Our New Moon arrive on the evening of 4 August. It fades from it's final waning crescent at approximately 9:13pm AEST. It comes to us in the 12th degree of Leo. This particular New Moon falls during the period of the Lions Gate Portal and just four days out from its pinnacle. Keep your manifestation journals at the ready, because this will be particularly potent time for Moon Rituals.

What to expect from the August New Moon in Leo

Where Full Moons are vibrant energetic high point, New Moons are instead a point of refresh. The energetic trough of the Moon Cycle, this is where the prior cycle comes to a close and the new one begins. It's cleansing. A time to take stock of our surroundings and proceed into the next Moon Cycle with intention, leaving behind the things that do not serve you.

Although you can engage in manifestation at any time, the sense of reset is why New Moons are considered the best time in the Moon Cycle to engage in manifestations. You have a chance to start with a clean slate and clearly mark that which you want to achieve and call your way.

As with all New Moon, it will fall conjunct with the Sun which will be sitting just shy of the peak of Leo season. Leo is bold sign. It is confident, charming and knows how to command a room. This high-energy Fire sign has a way of breathing life and fearlessness into our lives. Leo is one that is notoriously loved or detested. It has a way of turn of bringing out either our  best of the worst. With our inner most selves (ruled by the Moon) and our outer selves (ruled by the Sun) both impact by the influence of Leo, you may find this energy all encompassing, especially if you already have a presence of Fire in your Sun, Rising or Moon signs.

Leo can push us to seek praise and validation from others. This sign feeds on adoration - a sentiment will be amplified as our planet of love, Venus, will also be floating through Leo. While the lively and IT-girl energy imbued by this sign can make us the most fun and exiting version of ourselves, it also comes with the inability to accept any feedback. And not listening to the honest feelings of the people around you is ultimately detrimental. In a time where it is important to stay energetically balanced, and carry positive moods forward, you will need to force yourself to be open to healthy criticism.

How to approach the New Moon in Leo

The New Moon is the moment that will set your energies and themes for the rest of the Moon Cycle ahead. As discussed, this Moon falls within the opening of the Lions Gate Portal and just four days from the peak on 8 August. With the Mercury Retrograde commencing just the day after this Moon, and the Lions Gate peak in sight, it will be very important for you to set yourself up for success.

This could be a truly transformative moment. Saturn, Pluto and Neptune will all still be in retrograde. These are regarded as nurturing retrogrades, ones that dare us to ask big questions and not comply with the status quo simply because that's how it's always been done. This, coupled with the potent potential for manifestation means that this New Moon could be used to call life defining change into your life. Are you needing to exit a relationship that doesn't serve you? Are you needing to leave a toxic work place? Are you wanting to move overseas? This the point where you could truly make your dreams a reality.

But this time is not without pitfalls. Mars in Gemini threatening to defocus us from our goals, throwing distractions in our way. And the impending Mercury Retrograde threatens to tear through like a whirlwind, twisting our words and making us perpetually late. Then of course, Leo's need for external validation before proceeding ahead can cause delays or alternatively pigheadedness. You would do well to remember that the people around you, who love, will only ever want whats best for you. Do not allow Mercury's backwards spin to have you misinterpret good intention. And you must allow feedback to pierce through the Leo shield. Ignoring words that come from a place of love will only hurt you in the long run. This should be especially noted by Water signs who tend to feel more sensitively towards constructive criticism.

Trust the words of the people that want to uplift you. Keep your focus. Be clear in your intentions. Ask for what you want. And enjoy the party girl vibes that only Leo season can bring.

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