Open Hearts: New Moon and Venus in Leo

Get ready for some gushing! Sentimental Venus, planet of love, has just entered romantic Leo for a month. Passionate feelings will come out into the open, and there won’t be much holding back. Hello, summer flings! The excitement will be palpable, and for the most part, harmless. However, there could be a roaring temper tantrum or two that peacemaker Venus will need to settle. Since both Venus and Leo love a good party, there could definitely be moments of excess with food, drink and merriment. If your friend ends up sobbing in the corner after one too many mojitos — or dancing on the bar with a lampshade on her head — well, we have just two words for the month ahead: designated driver.

This weekend is especially festive and exciting, thanks to Saturday’s Leo new moon. This new moon gives us all a shot of courage — the push to fight for what we want, stand up for our beliefs and boldly assert ourselves. There could be an ego trip or two along the way, but mostly, the Leo new moon helps us declare our dreams aloud. That’s the first big step in making them happen, anyway: You’ve gotta own them. With fearless Leo on our sides, we’re saying them loud and proud!

But will it be all talk and no action? Not necessarily. Mercury, planet of communication and the intellect, is now in organized Virgo, helping us add a little structure and realism to those grandiose visions. Heads-up, though: Mercury is going retrograde from August 2 through 26, which can cause mayhem with travel, technology and communication. Spend some time this weekend backing up your computer, double-checking vacation plans and protecting yourself against any data losses that can come with that territory.