August 22, 2025 – 12:06 PM MST
As the Leo new moon rises in Magha nakshatra, many of us may feel unsettled—uncertain of the future, pulled into nostalgia, or sensing invisible weight from the past. This is not a mistake; it is the essence of a dark moon. Magha connects us directly to the realm of the ancestors, the seat of memory carried in our blood and bones. Under this lunation, the heart may ache with remembrance while the mind longs for direction. The pressure is real, yet it is also sacred ground: a threshold where ancestral patterns surface, not to bind us, but to be honored, released, and transformed into blessings for the cycle ahead.
The Power of Magha
This lunation unfolds in Magha nakshatra, at the heart of Leo, aligned with the royal star Regulus—the throne, power, and authority. Magha is the seat of the ancestors, the realm where our lineage whispers through our blood and bones. Every part of us—our hands, our feet, our patterns of thought and emotion—carries memory. Our DNA is an ancestral code.
Some call it ancestral karma, others a curse—but truly, it is inheritance. We may carry burdens, unfinished rituals, or even disturbances from ancestors who are unsettled. These can appear as mental health challenges, repeating family conflicts, or strange blocks in our lives. But Magha reminds us: we can always turn to the ancestors with offerings, with prayer, with love.
A simple Tarpanam ritual—offering water, rice, milk, or flowers to the Pitrs (ancestral spirits)—can clear patterns, free stuck energy, and invite blessings of health, prosperity, and continuity. This new moon is a doorway into ancestral healing and guidance.
Moon, Sun, and the Shadow
The moon reflects mass consciousness. Right now, shadows are rising to the surface—collectively and personally—accelerating as we move into the month ahead. The sun forms a perfect Yod in Leo, the sign of kingship and leadership. Shifts in global leadership are foreshadowed. On a personal level, this alignment invites us into deep introspection—a withdrawal of energy, renewal of spirit, and closure of old cycles.
Leo also rules creativity, children, dharma, loyalty, and truth. Ask yourself:
- What am I loyal to? The past, old wounds, outdated stories?
- Am I loyal to my highest self, my true expression?
- What needs to be cut away so I can serve my purpose with clarity?
The Nodes & Detachment
As the moon moves past the sun, it approaches Ketu in Leo. Since May, the lunar nodes have shifted into Leo–Aquarius, activating endings, completions, and dissolutions. Ketu in Leo is dissolving aspects of our identity, our ego, even our inherited roles from the father line.
This brings a theme of detachment. In yoga, detachment isn’t cold indifference—it is the ripening of discernment, the recognition that worldly experience is fleeting. Healthy detachment lets us do our duties and serve with clarity, without clinging to the illusions of permanence.
Vedantic wisdom reminds us: we incarnate in a certain family, culture, and body because of unfinished karmas and unfulfilled desires. Our task is to complete them—not bypass them. True freedom comes not from escape, but from integration: honoring responsibilities, facing our patterns, and realizing our deeper spiritual nature.
Collective Shifts: The Yod of Transformation
This new moon is not just personal—it’s global. A triangulation of Saturn, Neptune, and Pluto places pressure on this lunation:
- Saturn demands discipline and karmic accountability.
- Neptune dissolves illusion, asking us to see beyond the dream.
- Pluto intensifies shadow work, war, and transformation.
Together, they form a karmic “Yod,” a finger of God pointing us toward change. The world stage is under stress, and yet a portal of transformation is opening.
A New Cycle Begins
This new moon begins a fresh cycle in Leo, a sign of creativity, courage, and heart-centered truth. We are being asked to:
- Honor our ancestors and release karmic debts.
- Question our loyalties and cut ties with patterns that no longer serve.
- Step into healthy detachment, grounding ourselves in dharma.
- Recognize that leadership—both personal and collective—is being reshaped.
The days ahead will intensify. On September 7th, a total lunar eclipse will unfold, accelerating these themes of shadow, release, and renewal.
For now, rest in the dark of this moon. Listen. Offer gratitude to those who walked before you. And ask yourself: Am I loyal to what is fading—or to what is being born through me now?
Love,
Michelle
PS. I am available for individual readings, you may schedule here: https://calendly.com/mberrybliss/single-session-jyotish