Gather round and look up; the moon’s gone dark in the least subtle sign in the zodiac.
The new moon arrives on July 24th, 2025, at 3:11 pm ET at 2°of Leo, bringing with it a rich opportunity for reflection.
A new moon is a monthly rebirth, a waking up — and this time, we’re all being doused in the baptismal fires of the big cat. Leo rules the heart, and under these skies, themes of how we share, express, and accept love are at the forefront, or solar plexus, if you will.
We’ll feel the effects of this lunation most acutely on the evening before and the day of.
July 2025 New Moon in Leo
During the new moon, Mars — our planet of vitality, erections and direction — will be close to the South Node in Virgo, which represents the past and our belief that something must be perfect before it is worthy of being seen or appreciated.
This Mars/South Node action is critical, parental, whispering/hissing that you haven’t done the work to be worthy.
F–k that noise. You have and you are.
This new moon forms an opposition with Pluto, currently retrograding in Aquarius. The energy here reminds us that we are only bound to the past if we consent to be.
With Neptune and Saturn retrograding in a fellow fire sign, we are shown that the way through may require the sacrifice of an old illusion, using it as the lamp oil for a new beginning.
This new moon also squares Chiron, the wounded healer, indicating that some challenging emotions could rise and demand to be reckoned with. This can feel a little like walking around without the blessed barrier of skin to guard us, but we have to feel it to heal it, folks.
Leo rarely shies away from a grandstand or a monologue, but with Mercury currently retrograding in the sign of the big cat, silence bests bluster.
We’re called not to repress, but to reflect on what is true and truly necessary. This is not the meek quiet of retreat but the powerful, pregnant, hush before the roar, the mic drop, the ovation.
Meaning of the new moon in Leo
And just because Mercury retrograde is asking us to pause before we pounce, doesn’t mean we can’t practice the bold b–ch ethos of the big cat.
While you’re out there biting your tongue and biding your time — set course toward or intention for something that feels vaguely terrifying to you, bearing in mind that you can’t be brave if you don’t feel afraid.
Leo is at its best when it manages to use its singular, solar magnetism to draw light to a cause or amplify the voice of another. In this sense, while we may want to avoid unnecessary chatter, we are urged to speak out on behalf of the betterment of others.
Leo is ruled by the sun, which is why lions sometimes (cough, more often than not) believe the universe revolves around them.
However, during the reevaluation that coincides with retrograde season, this centralizing energy can shift from self-aggrandizement to self-inquiry — moving away from a need to perform our personalities and closer to a hunger to know ourselves whole and unwitnessed.
Under this moon, we are not the tree that falls in the damn forest. We are lions in the dark, without apology or audience, as powerful unseen as seen.
In the words of Double Leo (Sun and Moon) Peter O’ Toole, “I will not be a common man because it is my right to be an uncommon man. I will stir the smooth sands of monotony.”
As nothing is less common than true contemplation, may you stir your sands.
Rituals for the new moon in Leo
Heart opening meditation
Carve out time to sit with the drum beat of your own heart. Feel how it connects to everything around you and back to you.
Make moon water
The new moon in Leo is a fine time to get high on your own supply. Brew yourself some moon water to call in animal magnetism, power and a cup that runneth over with self-love.
Use the moon water to anoint the body, particularly your throat chakra, the root of all your roaring and the pages of your journal if you keep one.
Fire ceremony
Burn the boats or at least the bull—t, folks. Write down limitations that were imposed on you by others or born from your own self-doubt; offer them to the fire. In the generative, creative spirit of Leo, give these ashes over to the soil of your garden or plants or incorporate them into watercolor paints.
When is the next new moon?
The next new moon is August 23, in the sign of Virgo.
Astrologer Reda Wigle researches and irreverently reports on planetary configurations and their effect on each zodiac sign. Her horoscopes integrate history, poetry, pop culture, and personal experience. To book a reading, visit her website.
