Choosing Love-Leo New Moon-July 23

Life lessons tend to repeat until we learn them. As such, when astrological events repeat it is a definite point of focus and attention.

This Leo New Moon is the first of two back-to-back Leo New Moons. Though a unique event in itself, even rarer is the total solar eclipse occurring at the second New Moon on August 21.

“Think of an eclipse like a major reset button. For a moment, the moon (which is 400 times smaller but also 400 times closer to Earth) is going to cover the sun.  For a moment, the power will go out before the system restarts. I liken it to the process of restarting our technology when it gets buggy. Often the first line of defense is to log out and log back in or simply reboot the system.”

This first New Moon in Leo is a foreshadowing of what is to come.  The fact this New Moon is occurring at 0° Leo adds emphasis to the fact we are cracking the door to the next cycle of growth and change.

What is the lesson?

Leo is the sign of love, inspiration, passion, and purpose leading to the fire of authenticity. It houses our mana, prana, vitality and creative life force. It is how we breathe life into our existence and how we reveal this fire to the world.

Done well, we have courage, tenacity and the ability to inspire others with true leadership and power. Filter this fire through ego fear though, and we get the shadowed Leo expression of tyranny, authoritarian and bully behavior.

What is the right use of power?

Both collectively and personally, we are asked to determine how we are using our innate creative force and igniting our lives. When we unite our inner fire with our heart, we create the spark of purpose. When we align with our heart, we merge our soul work with inspiration, and we feel the road rise to meet us. This doesn’t imply ease or a road without struggle, just that there will be a sense of “rightness” along the path itself.

Leo reminds us the right use of power resides in the heart. It resides in compassion, strength, empathy, joy and the ability to feel. It reminds us it is only through the force of love that we have the capacity to change, grow, heal and transform.

Because our hearts quite literally hold immense power.

The HeartMath Institute studies this very real heart /energy connection.

‘The heart generates the largest electromagnetic field in the body. The electrical field as measured in an electrocardiogram (ECG) is about 60 times greater in amplitude than the brain waves recorded in an electroencephalogram (EEG).”

HeartMath studies show this powerful electromagnetic field can be detected and measured several feet away from a person’s body and between two individuals in close proximity.” (for more go here)

The frequencies of our hearts do not just influence our being but they have the ability to extend out and touch everyone around us. And it doesn’t stop there.  The HeartMath Institute is studying the interconnection between our collective heart frequency and the earth’s magnetic fields.

Studies have shown when connected to love, compassion, kindness, and peace we have a stronger, balanced and more connected heart field. We have the ability to not only positively affect our life but the lives of everyone around us. Leo represents this innate and powerful connection. It is the sign of our very essence, passion, inspiration, and power.

It is life itself.

This New Moon and the following Eclipse are asking us to open our hearts and connect back to love. This might mean softening, feeling and receiving, as love often looks this way. Yet, love can be fierce and fiery in its force of truth through honest assertion and clear boundaries. Love is often associated with connection and this is absolutely true. Yet, true connection can only occur when we have the courage to withstand disconnection. This cycle we will have the choice to disconnect to what is not in alignment with our heart so we can connect more fully to what is.

Let us all set this powerful intention to do just that as we move into the next few weeks.

Some heart-opening and expanding practices.

• Random acts of kindness
• Listen to understand not respond
  
• Create something beautiful
• Choose compassion instead of judgment (and start with yourself)
• Practice accountability (integration) rather than projection
• Get out in nature
• Breathe
• Set boundaries and assert yourself
• Challenge the inner critic
• Follow your intuition
• Have fun, play and expand your capacity for joy
• Practice empathy
• Ask for help and receive it
• Practice gratitude

When you allow your light to shine, you allow others to do the same. When you illuminate your own fire, you remind others, near and far to do the same.

Through the force of love, anything is possible.