A New Moon in Leo will arrive on July 24, 2025.

About a week before the New Moon, Mercury will be in Retrograde on July 18 and stay there till August 11; just after the Full Sturgeon Moon on August 9th.

Transformation is in the air. Be mindful of a rising tide of emotions that may surface in your waking reality for self-examination.

Are you experiencing power struggles? Are you feeling displaced or taken advantage of?

Leo’s fiery energies inspire us to frolic, play and enjoy drinking in summery energies.

Humanity can look upon this time as a friendly reminder that we are social creatures by nature.

May we access our social butterfly at this time, and build confidence in social situations so that we can effectively step into the limelight.

Tap into the fire element to access your intuitive spiritual wise warrior now to face any old ghosts or wounds.

And then transform them into spirit guides that support you along your way. Doing so is far more worth your time than getting your fix of the daily news to ‘keep informed’.

Our ancestors named this Moon after the Sturgeon because they were a primary food source to Indigenous people and colonists, and peak seasonal catch at this time.

If it seems like something fishy is going on during this Nature cycle, Mercury in Retrograde can feel like an old Twilight Zone episode; where communication can break down. Moreover, logic and reason of left brain systems of thought lose their power.

At the same time, we are invited to move into creative, right brain realms, like meditating, journaling, singing, playing music, and movement.

It’s also a good time to rewind and review where we have been, and explore the direction we want to move toward that awaits on the horizon.

Further, Mercury in Retrograde gives us the opportunity to let go, surrender and go with the flow.

Try to let rigid thoughts relax into the ebb and flow of the tides. Shorelines are magical places to meditate on for that.

Sturgeon’s have a prehistoric intelligence, and are good at swimming through murky waters. This reflects their survival instinct and resilience.

Humanity can stand to build our collective resiliency. Just imagine the infinite win-win possibilities!

Nowadays, mental health is paying more attention to learning how to swim in mental waterways that access happiness as a way of life.

Inner peace is a real deep dive; a dimension where following your bliss and discovering what awakens joy within your being are key dynamics.

I like breathing in the energy of new beginnings around New Moons. This one is a good reminder to accept feedback for the sake of personal growth.

Back in my late teens and early 20s, I remember when my thespian friends encouraged me to get into acting. Given my tendency to be less open to stepping outside of my comfort zone at that time in that way, I dismissed their recommendation; in spite of a natural gift for entertaining fantasy, pretending and playing cat and mouse in the theater of life.

But then again, that’s just part of being human. And learning how to be human is a process, and works best when we’re patient and kind to our minds and our selves.

Looking back in the rearview mirror, I wasn’t foreign to the spotlight following me around or having an audience. In my experience, I felt safe with impressing others, and receiving praise and admiration from them. Truly, a disease to please was a good frenemy, and security in my consciousness for years to come.

And yet, when I would become conscious of stepping into the limelight, it was easy for me to clam up, get taken over by stage fright, and then feel at a loss. Given my hard times with criticisms, it’s taken me a long time to learn how to be vulnerable by leaning into them and embrace criticisms as agents of change.

During my tenure on the planet, I have noticed how challenging it can be to not get defensive with folks; especially the ones whose criticisms pour liberally from their mouths, like an unsolicitedly peddled powder keg.

However, a gentle and open gaze at criticisms can open up pathways for internal shifts to take place so that we can move forward.

As I look back on an old friend’s High School yearbook quote, it does make sense to rather be hated for who you are than loved for who you are not.

A compassionate gaze reveals that hate is a strong term and an unsustainable way to live. But the idea of being true to yourself allows for more abundant inner peace. Besides, giving up your power to acquiesce to the desires of others is a recipe for digesting bitter.

May this Full Sturgeon Moon light up your sea of consciousness. People talk about the dog days of August. But it is our approach to the internal and external weather patterns, and changing seasons that matter.

Fish Philosophy speaks of the critical ideas that we all have the power to choose our attitudes, and make someone’s else’s day through kindness, etc. Of course there are many ways to do this. But probably not getting into a heated debate with someone else about whose beliefs Trump another’s, if you’ll pardon the political pun. Besides, you wouldn’t really be listening to the other person anyway; rather, you’d be reacting to the voice in the head.

Take care of yourselves everyone,

Ari