Finding the Strength when the Curtain Falls
- Jul 24, 2025
- 4 min read
A Reflection on the Strength Card, Pluto’s Lessons, and Saying Yes to the Scary Thing
Leo Sun above, Pluto’s depth below —
I lay my pride on the altar and rise in quiet courage.”
A New Moon Reflection
This Leo New Moon is not about spotlight glamour. It’s about what it takes to shine when no one sees you struggling.
Leo energy is often seen as bold, loud, and self-assured — the sign of the performer, the leader, the lion. But what happens when Leo is face-to-face with Pluto? When the lights are off, the curtain falls, and all that’s left is your own reflection asking:
What am I made of now?
This lunation sits directly opposite Pluto, digging under the surface of ego, confidence, and worth. It might challenge our sense of pride, identity, and creative will — especially if we’ve been clinging to external validation or curated control. It can feel like the Universe asking:
• Are you actually strong, or do you just look like it?
• Do you perform confidence, or do you live courage?
There’s a clash this week between Venus and Mars as well — adding friction to our desires and actions. You might feel pulled in multiple directions, especially around identity versus relationships, or passion versus burnout. Tensions rise when we try to force outcomes instead of facing what’s true.
This isn’t a “make a vision board” New Moon.
It’s a “clean your emotional altar” New Moon.
It’s a check-in with the truth of your energy, your time, and your strength.
Key Takeaways for the New Moon in Leo
New Moon in Leo: Creative rebirth, identity, heart-centered devotion
Pluto opposition: Deep soul confrontation; transformation through loss
Venus square Mars: Polarity tension — internal & relational imbalance
Mother's Mirror
I’ll be honest — I didn’t write for last year’s Leo New Moon, and I think that says everything. Last year, this lunation was also opposing Pluto, and I was in a very different space. I had pulled the Strength card multiple times across various readings — for myself and from others' gracious readings — and I decided that would be my theme for the year.
I wanted to embody it fully. And I thought, “Great, I’ll be strong, disciplined, focused — easy.”
What I didn’t expect was the kind of strength that would be asked of me.
Not the “keep going to the gym” strength...
Not the “write the blog post every week” kind of strength...
The kind that shows up when your whole life breaks open and you have to figure out how to keep being a mother, a creator, a businesswoman, and a support system all at once — while also grieving, unraveling, and second-guessing everything.
That’s what this past year was like.
And it all came to a head last week.
I had just gotten into a good rhythm — my health, my creative projects, my work routine — and then, like life always does, something blindsided me.
A family emergency.
A real one.
The kind that stops time for a second and forces you to reevaluate your entire schedule, your priorities, and your emotional bandwidth.
And somehow, in the middle of that, I had also just said yes to a huge opportunity: reading tarot (not astrology!) at a corporate event for literally over a thousand people. A crowd full of tech engineers — most of whom were probably skeptical of everything I do.
I had no idea how I was going to make it work.
I felt stretched, raw, and unsure of myself.
But I did it.
I showed up. I mingled. I gave dozens of readings, maybe close to a hundred, and honestly?
It was amazing!!
People were surprised. Moved. Curious. It lit me up in this totally different way.
And I realized: this is what strength looks like.
Not having it all together.
Not being fearless.
But saying yes when you’re scared, and doing it anyway.
The crazy part? The very next day, the family situation started to dramatically improve.
My loved one was able to come home from the hospital.
We are finally through the worst of it.
It felt like the Universe gave me a tiny wink — like:
“See? You didn’t crumble. You expanded.”
This New Moon isn’t just about “starting fresh” or “manifesting.”
It’s about realizing what you’ve already survived.
It’s about honoring the strength you found in the hard parts.
And reminding yourself — you didn’t get through all that for nothing.
You’re still here. Still shining.
And now, you get to decide: What does my strength look like now?
Mini Ritual
You will need:
• A candle (gold or black)
• A Strength tarot card (or any lion/sun symbol)
• A small bowl of salt water or wine
• A key, stone, or lock of hair (symbol of your past self)
Steps:
1. Light the candle and place the Card/Strength Symbol upright.
2. Say aloud:
“Strength is not the absence of fear.
It is the truth that walks beside it.
I release the self that thought he/she/they couldn’t.
I bless the self who now says: I can.”
3. Use the water/wine to anoint your heart and forehead.
4. Place your symbolic item at a crossroads, threshold, or on your altar — leave it there and do not look back. (Please be conscious of your environment.)
5.Sit with this mantra:
“I am strong, even when no one is watching.”
🌀 Bonus: Plant the Seed Meditation
“Shadow and Sovereignty” Meditation
A brief guided meditation created especially for this New Moon.
“I honor what I’ve released.
I trust what I’m becoming.”
Available exclusively for Blue Hour subscribers.
Click here to subscribe » https://www.cawnawynmor.com/bluehour
Enjoy a brief guided meditation and collective tarot pull reflection for every New Moon with BLUE HOUR 🌀 Directly to your Inbox.
⸻
Under this New Moon in Leo, may you remember:
This New Moon is a gift wrapped in shadow.
A trial, yes — but one you are built to pass.
Let your strength come not from appearance or perfection,
but from the flame that endures —
even when everything else falls away.
Blessed be,
🌙 Cawnawyn Mor
