How to Use Astrology to Deepen Your Creative Process
Mercury retrograde, a new moon in Leo, and a Notes app full of ideas.
If you’re anything like me, you have a folder on your desktop full of half-formed ideas, projects you’ve started and put aside for one reason or another, that one thing that’s almost finished but just needs to be regarded by a fresh set of eyes, random thoughts you recorded in your Notes app in the middle of the night, etc. To wit:
And if you’re everything like me, you know that Mercury is currently retrograde until August 11, and today — Thursday, July 24 — is a new moon in Leo.
Each new moon is a new beginning, a time to plant seeds of intention for that which you want to make manifest. The theme of this particular new moon in Leo is one of transformational creative self-expression. This is a time to lean into your authenticity. Stop playing small.
At the same time, the sun and the new moon will also oppose Pluto, which is retrograde in Aquarius. Pluto rules the underworld, the shadow self, the cycles of death and rebirth, and the unconscious. This transit asks us to take a good look at what might be holding us back from expressing our true selves and work through it.
The new moon also forms a trine with Neptune, which is very helpful for creativity, and a sextile with Uranus, which can help us and break old patterns.
And then, of course, we have Mercury retrograde. Even if you know nothing about astrology you may know that this isn’t a great time for travel, tech stuff, or signing important contracts. But it is a great time to review and reassess things, especially if those things have to do with writing or communication.
All of which makes this the perfect time to go back through that ideas folder on your desktop and review each one to see if it still speaks to you and if it’s worthy of your attention.
Ask yourself:
Does the project still feel aligned creatively and thematically?
How have you changed since you last regarded the project?
How has your view of the subject matter shifted (if at all)?
As you contemplate the project, what new insights do you have?
When you think about working on something for the next six months, does this project excite you?
What scares you about this project?
Why have you let it fall to the wayside?
How is this project transformative?
Your answers should help you choose one or two projects you’d like to revisit at this time.
The seeds you plant now will come to fruition in six months, at the full moon in Leo on February 1, 2026.
Let me know how it goes for you!
I’ll be developing my octopus-AI-hybrid story.
Until next time,
Tara
P.S. if you want some more astrological info, I like to listen to Ghost of a Podcast. There’s a whole episode on the new moon in Leo.
Hi Tara, I have no idea how I stumbled on your post today, but I needed to see it! I'm currently birthing a creative endeavor (I'm self-publishing a book!) and this has clarified why I might be experiencing some hiccups. Though I'm not a lover of Mercury in Retrograde, it's a needed reminder that I can give myself some grace to slow down and double-check my work. I'm not in a race with the speediest planet after all!
Hey Tara, I love astrology and I absolutely adore how you weave it into your creative process! I just subscribed to you, and I'm totally riding that new moon in Leo energy right along with you. Your words inspire me to revisit those half-finished projects with fresh eyes and a fearless heart. Excited to see where this lunar energy takes all of us and I can’t wait for your octopus-AI-hybrid story to unfold. Keep shining and sharing your magic!