"You are the portal between who you were and who you're becoming"

The August New Moon arrives in Leo on 12 August, bringing a fiery invitation to return to the centre of your own life. Leo is associated with creativity, confidence, play, self-expression, pleasure and the courage to be seen. As a solar eclipse, this New Moon carries an amplified sense of new beginnings and turning points, making it a powerful moment to reflect on who you are becoming and what you are ready to step into.

This isn't about becoming louder for the sake of being noticed. It's about becoming more honest about what lights you up. Where have you been dimming yourself, waiting for permission or making yourself smaller to fit into someone else's expectations? Leo asks you to reclaim the parts of yourself that want to create, play, love, lead and be witnessed.

What to expect

Expect a more expressive, creative and heart-led energy. You may feel a stronger desire to share your ideas, dress differently, create something, take up space, flirt with life or finally put yourself forward for something you've been quietly dreaming about. Mercury has also recently entered Leo, adding an expressive, confident quality to communication and encouraging more heartfelt, charismatic self-expression. 

At the same time, an eclipse can feel less predictable than an ordinary New Moon. Rather than forcing yourself to know exactly where you're going, pay attention to what suddenly feels alive, what you're being drawn towards and what no longer feels authentic. This is a lunation about self-trust over approval. Leo also reminds us that pleasure is not frivolous. Creativity, romance, laughter, beauty, movement and play can all be forms of nourishment. You may find yourself questioning whether your current life actually leaves enough room for joy, or whether you've become too focused on productivity, perfection or being useful. Reflect on: "What would you create if you weren't afraid of being seen?" 

WHAT TO DO

Create for the joy of creating

Let yourself be seen

Share your voice, ideas and work

Flirt with life and romanticise the ordinary

Take up space unapologetically

Follow what lights you up

Trust divine timing

Play, move and express yourself

Soak up the sun and reconnect with nature

Set intentions around courage, creativity and visibility

WHAT NOT TO DO

Perform for approval

Shrink yourself or minimise your needs

Chase external validation

Overcommit, honour your body and make space to rest

Force what isn't ready, trust divine timing instead

Compare your creative journey to others

Dim your light to make others comfortable

Seek attention instead of authentic expression

The Let Yourself Be Seen Ritual

During this Leo New Moon portal, create a quiet space and sit in front of a mirror. Burn some Forest Bathing Incense to initiate the ritual, and let the deep Tabu Bark ground you into the present. Take a few deep breaths, look into your own eyes, and repeat: "I give myself permission to be seen. I do not need to be perfect to be witnessed. I do not need permission to succeed & I am exactly where I am meant to be."

Reflect on three areas where you've been shrinking, hiding or holding yourself back, and write down one small action you're ready to take to become more visible. Then, on a separate piece of paper, write the fears, doubts and beliefs that have kept you small. Safely burn the paper in a fireproof vessel, using the flame as a symbol of Leo's fire, transforming what no longer serves you and making space for courage, creativity and self-expression. As the final embers fade, take a moment to sit with the silence and notice what feels lighter. Place your hand over your heart and remember you were never meant to dim yourself to make others comfortable. Let this New Moon be a promise to choose courage over approval, expression over perfection, and to let yourself be fully witnessed.