23 July – 23 August 2026
Welcome to Leo Season!
We have just come out of Cancer Season which has been a particularly intense transit for the Sun this time round. July in general has been and continues to be a HUGE month astrologically and even though we are now stepping into Leo Season, with Mercury still in Cancer until 9 August 2026 we are still feeling and working on the lessons of this sign.
Mercury normally takes around 3-4 weeks to move through a sign of the zodiac so this extra-long transit through Cancer is an important one for all of us to be aware of. Mercury is Cancer is considered to be one of the most intelligent placements of the zodiac as when Mercury is in Cancer, we are naturally using our intuition alongside our logic. When Mercury was in Retrograde in Cancer from 30 June until 23 July (today) we were all working on our inner child wounds, our mother wounds, our self-love and our self-belief and the way we “felt” into these things gave us deeper insight into what needs to be healed and why.
Mercury moves into Direct motion in Cancer tomorrow, 24 July 2026, and will remain here until 9 August when he moves into Leo to join the Sun and Jupiter already sitting there. For the next few weeks we all have an opportunity to not only step out of old wounds and negative narratives, but to feel more confident to express what we feel, and to talk about what is going on emotionally and intuitively for us. We have just had 3 weeks of intense feelings from the past and which may have been buried within you for quite some time, and now its time to let that go and allow ourselves to express what we need and what we feel without fear of judgement or vulnerability.
Leo Season – confident expression
Leo Season is always a breath of fresh air after the intensity and often emotionally overwhelming energy of Cancer and the fact that it follows on from such a deep dive into our emotions is no accident. Cancer Season gave us an opportunity to get closer to and more aware of what we feel and how these feelings motivate and guide us, and now that we are more aware of such things we should feel less fear in speaking our truth, putting ourselves out there and taking the lead. Leo Season takes all that learning and all those emotions and creatively and confidently expresses them. Under the influence of a Leo Sun we can feel unstoppable and more than willing to take on projects, experiences and opportunities that allow us to grow and shine.
At the time of writing this Newsletter we are in the midst of an historic astrological event known as Barbault’s Basket. This is a very unique configuration of planets in our solar system that are creating a basket shape. Never before in earth’s history have the 4 outer planets; Neptune, Pluto, Uranus and Jupiter, all come together in the cosmos at exactly 4 degrees of their respective signs of the zodiac. And in doing so, and with the input of Saturn who is at 14 degrees and therefore forming a loose conjunction to Neptune, they are creating what looks like a basket shape in the heavens with Jupiter being the handle. This is being touted as a major shift in humanity’s progress and in the energy of the earth plane. It is the beginning of the new energies and we are finally stepping into a space where the new beginnings are being birthed as the old crumbles around us.
Venus in Virgo – raising your values and defining your worth
On the 10th of July Venus, the planet of love, beauty and money, moved out of Leo and into Virgo where she will remain until 6 August when she then begins her transit through Libra.
Venus in Virgo takes our values and beliefs to the next level. She asks that we align ourselves with perfection – whatever that may mean to you. Virgo energy expects and likes to create perfection, and so this transit will encourage us all to put not only more of a worth on ourselves, but to also be more aware of what we deserve and who and what to align ourselves with.
Venus is Virgo is asking us to take a deeper look at what we value the most in life and I feel this short transit will further impact the journey of Chiron through Taurus which is our 7 year journey to redefining our sense of personal security and what really makes us feel safe. On top of this the Leo Sun will be encouraging shy Venus in Virgo to speak up about and act upon her need to raise her values and to not be afraid to put that worth on yourself, thus moving our Virgo need to “serve” into a more balanced and harmony-based need to “share”.
Under the influence of a Leo Sun we are all so much more confident self-assured and fun-loving too so look for those things that bring more joy and pleasure into your life as well as those things that heighten your self-worth. When we can grow and learn through the positive feelings of joy and optimism only good things can come from this as we are creating an energy that not only uplifts us, but uplifts those around us and the situation we are focussing on as well.
Due to the sense of optimism and general overall confidence that Leo Season brings this will always be a good time to put yourself out there socially or in a way that allows you to attract love, joy and appreciation into your life. Remember we also have Jupiter in Leo for the next 12 months and so this energy will be expanding on all that the Leo Sun is illuminating in your Chart. Leo Season is always the best time of the year to step up and speak up in some way due to the positive and uplifting energy that goes with this. So, if there is something you have been wanting to launch, someone you have been wanting to connect with, something you have been needing to say and share with the outside world or if there is simply a more confident you that you want to show the world – this is the time to do so!
Saturn Retrograde in Aries – grounding your Spiritual Warrior
On 27 July Saturn, our teacher and disciplinarian, will move into Retrograde motion in Aries until 10 December 2026. This annual 5 month Retrograde movement of Saturn is always one where we are being asked to do some inner structuring and to get honest and real with what is really going on behind the scenes.
Saturn Retrograde in Aries allows us to go within to see where we could be clearer and more concise with ourselves and with others. It will also challenge us to step into the Spiritual Warrior that we are all here to be at this time on the earth plane. We have dreamed the dream, fantasized the fantasy, imagined the journey and intuited our deepest desires and now Saturn encourages us to create the solid foundations, the concrete unshakeable structures that are necessary to build a sustainable future upon. This is where we have to go really deeply into our desires and dreams to be sure that they are completely aligned with what we are putting out there and who we truly are. Without a deep belief that you “can” it is too easy for your dreams to fail. The shadow of Aries is that you are just not good enough, and so when Saturn moves into Retrograde and asks us to go within, these are the chinks in our armour and missing essential beliefs that need to be addressed. The Leo Sun with is abundance of confidence and self-belief can be a wonderful asset to the first part of this Retrograde period giving us the confidence to find the tools and the positive energies we need to shift any self-doubt or self-defeating beliefs that stop us from being all that we can be, and from making our dreams come true.
Full Moon in Aquarius – Being unapologetically YOU
On 30 July we have a Full Moon in Aquarius opposing the Sun in Leo. Full Moons bring things to the surface and with this Full Moon falling in the alternative, outside the box and extremely innovative energy of Aquarius it is our opportunity to express – fully and unapologetically – who we truly are. We can use the energy of the Full Moon to not be afraid to try something new, or to express an alternative viewpoint or even to exercise a more innovative way of being. This Full Moon is saying release and reveal who you are; those parts of you that you too often feel or have felt are not acceptable, or, are too “out there” or, are just simply an alternative to the status quo. Remember we are now in the Age of Aquarius which means that the more quirky, innovative, ingenious, intuitive and out there you can be, the more you have to offer and, even more importantly, the more others can be awoken, stimulated and encouraged to bring their ideas to the table as well.
And just when you thought July was a big month, and it certainly is, along comes August with its Eclipse energy that always tend to throw the cat among the pigeons so to speak!
Eclipses are very powerful cosmic events that shift the consciousness, actions and beliefs of the collective as well as each of us as individuals. They are a time when the Universe takes its power back and creates situations and events that either act for you, or that you have no choice but to act upon. I see them as “diving boards” like you find in swimming pools. You are standing on the diving board and the Eclipse energy pushes you off, out towards the unknown and the future, and there is no going back.
On 12 August 2026 we have a Solar Eclipse in Leo. At the time of this Eclipse the Sun will still be in Leo and so will the Moon as Solar Eclipses occur at the time of a New Moon. And of course mighty Jupiter is also sitting in Leo amplifying and expanding on all that occurs here. This Solar Eclipse will not be visible from New Zealand as its very much a Northern Hemisphere Eclipse however the energy of Eclipses can be felt everywhere and their effects tend to last for around 6 months from the date of the event.
Solar Eclipses = New Beginnings
A Solar Eclipse in Leo is all about new beginnings that encourage self-expression, creativity, leadership and individuality. We can all use the energy of this Eclipse to push ourselves forward particularly in areas where you have had self-doubt or lack confidence in yourself. This Eclipse energy can push you past that doubt and right off the end of that diving board to propel yourself forward even when you may not feel you are ready or are too scared to make the move.
A Lunar Eclipse will follow on 28 August 2026 which will be extremely powerful as it will fall in the highly spiritual and intuitive energy of Pisces. This Eclipse will be visible from New Zealand and I will share more about this in next month’s Virgo Season post.
The final major mover of the cosmos in 2026 will be the North Node which will move on 20 August 2026 out of Pisces and into Aquarius. The North Node and its opposite, the South Node, move together in a clockwise motion through the zodiac – moving against the flow of the other planets who all move in an anti-clockwise direction. The Nodes change signs every 18 months and always bring the energy of new beginnings and new opportunities. The North Node is the head of the Dragon – where we are heading too and where our new opportunities are presenting themselves. The South Node is the tail of the Dragon – what we have already mastered and experienced and how we can use this knowledge and awareness to move forward.
The last 18 months of the North Node in Pisces and the South Node in Virgo has been a journey for all of us into our need to serve and assist. The illusionary energy of Water has helped us to feel our way forward and to make use of and rely upon our intuition and feelings to guide us, whilst at the same time organising ourselves and our needs. But under this influence we were also starting to see how when we serve rather than share, we don’t feel as strong in ourselves or as self-assured. And it will also have brought up past life issues relating to giving your power away, being there for others and perhaps the feeling of being “always the bridesmaid never the bride?”
North Node into Aquarius – South Node into Leo
The next 18 month transit of the North Node through Aquarius and the South Node through Leo means that all the major planets and placements that we work with, except for Chiron in Taurus, are now in Fire or Air energies. The Age of Illusion is finally over, and we now move forward with clarity, understanding and a higher awareness of what is for the highest good of humanity and what is not.
AND on Saturday 25 July 2026 at 12pm NZT I will be teaching a MasterClass on the North Node’s shift into Aquarius and the South Node’s shift into Leo and how this will affect you personally over the next 18 months. The last time the North Node transited through Aquarius was between December 2007 and August 2009.
What were you doing then?
What new opportunities or experiences presented themselves to you?
And, what did you do with these?
Join me in this informative dive into the Nodes and what they may bring into your life as well as how you can best make use of and navigate these energies by clicking on the following link for just NZ$33 per person:-
https://connection.star-wise.com/latest-online-event
This MasterClass will be fully recorded and so if you register but are unable to attend due to time zone differences or any other reason, I will record your Nodal information for you and you will receive it after the MasterClass has finished.
Things are definitely heating up out their folks as humanity and the planet wake up and start moving towards the necessary solutions and new ways forward. We have passed the point of no return in the 2020’s, and we can now very clearly see the division between the 3D world we all used to live in and the 5D world that is here now. It’s a choice we are all making, consciously and subconsciously, to either stay with an old outdated, crumbling, dysfunctional and let’s face it evil world, or, to step into a new world – a world where we are sovereign beings, where we govern ourselves and where equality is the only way forward. You get to choose every minute of every day what world you want to live in and believe in and the more you choose to step away from the old, the more you open the door to heaven on earth.
Are you ready to step out and shine?
During Leo Season the Leo Sun will be opposing Pluto in Aquarius which can be as challenging or as easy as you make it. Leo says shine, express yourself, be you, have fun and follow me. And Aquarius says I’m different, I don’t fit in, I have an alternative way. So when these 2 energies oppose one another sparks fly and those sparks are the sparks that push you out of fear, of not fitting in and of playing it small. You can fall back into fear and hide yourself, or you can step out and shine – what are you going to choose?
Leo Season raises our optimism, our confidence and our belief find ourselves so lets every one of us use this energy to build our foundations, to go after our dreams and to not play small or silent any more. You are the creator of your life and the more positivity, joy and individuality you can infuse yourself and your life with, the more the world will receive and the closer we get all get to fulfilment and peace.
If you are a Leo and would like to know what your Solar Year has in store for you, please just click on the following link to book your Solar Return Reading with me. A one-hour Solar Return Reading with me gives you invaluable insight into your personal year ahead and what is coming up for you, and it is accompanied by a fully written 15+ page Solar Return Report full of guidance and insight for your year ahead. Remember always that forewarned is forearmed:-
https://connection.star-wise.com/solarreturnreading
Wishing all you fun-loving, outgoing, creative and confident Leo’s out there a very happy new journey around the Sun and all the very best for a magical and successful year ahead. Blessings xox
