With the New Moon appearing in Leo, this month’s focus is on life’s creative cycle in all its forms. August is a traditional time for family holidays and that’s as much to do with the Astro-weather as with any enjoyment of long summer days. This time of year is good for relationships with children, exploring new hobbies and creative outlets, having more fun, taking things easy and adding a bit of spice and romance to your life. Leo energy brings an increased concern with having impact and influence in the world, of showing leadership and encouraging self-expression, and of developing creative projects. Work is the last thing on our minds during these next couple of weeks unless it fulfils the need to do great things and get recognised for our achievements. What we value personally is especially highlighted over the next few weeks. This Moon Phase is dominated by the retrograde motion of Venus. She started her journey backwards on July 27 at 3° Virgo. As Venus reverses, she conjuncts the Sun on August 17 and will then rise before the Sun as the “Morning Star”. (Becoming visible after about a week) She begins her forward journey once more on September 8 at 17° Leo. Venus, the goddess of love, rules feelings and emotion, social attitudes and behaviour, along with our aesthetic tastes and inclinations. She also rules fashions and all forms of desire, money and wealth. She governs romance, marriage and other partnerships, our capacity for humour, and the pursuit of pleasure. During this retrograde period the things Venus influences will be less apparent, or be of less concern to the world. So this is the ideal time to reflect on values, relationships, and why we like or dislike whatever or whoever, including our relationship to money, wealth, as well as why we value what we do in our relationships. We are urged to rethink our personal values to see if they still reflect who we truly are now. This influence is strengthened over the next few weeks as Venus will be conjunct Saturn the entire time, thus giving us the opportunity to make needed adjustments in those activities ruled by Saturn. These include long term commitments and responsibilities, or anything which takes time or effort to achieve. If we can get over useless worry, anxiety or tendencies to criticism, we can take this chance to be pragmatic and practical in updating our likes and dislikes. This will leave us with firm values and conditions free from all the old subconscious desires or fears that were no longer serving our current day to day relationships to people and things.
The next New Moon is at 19° Leo on the 12th August at 00:03 am