Leo’s heart is worn on its face

Whatever the state of a Leo person’s heart, you will see it all in the expression. They will not necessarily be smiling brightly because being positive and generous all the time is not easy, may be impossible. Because Leo feels it must always shine like the sun that rules it, it tends to hide when it is feeling less than radiant. The person may still be around but the Leo in them hides, may not meet your eyes, sad sometimes, and hanging the head. When any Leo person you know is hiding like this, kindness and appreciative support will work wonders. The openness of this heart is a model for all other signs - not to be shining like Leo, but to be themselves openly, offering their own truth clearly communicated.

Transforming the world of communication

This month, the New Moon in Leo is trine Uranus, suggesting that the last week or so has been a preparation for time out - holidays - or changes in lifestyle, surroundings, or personality itself. These could all be somewhat extreme (New Moon square Jupiter) as a way of avoiding the work of greater transformation, which is the real focus of this time (Jupiter trine Pluto trine Mercury). Rather than the superficial changes that could be distracting the world, this transformation is about communication (Mercury and Pluto connecting with Mars in Gemini) - I think the upheavals around Murdoch and his ‘media empire’ are part of this energy flow. In this instance, the New Moon in Leo with its connections speaks of large egos rising and falling - Mercury and Pluto, about correct use of media power in the business world.

Mars into Cancer - care or blame?

Communication is liable to get more personal as Mars moves into Cancer on 3 August. In our personal lives, there is likely to be more emotional input, perhaps doing what is necessary because we find that we care about the people and the results. Family issues may come into focus, and we may need to be careful about boundaries in order to stay on track with what feels most important.

However, during the first week Mars is in Cancer, it connects sweetly with Neptune and Chiron, supporting our sensitivity to each other’s vulnerability and needs. We will be balancing a practical cast of thinking with empathy and a desire to nurture. We may find that resentment, recriminations and guilt get in the way of that generous caring, if we’ve been hoping to have a good time enjoying ourselves. So, take care to choose kindness in the days up to 11 August - there could be painful moments that call for gentleness rather than blame.

Sorting out the many long arms of the press?

Mercury has been in Leo all through July, moving into Virgo on 27/28 July. I think this is a shift in focus from the ego aspect of people, to beginning to find ways of dealing with what has arisen. But Mercury proceeds into its apparently backwards motion (retrograde) from 2 August, and back into Leo again on 8 August. In other words, we haven’t finished with the egos just yet! That retrograde movement means raking over what seems to have gone wrong. Then, on 26 August, as Mercury starts to move forwards through Leo again, that phase of recognising where the ego activity has got us hopefully becomes clarified.

Then, during September, correcting and balancing adjustments can be put in place - well, that would be a possible best. So let’s work at getting clear about our own truth and communicating it in our lives, which will encourage the energy to flow that way in the world.