A Power Wish Amplified Candle Ritual for the Solar Eclipse in Leo in August: Pt 2

August 12, 2026 at 1:07pm Eastern Standard Time, the total solar eclipse begins, peaking in the sign of Leo. Us Fixed Signs (Taurus, Scorpio, Leo, Aquarius) are going to be feeling it the most.

As a Leo moon it’s one 2 days per year where I get to ignore all of the rules of writing Power Wishes, and ask the universe for exactly what I want. If you read Part 1 of this 2 part series introducing Power Wishes, then you both know what they are, and you know that the astrologer that created this method, Keiko, believes that eclipses supercharge your wishes. You’ll also recall my recommendation to be thoughtful and intentional about what you write if you choose to give this ritual a try, because the energy is powerful. So let’s get into it…

If this is your first ritual ever, good — you picked a great one to start with. Nothing here requires special tools or years of practice, just paper, a candle, and a few minutes of actually paying attention to what you want. Once you've written your Power Wishes, you’ll take the paper you wrote it on and place it under a candle. Any kind of candle that is safe and contains the wax safely is fine, just don’t leave it unattended and be smart…because fire.

Set the mood

Before anything else, I put on music. Here's the playlist I made for this eclipse — something with a little movement that’s very Leo coded. I like to play music during rituals to help the shift the energy. For you, perhaps something else speaks more Leonine vibes and so you play that instead. It’s really up to you and the intentions you set as you are the creator of your reality.

Write your wishes

Grab any piece of paper, nothing fancy needed. But before you write anything, it helps to know what Leo new moons are actually good at, so your wish lands somewhere the energy can actually carry it.

Leo's territory, in general terms: standing out instead of blending in, being celebrated for what makes you you, creative talent, romance and drama (the good, not toxic kind), performance and spotlight, allowing yourself to be seen, leadership, and just being genuinely proud of yourself instead of downplaying it. Pull from whatever fits your actual wishes — you don't need to hit all of them, or match any of them exactly.

One important exception: if Leo happens to be your actual moon sign in your natal chart, less of this applies to you. Remember from the last post — your moon sign gets to skip the themes entirely and wish for literally anything. Everyone else, stick to Leo's lane for this one; you'll get your own free-for-all moon eventually. If you haven’t read Part 1, I recommend going back and reading it so you understand what Power Wishes are and how to use them.

Before you get to the actual wish, open with a short statement first — a way of tuning the moon into the power of the words you're about to write, telling the universe what you're asking for comes from a good place and that you want it to help you and everyone it touches. If you want her exact version please feel free to find her book, but this is a version of it that I use am happy to share: “I am certain that the wishes I am making are perfectly aligned with the will of the Universe, and that they are in my highest and best good. Through the wishes I am making, I intend to bring love and prosperity into the world and for my love and power to quickly and widely reach others.”

Then write your actual wishes in present tense, like it's already decided:"I intend to ___."A few directions to borrow from:

On career or recognition: "I intend to walk into my next review and get credit for the ideas I've been quietly carrying this whole team."

On love or romance: "I intend to be swept into something bold and a little dramatic — the kind of story people ask you to tell twice."

On creativity or self-expression: "I intend to share the thing I've been making in private, loudly, without apologizing for it first."

On confidence or self-image: "I intend to walk into every room like I already belong there — because I do."

Use any of those as a starting point, or write your own — just keep it in that same "I intend to" shape, and keep it Leo-sized, Leo themed and using keywords in your wishes that on theme with Leo: uniqueness, aura, joy, star, standing tall, being noticed.

Get a candle

For this one, you will want to match the sun and Leo’s energy, go with candles in shades of red, orange, gold, or yellow, but a plain white candle is always fine in a pinch.

Set it up safely, then light it

Put your candle on a plate or in a heatproof dish, then set it right on top of your written wish. Clear the space energetically, with your intention, a prayer, a smudge of sage or Florida Water, whatever works for you. Set your intentions, play your playlist, and light the candle (after setting the paper with your wishes underneath it) and gaze at the fire. The real magic is you, as in this moment, as you stare into the flame, you should try to feel in your body and mind what it actually feels like to have your wishes fulfilled. When you are ready, release your gaze and let the candle burn all the way down — don't blow it out early if you can help it. That slow burn is the whole point: it's sealing the intention in as it goes.

Pair it with something grounding

Eclipse energy runs hot, and if you're a fixed sign — Leo, Taurus, Scorpio, Aquarius or have anything in your chart around 20 degrees, you'll probably feel this one more than others. Instead of reaching for something that adds more fire, I'm personally tapering the eclipse’s edge with our hybrid variety, CENTER, to stay steady and navigate what will for me as a Leo moon a few degrees short of the eclipse’s, likely be some intense energy.

Close with something creative

Leonine energy asks us to create and to be seen. We are a week away from the eclipse and I can already see how it’s showing up for me, my willingness to share my very witchy ways with the world in spite of my very real fears of rejection and being seen. If you pay attention, you’ll see how this energy is showing up for you, remember, even if you have zero planets in Leo in your chart, it’s still transiting through whatever house of yours Leo rules, since every sign is in everyone’s chart. Invite yourself to something that feels creative for you, take an art class, finish that creative project you’ve putting off, dance in public like no is watching— whatever feels good to you.