By High Desert Medium | Palm Springs Psychic Medium
There are days when the astrological atmosphere seems relatively quiet, and then there are days like August 12, 2026.
Today brings a New Moon and total solar eclipse in Leo, creating one of the more powerful astrological turning points of the year. Eclipses have traditionally been associated with endings, beginnings, revelations, and changes that may continue unfolding for months.
And because this eclipse occurs in Leo—the sign associated with the heart, self-expression, creativity, courage, identity, and our willingness to be seen—it raises an interesting spiritual question:
Are you living from who you truly are, or from who you learned you were supposed to be?
For those of us interested in intuition, spiritual development, psychic awareness, or mediumship, that can be an especially important question.
Today’s New Moon and Total Solar Eclipse in Leo
A New Moon normally represents beginnings. It is the point in the lunar cycle associated with planting seeds, setting intentions, and beginning again.
But today’s New Moon is also a total solar eclipse, intensifying that symbolism considerably.
Astrologically, eclipses are often viewed less like ordinary New Moons and more like turning points. Something may need to be released before something new can emerge.
Because this eclipse occurs in Leo, the emphasis is on subjects such as:
- Confidence
- Creativity
- Self-expression
- Romance
- Joy
- Leadership
- Personal authenticity
- Being willing to let yourself be seen
Leo wants to shine.
But there is an important distinction between shining because you need validation and shining because you are expressing who you genuinely are.
That distinction may become clearer during this eclipse.
You Don’t Have to Force the Change
One of the things I find particularly interesting about eclipse periods is that sometimes the best response isn’t doing more.
It’s listening more.
We are conditioned to believe that whenever something feels uncertain, we need to immediately fix it, control it, or figure it out.
Spirit doesn’t always work that way.
Sometimes clarity arrives when we stop demanding an answer.
An eclipse can symbolically obscure what was previously visible. That doesn’t necessarily mean something has gone wrong. It may simply mean that we’re being asked to experience a period without seeing the entire road ahead.
That’s where intuition becomes important.
You may not know exactly where something is taking you.
But you may know what feels right.
There is a difference.
Mercury in Leo: Pay Attention to What Wants to Be Said
Mercury recently entered Leo, adding another layer to today’s energy.
Mercury represents communication, thought, perception, and how we process information. In Leo, communication can become more expressive, confident, creative, and direct.
This can be a wonderful time to pay attention to thoughts that seem to arrive unexpectedly.
I often tell people that intuitive information isn’t necessarily dramatic.
It can be surprisingly ordinary.
A thought suddenly enters your mind.
You remember someone you haven’t thought about in years.
A particular song begins playing in your head.
You feel compelled to call someone.
You dream about a loved one.
A name seems to appear out of nowhere.
Then something happens that gives that thought meaning.
We have a tendency to dismiss experiences like these because they seem too simple.
But intuition often is simple.
The complicated part is our tendency to immediately analyze it.
Mars in Cancer Brings Emotion Into the Picture
Mars moved into Cancer yesterday, shifting some of the current energy toward emotion, home, family, memory, security, and protection.
That is particularly interesting from the perspective of mediumship.
So much of evidential mediumship revolves around memory.
A loved one in Spirit may communicate through an ordinary object, a family story, a personality characteristic, a favorite meal, a particular place, or some seemingly insignificant detail that means everything to the person receiving it.
Emotion and memory are closely connected.
During emotionally heightened periods, you may find yourself unexpectedly thinking about someone who has passed.
If that happens, you don’t necessarily need to decide whether it’s “just a memory” or something more.
Simply acknowledge it.
Say their name.
Talk to them.
Allow yourself to remember.
Love does not stop being meaningful simply because someone is no longer physically present.
Chiron Retrograde: Healing Can Mean Looking Within
Chiron is currently retrograde in Taurus, bringing another quieter theme into the background of today’s astrology.
Chiron is often associated astrologically with wounds and healing.
Retrograde periods tend to turn attention inward.
That can make this an interesting period for examining old beliefs surrounding worthiness, security, self-esteem, and what makes us feel safe.
Sometimes we spend years trying to become someone different when what really needs healing is the belief that who we already are isn’t enough.
Today’s Leo eclipse can shine a light on exactly that issue.
What parts of yourself have you hidden?
What abilities have you dismissed?
What have you wanted to explore but avoided because you were worried about what someone else might think?
Those questions can apply to relationships and careers, but they can also apply to spirituality.
Could Your Intuition Be Asking for More Attention?
Many people who eventually become interested in psychic development or mediumship tell me that the signs were there long before they took them seriously.
They had unusually accurate feelings about people.
They knew who was calling before looking at the phone.
They dreamed about events before they happened.
They sensed someone standing nearby when nobody was physically present.
They experienced synchronicities that seemed impossible to explain.
Or they simply had a persistent feeling that there was more going on than what they could see.
Most ignored it.
Why?
Because we’re taught to trust what can be measured and dismiss what cannot.
Yet intuition is something almost everyone has experienced.
You don’t necessarily have to call it psychic ability.
You can simply begin by paying attention.
Write Down What Comes to You Today
One of the simplest things you can do during today’s eclipse energy is keep a notebook nearby.
If something unusual comes into your awareness, write it down.
Don’t interpret it immediately.
Just record it.
A name.
A dream.
A feeling.
A person you’re suddenly thinking about.
An image that appears in your mind.
An unexpected idea.
A coincidence.
Then come back to it later.
This is one of the easiest ways to begin distinguishing intuition from ordinary mental chatter.
Instead of trying to remember whether you “knew something,” you have a record of what you experienced before knowing the outcome.
Over time, patterns can become surprisingly clear.
The Eclipse Is the Beginning, Not the Ending
Perhaps the most important thing to understand about today’s solar eclipse is that its meaning isn’t limited to today.
Astrologically, solar eclipses are often associated with developments that unfold over approximately the following six months.
So you don’t have to figure everything out today.
In fact, I wouldn’t try.
Set an intention.
Notice what you’re feeling.
Pay attention to what keeps appearing.
Release something that no longer feels like you.
And then allow life to show you what comes next.
There is another eclipse approaching later this month—a partial lunar eclipse in Pisces on August 28—so we’re entering a period in which themes involving intuition, emotion, release, identity, and spiritual awareness may continue developing.
Sometimes transformation begins with a dramatic event.
But sometimes it begins much more quietly.
It begins when you finally listen to something inside yourself that has been trying to get your attention for a very long time.
Looking for Spiritual Clarity or a Connection With Someone in Spirit?
If you’ve been feeling unusually reflective, intuitive, emotionally sensitive, or aware of a loved one who has passed, this may be a meaningful time to explore those feelings.
As a Palm Springs psychic medium, I offer private evidential mediumship and psychic guidance sessions for clients throughout Palm Springs, Cathedral City, Palm Desert, Rancho Mirage, La Quinta, Indio, the Coachella Valley, Joshua Tree, and worldwide.
A mediumship reading can provide an opportunity to connect with loved ones in Spirit, while a psychic guidance reading can help bring clarity to the questions and changes happening in your own life.
Private Phone & WhatsApp Video sessions are available worldwide.
High Desert Medium
Palm Springs & Coachella Valley Psychic Medium
Call 760-898-2172 or book your private session today.
Sometimes the answer isn’t about predicting what comes next.
Sometimes it’s about becoming quiet enough to recognize what your own intuition—and Spirit—may already be trying to tell you.