Welcome to Leo season! We’ve officially transitioned out of the soft, watery energy of Cancer season and into a period that’s all about showing up fully in the world, strengthening our sense of self, and celebrating our unique gifts in whatever ways make us feel truly alive. As the sun shines brightly on these dog days of summer, we’re invited to step into the light and take up space (and maybe — if it feels comfortable — show off just a little bit?)
Keep reading for an overview of Leo energy & themes, the Major Arcana card associated with this fiery sign, suggested rituals, and more! ♌︎
Leo energy is bold, confident, creative, and sometimes larger-than-life. It’s the spotlight that illuminates our most theatrical performances — and during Leo season, every day is a performance! Leo energy encourages us to see every sidewalk as our own personal catwalk, every room full of people as a potential audience, and every moment as an opportunity to shine. It’s a fiery sign that pushes forth with courage, creativity, and authenticity, inviting us to embrace and showcase the traits, skills, and passions that make us truly one-of-a-kind.
Leo is a fire sign (along with Aries & Sagittarius), which means that it’s associated with things like confidence, boldness, bravery, action-taking, risk, determination, passion, desire, drive, and creativity. It’s also a fixed sign (along with Taurus, Scorpio, and Aquarius), which gives it a rooted, unshakable quality. Ruled by the Sun, Leo is a sign that’s unapologetically self-assured and unafraid to show up fully in the world. Leo season invites us to let the sun’s rays illuminate all of our shadowy corners — even, and maybe especially, the things about ourselves that we’ve historically felt we needed to hide.
A sharp contrast to the gentle, tender, and inward-focused energy of Cancer season, Leo season coaxes us out of our comfort zone and asks us to step into our own personal spotlight. Falling during the hazy days of high summer, there’s a sense of heightened energy and excitement in the air during Leo season: suddenly, it feels like anything’s possible. A sign of confidence, self-assuredness, and authenticity, Leo invites us to turn down the volume on our inner critic and ask ourselves: what might happen if I refused to stay small or dull my shine? What would it feel like to step out into the world as my full self? Where have I been holding myself back or hiding key parts of who I am, and what might it look like to shift into a more honest, expansive relationship with the world around me? Where am I ready to make myself just a little bit more visible or make my voice a little bit louder?
If those questions feel daunting, take comfort in knowing that Leo energy is expressed differently in each and every one of us, and while Leos are often represented as individuals with big personalities who love to bask in the limelight, that’s only one expression of the sign. You don’t need to be comfortable being the center of attention in order to embrace and embody Leo energy: even the most reserved and introverted among us can partake in and benefit from the fiery nudge of Leo season. With that in mind, you might want to take some time this season to consider where you’re willing and able to expand your capacity for being seen. What’s ready to be shared? Where have your comfort zones become a little too comfortable?
While Leo season might be all about showing up and showing off, it’s not all style and no substance. Leo energy doesn’t push us out onto the stage for no reason — it encourages us to share ourselves with the world around us because it recognizes our inherent worth, and knows that we deserve to be seen and celebrated for being the unique and complex individuals that we are. In a world that tricks us into thinking that we need to be known for something — our work, our accomplishments, our increasingly commodified personas — the fierce, no-nonsense sign of Leo argues that we don’t need to do anything but be ourselves in order to be deserving of other people’s attention and respect. Likes and follows be damned: during Leo season, we’re encouraged to be our own influencers!
During this time, you might want to think about all of the little bits and pieces that make you who you are: not just your publicly-known titles or roles, but the quieter, more personal things and the small-but-significant details. When I think about the people in my community, I’m more likely to remember them for the fun things that I’ve learned about them over the years than I am for their job titles: there’s the friend who loves folk horror and always has a stellar movie to recommend, the customer who’s an absolute pro at thrifting hidden gems and putting together the perfect outfit, the neighbor who knows exactly how to bring people together, and can pull off an epic gathering at a moment’s notice. These are some of the things that make the folks around me truly shine, and we all have those part of ourselves just waiting to be shared.
Leo season is the perfect time to identify the the unique energy that each and every one of us is able to bring to a room — the passions and fandoms that we subscribe to, the way we choose to carry ourselves in the world, the things that we can do like no other — and to fearlessly put those things out on display. It’s a time to stop being shy about who we really are and to start shouting it from the rooftops, so we can express ourselves more fully and cultivate deeper, more meaningful relationships.
The Major Arcana card associated with Leo is Strength, an archetype that’s more complex than its name suggests. When it comes to this card, we’re not talking about strength in the sense of force or aggression, but strength in its many other forms: resilience, endurance, pushing past fear, staying open-hearted, and the willingness to face challenging things head on, to name a few. This card is all about inner strength, which comes from deep inside of us and is directly connected to the heart. It reminds us of the power, tenacity, and ferocity that lives within each of us and that keeps us going when times get tough.
The Strength card asks us to face our fears and to shine a light on the things that we may have been avoiding — which, while rarely comfortable, often leads to a stronger sense of freedom and empowerment. It reminds us that we’re stronger than we realize, and that by following our heart, standing in our values, and advocating for our needs, we’re capable of navigating even the toughest challenges. Like the sign of Leo, the Strength card is all about the power of the self: it asks us to come back to the self when we feel adrift, and to call upon our inner power to lead the way forward.
For the next month, we’re working with an energy that’s bold, confident, daring, theatrical, fierce, and self-assured — so how can we best embrace this season?
We can be unapologetically us, in all of our unique, weird, and wonderful glory. We can practice sharing parts of ourselves that we may have kept hidden, in environments and with people who feel safe to us. We can put ourselves out there by sharing our voices, ideas, and interests with others. We can learn to command a room — in our own unique way — by showing up to every space with confidence and a belief in our inherent worth. We can speak our desires aloud and fiercely stand up for our needs. We can take risks, step outside of our comfort zones, and refuse to play it safe.
Above all, we can identify what it is that truly lights us up, and do more of it — loudly and proudly.
Here are some tools that you may want to work with during Leo season — incorporate them into your life over the next month in whatever ways feel appropriate to you:
Crystals like tiger’s eye (for boldness & confidence), sunstone (for empowerment & vitality), and orange calcite (for courage & creativity)
Colors like red (for fiery energy & passion) and yellow (for joy & positivity)
Sparkly adornments like glitter, sequins, and metallics
Sun-loving summertime blooms like sunflowers and calendula
Bold, spicy, and juicy scents like clove and citrus
Some other activities that you may want to consider during Leo season:
Put on a performance: Ruled by the Sun, Leo is a sign that encourages us to shine our brightest — to take up space, share our gifts, and garner the attention we deserve. This season, think about participating in or hosting an event where you’ll get to be the center of attention, even for a moment: sign up to perform at an open mic, share some of your written work at a group reading, or put a new offering out into the world.
Put yourself out there: Leo season isn’t the time to hide away or to play it cool, but to put your full, sparkly self on display. This season, try stepping outside of your comfort zone and going after something that excites you, even if it feels scary: pitch yourself for an opportunity that feels aligned, ask a peer, mentor, or new friend out for coffee, or join a local group or class centered around one of your hobbies or passions.
Be unapologetically you: The Sun illuminates all parts of us, including the things that we usually keep in the dark. This season, we’re encouraged to be wholly, fully ourselves — no shrinking, hiding, or editing for others’ comfort. Think about what your most authentic self looks like: what would it mean to share that with others and with the world at large? If it feels safe, see if you can step out into the world exactly as you are, knowing that you deserve the freedom to move through the world authentically.
☀️ July 22nd: first day of Leo season
🌑 July 24th: new moon in Leo
🌕 August 9th: full moon in Aquarius
📡 August 11th: Mercury stations direct
📅 August 21st: last full day of Leo season
📅 Dates: July 22nd - August 22nd
🦁 Symbol: the lion
🔥 Element: fire
⛓ Modality: fixed
💃 Archetype: the showstopper
🃏 Major Arcana card: Strength
💥 Qualities: confident, bold, courageous, fierce, self-assured, passionate, creative, expressive, attention-grabbing
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