New Moon 23 Leo August 16, 2023, 7.39pm AEST

Last Saturday night the Australian women’s football (soccer) team – the Matildas – made history in beating France in an epic game that stretched into 3 hours and involved the longest penalty shootout in World Cup history – mens or womens. It was watched by millions – more even than watch the State of Origin or the AFL Grand Final. It was watched in pubs, in homes, in parks, outside stadiums. The awards ceremony at the Romance Writers of Australia conference was paused for it, and during AFL and rugby league games players on the field were confused by cheers from the crowd who were also watching the Matildas.

We were out at dinner and watched the penalty shoot-out as our (already overcooked) pasta got cold – we weren’t alone. Other diners paused, forks suspended, as cheers came from the Irish pub next door each time our girls kicked a goal or saved a French attempt. A few came and stood by our table.

The loudest cheer of all was when Courtnee Vine landed kick no. 20 to win the game and send Australia into the semi-finals. Later, ESPN had this to say:

In the leadup to the tournament, Vine spoke of her “imposter syndrome” at being selected. After starting the first two matches, she was moved to the bench and spoke during the week of wanting only to play a role for the team, whatever that role looked like, and doing what the team needed. “I did it. I didn’t think I would have to do it,” she laughed postgame. “I didn’t think it was going get to the 10th penalty taker and again, like I said, I was willing to do whatever the team wanted me to do and [Matildas coach Tony Gustavsson] picked me as 10th. “So I stood up.”

On Wednesday night, just 20 minutes after the New Moon, the Matildas will take to the field against England’s Lionesses. They’ll be going in with a home ground advantage, but also as underdogs.

Will they win? It would take a braver person than me to make a forecast as fearless as that – especially with the Sun and Moon joined in the sign of the lion in the 5th house of the game chart. Although with Neptune on the Ascendant in Pisces, anything is possible. Plus with the New Moon squaring Uranus, the planet of disruption, the underdogs will give the English a run for their money. With Uranus in play, it pays to expect the unexpected.

What I was going to write about today was about how the New Moon in Leo is a time to push past emotional vulnerability and imposter syndrome and step up, and about how there’s courage and bravery and heart in that.

I was also going to write about how the square with Uranus at this month’s New Moon reminded me of the lyrics in George Michael’s “Freedom ’90”, lines like:

I think there’s something
You should know
I think it’s time I stopped the show
There’s something deep inside of me
There’s someone I forgot to be

George Michael, Freedom ’90

About how it’s time to forget about faking it, but jump straight into the making it part. George told us about that too:

And after all this time
I just hope you understand
Sometimes the clothes
Do not make the man, do not make the man

All we have to do now
Is take these lies and
Make them true somehow

George Michael, Freedom ’90

And as a Leo Moon, he should know.

I was also going to write about how Uranus can bring about the change that we’ve been needing (even if it is unwelcome) to take another step towards becoming who it is that you forgot to be.

Instead I wrote about football. Heigh ho.