The new moon of August is also the peak of the Perseid meteor shower and, Earth should pass through the shower's richest part around 1AM ET on August 13th -- so North Americans and western Europeans should have the best view. How much more dramatic could you get?
At the same time the New Moon in Leo is opposing Neptune at 20 degrees. The effect will be to make things foggy, unclear, and there may be a lack of clarity in communication. For others, Neptune will represent a more spiritual, compassionate, intuitive approach to things. With Neptune opposing the moon It would be best not to make important decisions for a few days.
In the meantime, Venus, the Goddess of love and beauty, is retracing her steps backward through Leo, causing many of us to re-think our relationships. Old loves can re-appear, but this is a time when we can change our mind. Or someone else can change theirs, personal dramas play out, and as a result, by the time Venus goes direct the 8th of September, many alliances will have changed. Money may be a little harder to come by during this time, and the stock market began losing ground within a day of Venus turning retrograde.
The Sun, and Mercury, the planet of communication is also in Leo at this time, making all things Leo, including thought, and communication. Leo is the grandest of signs, and has no time for wallflowers. You will notice that perhaps your actions and ideas, even speech, occur on a bigger, bolder scale this month.
Saturn in Leo is reaching the end stretch of it's 2 year cycle here, that began in July of 2005. Saturn in Leo has been about children, (Note-many of the children of this country are fighting a war in Iraq) parenting, egos, and putting the ego on the back burner. It has been more restrictive for love, and it has taught us to pay more attention to those with whom we choose to spend our time, for one reason or another. The web site, Star IQ, publishes the following about Saturn in Leo,"The job of Saturn in Leo is building the courage to express our personalities. While the negative side of this potentially negative planet is to suppress the joyous impulses of this self-important sign, holding yourself back is not the point. The planet needs the power of the human heart, one person at a time, starting with you. Planning and building a framework for your creativity is a gift to all of us. Saturn provides the planning and training, Leo the talent and stage on which to present it. This passage through Leo is a chance to face the excesses and insufficiencies of ego, to temper them with training and direct personal power with creativity, generosity and love." So, what have you learned?
Soon, this time will end, the energy will change again, as will the focus of things, both individually, and collectively. There will be a far greater focus on practicality, jobs, health and healthcare, and work. That will be the subject of my next newsletter..