Leo New Moon: Reclaiming Power Through Presence

Vanja Banks
Jul 23
7 min read

On July 24th at 12:10 PM PST/3:10 PM EST, the Sun and Moon meet at 2 degrees Leo, opposing retrograde Pluto in Aquarius. This lunation invites us into the depths of the Leo archetype and draws focus on the Leo–Aquarius axis — the dance between self-expression and collective belonging, personal power and social purpose, authenticity and approval-seeking.

This New Moon carries a depth and intensity that asks not for performance, but for presence. Not for being louder or smaller that we truly are, but for being real. And while the Pluto opposition brings necessary shadow work around visibility, worth, and power, this moon is softened by supportive aspects to Saturn, Neptune, and Uranus — a cosmic reminder that even when we descend into the underworld during times of rebirth, we are being reshaped, not destroyed.

This is particularly true for anyone with major fixed energy in their chart (Leo, Aquarius, Taurus, Scorpio), but it will affect everyone wherever they have these signs in their chart. Find out if this is you by signing up to the Lunar Alchemy Collective, where you’ll get full access to this article and instructions on pulling up your chart & learning how the energy is affecting you.

Leo New Moon vs Pluto in Aquarius

The Leo–Aquarius polarity invites us to dance between the me and the we, between the individual flame and the collective constellation.

Leo asks whether we are able to shine our light without the fear of rejection, whether we can express ourselves without apology or over-explanation, and if we can speak our truth even if it doesn’t agree with the masses?

On the other hand, with Pluto retrograde in Aquarius, the Aquarius side isn’t just about belonging — it’s about transforming the systems, spaces, and stories that have shaped us.

Pluto in Aquarius asks us to look at the parts we may have abandoned to fit into groups or communities and to assess where we may have given power to systems that are not in alignment with our soul.

This is not about consensus… It’s about liberating what’s been exiled — within yourself, and within the collective, because Pluto excavates the shadows of Aquarius: Groupthink mentality, the illusion of belonging at the cost of authenticity, and technology, logic, and intellect severed from soul.

This lunation is not asking you to “find your people” — it’s asking you to move through any subconscious fears in becoming the most honest version of yourself, so those who resonate with your frequency can actually see you. It’s about not performing for connection, but embodying your truth so deeply that you naturally shift the field around you.

This axis challenges us to be sovereign yet connected, bold yet thoughtful, lit up from within but grounded in service.Leo teaches us to lead from the heart — to create from joy, to own our magic, to let the inner child dance freely again. It rules the courage it takes to be visible, vulnerable, and vibrantly yourself. Aquarius reminds us we are not creating in a vacuum. That our individuality becomes powerful when it’s offered to the collective with integrity and innovation. That how we shine matters just as much as that we shine.

But this New Moon doesn’t arrive with ease. It comes face to face with Pluto — the planet of transformation, shadow, power, and soul. Both the Moon and Pluto pull us inward: Pluto excavates what’s been buried — the fear of being too much. The memory of times we were silenced or shamed for expressing ourselves. The power we've outsourced to approval, applause, or playing small. The New Moon, on the other hand, is a soft invitation: to pause, reset, and begin again. This energy brings us into the dark — not to punish us, but to return us to the fertile void, the place where new life begins.

This is not the kind of energy where we pretend everything is okay and set surface-level goals. This is the kind of New Moon that strips away illusion. That shows us the contracts, beliefs, and protection mechanisms we’ve outgrown.

We are being asked to reclaim our authenticity as an offering. Not as performative leadership or self-expression, but true, messy, heart-born presence — the kind that actually moves people.

Pluto Opposition: Shadow Work Around Visibility & Power

With Pluto exactly opposing the New Moon, so this is a phoenix rising moment — but before the rise comes the burn.

You may feel the resurgence of old stories that whisper it’s not safe to be seen, that you have to perform to be loved or accepted, and that your worth is based on what you produce or give. But these are not your truth — they are the ghosts of past versions of you who believed their value was conditional and who learned to shapeshift, to dim their light, to prove their worth.

This lunation asks you to release these outdated contracts, to stop outsourcing your worth to the wrong audience, and to let your power come from the truth of your being.

Supportive Aspects: Evolution with Grace

Though the Pluto opposition can feel like a reckoning, we are held by supportive aspects to outer planets in fire and air signs. Saturn and Neptune in Aries (trine the New Moon) offer us structure and spiritual clarity as we realign with what truly matters, while Uranus in Gemini (sextile the lunation) offers an opportunity to liberate our voice and let our spoken truth be resonance enough.

Mars conjunct the South Node is clearing ancestral, past-life, and conditioned tendencies around over-functioning, over-correcting, and over-perfecting. This is the healing of the Wounded Helper — the one who believed they had to fix themselves to be worthy. The one who stayed behind the scenes, tirelessly doing, while their creative fire quietly extinguished.

This energy brings awareness to the subtle ways we’ve confused service with self-sacrifice, and discernment with self-judgment. But Mars is also here to ignite remembrance — to shine a light on the empowered expressions of Virgo: discernment, devotion, and deep resourcefulness. This energy screams: you don't have to be perfect to be powerful, don't have to be useful to be valuable, and you don't have to dim your light to stay be safe.

But this isn’t just an internal recalibration — because Mars is squaring Venus in Gemini, activating tension between our inner drive for precision and our desire for connection, play, and variety. Venus in Gemini wants lightness, dialogue, options. Mars in Virgo wants clarity, efficiency, direction. Together, they highlight a deeper healing around how we relate, express, and initiate in love and friendship — especially around unmet needs or suppressed truths. This energy asks us to assess where we silence ourselves to keep the peace, where we intellectualize our emotions instead of expressing them, and where we act our of habit versus authenticity.

This is a powerful opportunity to release old contracts around communication in relationships — the ones where you had to be polished, performative, or emotionally palatable to be loved. Instead, let your voice be real. Let your vulnerability be your invitation. Let your anger, your longing, your joy speak — even if it’s messy, even if it doesn’t make sense at first. You are allowed to take up space, allowed to be both powerful and tender and to say what you need.

Mercury Retrograde in Leo: Rewrite the Narrative

Mercury retrograde, loosely conjunct this New Moon, brings reflection around our inner voice and outer expression. Now is the time to rework the stories you tell yourself about your visibility, creativity and whether you’re “too much” or “not enough”. It’s a reminder that you get to define what self-expression means, and that you get to discern and decide what you share and what you protect.

You Are Not Here to Perform ...

You are here to remember. To embody. To express. Let this New Moon be the moment you shed the performance and step into presence.

This New Moon is not asking you to be someone else. It’s asking you to be more you — the real, raw, radiant version that has nothing to prove and everything to offer.

xx Vanja

Photo of journal and tea with journal prompts written on it

Reflect on what house in your chart are being illuminated by the Sun & Moon at 2 degrees Leo. If you need help, see this video & this PDF. What first comes to mind when you look at this area and consider the themes outlined above?

Where in my life do I feel the need to perform, prove, or perfect? What’s beneath that urge?

When do I feel most connected to my authentic expression? What helps me access it?

Where have I dimmed or distorted myself to fit in — and what would it look like to reclaim that part?

What am I afraid will happen if I allow myself to be truly seen?

What part of me is ready to rise from the ashes? What am I willing to release so I can rise?

Photo of looselef tea in shell with word embodiment written on it

Work intuitively with Leo Ritual Tools to work with the courage to be seen and try this simple practice to ground your energy, open the heart, and invite authentic expression from the body — not the mind.