The Courage to Grow Up and Become Who You Really Are
Leo New Moon, Mercury Retrograde in Leo + Chiron Rx in Aries
Ruled by the Sun, Leo is known to represent the Self but the pop-cult cliche of being super self-centered is obnoxiously overplayed.
Every true-to-self Leo I know has the capacity to hold space for others. Regardless of how fiercely fine-tuned they may be when it comes to charisma or how secure in allure as a public figure, Fixed Fire NEEDS to maintain and sustain soul-directive. Committing to authenticity is Leo’s core and when they do so they’re honestly unlikely to use “cattiness” towards other who need the same. Plenty of “non-flashy” folks of the Sign exist; Leos aren’t all glam and drama though such is absolutely possible in Leo’s repertoire. A stance of security and stability with a creative streak and advocating rights and respect on the other hand? Yes. And sometimes that strong sense of Self triggers other people’s insecurities on a very visceral level.
Leo Season begins 7/23, has its New Moon the next day and ends 8/22.
Furthermore, Mercury Retrograde will take the bulk of Leo Season… and this backspin is a major blessing for those willing to hone in on the benefits of staying true to oneself! True, Mercury’s backspin COULD bring chaos to communication and turmoil to tech + travel but all souls have the opportunity to find their shine by the end of this misunderstood transit. Reviewing the tenants of Mercury Retrograde ~how it affects relationships, pop-ups of people from the past (quite possibly an ex), home dynamics (logistic and love-hate alike), energy zaps (brain fog or literal tech what-the-heck’s) and often insane delays~ can help. Thus I’m bringing back the 48-page Let’s Get Retrograde zine to Patreon members WITH a discount for new Support Squad “tip tier” folks from 7/17 - 7/24 with the code “RXSUMMER2025”
Mercury Retrograde starts 7/18 and ends 8/11. Its pre-shadow has been growing since 6/29 and the post-shadow tapers off 8/25.
Though no real hard aspects in Leo’s Mercury Retrograde, the other back-spins of Summer wrangles us in for real deal work that some would much rather resist.
The combo of varying planetary movements will back us in a corner until we can really sit with how we’ve been moving through life as of late if not looking at life-long patterns we’d like to move on from. Leo Retrograde is the catalyst to get up and dance: NOBODY PUTS BABY IN THE CORNER! With Jupiter in Cancer, Uranus in Gemini, Pluto Retrograde in Aquarius, Summer 2025 is a big change from the decade of Summers before. Neptune Rx and Saturn Rx are both burning in Aries and by end of July (and more at the end of this post) Wounded Healer Chiron joins the Cardinal Fire back-spins. Any Aries North Node turmoil between July 2023 and January 2025 may get revisited before the New Year but this weekend we’ll be dealing with not-so-great feelings around the current Virgo South Node, facing frustration and even guilt about the way things have gone in our personal lives.
Cancer Sun ALOK spoke of their Saturn-return in realization that “I need to reckon with a lot of who I was told I should be and figure out who I really am”, an essence of what Leo Mercury’s Retrograde will hash out in the next few weeks. A later interview shed wise light on the societal expectation to hide oneself, relating deeply with the rupture of the Retrogrades right now:
“I’m about to tell you a secret. The closet is not just for gay people… it’s just that gay people were honest that we were closeted. Everybody’s closeted. Everybody plays pretend. They all walk around saying ‘I am’ even though they have no idea who they are. What they’re often saying is ‘I want to make you feel comfortable so I’m going to contort myself into who I think you want me to be’. That is a form of injury that I as a poet could spend eons trying to write and never articulate. The pain of feeling like the only way you can belong is by betraying yourself and shape shifting knowing that that love is dependent on that self disappearance. The reason that trans people like me inspire so much envy ~ which is a synonym for transphobia~ is because people look at us and say ‘What do you mean you get to be free NOW?’ I thought we had to play pretend. I thought we had to play hide and seek our entire lives.’ And trans people have the mortal fortitude and clarity to look at the world and say ‘no’.”
Elizaveta Porodina
WHAT: Leo New Moon
WHEN: Friday July 24th, 2025 3:10 PM EST
THEME: The Pain of Protecting Your Peace vs. Protecting Your Presence
As one to have the courage and passion to speak their mind, Leo is VERY COMFORTABLE in Mercury Retrograde and the New Moon kicking off Leo Season will put this point into practice… after we go through something of a dark night of the soul to gain the gusto to go forth in new ways, reviving our spirit of self and sovereignty. As the Lion is a natural leader, part of that role is to communicate directly with respectful diplomacy and assured advocacy for all. However, for those of us who have the unfortunate curse of passivity ~or the mutation into passive-aggressiveness, people-pleasing or downright lying to keep the peace~ this 3-week period might not be the most peaceful but it’s full of possibility. The New Moon in Leo will touch various aspects all over the spectrum of affluent and destructive but with a loving kindness like a chat in Miss Honey’s cottage with tea and maybe tears but many hugs.
But isn’t that Leo’s way? Full of encouragement, understanding yet not one to shy away from a friend in need. Sometimes that friend is yourself.
With a sharp sense of responsibility to their creative vision AND their community, loyal to their goals AND inner circle, extremely generous YET discerning on what efforts are most effective… Leo energy does not appreciate waste or squander with mental gymnastics around self-deprecation. Fortunately, the Leo New Moon will soften the edges around the sharpness of being extremely hard on ourselves, a notion that is working itself out with the South Node in Virgo for the next year. The soon simmering Chiron Retrograde in Aries during the Neptune-Saturn Rx Conjunction Summer also exudes a theme of identity reclamation with lessons in reality check. Ultimately, we are motivated to discover (or rediscover) ways to express ourselves and live truthfully within the confines of the oppressive and conservative political landscape in power.
Locking In for July’s Leo Season:
7/18 Mercury Retrograde in Leo sextiles Venus in Gemini today for our voice to be more clear and heard. I’m loving Venus Gemini as of late: she’s abuzz with ideas, loves to conversate without it being too heavy and is lightly exploring her attachment to her own attachment style. Fire and Air can be positive despite its reputation for caustic chaos. Love is alight and bright and we’re starting to turn inward and look at the ways we can show up to love ourselves more while making the connection of the disconnect in how we love others yet do not give ourselves the same.
On 7/19, the Cancer Sun forms a square with Chiron in Aries, a precursor of pain points that speak to the child whose creativity or emotional expression was mocked at a young age, of not being seen or heard and some the spiral of shame that’s been bartered with throughout life’s relationships, careers and communities, big or small. We are seeing the ways we need to step up and gain custody of our inner child again to navigate personal dynamics in our social and romantic spheres for better health and balance. More info at end of post!
Also on 7/19, Mars in Virgo conjuncts the South Node in Virgo. This Saturn-day is incredibly sticky due to these 2 aspects and the weekend requires caution, gentleness and patience! Any frustrations we have around how we believe things “should be” is exacerbated greatly… and we’re likely to feel immensely fraught re: the satisfaction in and about our lives. This Virgo nit-picky conjunction will really challenge the work we have to do around South Node grievances going forward. Be aware that this kind of energy with Chiron in the mix can push people towards their vices. Remember that bad behavior won’t get us forward; gravitating towards self-care and harm reduction is going to give grace here.
7/22 Leo Sun sextiles the new Uranus in Gemini, a dash diva in the making! Incredibly innovative ignition of queer+femme frolic for Jupiter in Cancer Summer, this magickal moment of moxie gears us up for meet cutes with new crews and mind-expansive chats with future kindreds.
7/23 Venus in Gemini squares Mars in Virgo, a double-dose of Mercurial Signs in the Venus-Mars tango and a little bit tense as intellect and inquisition clash with the to-do list tear-thru on a strict timeline. This mid-week tug-of-war will remind us that if we infuse our goals with curious pleasure, we can go much further, faster while having fun.
During the new Moon, Leo Sun trines Saturn AND Neptune in Aries, placing focus back to over-all goals. If the days leading up to were used to Eat That Frog (what I’m practicing lately as a procrastination princess and really helpful with Mars in Virgo), the focus for the Leo New Moon during Mercury Retrograde in Leo will be more wholesome than rude. To have certain responsibilities when there is capacity is connecting to actionable ability to give. OR this aspect may be a wake-up call on the ways in which we need to align our viewpoints around competition and selfishness to our values (a subject I’ve been hammering on about all year, y’all!). How to propel your goals forward in a realistic way with a responsible foot forward that gives care to others in our community is the terrific take-away from this trinket of a double-trine and a biggie for Leo Season.
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