Back To My Roots: New Moon In Leo

Today is a New Moon in Leo, and it’s a powerful one. This new moon is taking place in Magha, a Nakshatra that rules the first 13 degrees of Leo in Vedic astrology. The ruling deities of this Nakshatra are the Pitris – our ancestors. All of this is happening on a Saturday, a day ruled by Saturn. I know that’s a mouthful, but stay with me – it all connects.

While Saturn consistently teaches us to let go of our fears and face our limitations, Magha connects us to those who came before us and realigns us with our destiny ahead. It’s a reminder to honor our lineage, to carry the torch of those who paved the way, and to walk with purpose, knowing that we are never truly alone on this journey.

With that in mind, today is a powerful day to communicate with your ancestors, express gratitude, and remember that you are a continuation of a much larger story.

Why is Any of This Important?

When I was around fourteen, my mother brought some “eccentric” people around. They smelled like sage, wore their hair natural, dressed in vibrant Afrikan garb, and ate things like brussels sprouts – things I had never seen on a dinner plate before. When they gathered, they wore white, played drums, and seemed genuinely joyful in each other’s presence.

My own culture was foreign to me.

I remember the last time we spent time around them. My younger sister and I were miserable. We were at a Rites of Passage ceremony for a boy around my age, and I just didn’t get it. They were dancing, laughing, and celebrating, but my sister and I, with our stank faces, kept whispering back and forth, wondering when it would be over. All we wanted to do was be anywhere but there – preferably at McDonald’s, eating fries and minding our business.

Looking back, I realize we were hangry, uninterested, and ignorant. But it wasn’t our fault. We were immersed in a Westernized culture of fast food, TV, and instant gratification. We didn’t see the blessing we were in the midst of.

Back then, I had no idea why I should connect or identify with my ancestors beyond the paragraph we were taught in school about slavery. Spirituality was null and void to me. The only vague concept of God or Jesus I had came from the handful of Easter Sundays I spent in church with my grandmother. She had a picture of a white Jesus hanging in the house, a china cabinet full of delicate figurines that looked nothing like us, and a coffee table covered in plastic I couldn’t touch. The subliminal messages were there, but we didn’t do culture, spirituality, or tradition in any real sense.

Full Circle Moments

Now, I know that we are the ancestors. I know that as we honor our ancestors, we honor ourselves. I understand that we’ve lived many lifetimes, faced many struggles, and celebrated many victories. I know that energy cannot be destroyed – it simply changes form. And perhaps we are back now to finish what we started, to fulfill the prayers of those who came before us.

That experience in my teens was a reintroduction to the world of Afrikan spirituality, cycles, and ancestor reverence that I didn’t understand at the time. When the call came again, I was in my thirties. I went through my own Rites of Passage as an adult, and I finally learned to reconnect with the traditions I had once dismissed. I am deeply grateful for that experience, but I still wonder what might have happened if I had leaned in a little more, if I had been more open to learning back then.

Passing the Torch

Today is a reminder that we are the children our ancestors prayed for. We have a responsibility to teach the next generation that they stand on the shoulders of giants – that they come from greatness. If we pass the torch with intention, it will burn with a light that no one can put out.

I’m here for it.

Reflect and Journal

• What is your earliest memory of being introduced to your spiritual path?

• What beliefs or traditions have you carried forward from your ancestors, knowingly or unknowingly?

• How can you honor your ancestors in your everyday life?

• What parts of your lineage are you ready to reconnect with or reclaim?

• How can you carry the torch for those who will come after you?

Take a deep breath. Remember, you are a continuation of the prayers of those who came before you.

With love,Anusa ✨