It’s arrived. The Cardinal Cross astrologers have been talking about for years. First taste: the lunar eclipse in late June. Second taste: end of July/early August as warrior Mars entered Libra, quickly opposing Uranus, stomping on Saturn, and charging at Pluto. These aspects make astrologers shudder. At their best, they foster great determination and effort. At their worst, they’re explosive, violent, and combustible. Mars is a fiery lord. It’s hot here in the Northern Hemisphere. Six hundred fires are raging across Western Russia, elsewhere too. The skies in my Oregon town are smoky. Throughout this week, we’ve all been wicks, ready for igniting. Yet how we’ve blazed depends on what’s gone into the candle.

Someone who’s been feeling victimized may have exploded like Omar Thornton, the truck driver who brought weapons to his disciplinary hearing and became an instrument of death and mayhem. Those who’ve been hiding dark secrets may have suddenly been exposed, like Dominique Cottrez, who admitted to smothering eight babies, burying some in the garden while hiding others in the garage. Those filled with the importance of an urgent mission and allied with like-minded others may have seen a great success, like the team working in the Gulf who finally, after months, capped that leaking well. The name of their mission, “Static Kill” is an appropriate nod to the gods involved. Superhuman efforts are possible with the Cardinal Cross, given you enter the scene with focus, preparation, and a willingness to do your best, as did Masato Akamatsu with his amazing catch. Of course it’s much easier to simply lose your cool, as did New York state Senator Pedro Espada who threw money at angry protestors.

My own candle burned on a much smaller stage. No big dramas. No big efforts. Just a busy schedule and an asteroid belt of small events that threatened to undo me… missed appointments, client crises, emails that weren’t answered quickly enough. Many times I felt an inner mob collecting, eager to start a riot. But gratefully, my inner constable worked overtime, patrolling the corridors of my psyche, offering “Calm down, move along, no big deals here.”

It is the Leo New Moon. It’s our annual opportunity to celebrate our individual star power. During times like these, being a star may simply mean holding ourselves together, offering a kindness when we’re stressed, or digging deep inside our pain to finally extract an old psychological thorn. The celestial picture is always a reflection of our personal picture, which leads to my simple recommendation for this New Moon. With fresh eyes, observe the dramas in your life and say “Yeah, this is my action movie.” Maybe you don’t feel particularly big or handsome or sparkly enough to sell tickets and popcorn. But understand that you’re still a hero. All you need do is rise up and meet your life with the Best Self you’ve got at the moment. And don’t forget to applaud.