“Well I think it’s time to get ready
to realize just what I have found
I have lived only half of what I am
It’s all clear to me now
My heart is on fire
my soul’s like a wheel that’s turning
My love is alive
My love is alive ya ya ya …”
~~~Gary Wright lyrics to My Love is Alive.
“Yes, only love can break your heart”
~~~ Neil Young
“Yes, only love can heal your heart “
~~~ Demitra Vassiliadis
This month we move to the mighty drumbeat of Leo the sign that rules the heart, the pulsating center of love in both the body and the zodiac. Leo, the lion is the sign of leadership, passion, courage and generosity. It is the sign of children whose hearts are naturally open, unless closed through trauma and abuse. It is the sign of artists, actors and performers who must fearlessly express themselves in order to be successful at their craft.
Leo is the only sign of the zodiac ruled by our blazing day star, the Sun, which is the center of the solar system and the source of all life-giving light for our planet. Leo, who rules both the upper spine and the heart, asks us to have a backbone and have a heart. Leo’s prime directive is to live fully and courageously.
Whereas last month we were asked to leave our heads and take up residence in our souls, this month we are asked to leave the mysterious soulful sign of Cancer and bring what we gestated there up into our heart center for joyful courageous expression.
Leo at its best is a sign that does not hold back in expressing its love or its creativity. Once we know what we want to do as artists, leaders or lovers, courage demands that we dare to lead, dare to love, dare to express our authentic selves.
What gives us the courage to be leaders or artists, to live authentic lives filled with meaning and purpose: is Love. Love is the mysterious fuel that propels us into action. Love gives us the strength to follow our dream. Love is those mystic affinities that move us toward our soul’s true purpose and toward fighting for what we believe in and hold dear. Love is the building block of passionate endeavor be it creative, romantic or philanthropic. Love builds and builds in us till our hearts are so full that they must be expressed in acts of beauty, power and courage.
Courage however would be meaningless if fear were not present. While Leo represents the power to act alone if need be, it’s opposite sign Aquarius represents the many people who may react to our action or self-expression. If Leo is the actor or artist, then Aquarius is the audience. Stage fright is legendary in the performing world. What if they don’t like me? If Leo is the leader, then Aquarius represents the people or followers. What if no one follows or worse what if they oppose me, or in many countries what if they try to kill or assassinate me. In the arena of love to risk one’s heart is to risk heartbreaking rejection. What if he or she doesn’t love me back? Leo is the sign in which courage is being developed.
A few days ago I was chatting with a friend (an Aquarius with a Leo moon) in her gallery/shop/art center. I was expressing sadness and despair and fear about environmental and social justice issues that concern me. She empathized and said “yes sometimes the pain and injustice in the world can feel overwhelming.” I turned to look at her and over her head hung a banner that said Courage: Not the absence of fear or despair, but the strength to conquer them. That is Leo in a nutshell, finding the strength to overcome fear and despair.
In some instances people have been so injured in childhood by neglect and abuse that courageous joyful self-expression can feel almost impossible. Luckily these days there are many healing techniques that can do much to remedy the effects of childhood abuse. If you feel bound by fear shame or rage stemming from childhood, I recommend any of these techniques: inner child work, somatic experience, EMDR, forgiveness practice beginning with yourself, tapping or shamanic work like soul retrieval, the ancient Hawaiian Hoʻoponopono practice of forgiveness and reconciliation or the Buddhist loving kindness practice.
To make maximum use of the Leo energy this month make August inner child month. Resolve to make loving contact with your younger self each day of August. Spend at least five minutes a day giving unconditional love support and acceptance to your inner child. Practice self-love and self-forgiveness. In the past few days 3 people have mentioned Tonglen, the Tibetan Buddhist practice of breathing in pain, fear, shame, anger or anything negative and then transmuting it through loving acceptance while breathing out love. Try this practice by breathing in all old anger or shame towards the self and transmute it to self-love and self-acceptance. Surround yourself with positive Aquarians, supportive safe friends with whom you can express your authentic self. This month learn to love yourself so much that no one’s rejection or disapproval would devastate you.
In the secret chamber of your heart dare to admit what you love most. Dare to let yourself feel what you most truly desire to be, do and express. Admit (your heart already knows who and what you love and long for) the truth. If fear or despair were not present what would you do? Who would you express love to? What would you create or try to affect? This month move into your heart chamber and let the royal light of the Sun fill you with your sacred purpose. Let your heart begin to fiercely drum up courage and mighty love. Then with your whole heart, move into action.
This summer there are amazing soulful grand trines in water through much of August connecting us to our soul’s true purpose, deep inner healing and our team mates who we are meant to collaborate with. Use this August to drum up massive amounts of love for yourself, your cherished dreams, ideals and projects. Let the light pour through you, then drum up lion-hearted, radiant, blazing courage to step out of your comfort zone and express your true self.
The Sun went into Leo, its own sign, on July 22nd giving us all radiant energy to fuel the rest of summer. It will remain in Leo till August 22nd when it enters Virgo, the sign of environmental grounding and order. The month begins with the grand trine still operating through the water signs opening new feminine portals of spiritually-nurturing collaborative energy.
Neptune in Pisces forms a point of this triangle inspiring us to awaken spiritually with compassion and forgiveness for all. A new dream is being born this summer that is based on a conscious living universe and the sacredness of its life forms and every atom within it. Saturn in Scorpio asks us to collaborate with partners and share our talents and resources so we can each give our big, Jupiter-in-Cancer, soul purpose to the world. This August meditate on your soul’s purpose then ask yourself who you would like to collaborate with in order to fulfill it. The Sun in Leo will help you by reminding you that your heart will beat strong for what you truly love.
The month begins with Mercury, the communication and thought planet, in soulful nurturing Cancer helping us to connect with our soul’s purpose. On August 6th at 5:51pm EST the New Moon in Leo occurs ushering in the true beginning of the heart centered journey through Leo.
We will be celebrating the Leo new moon at 7 PM EDT on Tuesday, August 6th at 7:00pm Eastern. Check the Spiritual Living Website for more information on how to join us.
Mercury also moves into Leo 2 days after the new moon on the 8th helping us express our creativity and heart centered courage.
The full moon in Aquarius takes place on August 20th highlighting art, performance and leadership with a humanitarian purpose.
Mercury sails through Leo and into Virgo on August 23rd, just in time to form the beautiful and magical seal of Solomon in the heavens, on August 25th. This is the second of these magical portals this summer. They form two interlocking Grand Trines in earth and water – the feminine elements – and open a doorway of balanced masculine (the up-pointing triangle) and feminine energy (the downward-pointing triangle) all in the service of the archetypal feminine, which includes the earth, women, children, indigenous peoples and earth-preserving holistic systems. Take this time to set intention or begin the grounded creation of your piece of the greater dream that is coming into being.
Venus, the planet of beauty and love, begins the month in environmental, service-oriented Virgo, helping us attend to the details of our lives and set things in order. Venus moves into gracious, diplomatic Libra on August 16th encouraging us to create beautiful events and form productive alliances. Venus remains in Virgo for the rest of August.
Mars spends most of August in Cancer fueling us with nurturing, protective energy and forming a point of the water triangle. Mars moves into Leo on August 27th giving us creative passion and the courage to act on our desires.
Jupiter in Cancer for the next year empowers women and feminine causes like never before. The return of the Goddess is here and now. Cancerians experience a much needed expansion of their lives and circumstances, and the much needed holistic approach to life gains global traction.
Saturn in Scorpio, reminds us to work on new forms of sharing resources. The study of energy, shamanism, deep therapy, and indigenous methods of sharing resources could offer new solutions to the world’s dwindling resource problems. Also the study of sacred sexuality and a more conscious approach to dying are required at this time. We may see some Wall Street regulation with teeth this year, as well as alternatives to Banking as we know it. One of the most interesting things I have heard on this front concerns The Church of England seeking to partner with Credit Unions to offer their parishioners and the public low interest loans. The Church will provide its plentiful real estate and volunteer base to advertise the credit union approach to banking. Keep your ears and minds open for ground-breaking collaborations. Perhaps you will dream one up.
Uranus in Aries is still squaring Pluto, a square that will be exact in November. This aspect continues to rock the world giving us all the feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore. The world we know is inevitably changing. It is our job right now to use imaginative, compassionate Pisces to dream up a better one.
ARIES: This month the Sun is in your house of childhood and creativity shining a bright spotlight on childhood issues as well as on your joyful creativity. This month you can use the healing power of the trine in the healing water signs to heal your own inner child. Saturn, in your house of depth and transformation, will allow you to go deeper than usual and Neptune, in your spiritual house, reminds you that the spiritual and angelic worlds surround and assist you at this time. Jupiter, at your root house, teaches you new, abundant ways of nurturing yourself. Spend some time focusing on what you loved to do as a child or spend time with children. Resolve to take excellent care of your own inner child. One way to do this is to pick up hobbies and do something simply for the joy of it. Make art. Express yourself. Let the Sun in Leo fill your heart with unconditional love and pour this out on yourself and your own inner child.
TAURUS: This month the Sun is in your house of home and ancestry making this an excellent time to do some nesting and spend time with your family, especially your children. This is also a great month to take charge on the home front and be the leader in your family. Saturn is still in your house of partnership making this a crucial time to set boundaries and say no to any form of disrespect in business or personal partnerships. Neptune, in the house of friendship and social networking, make this an amazing time to connect with your fellow visionaries. Jupiter in Cancer, in your communication sector, makes this an excellent time for BIG communication opportunities. A little inner child work this month could help with your changing social life. Spend time connecting with your inner child and begin to create the outer life of safe, kind, respectful people she or he deserves to be surrounded by.
GEMINI: The Sun is shining in your house of communication this month making it an excellent time to write, speak and communicate, which is one of your favorite activities anyway. Delight yourself with poetry, literature and all manner of performance. This month, when you feel love, express it. The Grand Trine in water is occurring in your material sectors. This is an amazing time of healing your relationship to money, work and career. Say yes to abundance. Your bank account looks like it will really be expanding and travel opportunities could also be coming your way. Venus, in your home sector, makes relationships with home and family particularly sweet this month. Work on your career vision early in the month and on the 25th take concrete action to make it come true.
CANCER: Jupiter’s passage into your sign last month began a wonderful new cycle of renewed faith, abundance and opportunity. This month the Sun is in your house of money values and self-esteem asking you to do the inner child healing that will allow you to live with the self-respect and the material abundance you deserve. The Grand Trine in water makes this an excellent time to feel your feelings. Saturn, in your house of creativity and children, makes this a great time to work on art and self-expression while doing some inner child work and setting boundaries with any actual offspring. Remember – children feel safer when parents set boundaries. You have been going through a spiritual education for a while now. Deepen your connection to the source and let your worries go. The stress in your chart is between partnership and career. Career continues to change and awaken as you heal, as do your partnerships. Say yes to the empowered form of both.
LEO: Happy Birthday Leo!
This month the Sun passing through your sign gives you extra vitality. Feel into your heart and feel into what you truly love. Make sure you then pursue your true passion. This birthday is more emotional than usual as the Grand Trine in water is also occurring this month. Jupiter, in your spiritual sector, makes this a time when there is massive spiritual support coming from behind the scenes. Your spiritual practice will support you and expand your life in remarkable ways this year. Saturn, in your home sector, makes home and family the serious focus this year. Get your house in order on all levels. Neptune in the 8th house brings transformation through both inheritance and forgiveness. The invisible world is really with you, opening doors, and aligning you with your soul’s destiny. This month you are dreaming up the deep healing and transformation that will allow you to step onto the stage of your life like never before. Open your heart to your inner child and create the inner life she or he deserves. Imagine your dream home, intimate life and spiritual connection, and then on the 25th take an action to manifest each one.
VIRGO: The Sun is shining in your spiritual sector this month making this a great time to engage in creative fun and devotional activities like yoga, Tibetan sand sculpture, Sufi dancing, Mandala painting and the like. Art and self-expression are your forms of prayer this month. Lovely Venus in your sign gives you extra artistic and relationship sensitivity this month. The Grand Trine in water is opening wonderful new social doorways. This month, dream up some wonderful new partnerships and amazing networking opportunities where you can showcase your communication skills. And find collaborators who will help you with your cherished projects. On the 25th, when the seal of Solomon is in the heavens including a point of the star composed of Mercury in your sign, take action to actualize and manifest your dreams and ideas.
LIBRA: The Sun is in your house of networking helping you connect with powerful and creative people who can help you further your creative and professional goals. The Grand trine in water is manifesting as wonderful opportunities for unprecedented expansion in your professional life. Saturn, in your fiscal house, still demands fiscal discipline and focus. Keep your eyes open for people with whom you can share resources for mutual benefit. Neptune, the third point of this magical portal, asks that you dream up a vision for your work life that is expansive and beautiful with compassion and benefit and massive prosperity for all. Spend the month with wonderful open-hearted friends who truly support your vision, and then on the 25th take some concrete actions to make your dreams a reality.
SCORPIO: This month the Sun is shining in your house of career, asking you to risk your heart in the realm of career and profession. Dare to take action to make sure that you are moving towards your hearts true desire. The Grand Trine in water is suggesting that your soul’s purpose involves a major creative vision that may involve writing, or some other large event and a new, empowered you to manifest it. This August put some time in on your creativity. Assure your inner child that you will pursue your blissful artistic self-expression. Make a vision map that focuses on your creativity and how that will become your central career. Then on the 25th take some tangible action to manifest your vision.
SAGITTARIUS: The Sun is shining in your house of writing and publishing, making this a time when getting communication projects out there in the public eye is very important. If you do not currently have a beloved project involving writing, teaching, traveling or promoting, then now is a time to let your heart guide you to the project or journey of your dreams. The Grand Trine in water is restructuring your home life. It is important for you to form a vision of the home and family life of your dreams. Jupiter, in your house of the deep unconscious and intimacy, makes this a time of extraordinary expansion when it comes to merging resources and sharing yourself with a beloved. Saturn, in the spiritual sector, reminds you that the disciplined approach must now be connection to the source and a disciplined spiritual path. This will in turn bring all things to you. On the 25th be ready for a wonderful prosperous career opportunity to present itself.
CAPRICORN: The Sun is in your house of transformation, intimacy and the deep unconscious, illuminating all issues of sharing yourself and your resources with others. On the business front this is a great time to ask yourself to think outside the box and ponder a whole new way of doing business. Who out there, that you might not traditionally consider, has the resources you need to fulfill your professional desires? On the personal front ask yourself if you are happy with your intimate life. Would you like a deeper, more meaningful, connection with others? If the answer is yes, then this month do a little inner child work to allow yourself to feel safe enough to be vulnerable. This month be courageous and share how you truly feel with your friends and loved ones. Then go one step further and tell people what you need. All this is in preparation for the big partnership opportunity that is coming soon to your relationship sector, if it hasn’t already arrived.
AQUARIUS: This month the Sun is shining in your partnership sector making this a month when your business and personal partners are in the limelight. This month enjoy the give and take and nuance of relationship as you bask in the light of a happy partner. On the business front you may be supporting a partner who is center stage. Your job is to strategize and figure out the best way to promote and, as always Aquarius, define the ideology. The Grand Trine in water is opening big work and service commitments that will require you step into the career realm in a disciplined and powerful way. Neptune, in your fiscal center, asks you to first have a vision regarding finances and values, then get very clear about finances: what you earn, what you spend and what you save. On the 25th when the six-pointed star appears in the heavens take action to achieve your cherished dreams about your home, ancestry and connection to spirit.
PISCES: The Sun is shining in your house of work and health this month asking you to pursue the daily work that you truly love. This is also the time to pursue fun activities that get you healthy and fit. The Grand Trine in water is opening creative doors of opportunity involving teaching, promoting and creativity that are aligned with your personal vision. Spend some time dreaming up a multicultural artistic project that makes your heart sing. Water is more sacred than ever for you this summer. Spend as much time as possible near it. Keep your eyes open for a big creative project coming your way. It could involve music, sports, water and/or photography. On the 25th take one concrete action to manifest it.
Namaste,
Demitra