The new moon on Tuesday, August 18, 2020, at 26° Leo joins Mercury. So the major themes of the new moon August 2020 astrology are thinking and communication.
The Sun, Moon, and Mercury are in the Sign of Leo and Constellation of Leo. However, they most closely align with fixed star Alphard in the Heart of the Snake. It is associated with wisdom and passion, but also a lack of self-control, immorality, and poison.
The August 2020 new moon is also linked to Mars square Saturn to cause a build-up of frustration and impatience. But flexibility, adaptability, and open-mindedness will lead to the resolution of a deep-seated problem, personal growth, and a profound transformation.
New Moon Meaning
A new moon represents the end of one cycle and the beginning of another new 28-day cycle. Sun conjunct Moon gives an invigorating burst of energy and initiative. So this is an excellent time for making a fresh start, turning over a new leaf, or starting a new project. You can also question old habits, behaviors, and beliefs as you search for new and inventive ways to make progress.
New Moon August 2020 Astrology
The August 18 new moon at 26°35′ Leo is conjunct Mercury as shown in the chart below. So the focus of this moon phase is on thinking and communication. However, there are some toxic fixed stars on this degree so there may be some confronting information to process.
New Moon August 2020 makes a harmonious trine aspect to Mars, and a stressful quincunx aspect to Saturn. But the most powerful influence in the new moon chart is Mars square Saturn, indicating frustration and inhibition.
These three aspects combine to form an aspect pattern called a dominant triangle. It represents a crisis that leads to slow but profound growth and transformation.
New Moon August 2020 [Solar Fire]
New Moon Aspects
New Moon conjunct Mercury puts the focus on your thinking and communications, and short distance travel. It brings mental alertness, quick thinking, adaptability, and curiosity. Expect an increase in personal interaction in your neighborhood, with siblings, schools, and over the internet.
So this will be a busy moon phase with lots of appointments, correspondence, meetings, social activity, new information to process, and decisions to make. This is a good time for sharing ideas, making plans, buying and selling, negotiating, and meeting new people.
New Moon Aspect Pattern
The Dominant Triangle aspect pattern is one of Bruno and Louise Huber’s learning triangles that include a red, blue, and green aspect. It is a crisis mechanism that represents growth problems that affect the whole personality, influencing all areas of life. The growth and transformation process is slow but profound.
The red square aspect shows a regular and drastic experience of conflict due to feelings of inadequacy because of a certain problem. Mars square Saturn.
The green quincunx aspect is the next step where the problem is initially dealt with. Searching for a solution can lead to a change in self-image. New Moon and Mercury quincunx Saturn.
The blue trine aspect is the desired state of harmony that comes from creative problem-solving. Ego transformation results in a more dominant and influential personality. New Moon and Mercury trine Mars.
conflict → striving for solution → harmonization
“The rotation direction is an important feature in the evaluation of the Dominant triangle. It is given by the color order red to green to blue.” [1] For the August 18 new moon, this is clockwise, in the opposite direction to the zodiac.
This is a Retrograde Experience Triangle. It means that many experiences are required to achieve the necessary learning and development. It makes it harder and longer to adapt to a more deep-seated problem than if the direction were anticlockwise.
Mars square Saturn brings frustration and inhibition. Your desires and needs may grow stronger, yet you may find it harder to express your passions and succeed. The harder you pursue your goals, the more resistance you are likely to face. Authority figures may restrict your ambitions. It may be that general circumstances prevent your progress.
The best approach now is a defensive one. Instead of starting new projects or hunting down your desires, it is better to concentrate on holding onto what you already have. This is a good time to sharpen knives and strengthen your defenses. Patience and plodding hard work will get you there.
New Moon quincunx Saturn hampers your freedom or self-expression by certain restrictions and obligations. An imbalance between what you want to do and what you have to do can cause frustration and tension. So it is important to be flexible, adaptable, and open-minded as you adjust to greater or fewer responsibilities or barriers to progress. Hard work, patience, self-restraint, and self-discipline are also needed.
Mercury quincunx Saturn can cause fear, indecision, hesitation, and nervousness. Such things could escalate into a crisis or panic attack to release the built-up nervous energy. Negative thoughts may set in and be hard to get rid of. Suspicion and cynicism are possible. It is important to be around positive people. Take the extra time to make the right decision and make no mistakes.
New Moon trine Mars brings self-confidence, strength, courage, enthusiasm, and initiative. This s helpful in addressing the problems assisted with Mars square Saturn and for completing other difficult tasks. You are able to understand what is motivating you due to a conscious awareness of your primal desires. Increased sex drive is matched by increased charisma and magnetic charm. Fortune favors the brave!
Mercury trine Mars brings increased mental energy and concentration for paperwork, studies, and exams. Quick thinking and decisiveness allow you to make plans with confidence. A persuasive communication style help with debating, asking for favors, and public speaking.
New Moon August 2020 Stars
The star map below shows new moon August 2020 in Constellation Leo. The Sun, Moon, and Mercury align with a star in the mane of the Lion called Adhafera. Mercury also activates another star in the Mane called Al Jabhah.
But the strongest stellar influence on the August 18 new moon comes from a star below the Lion in Constellation Hydra the Water-Snake. Alpha Hydrae, Alphard, is also called Cor Hydrae, the “Heart of the Snake”.
New Moon August 2020 [Stellarium]
27 ♌ 33 – α Hydrae, Alphard
27 ♌ 50 – ζ Leonis, Adhafera
28 ♌ 07 – Mercury
28 ♌ 11 – η Leonis, Al Jabhah
00 ♍ 06 – α Leonis, Regulus
Fixed star Alphard gives wisdom, musical and artistic appreciation, knowledge of human nature, strong passions, lack of self-control, immorality, revolting deeds, and sudden death by drowning, poison or asphyxiation. [2]
Alphard is a disadvantage in most cases. Particularly matters connected with “poison” are accentuated badly, e.g. blood poisoning, murder by poison, attempts of poisoning, poisoned hatred in women, gas poisoning, danger to life by the wrong use of drugs and overindulgence of good living, smoke inhalation and danger of suffocation, snake bite, bites by poisonous insect bites, or bites from dogs with rabies.
A “poisoning” is also possible in a relationship between man and woman in marriage. This is especially true in a male cosmogram. On the material plane, Alphard is nearly always unhelpful, but enlightenment is possible if you are able to conceive it in the spiritual sphere. [3]
- Sun conjunct Alphard (0°58′): Power and authority but suffering through own acts and from enemies, loss of position and honor, overcome by enemies. [2]
- Moon conjunct Alphard (0°58′): Lust, wantonness, profligacy, failure in projects but financial help often from a relative, ill-fortune to wife or mother, eventual disgrace and ruin, danger of death by asphyxiation. [2]
- Mercury conjunct Alphard (0°33′): Trouble through writings, unfavorable for marriage, suffering through a passionate attachment that entirely changes the course of the life. [2]
Fixed star Adhafera conjunct new moon (1°15′) and Mercury (0°17′) is connected with suicide poison, corrosive acids, liquid explosives, liquid fire, lying, stealing and crime. [2]
Fixed star Al Jabhah conjunct Mercury (0°04′) gives loss and many dangers, a violent and intemperate nature, and to a military officer danger of mutiny and murder by his soldiers. [2]
New Moon August 2020 Summary
The August 18 new moon conjunct Mercury and trine Mars encourages the passionate sharing of ideas. You can draw on extra courage to say what is on your mind tell it how it is.
However, the new moon and Mercury are joined by toxic and dangerous stars that cause a lack of self-control. Mars square Saturn brings frustration and more impatience as your intense desire to share thoughts and feelings is inhibited.
A buildup of frustration and tension may result in a crisis that reveals a deep-seated personal problem. Although the experience may be unpleasant, it will lead to necessary learning, growth, and a profound transformation.
The tightest aspect in the New Moon August 2020 astrology chart is the new moon quincunx Saturn (0°02′). This suggests the key to resolving the crisis and reaching the desired state of harmony is flexibility, adaptability, and open-mindedness.
The August 18 new moon lasts for four weeks up to the September 17 new moon. The best time for starting new projects is during the waxing phase of the moon, from the August 18 new moon to the September 2 full moon.If the new moon directly affects your Sign you can read about it in your free Monthly Horoscope. Finally, for more details about how it affects your natal chart see Sun Transits.
- Previous Moon Phase: Full Moon August 3, 2020
- Next Moon Phase: Full Moon September 2, 2020
- 2020 Moon Phases Calendar
New Moon August 2020 Times and Dates
- Los Angeles, August 18 at 7:41 pm
- New York, August 18 at 10:41 pm
- London, August 19 at 3:41 am
- Delhi, August 19 at 8:11 am
- Sydney, August 19 at 12:41 pm
References
- Aspect Pattern Astrology, Bruno and Louise Huber, 2005, p.202.
- Fixed Stars and Constellations in Astrology, Vivian E. Robson, 1923, p. 130, 117, 128.
- Fixed Stars and Their Interpretation, Elsbeth Ebertin, 1928, p.44.
