New Moon August 2023 – Crisis or Opportunity

The New Moon in Leo on August 16, 2023, is square Uranus. So the meaning of the New Moon in August 2023 astrology is reacting to unexpected change with patience and flexibility.

The August 2023 New Moon links with Mars and Uranus to create an aspect pattern that indicates crises. But it also provides solutions through learning and personal growth. Mars trine Uranus encourages you to turn problems into exciting opportunities for success.

New Moon August 2023 Astrology

The New Moon on Wednesday, August 16, 2023, is at 23°17′ Leo. The most significant planetary aspects are highlighted in the New Moon horoscope below. They create an aspect pattern that indicates a crisis mechanism that promotes learning and development.

New Moon in Leo August 2023

New Moon in Leo 2023

Sun conjunct Moon represents the end of one cycle and the beginning of another new 28-day cycle. It gives a refreshing burst of energy and initiative. But it also brings emotional balance, not irrationally emotional, and not too cold and calculating.

So the New Moon in Leo 2023 is excellent for making a fresh start, turning over a new leaf, or starting a new project. You can also question old habits, behaviors, and beliefs while searching for new and inventive ways to progress.

Crisis Mechanism

The three-colored aspect pattern formed by the New Moon, Mars and Uranus is called a Medium Learning Triangle.^[1]It represents a crisis mechanism or conflict resolution process in which the third color (green) plays an important role.

The green semisextile brings a third point of view into the equation, which supersedes the polarized thinking of the red and blue aspects with a third pole. Green aspects allow an escape from black-or-white thinking and a search for causes, possible solutions and meaning.

The Medium Learning Triangle encourages growth through an ongoing crisis mechanism that opens up great opportunities for development. There are three phases to the crisis mechanism: red-green-blue.

red → green → blue
square → semisextile → trine
conflict → striving for solution → harmonization

The dynamic process starts with the red aspect (New Moon square Uranus). The point of conflict is where the red and blue aspects touch each other (Uranus). The calm, balanced, pleasure-seeking state of the blue aspect (Mars trine Uranus) is disturbed or irritated, causing tension or conflict, and some decision or effort must be made. The old state is no longer tenable; a problem has arisen that must be solved.

The square shows a regular and drastic experience of conflict due to feelings of inadequacy because of a particular problem.

New Moon square Uranus creates highly charged energy that can cause a build-up of tension. If not safely channeled into work and achievement, this tense energy can cause impulsive actions, erratic behavior, accidents and chaos. So patience is most important.

A stronger-than-normal need to express your individuality and independence can make you rebellious and lead to arguments and ego conflicts. Sudden changes or unexpected crises could also make you stressed and uncertain.

Avoid making radical changes but be proactive about positive change. Flexibility and adaptability will help you react to changing conditions. An open-minded approach to problems could lead to exciting new opportunities.

The semisextile 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 semisextile Mars improves your confidence, vitality, and courage. It also gives the willingness to make things better, improve your life and overcome challenges. You can be assertive and direct enough to take small steps toward success without making others feel threatened. Personal and professional relationships will benefit from extra warmth, charm, and charisma.

The trine is the desired state of harmony that comes from creative problem-solving. Ego transformation results in a more dominant and influential personality.

Mars trine Uranus gives the motivation, enthusiasm, instincts and flexibility to adapt to any problematic changes caused by the New Moon in August 2023 square Uranus. It also allows you to make the changes necessary to overcome any challenges and turn them into exciting opportunities.

Lowering inhibitions and increased confidence allows you to break free of any previous restrictions and experience new activities, feelings, and relationships. You will be more willing to push the boundaries, leave your comfort zone and set more ambitious goals. And you can draw on courage and a sense of adventure to take the risks necessary to succeed and achieve your most passionate desires.

Learning and Development

The crisis mechanism in the Medium Learning Triangle is a development spiral that aims to get another point of view with every complete transition. Every passage through the three phases and each crisis contains the possibility of finding solutions that previously did not exist, i.e., breaking new ground.

Whether that is successful depends on your attitude toward the crisis process. If you inwardly recognize the opportunities, then development is likely. The development process will be blocked if you treat the crises as mere disruptions.

The rotation direction is an essential feature in evaluating the Medium Learning Triangle. It is given by the color order: red → green → blue. For the astrology of the August 2023 New Moon, this is anticlockwise, in the same direction as the zodiac.

Termed a Cognition Triangle,^[1] it helps you make discoveries rapidly by providing the necessary insights when crises appear. The task to be learned is understood, and intelligence is used to find a solution. With time, you learn how to control and accelerate the process. An enthusiastic, positive attitude towards the theme makes it easier to resolve.

The Constellations

New Moon August 2023 [Stellarium]

The image above shows the August 2023 New Moon aligning with the Head of the Lion, Leo Constellation. But as the list below shows, the August 16 New Moon most closely aligns with 7 Draconis.

21♌45 – Mu Leonis, Ras Elased
23♌16 – 7 Draconis, Tianyi
23♌17 – New Moon August 2023
23♌38 – Zeta Pyxidis
24♌34 – Omicron Leonis, Subra

7 Draconis is only just visible to the naked eye. It is a faint orange-hued star with a magnitude of 5.4. Fixed star astrologers don’t usually use stars with a magnitude over 5.0. But 7 Draconis is special.

Tianyi Mythology

7 Draconis is named Tianyi, from the Chinese 天一, the Heavenly One, part of the supreme Triple Deity in Taoism and Confucianism. It is a supreme power reigning over lesser gods and human beings, bringing order and calm or catastrophe and punishment. The traditional festival of its worship is today’s Lantern Festival.

The location of 7 Draconis in the Tail of the Dragon is the reason for its prime importance in Chinese mythology. The curved tail of Draco represents the curved line in the yin-yang symbol, separating the two sides, Ursa Major and Ursa Minor. 7 Draconis in the Dragons Tail marks the center of the Yin Yang symbol ☯, the center of primordial power.

Tianyi Astrology

7 Draconis has a K5 spectrum which indicates the planetary nature of Mars-Saturn. Interestingly, Ptolemy said the bright stars in Draco are like Saturn and Mars, and that the stars in the Head of Leo are like Saturn and partly like Mars.^[2]

Mars-Saturn stars give a malicious, thieving, ruthless, cruel and repulsive nature and cause lying, accidents and violent death.^[3]

K spectra, or orange stars, impart the drive to succeed, success, activity, power, calamities, notoriety, self-destruction, brute force, bad morals, malice, anxiety, tragedies, boldness, shamelessness, daring, and many dangers. Harsh aspects add impatience, irritability, hostility, violence, excessive drive, and overly ambitious nature.^[4]

Tianyi may provide harmony, an inner sense of balance, and calm if well-aspected. If not, it may give the opposite.

Constellation Draco gives an artistic and emotional but somber nature, a penetrating and analytical mind, much travel and many friends but danger of robbery and accidental poisoning.^[3]

New Moon August 2023 Meaning

The Sun and Moon square Uranus make the August 2023 New Moon in Leo a challenging moon phase. Unexpected events and sudden changes may cause chaos, tension and conflict. The aspect pattern with the New Moon, Mars and Uranus also indicates a crisis stemming from a problem caused by Uranus.

Thankfully, the aspect pattern also helps you solve problems and promotes self-development. Mars trine Uranus enables you to turn problems into exciting opportunities and success.

However, the Head of the Lion and the star Tianyi may give a tendency to act rashly and aggressively. And with Uranus’s impulsive and erratic influence, it is essential to use patience and forethought before making significant changes.

Tianyi, the God of the emperor of heaven, masters battles, and knows the good and bad of people. If there is light, there will be harmony between yin and yang, and all things will be successful, and people will be good; otherwise, it will be the opposite.^[5]

The influence of the August 16 New Moon lasts for four weeks up to the September 14 New Moon. The best time for starting new projects is during the two-week waxing moon phase, from August 16 to the August 30 Full Moon.

If the New Moon August 2023 astrology directly affects your Sign, you can read about it in your free Monthly Horoscope. Finally, see Sun Transits for more details about how it affects your natal chart.