New Moon in Leo on 16 Aug 2023 - Reflection Prompts, Intentions and Themes
The Leo New Moon on 16 August 2023 brings with it powerful, transformative energies regarding our self-belief, soul-lead living and relationships.
Leo is the sign of creativity, personality, attention and visibility, playfulness and the child-like desires within you. It’s the Lion, the king of the jungle. It’s a fixed, fire sign, meaning the stubbornness of Leo will never give up and its fire will give us the strength to get through anything.
The Leo’s ruler is the Sun - the centre of our whole solar system, the light of our every day and the provider of all of life. When Leo is here, we get to shine unapologetically, just like the Sun.
A New Moon in Leo is a time to reflect on those aspects within yourself. This is a time to tap into your soul and its highest form of light, its deepest desires that you may sometimes hide. This time can give you the strength to start anew and shine light on those places within you that lay secret, to share them bravely and to turn the spotlight on them. This isn’t about taking space, attention or resources from others, because there is room for each of us to step into our biggest self. This is what we’re all here for, and Leo’s abundance reminds us of this.
Reflection prompts to partner up with this energy:
Where can you shine more?
How much are you allowing your inner fire and strength to propel you forward?
How free are you to express your creativity and child-like playfulness?
How would you act if you didn’t care about what others think?
What new projects would you begin, or which projects would you give more attention to?
How would you show up differently in your friendships and other relationships if you weren’t afraid to be your biggest self, if you acted from abundance?
The August 2023 Leo New Moon is happening amidst a recent shift in the Moon’s Nodal Points, which have invited us to reflect on how we may have sacrificed parts of ourselves in relationships. The North Node is now in Aries, whilst the South Node is in Libra. This change is inspiring us to lead from a loving ‘Me’ attitude - What do I want? How can I meet my goals, and end people-pleasing that may help others at the detriment of me?
Every time we people please, of course, we don’t really help others - we are teaching them to rely on us, which will never last. The Nodal Points’s shift invites us to let go of some of the lower expressions of Libra, the sign of relationships, balance, harmony, and step into the higher vibrations of Aries, the sign of our drive, initiation, courage. So, when using this Leo Moon to think about how you can better shine your light, reflect in particular on where you may be dimming it when with others and in your relationships.
Leo is about living from the heart - where our soul-centred truth is. New Moons are about bringing in a new cycle of life, so where can you initiate yourself into deeper soul-lead living? How can you give more of your light to the world? The world needs your light. It needs everyone’s light. And it needs it in its highest brightness.
There is also Venus retrograde in Leo happening right now, inviting even more attention to your heart, the themes of self-love and self-worth, and relationships. You may be revisiting some old patterns in these areas - either mentally or through actual events in your life. Notice them, name them, and let yourself stay in them. This is particularly speaking to my heart right now, as I had to face up a negative pattern I had fallen into again that I thought I had ended. Without judgement, we can explore how we can overcome old patterns - we’ve done it before, we can do it again.
Set your intentions, and commit. Create a vision board, write your goals and stick them around your home, and repeat them every day. Consider creating affirmations to help you step into your light more. Leo has an innate self-confidence. We can use this to practise deeper self-love and acceptance, and to know we are worthy always.
Affirmations for your inner Leo:
I shine my light courageously.
The world is a friendly place, and it is safe for me to shine.
My creativity is my gift to myself and the world.
I lead from my heart and expand through my love.
I prioritise fun, adventure and excitement.
I celebrate myself.
My bigness inspires others’ bigness. My self-empowerment empowers others.
Finally, a moon in Leo can feel intense, because the moon is about our emotions and Leo isn’t the most emotional sign. Its fire can bring up intense feelings. We might also feel an inner battle between our need to retreat under the New Mon, and Leo’s invitation to step outside. Allow yourself to feel it all, and know that you never need to be doing anything. If you need to take a day or two under this New Moon to be quiet, alone, and reflective, take it. If a few days later you’re ready to set intentions and tap into your inner Leo, follow this. The energies in the cosmos are always affecting us, even if we don’t consciously connect with them. Trust that Leo can always be tapped into when you need her self-love and confidence.
For a deeper exploration of the Moon - why we honour it, how ancient civilisations have used it as a calendar, and our modern-day connection with the Moon, you can listen to my Podcast episode: Spotify link, Apple Podcasts link.
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“A new moon teaches gradualness and deliberation and how one gives birth to oneself slowly. Patience with small details makes perfect a large work, like the universe.” - Rumi
