Leo

Since the dawn of humanity when the divine double agent Prometheus angered the Gods by giving humanity the gift of fire, this element has been perceived as being as dangerous, powerful, and as hypnotic as the Devil’s own silver tongue. Fire was domesticated about one million years ago, and we’ve been learning to harness it responsibly ever since. It destroys, yes. It creates, yes? Well, it creates warmth, light, power, and propulsion via it’s living act of combustion. One could say that what fire does to a flammable earth element is equal to what humans do to the...

The partial solar eclipse is the third in an odd series of three and opens a unique portal into self-awareness, self-wisdom, and perhaps even our own Godliness. With Leo’s warmth we explore and integrate our self-expression and creativity, though the shadow side can be overly self-centered or egotistical. As if being a partial eclipse in Leo weren’t special enough, this new moon forms a rare configuration called a Yod with Pluto and Neptune. “Yod” comes from the Hebrew word for “hand of God” and astrologically “points” to a planetary triangulation of spiritual awareness and evolution. 

Lammas, aka Lughanasadh in Gaelic, marks the beginning of the harvest season in Wiccan and Pagan traditions. It occurs August 1 as rough halfway point between Summer Solstice and Autumn Equinox for the Northern Hemisphere, though Old Lammas was said to occur when the Sun reached 15 degrees Leo. Whether you honor the mid-point or astrological date, this special holiday celebrates the mystery and magic of the spirit of the grain. The name Lammas comes from old English meaning “loaf mass,” as it originated from celebrations of harvest time. Historically in Pagan and Wiccan traditions there were three harvests each year with corresponding holidays honoring each. Lammas was the first harvest with grain, the second Mabon (September 21 through September 29 this year) was fruit, and then finally near Samhain (October 31-November 1 this year) was nuts and berries.