Astrology Thoughts to Help You Level Up With the New Moon on August 16, 2023

A few keys to this new moon

The new moon is “exact” at 23°17’ Leo and it’s developing through the 24th degree of Leo. At a high level, this plants the seed of new technique or technical mastery for expression at the social level. The shadow of that expression is in its management.

Leo is a concentrative, or “fixed,” fire sign.

In previous articles, we’ve discussed fixity with regards to Taurus as durability — it’s angst with Scorpio, depersonalized and organizational insight with Aquarius, and shows up as pursuits of valor in Leo.

This can materialize as “status chasing,” but if it’s status for status’ sake — aka, ego satisfaction — without it being a greater contribution, then it’s shadow. As we’re moving more broadly into the age of Aquarius, the sign opposite this new moon and the sign of our most recent full moon (August 1, 2023), we have the elements present for “shadow” showing up more clearly to those who are paying attention.

We can get greater insight into the quality of energy at this new moon with the Sabian Symbol for the degree the new moon is developing into.

The Sabian Symbol for the 24th degree of Leo reads:

To me, the individual represents the global economic monopoly and what’s being neglected is the reality of its corporeality; it’s humans. In other words, if the global economic monopoly is the domain of a single country, then what’s being neglected is its borders, its material infrastructure (roads and bridges), and the welfare of its citizenry in favor of the ideals of those who’ve taken ownership of the economic monopoly’s ego.

At a more symbolic and personal level, there’s a stress to pay attention to the details and learn that what we approve of motivates us to action. If we don’t approve of it, we don’t act on it, so if we’re not getting what we want, it’s time to reanalyze what we approve of.

• Do your actions serve the light at your center or do they serve the motives of others’ agendas?

• What lights your flame that burns the longest?

• How can you express yourself, get your needs met, and manage yourself at the same time?

Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, Pluto in earth signs remind us that it’s time to quiet the noise and listen to a higher call so that you can respond from a greater and more enduring truth.

As the retrograde season is upon us, there will be lots of learning through the next few months about not just what we want, but what consciousness wants through us.

This new moon is asking us all to step up to a heartier participation with life without halfway focus. Keeping a hold on clarity is key. Simplicity is the scalpel.

Since and now

Since the full moon:

• Venus has passed retrograde through the line of site between the earth and the sun. This is called the “inferior conjunction.” It occurred on August 13th, at 20º 28' Leo.”

• The conjunction represents the beginning of Venus’ orbit and corresponds to a new cycle of value. It also refers to letting go of worn out modes of behavior and rediscovering what it means (and what it takes) to step up with bravery.

• The sun and moon have both moved through an exact square to Jupiter — sun waxing square (crisis in action), while the moon was a waning square (crisis in meaning), and now the new moon conjunction is 108.3° ahead of Jupiter, which is slowing down for its retrograde station, happening on September 4.

Now:

• Jupiter is no longer in mid-point square to a sun-moon opposition, the sun and moon are now in a crisis of action position to Jupiter, in an exact waxing square to Uranus. It’s like we’re being challenged to really lean into our truths and manage the details of what we stand for.

• Planets in the first quarter phase to Pluto (Saturn, Neptune, Chiron) are in retrograde.

• These last two points suggest there’s a crisis of authority at the humanity level, what authority means, and what the value of rebellion is.

• It’s as if the old-world order is trying to ignore that there’s a new world order being born right before its eyes.

• With Chiron in the configuration, there’s a tendency to indulge in blame and suffering. Remember that all things are seasonal. Take time away in nature to play the old game with daisy’s, “She loves me, she loves me not,” remember that it doesn’t really affect you, and let that stuff go.

North Node is conjunct Eris

• What do you feel like you need to rebel against?

• What brave stances help you lean into your potential from the center of yourself that we spoke of earlier instead of leaning back reactively?

Mars and Mercury are in a waxing trine to Jupiter and Uranus.

• Jupiter is at a point of power in the first quadrant, revealing tests of character.

• What ideas, relationships, and constructs have genuine durability for each of us at the individual level?

• Jupiter is nearing its retrograde station, at 15°35’ Taurus, on September 4.

• How can we prepare ourselves for the tests of character and power that we have coming up during Jupiter’s retrograde that lasts through December 30?

• Actions speak louder than words and the details are important.

• List all your options. Choose what to do from what you want to test. Also, choose what not to do. This will be a learning experience through the end of the year but actions of all kinds have support now.

Jupiter vs. Uranus

• Societal transformation occurs from the ability to “focus” if you’re living your alchemy. Or it occurs under the control of habits if you’re living in your shadow.

• Uranus is 114.45° ahead of Pluto and considered in a waxing Trine to Pluto. This aspect brings an intuitive awareness of the relationship between creation and destruction for re-creation. Alchemy is seasonal. With the Uranus retrograde coming up on September 1, it suggests that those who operate their lives with a broad time horizon, beyond 3D shenanigans, are planting seeds that will grow in the first half of next year after Uranus stations direct on January 27, 2024.

• Jupiter and Uranus together in Taurus at the top of the kite with the other planets back to Pluto, challenge us all to live with a greater sense of, and connection to, immateriality.

• It’s time to hold the vision, refine the details, and keep doing the work.

Kite — are we flying yet?

We have no planets in air signs, except Ceres, which is the largest asteroid in the belt that separates the personal planets from the interpersonal planets (Mars from Jupiter), and with so many planets in retrograde here and over the next month or two, it’s like we’re in a plane that’s running out of gas and the pilot doesn’t know it.

Do you know enough and would you be brave enough to bring it to the pilot’s attention? What can you do for you that you also do for us all if we’re all this together?

Mercury conjunct Mars (which I talked about in my full moon article from August 1), both trine to Jupiter and Uranus, both trine to Pluto, both opposite to Neptune.

• Jupiter and Uranus are slowing down at the end of their pre-retrograde shadows.

The sextile at the top of the Kite, made up of Pluto(r), Neptune(r), and Uranus brings support for intuitive foresight amidst a reevaluation of what individual needs are.

• What does your foresight tell you? What are your sacred values? How is your cultural identity being challenged and/or validated?

The sextile wings (both Uranus and Pluto) is trine to Mars and Mercury:

• How is that validation empowering your mission in life?

• What new details is that validation asking you to put your attention on and drive into?

• Are you able to tame your drive into resoluteness and patience, as you’re trained for a greater purpose?

What message is confirmed between your choices and your actions?

What ideas do you support and genuinely believe in that are truly yours?

Fingers of the Yod

“Finger of the Yod” is the name for the formation of three planets, two of which are 60° apart and the third is opposite to the midpoint of the first two, thus being 150° apart from each.

There is tension of ease and intensity in this formation.

We have two of these in this chart.

The new moon is bisecting the midpoint between Neptune(r) and Pluto(r). This is one of the most important and easily overlooked aspects in the whole chart. It’s like there’s an inescapable situation between an undoing of traditional authority figures, an unraveling of old narratives (cultural story arcs), and what and how to do anything about it.

The lunar south node (opposite the lunar north node) is bisecting Uranus and Neptune(r).

• This represents the unwinding of the old-world order, especially with the north node being conjunct with Eris.

I’m citing this chart signature as, “working out the details of individual plans while a greater Aquarian individuality feels the winds of change” for several reasons:

• Because plans are external, which corresponds to all the planets in retrograde

• Because of the kite shape and personal activations

• To highlight a contrast between the craziness existing at the 3D level that people devoted to establishment common-sense are feeling, and the elevation that those that I’ll call embodied angels are being activated to contribute to.

We shepherds of humanity’s future are being called to extend our wings and plant our fence posts at a higher level of a reality that’s not here yet, so we can be solid and present to those who are caught up with coloring inside the lines of the old world order.

Questions for Self-Discovery

What are you learning, and what are you implementing?

• Is there a discrepancy?

• What does bravery look like?

Are you demanding that people draw inside the lines or are you accepting that all of life is art?

What do you do in the space between recognizing your power to decide and your decision to exercise your power??

Do you long to erase the crayon marks that have colored outside the lines, or can you foresee a future to prepare for?

There’s a strong directive in this chart at the individual level, so for all those that find this meaningful right now, remember:

Happy Full Moon,

Joshua