A Leo New Moon of Steering Between Alternatives

Tuesday afternoon's Leo New Moon celebrates many diverse facets of our inner lives, brought closer to consciousness by the outer planet archetypes of Saturn and Neptune in collision, and also a participatory aspect pattern of Uranus, Eris, and Chiron. Together, the diverse symbolism of these powerful astrological factors presents us with implicit choices that we can move into— therefore more consciously navigating our multifaceted daily activities— with an improved understanding of the energies constantly invoked within each of us and flowing through our waking and dream worlds. Saturn and Uranus represent antithetical energies of holding back and plunging ahead, and they are in dynamic aspect with each other, being closely sesquiquadrate, or 135 degrees apart, with Uranus boosted in significance by its close conjunction with Eris. Meanwhile, Saturn and Neptune are also in dynamic relation with each other, in their ongoing square, a 90-degree alignment, that is closely aspected by the Sun and Moon in this dramatic configuration. As we enter into this new monthly cycle coincident with the timing of the Leo lunation cycle, we thus have a lot on our minds and in our hearts.


The factor of Saturn and Neptune in dynamic collision brings out both the contradictions of these two very different astrological symbols and also their potential for constructive merger. When they are in conflict we must choose between going all out for the unrealizable goal versus the abandonment of our dreams in cynical disillusionment; or equally we could find that practical planning crashes to the ground on misconception or on outright self-deception. When these two fundamental archetypes are combined in positive ways, however, they can reinforce each other and birth numinous ideals into concretely realizable form.


Uranus brings surprises and thinking outside the confines of any box, living in such a way that we are continually amused and enlightened. In combination with the dour Saturnian archetype, a push-pull of opposing forces ensues so that powerful urges toward spontaneity must constantly be held in check, due to circumstances that arise to thwart these impulses, or because of the fear that our most beautiful and compelling vision will never in fact come to pass and that therefore we might as well not even try. This is the sentiment that prompted Shakespeare to remark, "enterprises of great pith and moment on this regard their currents turn awry and lose the name of action."


With Chiron in the picture, being closely aspected by Uranus, Saturn, and Jupiter, our fears are perhaps even more greatly enlarged, and take on the enhanced significance brought about by stirring up old buried trauma, from as long ago as early childhood when we had no defenses for upset, and therefore stored up our hurts without acknowledging or grieving them. We had to confront misplaced parental authority, or damage in connection with infantile peers, alone. The way through is to directly face ourselves in these hidden places and offer long-delayed comfort to the suffering inner child that we discover therein. When we do, we can move through the difficult energies of these fractious times in some semblance of ease, sponsoring the growth in awareness that is our birthright.