New moon in leo and the draco constellation

The new moon on August 16th 2023 falls on the 23rd degree of the tropical sign of Leo. It makes an exact square to Uranus, meaning that this lunation can create some unexpected events and chaos, but can potentially free us from any oppressive and boring circumstances. The lunation is conjunct Venus retrograde, meaning that relations with others, including our love lives are the areas that are most likely to undergo changes over the next few weeks. 

The new moon aligns with a fixed star named 7 Draconis which is in the Draco constellation. This constellation is visible with the naked eye on a clear day and the star 7 Draconis appears orange in colour. Draco is a circumpolar constellation meaning that it is visible all year round. 

In the Catasterismi, which is a lost work attributed to Eratosthenes of Cyrene, the Greek astronomer, Draco is identified as Ladon, the dragon who guarded the golden apples of the Hesperides. Ladon was said to have a hundred heads with each one speaking in a different language. 

The golden apples were a wedding gift to Hera and symbolised the stars, immortality and esoteric knowledge. Heracles killed Ladon and took the golden apples. Mourning Ladon, Hera placed him into the skies as a constellation. 

Arabic astrologers called Draco ‘The poisonous dragon’ and believed that when a comet passed through the constellation, poison would spread all over the earth. The comet ZTF passed through Draco in January 2023. 

Julius Firmicus, a Roman writer and astrologer, further connected Draco with poison –
‘Those who have this star rising will be snake charmers and prepare medicine from poisons and pigments of herbs. But if this star is found in its setting, they will die by the bite of poisonous snakes or from drinking poison.’ 

Despite its retrograde motion, Venus’s influence on this lunation can help to smooth over any difficulties as long as we remain flexible and understand that our partners (or others) might need a little more freedom than usual. The new moon provides an opportunity for us to work on toxicity within relationships and friendships. We may become aware of poisonous, jealousy from other people or from a shadowy place within ourselves. 

Due to the Uranian influence, we might suddenly crave excitement and feel like doing something unusual. This can be positive as long as we avoid making any rash decisions that could poison existing relationships. During a new moon, the sky is dim, with no illuminating light. We tend to experience darker emotions and the unresolved shadow side can run rampant, causing instability and chaos.    

Some people might find themselves thrown into the spotlight around the time of the new moon and there is a need to guard against the poison of other people who are jealous of our accomplishments. This continues a theme from Venus retrograde. 

There is a possibility of disturbances with electricity and the internet (including apps and websites) due to the unstable, influence of Uranus. We should take precautions against hacking and viruses. 

The new moon, Venus retrograde and the upcoming Mercury retrograde are separate astrological events but all share a theme of poison. The astrological qualities of fixed stars were written thousands of years ago and being poisoned is obviously less common now than it was back then, but we should be aware of poisoning from medication, drugs, alcohol and processed foods and ensure that our bodies are as strong and healthy as possible to remain free of disease and toxicity.