During the new moon on July 24, an old love could suddenly reappear in your life

Alongside the ongoing Mercury retrograde, a new moon will rise in the sky on July 24 in the sign of Leo. According to Jetteke van Lexmond, co-founder of the Moonsisters and their popular lunar calendar, “The sun and Leo are both radiant powerhouses, a golden combination that feels good together”. When the sun is in the sign of Leo from July 23 to August 22, this delicious, powerful energy will be at its highest point. “This is the time to shine like the sun, to give and receive warmth and love and to be true to yourself,” says the moon expert.

Why you don’t need to fear Mercury retrograde

In July, before Leo season could start, three planets had gone retrograde in addition to Pluto, which was already moving retrograde in Aquarius: Neptune and Uranus in Aries and Mercury in Leo. When a planet goes retrograde in a fire sign (which includes both Leo and Aries), this can lead to contradictory energies. Aries, in particular, wants to move forward. “Fire signs won’t want to turn inwards or pause. At the same time, we are also dealing with Neptune and Uranus, which bring very different energies with them,” van Lexmond says. “You may experience more confusion in the coming weeks—in relation to yourself, your goals, your dreams, your relationships, your friendships and the general direction in your life. You may feel that everything needs to change. Take your time to do this. That’s exactly what retrograde periods are good for.”

Old heartaches can resurface at the new moon around July

Mercury retrograde now meets Leo—a combination that can be very stressful, according to van Lexmond, as it can bring “unrest, technical problems, disruptions in air traffic, overloaded energy grids, overheating and short circuits.” But the expert also notes that “there is no need to panic. Concentrate on what you want. Surrender and trust, but also prepare yourself for unexpected turns and longer travel times. Trust that it is meant to be. Everything is connected—chance and bad luck don’t really exist.”

You should also be prepared for ex-lovers to appear out of nowhere and for old heartaches to resurface, be it a broken relationship or a friendship that has ended. “You may even feel this physically, in the form of a faster heartbeat or palpitations,” van Lexmond explains.

Leo season is complemented by a new moon

A new moon appears in the sign of the courageous and charismatic Leo on July 24. “Lions have a big heart and a strong sense of self-worth. They go through fire for their loved ones, are creative and expressive, and their presence is often magnetic and hard to ignore,” explains van Lexmond. “However, lions can also be a little dramatic or self-centred, especially if they don’t get the attention or validation they crave.”

Under this influence, the new moon can also affect your self-esteem and cause you pain over rejection if you don’t feel seen or heard. At the same time, the new moon can show you “that you don’t need validation from others; only your own. Do you see your beautiful self, or do you only dare to shine when someone else agrees with you? Stay strong for yourself and let your heart burst forth.”