valued. In Ireland, Lammas is called Lughnasadh. This summer festival was a time for warriors to display their skill in games and competitions, for marriages to be brokered between tribes and for artisans to show their wares.

Spiritually, it's a time to look at what we've accomplished this year and celebrate those achievements. Did you get involved in the political races? Did some project you worked on accomplish what you hoped for? Did you take the time to help family or friends in need? Did you finally settled down? Did you dance your dance? Name and honor what you've been working toward. It's your creation! Leo knows how to value his creations.

To show reverence to our Mother Earth and Father Sky, we might find that this first harvest is something we offer back to Spirit. This offering can be gratitude for another year of health and love. It can be gratitude for learning a new skill. Or it could be something more inner, such as a new sense of possibility and hope. This is a good time to honor what we value, honor it by naming it and celebrating it. Then give it where it is most needed, sharing it with people. What do you have to offer those you interact with on a daily basis?

One of the major lessons for Leo's time of year is to practice open-heartedness and generosity, just as Mother Earth shows to us abundance of life . As we give of ourselves freely, we also receive what we need. If we make generosity and open-heartedness virtues we live by, they help us create a full and happy life; they become a blessing all around, and definitely something worth celebrating.

Leo New Moon

A New Moon is a time when both the Sun and Moon occupy the same space in the heavens, a sort of cosmic get together, what was once celebrated as a 'sacred marriage' of our two luminaries. Sun consciousness, which is rooted in our collective and personal ego-identity and which helps us navigate our daily common lives (our left brain rationality); and Moon consciousness (which until recently our culture rejected as 'irrational') our unconscious knowledge coming to us through feelings and images and instincts (our right brain wisdom).

When Sun and Moon come together in the same sign, both our consciousness and our unconscious are on the same page. They both want the same things. They're in synch. So at New Moon, together they can plant a seed that our lives need to continue to grow. 

 

This Leo New Moon comes after a tumultuous year of political and social unrest around the world. And I bet each of us has experience some kind of personal upheaval. Change is in the air whether we want it or not. While many of us Bernie people hoped for radical change to happen instantaneously, that's not how real and abiding change happens. Our Taurus-self knows that the foundation has to be strong for the building to last. We in America are in the last years of America's Pluto cycle. We are reaping what we've sown for the past 230 years. But we're also getting a chance to really live out America's ideals of freedom, creativity and unity. We are living under corporate oppression and we're going to have a revolution. It's our choice if we create a peaceful revolution, which takes time to make the necessary changes, step by step or a violent one.

Leo is the sign of royalty—although Regulus, the royal star of Leo, is just now moving into Virgo, the sign of Service. In ancient times, royalty meant being a mediator between the Heavens and Earth. Standing before the gods representing the people and before the people as representatives of the gods. But in our ideal America, there are no royals; each of us is our own king or queen. That gives us a responsibility—we have to do what is best for all of us, not just ourselves. We have to bring our creative expression—our unique talents—to our collective culture. We have to use our Leo gifts of Individuation, generosity and open-heartedness to make the world a better place.

How does our Leo nature engage in service? Perhaps by creating a new, more fair and equal society? A healthy environment? A peaceful co-existence with other nations and religions? To get to our vision of ONE WORLD we need to weave together a tapestry of all nations, just as the ideal of America is to make us all ONE people. First we have to unite behind our common causes and work together to create the world that we now have the imagination and ability to create. If we just have the WILL.

Perhaps Hillary Clinton needs to become America's first female president, so that the Divine Feminine has a better chance of coming into the world. Since our world operates from a materialistic view of life, looking to the outer before we turn to the within, maybe we need to experience the strength and dignity of a woman of power so the girls and women (as well as the men) of the world have an outer image of power and strength, inspiring them to turn within to find their own powers. Did you see at the DNC how they sang “What the World Needs Now Is Love, Sweet Love'? There was quite a bit of feminine energy dancing around up there on stage as opposed to the very rigid masculine energy of the RNC.

'Sekhmet' by Katlyn Breene

Our Leo Queen has returned within each of us. She holds the feeling tone of what our culture is going to be like. Without her feelings of connectedness and care, the kindom (thanks, Caroline Casey for that metaphor!) is dry, hot and edgy. Kind of self-centered and arrogant. Afraid and small-hearted. Like the Grinch before his revelation.

Psychologically and symbolically, the Sun in astrology represents our ego-identity, our individual destiny, our sense of meaning and self-confidence, our power of creative expression. The Sun represents the energy that animates us, that makes us feel like unique individuals. When we repressed our feminine nature during the 'Enlightenment'--I think therefore I am—we did become separate human beings, free from our tribal and familial identities. Without the feminine voice of Wisdom showing us a more inclusive perspective, our masculine ego-consciousness became self-centered and insecure (since we are cut off from the whole), domineering and greedy. So our EGO, which is supposed to be the mouthpiece of our true Self, became the Center, the only focal point. The needy, greedy EGO.

The SELF, which is the true goal of Leo's energy, is our unique connection with the creative spirit of life. Jung called this reconnection the process of Individuation. The Self is supposed to be our guiding light, helping us combine our individuality with our commonality. The Self knows our destiny and our purpose, but we have to take the time to connect to this inner fount of Wisdom. We often do it through creative expression—the arts, play, generosity. And we get to it through our feminine nature, the Soul.  And of course, through our dreams.

So, the cosmos is offering us a chance to see the difference between the ego needs of an individual and the real desires of the Self. At this New Moon, offer up your gratitude for the gifts you've been given. Share those gifts with generosity and an open-heart. And ask for the things you desire most.

This New Moon is also shaped by Saturn in Sagittarius. Saturn gives us the form and focus for Leo's creativity to manifest through. Are we standing up for our truth? If so, let your Leo Self use that strength, discipline and will to stand up to create something magnificent. If your Saturn is creating fear and anxiety in you, you haven't connected to your true Self, but are letting your ego lead you around by the nose. Fear and hatred come from insecurity and self-centeredness. Take responsibility for your beliefs and fears and don't project them onto others.

The Leo New Moon occurs on Tuesday August 2 at 1:44pm PDT/ 4:44pm EDT/ 8:44pm GMT. 

We have lots of fire energy in this chart—imagine all the wildfires alight in the American West. Perhaps if we deal with our inner fires in a responsible way, we can shut down on our outer fires.

Aries, our first Fire Sign, is hosting Uranus and the asteroid Eris, the goddess of discord. So our fire/passion/desire/Spirit is ignited by our Uranian Awakened identity and the need for revolution and by the Eris, chaotic energies of the times. The Sun, Moon and Venus are in Leo, gathering in the fire power, creating a collective bonfire where collaboration and sharing are going on. Then Mars returns to Sagittarius hours before this New Moon, bringing his dynamic energy into the mix as Saturn in Sagittarius slows down to turn direct on August 13^th. Mars gives us the courage to stand up for our truth. Saturn gives us the stamina, discipline and focus to ground in our beliefs so we can keep developing our new life into the future.

As you can see, this New Moon can be very creative or if caught up in ego-battles, very destructive, as fires can be. As we watch the power and intensity of those raging wildfires in the West, perhaps we can meditate on the symbolic need for more water, more feelings, more feminine energy in the world and in ourselves. Fire is considered a 'masculine' dynamic energy, just as air is. Water and Earth are considered feminine, receptive energies. There is a strong dynamic energy in the world right now. You might be feeling tired if you're fighting it. When you feel tire, exercise can give you energy. Perhaps we need to get doing (fire, Mars, Uranus) in a focused way (Leo planets/Saturn in Sag). Too much chaotic fire leads to destruction. 

  

Plant a seed this New Moon that is blessed by both fire and water, air and earth. One of my favorite Rumi quotes is “Love is the Water of Life. And a Lover is a Soul of Fire. The Universe turns differently when Fire Loves Water.” Creativity blossoms best with care and patience (that's the water).The water comes from our Pisces planets (Pallas, Neputne, SN, Chiron) and Juno in Scorpio. Neptune's imagination can enhance or put out the fires. The Earth holds Ceres in Taurus, Mercury, the NN and Jupiter in Virgo and Pluto in Capricorn. Creativity in the service of Earth (Taurus) through our service (Virgo) to the collective (Capricorn).

How can you best serve our world? Feel the world's pain! It will help us discover how we can comfort and heal the ancient wounds of the Piscean Age.

The Sabian symbol for the Sun and Moon at 11* Leo is: Children play on a swing hanging from the branches of a hugh oak tree. There's nothing more freeing than to swing high – all kids know it's next to flying. There's a freedom in getting that high off the ground. And for that swing to be secured on a branch of a hugh oak tree is much more magical than a metal swing in a park. Especially since the oak is the tree of Wisdom according to the ancient Celts. To play in the arms of ancient wisdom and fly free is a beautiful image.

The Sabian symbol for Saturn as it slows down to turn direct at 10* Sagittarius is: A theatrical representation of a golden-haired goddess of opportunity. We have a story in our American culture about how everyone here has the opportunity for advancement if we just give it all our effort. What it takes is Saturn's discipline and belief and this energy is fertilizing this New Moon with determination and focus.

Uranus has just turned retrograde on last Friday July 29^th at 25* Aries. The Sabian symbol is: The possibility for humans to gain experience on two levels of being. This image, which speaks to us of possibilities, needs to be meditated on during Uranus' retrograde.

Walk in the Light!

Cathy

Because it felt like that this morning as I watched the Sun rise.

Just Now -- W.S. Merwin

In the morning as the storm begins to blow away
the clear sky appears for a moment and it seems to me
that there has been something simpler than I could ever
believe
simpler than I could have begun to find words for
not patient not even waiting no more hidden
than the air itself that became part of me for a while
with every breath and remained with me unnoticed
something that was here unnamed unknown in the days
and the nights not separate from them
not separate from them as they came and were gone
it must have been here neither early nor late then
by what name can I address it now holding out my thanks

~ W.S. Merwin ~

(The Pupil)