Monthly Astro Forecast: Solar Eclipse in Leo

We are full into Leo season, the apex of summer and of solar energy. The sun reached its peak at the Summer Solstice, and now all that growth and abundance is made manifest as we begin to gather the first fruits. I've been making chutney and anything else apple-ish I can think of to make the most of the glut of cooking apples we harvested from my father-in-law's garden at the weekend. The children are picking blackberries everywhere we wander for on the go snacks.

Leo is the embodiment of solar power, the only sign of the zodiac ruled by the Sun. The sun is the power that fuels our solar system, the centre of it all (at least for us). Leo is the sign of royalty and the divine child, of innate power. This is not power that has been fought for, taken from others, acquired at the expense of others, even voted for with pieces of paper. This is the power we are born with, the true and spontaneous power which is at the heart of each individual. Wherever we have Leo in our chart, and so wherever this eclipse falls for us, it says something about our identity, about who we are and how we express and affirm that self. If we understand the signs of the zodiac as a journey, we can see that our Leo inner child expresses themselves depending on how well we have integrated the lunar lessons of the previous sign. If we feel emotionally secure, we are more able to express our true self clearly and without fear or self-doubt. This last lunation, beginning with the solar eclipse in Cancer and ending with this solar eclipse in Leo, asks us to look at how this dynamic is playing out for us. Are there issues in our past which cause us to doubt ourselves, to hide our spark of power and divinity? At this solar eclipse, we can become aware of the next evolution of our identity, the seed of a new level of creative growth and becoming. Even better, we can begin to understand how our individual talents can be an agent for collective growth, how we can embody the dynamic of Leo and Aquarius which defines the current eclipse cycle.

The eclipse chart reveals some awkward energies, with challenging aspects to Venus, Saturn and Pluto, the latter two both still retrograde and so difficult to see clearly, figuratively speaking. Collectively, these minor but tense aspects are likely to play out as power issues, issues around justice, around who holds the power and how they use it. It's not difficult to see that most of those who hold power are not using it to express their higher selves and work for the higher good. They are more likely to be manipulative and power-hungry, concerned with personal agendas and ambitions and apparently utterly unaware of the collective good. Leo is the sign of the ego, and this eclipse cycle asks each of us whether the ego is our servant or our master. Doing the work for and on ourselves can bring shifts in the collective, but it's also important to hold those in power accountable.

Following on from the eclipse, it's a lunation of shifting planetary energies. Three of the six planets which are currently retrograde turn direct, including two inner planets, Mercury and Mars. The inner planets reflect our individual, personal realities and so have a greater impact when they go retrograde than the slower moving trans-personal planets, which spend more time retrograde. Uranus went retrograde three days ago and won't appear to move forwards again until next January, so the effect is deeper and more subtle. Mercury turns direct on 19th August and gradually picks up speed, remaining in the "shadow phase" until s/he passes the point at which s/he went retrograde on September 2nd. After that, we can express ourselves more clearly and begin to affirm and communicate the ego and identity shifts of the last few weeks. Mars retrogrades back into Capricorn on August 13th, finally turning direct the day after the full moon (on August 26th) on August 27th. Those of you with strong Mars energy or lots of planets in Aries may breathe a sigh of relief as you finally get back to your usual speed and can direct your energies outwards instead of inwards. Taking action and just getting things done should become easier for all of us. Also in Capricorn, Saturn turns direct on September 6th, bringing us clear focus and the discipline to manifest real change. 

The theme of manifestation gains power as the inner planets begin to move into earthy Virgo, the sign of "back to school" and the autumn urge to get organised. The Sun leads the way on August 23rd, followed by Mercury on September 6th. Meanwhile just hours before the next new moon on September 9th, Venus moves into the deep and sometimes murky waters of Scorpio, ready for some drama and intrigue. We also get a hit of Scorpio energy on August 25th, when Jupiter in that sign makes an awkward aspect to Chiron in Aries. The teacher meets the healer, the priest meets the warrior. They may not get on, but they have something to learn from each other.