New Moon Divination: August 5, 2025

I read something interesting about retrograde cycles the other day and, though I’m not fluent in astrology, it made a lot of sense: when a planet goes retrograde, that’s a time when the universe expects us to do the work ourselves. Mercury’s current retrograde starts today and this new moon guidance includes a lot of correspondences with Air – decision-making, reflecting, revising, and heeding advice while maintaining ownership of our choices.

If you’ve got any astrological perspective to add , I’d love to hear it! 

1. Overall Theme: White Poplar, for buoyancy and floating above obstacles. Though it’s not specifically an Air modifier, White Poplar is urges us to consciously make space and create a bit of distance between ourselves and situations that entangle and enervate us. Take a breath, check your anchor, and see what currents can lift you up. 

2. Potential & Allies: Hazel, for wisdom and intuition. In my experience, Hazel is a signal that a trusted friend’s advice is worth considering – even if it’s something we don’t want to hear. This ogham also reminds us that what we need is often hidden beyond the work we’re avoiding. Hazel holds our hand while telling us uncomfortable things and doesn’t let go until we feel safe and steady again. 

3. Static & Obstacles: Holly, for discernment. This ogham is about balance, and I think the static lies in overcorrecting, or maybe in trying to make balance STICK. Think of it like riding a bike: balance is experienced in steady forward motion, not in achieving a singular frozen moment in time. With White Poplar in the central position, Holly here might also point out the risk in not letting enough time pass. Flipping a coin will give you a 50/50 split between heads and tails, but not if you only flip it 7 times and then walk away. Try not to make snap decisions right now, especially if those decisions cut off alternate paths permanently.

4. Letting Go: Silver Fir/Pine for knowing the future. Here’s another ogham that urges getting some height and here, it seems to be asking us to detach (just a little bit) from a specific result. The view from an observation tower can be reassuring, especially if we’re not sure we are moving in the right direction, but it’s no replacement for taking meaningful action. Given Holly above, I think it’s also a good time to be cautious about letting our fixation on one specific outcome cut us off from considering other possibilities. 

5. Helping Grow: Hawthorn, for discipline. A key word here, again, is balance. Or, if you’re going through hell, keep going. You’re going to experience obstacles and unpleasantness along your way, but there is a path forward. Try to let limitations inspire you to protect boundaries and get creative with your next steps. Remember: forcing things out of frustration is an over-correction and will throw you off-balance. 

The key for me, in understanding retrogrades, is that the planets are always moving forward. They only seem to move backwards because of where we are standing while we watch their journey. All heavenly bodies know what they’re doing, and SO DO YOU. 

Brightest blessings,

Nicole

P.S. We’re two-thirds of the way through the year now, and I’m so grateful to be sharing new moon divination each month. If you’re a new subscriber, WELCOME! Please let me know if there are past months you’d like to see, so I can email them to you from the archives.