Shine Brighter During the New Moon in Leo With a Hand-Crafted Spirit Star

With the new moon in Leo on July 31, get ready to shine. Leo loves creativity and being the center of attention, so you’ll be feeling an urge throughout this lunation to get out there and express yourself. And as new moons are a symbol of new beginnings, take this chance to embrace new ways of creative expression. Don’t worry, homebodies—this doesn’t mean you have to get up on stage and perform for anyone. It just means we need to reach inside ourselves, dig up who we really are, and express that in a fun and entertaining way.

Consider this art project, a natural wood spirit star, as a totem for you to encourage creative expression. Put your all into making and decorating it, and then proudly display it where you can get an infusion of creativity every time you look at it.

How does your moon sign affect you?

MATERIALS

• Five straight sticks of similar length and width (ideally oak or willow branches)
• Orange ribbon (for creativity)
• Yellow ribbon (representative of Leo’s sensibilities)
• Yellow yarn (representative of Leo’s sensibilities)
• Tiger’s eye (to release fear)
• Optional: Feathers, paint, and other craft supplies

DIRECTIONS

• Sustainably source your sticks. Head to the woods and look for branches or sticks that have already fallen from a tree, so you don’t have to cut into a living thing. Barring that, go to a craft goods store and purchase faux branches.
• Lay the branches out in the shape of a star or pentagram on your table. Arrange them until you’re happy with the shape.
• With the orange ribbon, bind the five points of the star tightly together one by one so it holds its shape. With the yellow ribbon, tightly bind together the interior parts of the star where the sticks cross, one by one. Feel free to use a dot of glue at each intersection if you’re having trouble keeping the sticks in place.
• Take a length of yellow yarn and tie one end around the stone and one end around the stick below the top point of the star. You want the stone to dangle from the stick and hang in the middle space of the star.
• If you’re using optional crafting material, now’s your chance to go wild. Decorate the star however you see fit. Really try to let your creativity flow through you. Imagine a colorful glow coming from your fingertips as you embellish the star. Some ideas include painting the sticks, wrapping them in fabric, hanging feathers or tassels from the points—really whatever your heart desires.
• Hang the star in a prominent place in your home where you can enjoy it throughout this lunation.

Happy new moon!

Art by Becca Reitz