As expected, the consecutive Capricorn Full Moons did not disappoint. This is certainly a time loaded with unexpected events, surprises, u-turns, and consequences of actions. And this energy is not over yet. Big changes are coming as we head into fall. The tension between the old and the new is palpable.
Can you feel it?
Excited trepidation? Hopeful realism? Or maybe just exhaustion? We have been in this cycle for a while, and change is undoubtedly both compelling and tiring. Change is hard work. It is also inevitable. There is no going back.
How readily we are willing to accept that change can cause some turbulence. Because we humans really like the certainty of the familiar. Thus, when faced with the uncertainty of the new, we often hold on tighter to what was. At times like this it is important to remind ourselves uncertainty is not inherently dangerous or wrong. It is just unknown or yet unexplored. It is also where all the unbridled potential is. In truth, you can’t have change without uncertainty.
So, what if we leaned into uncertainty rather than judged or controlled it? What if we got curious rather than contemptuous? What if we honed wonder rather than disdain?
Enter hope.
This Leo New Moon reminds us to harness hope as a force to navigate the waters of the unknown. Not because it promises that everything will work out exactly the way we want it to. Hope is a reminder that the story’s ending is unwritten. There are opportunities and possibilities we have yet to realize. There is more to what we are seeing or experiencing. There is a certain magic in that.
But as suggested, magic is also hard. Because embracing uncertainty is uncomfortable for our survival parts, which crave definition, certainty, and a plan. Anytime we breach the edges of our zone of familiarity, parts of us will warn us with fear. And fear is a powerful force. Fear initiates reactivity by activating those primitive areas of our brain which quite literally prevents us from the executive functioning of our frontal cortex, where things like new ideas, cooperation, and healthy discussions live. Fear has one agenda- to stay safe. This trait is powerfully competent in high-risk or dangerous scenarios where split-second reactions are critical but woefully inadequate and even destructive in everyday situations where thoughtful decision-making and calm reasoning are required. This fear-hijacking capability is why, at times of uncertainty, there is an increase in disinformation, conspiracy, manipulative persuasion, undue influence, and a lack of complicated critical thinking. So, be on the lookout for the gravity of certainty with its many conflict entrepreneurs to pull you in. When a person, ideology, or movement can control your fear, it can control you. And fear is the opposite of hope.
Thus, harboring hope in complicated and uncertain times means not transcending or controlling what is but being more present in it. It is not to fall prey to polarized thinking or misinformation but to relish in the complexity itself. Hope lives in the grounded realism of what is dancing with what could be. This doesn’t mean we don’t take a stand or make a decision. Far from it. This time will call for some technical truth advocacy and right side taking.
Mercury goes retrograde in the sign of Virgo a day after the New Moon, reminding us to stay grounded in the real through the tricky newness. There will be a lot of information coming at us, and it is our responsibility to slow down, discern, assess, and fact-check, using our powers of reason and sturdy critical thinking (all Virgo traits) to combat reactive fear. Virgo asks us to embrace the right use of service, the humility of our humanness, and an expanded vision to improve. There is emotional maturity to this cycle. A need to be balanced and solid in rightness. Virgo has a morality that matters.
There is hope in that too. So, take a pause to feel it.
As we welcome this Leo New Moon, let us celebrate the light of inspired leadership that will lead us through the changes that are sure to come. Let us remember that great leaders inspire not divide. Let us remember that what got us here won’t get us there. Let us remember that we can’t have real change without navigating the waters of the unknown. Let us remember that uncertainty itself is where potential and possibilities unfold. Let us remember that hope is the quiet ember that keeps the human spirit alight in challenging times.
It is said hope is a verb. And I believe that is true. Hope is a muscle. Something that must be worked at. Claimed. Honed. Sharpened. Practiced. Like stars in the night sky, hope is that spark of creativity, the pulse that drives innovation, and the gentle nudge that reminds us that life’s journey is not just about the destination but the myriad experiences along the way.
With hope, we find the motivation to strive for a better tomorrow, believing in the possibility of transformation and the promise of new beginnings.
Because there is no going back.
“May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears.”
~Nelson Mandela
~This New Moon occurs at 12° Leo.
~Photo by Dewang Gupta on Unsplash
~Want to know what this time is revealing for you? Contact me, for more information.
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