Moon Magick

May This Eclipse Be Your Mirror.

The New Moon Solar Eclipse in Leo — August 12, 2026

“May this Eclipse be your mirror.

A loving embrace from Life. A reminder of your heart and a reflection of your belonging.

May it celebrate the strange, glorious and utterly unique being that you are.

May it shine a clear and loving light upon you, allowing you to be seen, recognised and witnessed—not for the role you play or the mask you wear, but for who you truly are.“

On Wednesday, August 12th, we welcome a New Moon Solar Eclipse in Leo—and this is not a quiet, polite little New Moon content to sit unnoticed in the corner.

It arrives humming with beginnings, beauty and delicious aliveness. It carries Leo’s warmth, courage, creativity, joy and play, reminding us that we are each part of Life creating itself. Every time we allow ourselves to be fully expressed, we add something to this world that could come through no one else.

How glorious is that?

But beneath Leo’s bright, bold energy, this Eclipse also moves into the tender terrain of the heart—into the places where our desire to be seen became tangled with the pain of not being seen. Where we were overlooked, dismissed or made to feel we were too much, too loud, too strange—or somehow never enough.

The South Node in Leo turns this Eclipse into a healing chamber, allowing us to meet the grief of not being truly recognised by others, as well as all the times we failed to recognise ourselves.

Because wanting to be seen is not vanity.

Wanting our aliveness to be met—by ourselves, another person, Life and Creation—is a fundamental human need. It is natural, beautiful and sacred.

Yet many of us were taught not to draw attention to ourselves, take up too much space or shine too brightly in case we made someone else uncomfortable.

So we adapted.

We learned to perform, perfect, protect or disappear. We tucked away the wild laugh, the creative dream, the unusual idea and the pieces of ourselves that didn’t fit neatly into the boxes we were handed. Sometimes we confused visibility with being seen, admiration with intimacy and attention with love.

But none of those things could truly lead us home.

Home is not another person’s applause. Home is not being liked by everyone—and thank goodness for that, because some people have dreadful taste.

Home is remembering the aliveness within us that never actually left.

Remembering the Self Beneath the Performance

This Eclipse invites us to meet the places where we have forgotten our own radiance and natural creativity.

Where have you made yourself smaller to remain acceptable?

Where are you performing a version of yourself that no longer feels true?

Where have you mistaken fitting in for belonging?

And where have you become so skilled at being who everyone else needs that you can no longer hear the voice of your own heart?

These questions are not new and exciting sticks with which to beat ourselves. There is no need for shame here. The shapes we took often helped us find safety, affection or belonging when we didn’t know another way.

We can honour those old protections without continuing to live inside them.

We can forgive the shapes our longing took while trying to lead us home.

And we can release the belief that shining is selfish, speaking our truth makes us difficult or expressing ourselves takes something away from someone else.

Your light does not diminish mine.

My creativity does not steal yours.

The full expression of one person adds to Creation.

Belonging Without Disappearing

This Eclipse also opens a new collective season. The North Node has moved into Aquarius, while the South Node has entered Leo, beginning a cycle that continues into 2028.

Leo speaks to the individual heart—our creativity, courage and unique expression. Aquarius speaks to community, collective possibility and the future we create together.

But this is not an invitation to abandon ourselves for the sake of the group or to become beige so everyone feels comfortable.

We are learning to enter community without erasing ourselves within it.

To stop confusing sameness with belonging and agreement with intimacy.

We are learning to enter community without erasing ourselves within it.

To stop confusing sameness with belonging and agreement with intimacy.

Real community does not require us to chop off the colourful, quirky, brilliant and occasionally inconvenient pieces of ourselves before we are allowed through the door.

A forest does not thrive because every tree is identical. It flourishes because each being brings its own medicine while remaining connected to the whole.

The invitation is to stand among one another without abandoning ourselves—to let our individuality become an offering rather than a performance.

An Old Story Returns Differently

We have not experienced an eclipse in Leo since the lunar eclipse of January 2019. If memories, photographs or old journal entries from that time begin tugging at your sleeve, pay attention.

You are not necessarily being dragged backwards. You may be meeting an old story with stronger boundaries, new eyes and a deeper awareness of who you are now.

For the previous South Node eclipse in Leo, we must travel back to February 2009. You might gently reflect upon who you were then, what you believed you had to do to be accepted and which parts of yourself were quietly waiting for permission to emerge.

Eclipses illuminate longer patterns. They reveal what has been moving beneath the surface and invite change that unfolds over time. You do not need to understand everything by August 12th, nor must you manifest an entirely new life before breakfast.

You are allowed to pause, listen and let what is true reveal itself slowly.

A Playful Ritual for the Eclipse

With all this talk of being seen, reclaiming our aliveness and allowing ourselves to shine, it felt only right to create a ritual that doesn’t require us to sit solemnly in the dark pretending to be impressively spiritual.

This is Leo, after all.

The Glorious Reveal is a playful New Moon Solar Eclipse ritual involving a mirror, a homemade crown, music and some dancing of potentially questionable quality. It is an invitation to step out from behind the roles you have been performing, reclaim a piece of yourself you may have tucked away and celebrate the glorious being who has been there all along.

You do not need to become anything new.

You are simply being invited to see, welcome and express more of who you already are.

So gather your supplies, choose a song that makes you feel wonderfully alive and prepare to crown yourself—wonky paper crown and all.

CLICK HERE FOR THE GLORIOUS REVEAL RITUAL

May This Eclipse Be Your Mirror

May this Eclipse reflect the Self beneath the masks, roles and old protections.

May it remind you that being seen begins with a willingness to see yourself—the unruly creativity, the glorious weirdness, the fierce tenderness and the life force within you.

May you release the belief that you must perform for love, perfect yourself for belonging or disappear for the comfort of others.

Your aliveness is sacred.

Your joy matters.

Your creativity is an offering.

Your voice belongs in the conversation.

And your light was never the problem.

May this Eclipse be a loving embrace from Life, whispering:

I see you.

I recognise you.

You belong.

Now, will you allow yourself to shine?

The Buck Moon: Grow Wild, Take Up Space & Feed What Matters!

Jenny Heston · 3:33 pm ·

Gorgeous Soul,

Can you feel it? There is something growing in the dark.

The Buck Moon rises on Wednesday, July 29, carrying an energy of nourishment, strength, healthy boundaries and unapologetic expansion. She reaches her fullest at 7:35 a.m. here on the West Coast, so look for her glowing beautifully on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings.

July’s full moon takes her name from the male deer—the buck—whose new antlers are growing rapidly at this time of year. What begins as something tender, covered in soft velvet, will eventually become strong enough to protect him, establish his place and carry him through the season ahead.

But those antlers cannot grow from nothing.

Their size and strength depend upon what is available to nourish the buck: rain, rich soil, abundant plants and a healthy habitat. If nourishment is scarce, growth is limited.

Nature, as she so often does, makes the lesson gloriously clear:

You cannot continually deprive yourself and still expect yourself to flourish.

You cannot run on crumbs—crumbs of rest, crumbs of affection, crumbs of joy, crumbs of time—and then wonder why you feel depleted. Nor can you pour all your energy into everybody else’s garden while your own quietly wilts in the corner.

The Buck Moon asks you to look honestly at what you are feeding.

Are you nourishing the dreams that make your whole being light up? Are you strengthening the relationships that strengthen you in return? Are you investing time, care and energy in your own gorgeous life—or are your needs forever being shuffled to the bottom of the list?

Because you are not an afterthought.

And taking up space does not mean pushing anyone else out of the way. It means no longer folding yourself into smaller and smaller shapes to make everyone around you comfortable. It means allowing your voice to be heard, your boundaries to be honoured and your gifts to be visible.

It means standing in your own patch of sunlight and saying:

I belong here too.

Growing Into Your Power

There is a lovely difference between forcing yourself to become someone else and allowing yourself to grow more fully into who you already are.

The buck does not spend the summer anxiously comparing his antlers with those of every other deer in the forest. He does not wake at three in the morning convinced that his rack should be bigger, more impressive or further along.

He eats. He rests. He moves through the forest. He trusts the ancient intelligence of his body and the rhythm of the season.

Meanwhile, we humans are often flapping about, attempting to bloom, harvest, heal, launch seventeen new projects and completely reinvent ourselves before lunchtime.

The Buck Moon reminds us that meaningful growth is not built through frantic striving. It is created through nourishment, attention and repeated small choices.

We grow into our power through practice, not perfection.

Every time you honour a boundary, you grow stronger.

Every time you choose what nourishes you rather than what merely distracts you, you grow clearer.

Every time you speak honestly, rest without apologising, learn something new or devote time to what genuinely matters, you strengthen the foundations of your future.

A meaningful life is not created all at once.

It is grown—one choice, one threshold and one season at a time.

What Are You Feeding?

Full moons illuminate. They bring things into view—including the things we have been cheerfully avoiding while hoping they might wander off by themselves.

This moon may reveal where your energy has become scattered. You might notice too many half-fed projects, obligations that no longer belong to you or relationships that continually consume your attention without offering anything nourishing in return.

This is not an invitation to judge yourself or begin hacking wildly at your life with an energetic machete.

It is an invitation to pause.

What matters most now?

What deserves more of your care?

What dream, relationship, skill or part of yourself is ready to be nourished properly?

And what smaller distractions can be released so that your deeper priorities have room to grow?

You do not need to do everything. In fact, trying to do everything is often the fastest route to accomplishing very little—except becoming impressively tired and slightly stabby.

Choose what matters. Feed it well. Give it time.

A Simple Buck Moon Ritual

On Tuesday or Wednesday evening, find a quiet place beneath the moon—or near a window where you can feel connected to her light.

You will need:

A candle
A small bowl of water
A leaf, sprig of rosemary or something gathered respectfully from nature
Your journal and a pen

Light your candle and place the bowl of water beside it. Hold your leaf or herb and take several slow breaths.

Imagine yourself standing in a summer forest. Beneath you is rich soil; around you, life is growing in every direction. You do not need to chase your strength. You are already rooted within it.

Ask yourself:

What within me is asking to be nourished?

Where am I ready to take up more space?

What boundary will protect what I am growing?

What distraction or obligation am I willing to release?

What would it look like to live more fully this season?

Write without overthinking or attempting to make your answers sound sensible. Let what is true come forward.

When you are finished, dip your fingers into the water and gently touch your forehead, heart and hands.

You might say:

May my thoughts nourish what matters.
May my heart remember what is true.
May my hands help create the life I am ready to live.

Place the leaf or herb somewhere meaningful for the next few days. When the ritual feels complete, return it to the earth with gratitude.

Want to Go a Little Deeper?

If the Buck Moon has illuminated something within you—and you want to explore it with pen, paper and perhaps a cuppa—I have created a collection of Buck Moon journal prompts for you.

They will help you explore nourishment, boundaries, taking up space and the glorious strength that is already growing within you.

Take your time with them. You do not need to answer everything at once. Choose the question that tugs at your sleeve, pour yourself something lovely and see what wants to be revealed.

And Lughnasadh Is Coming…

Just a few days after the Buck Moon, we reach Lughnasadh on August 1st—the first of the three traditional harvest celebrations on the Wheel of the Year.

It is a threshold of gratitude, abundance, sacrifice and harvest. A time to notice what has ripened, what our labour has created and what must be gathered before the season begins to turn.

But we will sink our hands deeply into that particular magick in a separate post later this week.

For now, let the Buck Moon show you what is still growing.

Let her illuminate the places where you have been surviving on crumbs. Let her remind you that nourishment is not selfish, boundaries are not punishment and taking up space is not something you need to earn.

Your life is growing around you.

Feed what matters.

Protect what is tender.

And allow yourself to become gloriously, visibly, unmistakably more of who you have always been.

Coming Home

Jenny Heston · 1:11 pm ·

Gorgeous Soul,

Have you ever had one of those weeks where life seems to keep whispering the very same message, but through completely different voices?

One moment it’s a musical.

The next it’s a football match.

Then it’s a parade.

Then you look up into the night sky and realise the Moon has been whispering it all along.

That was this week for me.

It started with a trip to see Kinky Boots, and oh my giddy aunt… what an extraordinary evening! The music was infectious, the performances were phenomenal and the energy in the theatre had everyone grinning from ear to ear.

Yet underneath all the sequins, sass and spectacular boots lay something much deeper.

The show is inspired by the true story of Steve Pateman, whose family shoe factory was on the brink of bankruptcy. Rather than closing the doors on four generations of family history, he found an unexpected path forward by creating fabulous thigh-high boots for drag artists and transgender women under the wonderfully named “Divine Footwear.“

Who would have thought that a struggling shoe factory could become a story about belonging?

One lyric has stayed with me ever since.

“Accept yourself and you’ll accept others too.”

Such simple words.

Yet perhaps they are some of the bravest words any of us will ever live.

How much of our lives have we spent trying to fit into shoes that were never made for us?

How often have we squeezed ourselves into other people’s expectations, softened our edges, dimmed our light or apologised for the very qualities that make us beautifully unique?

Then Sunday arrived with our glorious Pride Parade.

The streets became awash with colour, music, feathers, laughter and love. People danced without embarrassment. Families cheered from the sidelines. Friends hugged complete strangers. Creativity flowed through every costume and every smile.

What struck me most wasn’t simply the celebration.

It was the feeling.

For a few precious hours, people weren’t trying to become someone acceptable.

They were simply allowing themselves to be seen.

And isn’t that what every human heart longs for?

Not approval.

Belonging.

The freedom to stand in our own skin and know we are enough.

Then came Saturday’s FIFA quarter-final between Norway and the UK.

What a match!

Ninety minutes wasn’t enough. Then came another thirty minutes of extra time before the UK finally prevailed.

But strangely, the score isn’t what I’ll remember.

Before a single ball was kicked, both teams stood together in silence to honour a 25-year-old South African footballer who had recently passed away.

For one quiet moment, competition dissolved. There was only shared humanity.

Then, after giving absolutely everything they had, players from opposing teams embraced one another with genuine warmth and respect. There were hugs. Smiles. Encouragement. No bitterness. No grandstanding. Simply an acknowledgement that someone else’s success never diminishes our own.

As I reflected on the week, all these seemingly separate moments began weaving themselves together.

Authenticity. Compassion. Courage. Belonging. Home.

Then I realised why.

The Cancer New Moon arrives on Tuesday.

She doesn’t come crashing in with fireworks or fanfare. She arrives like the tide—quietly, steadily, almost unnoticed until you realise the shoreline has changed.

Cancer is the Moon’s own sign. She is water, memory, ancestry and belonging.

She is the keeper of the hearth, the guardian of home, the Divine Mother who reminds us that there is extraordinary strength in tenderness.

She is also the shape of you that existed before you became so very good at accommodating everyone else.

Before you learned to make yourself smaller so others would feel more comfortable.

Before you apologised for your sensitivity.

Before you convinced yourself that your intuition wasn’t to be trusted.

Before you forgot what your own heart sounded like.

This New Moon doesn’t ask you to become someone new.

She simply invites you to remember.

To remember the parts of yourself that have always been there, patiently waiting beneath the layers of expectation, responsibility and survival.

Like water, memory has a remarkable way of finding its own path home.

Perhaps that’s why Cancer is such a powerful moon for tending the heart. She encourages us to slow down long enough to hear our intuition whispering beneath all the noise.

She invites us to bless our homes, create sacred spaces, honour our ancestors, work with our dreams, strengthen our emotional boundaries and nourish the people—and the parts of ourselves—that have quietly been asking for a little more love.

This isn’t a moon of striving. It’s a moon of returning.

Returning to your own wisdom. Returning to your own rhythms.

Returning to the version of yourself that existed before the world convinced you that you had to earn your place by accommodating everyone else.

As I look back over this past week, I can’t help but smile.

The theatre reminded me.

Pride reminded me.

Football reminded me.

And now the Moon is reminding me too.

Perhaps the greatest act of courage isn’t becoming someone extraordinary.

Perhaps it’s remembering who you have always been.

So when Tuesday’s New Moon rises, light a candle.

Bless your home. Pull a card. Sit quietly with a cup of tea. Listen to the silence between your thoughts.

Ask yourself, “Where have I abandoned myself in order to belong?”

Then ask an even gentler question.

“What would it feel like to come home?”

Have a beautiful Cancer New Moon, delicious lovely. I highly suggest you try this glorious ritual called The Untying (it’s easy, you have everything you need and it’s power is woosah!)

May your home be filled with peace, your heart with compassion and your spirit with the quiet certainty that you have always belonged—exactly as you are.

New Moon in Scorpio, Mercury Retrograde & the Power of the Dark Moon.

Jenny Heston · 1:11 pm ·

How’s your Mercury Retrograde going so far?

If you’re feeling stretched, stirred, or slightly spun around—trust me, you’re not alone.

This retrograde was forecast to be an intense one, and ooooh yes… she is delivering.

But remember: this isn’t punishment.

It’s a slow-down, a recalibration, and a sacred invitation to soften into yourself—even as the holiday season tries to whip us into frenzy.

Here’s your gentle reminder of how to move through these energies with grace, grounding, and a touch of magick.

Your Mercury Retrograde Guide

COLLECT YOUR WORDS

Pause before speaking. Feel into your truth. Let your words come from clarity, not reaction.

LET OTHERS SPEAK

Retrograde can make conversation feel lopsided. Slow yourself down. Breathe.
Hold space for others to share—your energy helps them find their own clarity.

CONNECT WITH NATURE

Tech glitches? Website crashes? Locked out of email?
Take it as a cue to step away.
Walk. Look at the sky. Touch the earth. Dip your toes in the ocean.
Nature recalibrates what technology disrupts.

READ THE DETAILS (Twice… maybe thrice)

Contracts can be signed—but read slowly.
Retrograde rewards careful pacing.

CONFIRM PLANS

Double-check times, dates, flights, appointments. Retrograde loves a good mix-up.

SPEND TIME WITH YOURSELF

Retrograde turns communication inward.
Journal. Pull cards.
Let your intuition speak louder than the noise around you.
Begin each morning with gratitudes + affirmations to set the tone.

BE OPEN TO REALIGNMENT

If something breaks, it wasn’t aligned.
Let it fall. Build again.
What rises from this time is sturdier, truer, and meant for you.

These next three weeks are not a curse—they are an opening.
Slow down. Breathe. Let Retrograde show you where you’re ready to return home to yourself.

The Dark Moon: The Sacred Pause Before the New Moon

Just before the New Moon in Scorpio, we enter the Dark Moon—a single, potent night that asks us to release, reflect, and come back to the essence of who we are.

The Dark Moon is not another phase—it’s the space between phases.

The hinge.
The exhale.

The night the Moon disappears so we can see ourselves more clearly.

It invites us to:

Rest the spirit
Tend our inner soil
Say the sacred “no”
Lay down what we no longer wish to carry
Call ourselves back into belonging

Where the Full Moon celebrates and the New Moon initiates, the Dark Moon simply asks us to be.
No striving.
No pushing.
Just presence.

The Scorpio New Moon: A Deep New Beginning

On November 19–20, the Sun and Moon join in Scorpio, ushering in a new lunar cycle charged with emotional depth, intuition, and rebirth.

This New Moon invites you to:

Start again
Try something new
Step outside your comfort zone
Release resentment + emotional heaviness
See the past with new clarity

Under these energies, ask yourself:

✨ What have I longed to experience?
✨ What have I been putting off?
✨ What truth have I been afraid to acknowledge?

Mercury Retrograde is the cosmic editor—guiding us back through old lessons so we can move forward differently, stronger, and more aligned.

If clarity hasn’t landed yet, it’s okay.
Pause.
Trust the unfolding.
When Mercury stations direct at month’s end, the path will feel clearer.

A Ritual for This New Moon: The Blessing Bowl

One of the most powerful practices for the Scorpio New Moon is the Blessing Bowl Ritual—a simple but profound way to honour what you’re releasing and welcome what you’re calling in.

Big Love!

Virgo New Moon Ritual for Clarity, Health and Harmony.

Jenny Heston · 2:22 pm ·

The Virgo New Moon is the perfect time to reset your space, your habits, and your energy.

This year, the Virgo New Moon is September 10/11th (depending on where you are)

Step One: Light a Flame

Virgo energy loves creating order in the physical world and restoring health in our bodies, minds, and spirits.

This lunar gateway invites us to release clutter—both tangible and energetic—and create fresh patterns that truly support our wellbeing.

If you’ve been craving a sense of clarity, calm, and intentional structure, this ritual will help you align with Virgo’s healing energy and set the stage for a vibrant moon cycle ahead.

Begin by lighting a clean-burning candle in a central location of your home. As the flame flickers to life, take three slow breaths. With each inhale, invite in divine light; with each exhale, release all that no longer serves you.

Call on the Divine—whether you connect with God, Goddess, angels, guides, or the intelligence of the cosmos. Ask for assistance in creating order, harmony, and radiant health in your life. (If you can’t light a candle due to pets, children, or safety reasons, use an LED candle or simply visualize a golden flame glowing at the heart of your home.)

Step Two: Clear Physical Clutter with Intention

Choose a space—big or small—and begin clearing. Even 5 or 10 minutes makes a difference. As you tidy, declutter, or reorganize, repeat inwardly:

“As I clear my space, I clear my body, mind, and spirit. I release all that I no longer need and make way for clarity, health, and joy.”

Donate, recycle, discard, or simply reorganize items as you feel guided. Notice how the energy shifts as you move into the rhythm of clearing. This process is a ritual in itself—an offering to Virgo’s love of order and healing.

(Feel free to clean out just a small area, like your junk drawer or medicine cabinet. I personally will be focusing on my spice cupboard! As wowzer, it is chaos and I know I have duplicates!

Step Three: Cleanse the Energy of Your Home

Before beginning, open a window or two so the old energy has somewhere to go. Then, employ one or more of the following tools:

1. Selenite Wand

Cleanse your wand first by placing it in sunlight for a few minutes or passing it through sage or incense smoke. Walk counterclockwise through your space, gently waving the wand to absorb and neutralize stagnant energy.

2. Dried Sage Bundle or Palo Santo Stick

Light your sage bundle or Palo Santo stick so it smolders, not burns, and carry a dish or plate beneath it to catch any burning embers. Move counterclockwise through your home, letting the smoke waft through each room. Visualize heaviness lifting and dissolving. When you’re done, fully extinguish the bundle in water or by sealing it in a jar.

3. Rose Water

If you’ve cleared with selenite or herbs, now move clockwise as you mist, infusing the space with sweetness, love, and harmony. If you haven’t cleared with either tool, move counterclockwise with the spray to clear lingering heaviness. Visualize and intend that the air and energy in your home are filled with beauty, order, and peace.

4. Chime or Bell

Stand in the center of each room and ring your chime. Imagine the sound waves sweeping away residue, lifting the vibration, and filling the space with uplifting, sparkling energy.

Step Four: Anchor Your New Moon Intentions

Return to the candle or central location. Place your hands in prayer position at your heart, close your eyes, and breathe deeply.

Bring to mind your Virgo New Moon intentions—especially those related to health, clarity, order, organization, and healing. Feel these intentions as already true.

Feel the harmony, joy, and ease they bring.

Open your palms outward and imagine your intentions radiating through your home as golden light, blessing every room and every corner with fresh, vibrant energy.

Offer gratitude—for the moon, for your home, for the clarity you’re stepping into.

Extinguish the candle, knowing your ritual is complete.

Why This Virgo New Moon Ritual Works

Decluttering your home during the Virgo New Moon doesn’t just create physical order—it creates spiritual spaciousness.

Virgo’s energy helps us align small, everyday actions with greater purpose, so that even simple acts like tidying a drawer or misting with rose water become magical methods of summoning the life you desire.

When your space is clear and your energy is balanced, your intentions have fertile ground in which to grow.

Will you be trying this Virgo New Moon Ritual? Do you have your own favorite tools for space clearing? Share your thoughts in the comments—I’d love to hear.