Insights by Kerstin Hern of The Mirrored Lantern / Original art for J. Southern Studio by Spirited Animals
Happy August wishes to all! This month, we walk in the radiance of the Solar Lion in Leo season, engaging us with the motif of energizing and breath-of-fresh-air respite from the dense, heavy duty feels of Cancer season (good grief!). However, we do start the month with one of the biggest 2022 alignments: the trifecta conjunction of Mars, Uranus, and the North Node in Taurus. This is big shake-up/explosive energy that can occur on our material plane/Gaia with weather, money and foundational structures getting cracked open and crumbled to be rebuilt, or physical movement/body effects and possible injuries. The North Node (Rahu) in the mix is the expanding energy moving us towards what some call destiny, or soul alignment, which is not always an easy or comfortable recalibration. Some may find new paths carved out for them with an invitation to pivot, and many of us will be confronted with ‘survival mode’ energy, especially in the life area that is ruled by Taurus in our individual charts. Just practice grounding your mind and body, planning and preparation, and framing all situations that are out of your control as opportunities to learn and grow. And drive/walk/bike carefully!
Leo’s monthly medicine suggests you pour your energy into cups that promote and flourish your self-expression, creativity, having/attending celebrations, and other high vibration vessels to counterbalance the Taurus triple threat (I’m affectionally calling TTT). Engaging in fiery creativity and passionate activities that are based on expression versus the more behavioral activities of confrontation and rash action will burn off your excess solar energy opposed to funneling it into inflating the ego. That’s when you get a metaphorical sun burn or a Lion’s bite!
We also have the annual Lion’s Gate Portal on August 8th, which is the 8/8 energy portal when we (Earth) align with our sun in Leo and our spiritual sun, Sirius. This is a magnified and amplified manifesting portal, where manifestation through visualization, affirmation, action, and ritual can occur at an accelerated rate. Check out this article for more on the Lion’s Gate Portal. Use the shake-up at the beginning of the month to get all your pieces visible on the table and decide what path or action is best for you to build those pieces into after 8/2 when the TTT blasts you out of your comfort zone.
Our monthly full moon takes place in the progressive and big-picture air sign of Aquarius. This lunation will be conjunct Saturn and squaring the nodes, so highlighting themes of releasing to restructure, integrating big personal and community lessons that have been learned, and sustaining long-term personal and societal health and growth through changing roles, priorities, and other outdated plug-and-play modus operandi. Just cuz you’ve been doing it and you’re used to it, doesn’t mean it’s good for you (whatever “it” is for you and your community, especially what was programmed into you via family of origin).
The new moon in Virgo will continue this less-emotional-get-down-to-business work that both lunations encompass (neither Aquarius or Virgo are particularly cuddly, but both are benevolent and fight for The People, which may the perfect balance we need after Cancer season!). This new moon has a house-cleaning feel: both your body/the house you live in and the structures you move through in your life. Clear out clutter leading up to the new moon, then see the clear open space that is ripe with possibility for new roles, structures, rules, activities, and personal paths during the introspective peak of the dark, new moon. My mantra for this is “flow with friction to promote function.” Stay grounded and emotionally regulated to befriend friction you are confronted with so you can squeeze some new information out of it that can help inform your updated roles and priorities you started to see forming during the full moon. Say, “hey friction, you aren’t as scary and annoying as everyone says… What’s up—what you got for me? What do you think I need to focus on?” Virgo loves details, so getting into a flow with whatever comes your way will be the water to your seeds of expansion under the creative and growth-oriented Leo sun.
Make note of significant transits below to prepare for and work with the cosmic flow in August. Check out the full and new moons’ symbols, themes, each lunation’s tarot card partner, herbs for candle magick, crystals, affirmations, and more inspiration to personalize your own rituals around invocations and releases during those energetic portals.
Notable Transits:
SYNOPSIS:
This is a dense lunation with the moon conjunct Saturn and both the moon and sun squaring the North and South nodes and Uranus… This means destiny shifts and personal and societal transformation is afoot. Squares cause the friction that gets your butt out of the seat so you can snap out of whatever spell you‘ve been under. The conflict that becomes apparent is the catalyst to make change or make any decision to cause some needed shift.
Chiron and Jupiter are both Rx, so inner reflections, reassessments, and revisiting deep wounds and our relationship to faith and wisdom are all activated. I feel that the Lion’s Gate Portal will be like “open (spiritual) heart surgery” needed to balance out the Saturnian energy, and in this portal, we can all set powerful intentions that will get a boost from Sirius to become new lived realities.
The work after these reflections and getting clear on intentions: Restructuring roles and rules to align with progress and inclusivity for all, interpersonal empowerment and freedom, especially around social groups, friend groups/individual friends who have not been reciprocal, removing yourself from groups/friends that have not been acting in integrity, and/or who no longer align with your personal values.
Saturn is the pressure cooker that is trying to show you how you’ve been squeezed into a structure, set of rules, or even like being under someone’s thumb, and you know it hasn’t been working, but now you’re like “fuck this” and taking your power back. Likewise, YOU could be the oppressive force in a situation! Just step back and view yourself through the lens of power—where do you stand? Is it fair?
This is a big lesson-learning time for the collective (Aquarius) and we all play a part in it; our collective reality is changing. Pan out and view yourself from that expanded space to give you more context about your personal roles in the bigger picture, and ask yourself if they “work.” The goal here is to evolve and have growth spurts that allow us to break out of old patterns and structures in a practical way. Logically asses what needs to go and cut those cords. This is an electrical time for change on the micro, meso, and macro levels!
THEMES & SYMBOLS:
pressure cooker, deconstruction, power imbalance/empowerment, rules getting reversed, trickster energy, societal lessons learned, human incarnation lessons/karmic cycles closing, reflection back to 2020 until now, steadying emotions, insights, logical assessments, long overdue cord cutting, releases, maturation, time management, practicing what you preach, better boundaries, community, humanity, technology, future, electricity, The Water Bearer, owl, orchids, pothos, all shades of blue
YOUR FULL MOON LUNATION HOUSE:
RITUAL + ALTAR INSPIRATIONS
FULL MOON PETITION
In Aquarius, an air sign, you can write out your full moon releases or those you want to forgive on a small piece of paper, speak them aloud facing east (air direction), and safely light the paper on fire in a cauldron. Mix the ashes with salt in the cauldron then blow the ashes into the wind facing east. If you do ritual on this blue moon before its peak, write down all you are grateful for and acknowledge abundance… Gratitude amplifies energy.
SUGGESTED MANTRA or AFFIRMATION
"On this full moon in Aquarius, I snap out of the stagnant energy of monotony and complacency to wake up and see where conflict is calling my name. I use conflict to identify power structures and question current authority roles and their rules. I get to decide if they align with my true Self. I am motivated by Mars to take action where I am needed for my highest good and the highest goods of my communities. I am empowered. I give myself permission to leave people and situations that do not align with my values. I am awake! So mote it be!”
FULL MOON MEDICINE
Aquarius rules the knees, calves, shins, Achilles, and circulatory system. If physically able, go for walks in nature to warm up the legs and do the bound triangle yoga pose and chair pose. Do tantric breathwork with a lover. Aquarius is the eccentric rebel, so get weird and express yourself loudly and proudly. Humanity and social justice are paramount for this sign, so get active in your community any way you can to promote equity and equality!
SYNOPSIS:
After a very intense and transformative full moon around shaking up structure, this new moon will square Mars in Gemini to get communications for new structures rolling… This month, planetary squares are the keys unlocking opportunities for growth and change! Use them wisely and with deliberation.
There’s a shake-up right before this new moon as it wanes, pinging Venusian matters (intimate relationships such as romance and friendship, plus work and/or finances).
This shake-up will re-engage that rattled energy from the beginning of the month that will help shimmy off stagnant energy, tossing everything up in the air so it may all land in a more functional (and even stable) way post-new moon. You will be able to see all the pieces now so you can decide how the moving parts can function better. I picture this Virgo new moon like a watch or clock maker taking all the bits out, cleaning them off, and replacing some parts.
This new moon is also about harvesting this collective fresh energy and your own energy as the Wheel of the Year starts to turn. Slow down and assess where you’re at regarding 6th house themes: daily routines, physical and mental health, and your pets. Then check your lunation house to get more granular and see how the two houses link together to create a narrative focusing on cleaning up, cleaning out, details, and healthier more stable ways of moving through those two houses. This new moon serves to help you get back on your path by working with clashing energies to unearth hidden information that was not available to us when we were swimming in our emotions during Cancer season. The Mars square will get you out of your comfort zone and activate communication in all directions… Virgo is ruled by Mercury and Mars will be in Gemini, so talk it out!
THEMES & SYMBOLS:
new systems, practicality, grounded communication, editing, cleaning, fine-tuning, physical and mental health, financial health, apex of inter-relational energy, service, thoughtful communication, realistic choices, Earth, wheat, corn, plants, pentacles, caduceus, moss green, terracotta, taupe, sienna, dusty blue, silver, fox, bear, femme energy, Artemis
YOUR NEW MOON LUNATION HOUSE:
RITUAL + ALTAR INSPIRATIONS
NEW MOON PETITION
Write your intentions as specifically as possibly on a small piece of paper, in the present tense, as if they are already happening. Fold it 3 times toward you, symbolizing bringing energy to you, and place on your altar under your crystals. You may also place your petition under your earth element candle or chime candle before you light your candle.
SUGGESTED MANTRA or AFFIRMATION
"On this new moon in Virgo, I take sacred pauses throughout my day to slow down my mind and environment so I may reconnect with helpful energies and ground my body. May I become aware of previously hidden information that I am now able to see, understand, and digest. May I be grounded and focused to ensure all details are apparent as I start to rebuild structures, rules, and my roles. May I use this time out of my comfort zone to realistically visualize a healthier, better, happier future for myself and for my community and engage in communication to begin planting those seeds. So mote it be.”
NEW MOON MEDICINE
Virgo rules the eyes, ears, pancreas, and digestive system. Take some time off from screens to let your eyes rest, listen to music you love, and eat herbs and root veggies that ground you and move all “rubbish” through your system, cleaning out debris. The South Node aka Ketu can be thought of as where/how we expel waste, so eating mindfully is key for this sign that rules health. Doing body twists, the Rock and Sphinx yoga poses, sitting on the earth, and walking barefoot on earth can get your body feeling good! Financially: clean out your wallet, check all your accounts online, get into the nitty gritty of financial health to grow more wealth.
Wishing you all a restructuring full moon and a gettin’ real new moon this August!
Kerstin from The Mirrored Lantern has practiced right hand path magick and tarot for over 29 years and has been a lover and learner of astrology for just as long… She is currently in graduate school for Clinical Psychology with a specialization in Spiritual & Depth Psychology and is a pre-licensed psychotherapist in Los Angeles. Follow her on Instagram @themirroredlantern for witch tips, tarot, occulture, and depth psych tidbits!
