Musings on the Leo New Moon

Happy new moon in Leo everyone! 

A couple weeks ago I was visiting Toronto for the first time in a while, always a slight adjustment coming from the solitude of cottage life into the hustle and bustle of the city, with its stark reminders of the pandemic we’re living in with all its masks and signs.

As I walked home slightly in a daze from taking in Toronto’s reality, an elderly man, probably in his mid-eighties, asked if I could hear him through his mask and social distance. A frail-looking man, I thought, poor him, he’s probably feeling really nervous and needs directions or something. I said ‘Yes, I can hear you! Can I help you with something?”. 

“What did one chromosome say to another?” He asked. Slightly taken aback, I said “What?”

“Do these genes make me look fat?” he responded. 

Oh how I cackled on the street haha! I wish he could have seen my massive smile behind my mask. He proceeded to tell me two more jokes and his final words to me were - “we live in Canada. If we can’t laugh, what else do we have? But laugh too much and people will think you’re crazy!” he said with a wink as we parted ways. 

After the initial tears in my eyes faded after having needed this reminder of what humanity is at its core, my second thought was ‘this guy must have a lot of Leo in his chart haha!’

Leo is the sign associated with play, with creativity, with joy. Letting the heart and one’s desires lead the way, relishing in the pure joy that it is to be alive. This elderly man epitomized this to me. Here was a man, in the most vulnerable bracket susceptible to Covid, and not only was he the first stranger to talk to me without a guise of suspicion, but he genuinely seemed to be loving life. He filled me up with joy by giving me the gift of experiencing his pure joy. 

For the last year or so, I have wanted more playfulness in my life because, truthfully, I haven’t been feeling that way at all. Last summer I spent a wad of cash on buying various paints and I was determined to PLAY. But when I came to the blank page, it was so unnatural and forced it actually caused me more stress haha! I told myself “just play, Faye!” And yet that somehow became a pressure. It’s like telling someone ‘just feel better!’ Umm, so not helpful when you’re in the thick of it. 

Then this week something started to shift. On Saturday it was what’s called a “Goddess Day,” where the Moon and Venus occur in the same spot in the sky once a month. I decided that despite living alone in the woods, I was going to wear my most beautiful and sexiest dress all day. And I had a BALL!

As the dress flowed in the breeze and made me feel sexy AF, I felt so joyful. I went into the garden and looked at the flowers about to bloom and felt joy at the thought of them bursting any day now. I smoked a bit of pot and took the paddleboard out on the lake and was losing my mind with happiness at seeing how these magical lily pads emerge from the bottom of the lake into these glistening green spirals, eventually to blossom into a lily pad. It is honestly one of the coolest things I’ve seen! 

By the end of the day as I sat outside eating my dinner, still in my fancy dress, my favourite red squirrel who somehow eptiomizes pure joy to me, sat on its hind legs and ate this pinecone maybe four feet away from me. I laughed so hard at this picture of me and the squirrel, eating our respective dinners side by side, just… loving life! And then I finally saw how I have been going about this backwards. 

I wanted to feel playful, a lightness inside, so that it could fill me joy. But what I realized from that pleasure-filled day was that I need to start with what brings me joy, to then feel playful! Sitting down with a box of paints wasn’t going to fill me with joy. That was forced playfulness (an oxymoron?) But putting on my dress filled me with joy. I then started to feel sexy, playful, prancing around in the garden pretending I was a forest nymph. I felt joy at having the luxury to be able to immerse myself in nature, which inevitably made me feel more playful even if I was “just” playing with the squirrels and dragonflies. 

So with this new moon in Leo, I’m going back to basics. Of honouring the simple things that bring me joy, no matter how trivial they may seem. I honestly think I”m just going to start wearing fancy dresses every day haha! And you might be able to tell that nature is a huge source of joy to me ;) Whatever brings us joy is unique to us, but I encourage you on this new moon to explore what things may bring you joy, big or small, and to take a moment to really feel that joy.


It may be seeing your dog sleep dreamily. It may be combining fresh raspberries with dark chocolate. It may be seeing your child laugh or learn to count. It may be seeing your partner succeed, or by being there for them when they falter. It could be talking to the squirrels or taking the time to really look at how playful Mother Nature can be when we only stop and look. 

Whatever it is, however small or grand the feeling is, take the time to honour it. That simply observing what brings us joy can lead us into playful, desire and pleasure-filled realms that are always there waiting for us to explore. The simple act of putting on a dress led me into a playfulness I haven’t experienced in quite some time. You never know what awaits you on the other side when you take the time to start exploring. 

But I guarantee you that old man is there, waiting with open arms, smile wide, with his roster of jokes lined up. And I can’t wait fucking wait. 

Much love always from a forest nymph’s heart, 

Xx Faye