The New Moon arrives in Leo August 12 at 8:36 PM UTC, and with it comes a singular moment of creative power. The Sun and Moon converge at 19-20 degrees of Leo, wiping the slate clean. This is not a gentle reset—Leo does not do gentle. Jupiter sits nearby in the same sign, amplifying everything: your voice, your vision, your willingness to take up space. Mercury in Leo means you are thinking in bold strokes. Three major planets crowded into one sign creates a density of intention that the sky has been building toward all summer.
A New Moon is always a beginning, but this one lands in a sign that refuses to apologize for wanting to matter. You are being invited to name what you want to create, to build, to become visible. Not someday. Now. The chart shows Mars just entering Cancer from the other side—a shift from aggressive forward motion to something more protective and rooted. Venus in Libra watches from the distance, reminding you that whatever you birth during this lunation will eventually need to be shared, balanced, integrated with others. This is a day for claiming your ambition without pretense.
The Sky Today
The New Moon occurs in Leo with Mercury, Jupiter, and the Sun clustered in the same sign. Mars begins its passage through Cancer. Venus holds steady in Libra while Saturn and Neptune occupy Aries and Pluto moves through early Aquarius.
☀ Sun 19° Leo ☽ Moon Leo (new moon) ☿ Mercury 3° Leo ♀ Venus 5° Libra ♂ Mars 0° Cancer ♃ Jupiter 9° Leo ♄ Saturn 14° Aries ♅ Uranus 5° Gemini ♆ Neptune 4° Aries ♇ Pluto 3° Aquarius
What Is Happening
A New Moon is the moment when the Sun and Moon occupy the same degree of the zodiac, making them invisible to us from Earth. Astrologically, this is the blank page—no reflected light, no external validation, only possibility. What makes today's New Moon unusual is its company. Jupiter, the planet of expansion and amplification, sits at 9 degrees Leo. Mercury, the planet of communication and thought, sits at 3 degrees Leo. You have a stellium, which means three or more planets clustered in one sign, all occupying the same house of your birth chart. This creates an intense gravitational pull toward Leo's domain: creative expression, personal power, the willingness to be seen.
The timing matters too. Mars, the planet of action and desire, is shifting into Cancer at this exact moment. Cancer is the sign of roots, family, emotional safety, and what we protect. So while your conscious mind is being asked to claim something bold and public (Leo), your impulses are being directed toward something private and foundational (Cancer). This is not contradiction—it is complexity. You are being asked to build something that matters personally before you broadcast it to the world.
Venus in Libra, five signs away, adds another layer. Libra is the sign of relationship, negotiation, and the acknowledgment of the other person. Whatever you initiate under this New Moon will eventually require you to bring someone else into the room, to make space for feedback, to integrate feedback without losing your center.
What This Means
This New Moon is asking you to get specific about what you actually want. Not what looks good on the surface. Not what you think you should want. The real thing. Leo does not traffic in half-measures, and Jupiter amplifies that impulse. If you have been sitting on an idea—a project, a conversation, a shift in how you present yourself—this is the lunation to name it out loud, at least to yourself. The New Moon gives you six months to build it. You have until the Full Moon in Aquarius in February 2027 to show what you have made.
Practically speaking, this is a day for writing, for planning, for declaring your intentions to someone you trust. Not performing them. Not softening them to make others comfortable. The Mars shift into Cancer suggests that whatever you build needs to be grounded in something real—something connected to your actual life, your people, your sense of home. Venus in Libra reminds you that you will eventually need feedback, so build with the knowledge that others will see it. But today, build for yourself first.
The Shadow Side
Leo can tip into grandiosity when Jupiter amplifies it. There is a risk of overestimating your readiness, of starting something before you have done the work, of confusing confidence with competence. Mars in Cancer can also pull you inward so deeply that you never actually share what you have made. The gap between Leo's public impulse and Cancer's private one can create paralysis if you are not careful. You might spend the next six months refining something in secret, waiting for it to be perfect, while the window for launching shifts.
Venus in Libra adds another shadow: the temptation to check your idea against what others think before you have even fully claimed it yourself. Libra seeks consensus, and Leo does not need it. If you let the weight of others' opinions land too early, you might sand down the sharp edges of what wants to be born.
♈ Aries
March 21 – April 19
creative fire, bold visibility
This New Moon lands in your fifth house—the domain of creative expression, romance, and self-discovery. The Sun, Moon, Mercury, and Jupiter are all gathering in Leo, asking you to step into something you have been thinking about but not quite embodying. You are not being asked to wait for permission or perfect conditions. Mercury in Leo means your words carry weight right now; Jupiter means your efforts will find an audience. The question is not whether you have something worth saying. The question is whether you are willing to say it.
Cosmic Homework: Commit to one creative project or personal goal you have been considering, and tell someone you trust what it is by the end of the week.
♉ Taurus
April 20 – May 20
home, foundation, beginnings
This New Moon activates your fourth house—the foundation of your life, your home, your family, your sense of safety. With the Sun, Moon, Mercury, and Jupiter all in Leo, this is about building something substantial that lasts. You might be thinking about a physical move, a renovation, a shift in how you relate to your living space or your family structure. Mars entering Cancer inches closer to your sector too, suggesting that whatever you initiate now needs to be rooted in something real and tangible, not theoretical. Jupiter's presence means there is room to expand—to imagine something bigger than what currently exists.
Cosmic Homework: Identify one way you want your home or living situation to feel different by next year, and write down what would need to change for that to happen.
♊ Gemini
May 21 – June 20
words, learning, connection
The New Moon lands in your third house of communication, learning, and short journeys. Mercury in Leo—your ruling planet in a fire sign—means your mind is sharp, your words are clear, and people are listening. The Sun and Moon here, together with Jupiter, suggest this is a moment to commit to learning something new or to speak something you have been holding back. You might sign up for a class, start writing, begin a conversation that has been waiting. The abundance Jupiter brings to this house suggests that whatever communication you initiate will find traction and response.
Cosmic Homework: Reach out to someone you have been thinking about contacting but have not, and actually have the conversation you have been rehearsing in your head.
♋ Cancer
June 21 – July 22
resources, values, self-worth
This New Moon activates your second house of money, resources, and personal value. The gathering in Leo—Sun, Moon, Mercury, Jupiter—is about reclaiming your sense of worth, both financially and personally. Mars is just entering your sign, giving you unprecedented agency and directness. You are being asked to price yourself appropriately, to ask for what you deserve, to stop accepting less than the full measure of your contribution. Mercury in Leo means you can articulate your value without apology. Jupiter amplifies any effort you make to build or expand what you own or control.
Cosmic Homework: Calculate what you actually need to earn or have in place to feel secure, and name one way you are going to begin closing that gap in the next six months.
♌ Leo
July 23 – August 22
self, identity, will
This New Moon happens in your own sign, in your first house of self and identity. You are the focal point. The Sun, Moon, Mercury, and Jupiter are all gathered in Leo, all gathered in you. This is a New Moon about reclaiming your center, your voice, your right to exist as you are. For the next six months, you have the gravitational power to pull what you want toward you. People will feel your confidence, your clarity, your refusal to dim. The question is not whether you can make something happen. The question is what you actually want to make happen. Get specific. Get bold.
Cosmic Homework: Write a personal statement about who you want to become in the next six months, and read it aloud to yourself every morning for one week.
♉ Virgo
August 23 – September 22
rest, reflection, surrender
This New Moon lands in your twelfth house—the realm of the subconscious, dreams, and what happens behind the scenes. The Sun, Moon, Mercury, and Jupiter gathering in Leo suggests this is a moment to get clear about what you need to release, what patterns you are ready to outgrow, what beliefs no longer serve you. This is not a public launch. This is the work you do in private, the inner foundation you build so that when you eventually step forward, you do so from a place of genuine clarity. Mars entering Cancer pushes you further inward, asking you to honor your need for rest and reflection.
Cosmic Homework: Spend one hour alone—without your phone or distractions—and write down what you are ready to let go of by the end of this lunar cycle.
♎ Libra
September 23 – October 22
community, collaboration, vision
This New Moon activates your eleventh house of community, friendship, and shared vision. The Sun, Moon, Mercury, and Jupiter in Leo suggest this is a moment to align yourself with people who get what you are trying to build, who amplify your efforts rather than diminish them. Venus is in your sign, giving you magnetism and social ease. You are being asked to step into leadership within a group, to articulate what you believe matters, to gather people around a vision. Jupiter's presence means that whatever community you invest in now will grow and sustain you.
Cosmic Homework: Identify one community or group you want to be more active in, and attend an event or reach out to someone involved by the end of the month.
♏ Scorpio
October 23 – November 21
career, public presence, ambition
This New Moon lands in your tenth house of career, public presence, and long-term ambition. The Sun, Moon, Mercury, and Jupiter gathering in Leo means this is about stepping into visibility, claiming professional authority, building something that will carry your name and reputation forward. Mercury in Leo gives you the ability to articulate your expertise without false modesty. Jupiter amplifies any effort you make to elevate your standing or expand your influence. This is not a moment to play small. This is a moment to let others see what you are actually capable of.
Cosmic Homework: Update your resume, portfolio, or professional presence to accurately reflect your current skills and ambitions, and send it to someone who matters in your field.
♐ Sagittarius
November 22 – December 21
expansion, belief, adventure
This New Moon activates your ninth house of learning, belief, and expansion. The Sun, Moon, Mercury, and Jupiter in Leo suggest this is a moment to pursue something you have been curious about—a class, a certification, a trip, a deeper dive into a subject that fascinates you. Jupiter is your ruling planet, so it is particularly potent here, amplifying your capacity to learn, to grow, to integrate new knowledge. Mercury in Leo means you can articulate what you are learning in ways that move people. This is a six-month cycle of intellectual and spiritual expansion.
Cosmic Homework: Sign up for something you have been considering—a course, a workshop, a book club—and attend the first session before the end of August.
♑ Capricorn
December 22 – January 19
transformation, shared resources, intimacy
This New Moon lands in your eighth house of shared resources, intimacy, and transformation. The Sun, Moon, Mercury, and Jupiter gathering in Leo suggests this is a moment to get clear about what you need from your partnerships—financial, emotional, sexual. Mercury in Leo gives you the ability to speak about taboo subjects with directness and honesty. Jupiter here brings abundance and depth to intimate connections. You are being asked to move beyond surface conversation into real vulnerability, real negotiation about what both people actually need.
Cosmic Homework: Have one difficult conversation you have been postponing with a partner or close person, and listen as carefully as you speak.
♒ Aquarius
January 20 – February 18
partnership, collaboration, otherness
This New Moon activates your seventh house of partnership and relationships. The Sun, Moon, Mercury, and Jupiter in Leo are asking you to claim what you need in relationship—not what you think you should need, but what actually matters to you. Venus is in your sign, making you magnetic and clear about your values. Mercury in Leo means you can articulate your needs without aggression. Jupiter amplifies the possibility of finding or deepening partnerships that feel genuinely reciprocal. This is not about compromise. This is about finding people who meet you fully.
Cosmic Homework: Name the three qualities you most need in a partner or close friend, and notice where those qualities already exist in your life.
♓ Pisces
February 19 – March 20
work, health, daily practice
This New Moon lands in your sixth house of work, health, and daily practice. The Sun, Moon, Mercury, and Jupiter in Leo suggest this is a moment to take your job or creative practice seriously—to organize it, to claim mastery in it, to build systems that actually work. Mercury in Leo means you can teach others what you know. Jupiter here brings prosperity and recognition to your efforts. This is not about working harder. This is about working smarter, with more intention, in alignment with what actually matters to you. Mars entering Cancer nudges you toward sustainable practices—what will still work six months from now.
Cosmic Homework: Design one new daily habit or system that will support your work or health, and commit to it for thirty days.
