The world is your stage this Leo season
This month, astrologer and member Clarisse Monahan delves into the larger-than-life energy of this fire sign
Saturday 22 July 2023 By Clarisse Monahan Illustration by Rosa Viktoria Ahlers
We now move from moon-ruled Cancer season to sun-ruled Leo. The two are as different as, well, night and day. For one, Leo’s energy is very public. Its home is the stage. In contrast, privacy-loving Cancer’s home is… the home. Where Cancer is all water, Leo is all fire. Where Cancer is intuitive, Leo is egotistical. Where Cancer shows care for others, Leo cares what others think about it.
During the big cat’s season, then, we may feel drawn to concerns about reputation, public standing and social recognition. We might find ourselves behaving in ways more dramatic and attention-seeking. Indeed, Leo is the drama queen of the zodiac. That’s not a bad thing. In the attention economy we all find ourselves nowadays, aligning with Leo could help with work and love. Take advantage of this season’s larger-than-life energy, because we head into Virgo season next – a sign of service and hard work.
Leo
This is your season – and your ruling planet, the sun, is lighting up the selfhood zone of your chart. What does that mean? Imagine a pool scene in a movie, where everyone sunbathes, enjoys music and drinks cocktails. You enter the pool area and there’s a sunlounger waiting for you in the middle of all this high-end activity. You sit down and Champagne is given to you immediately. Wow, it tastes like it belongs in The Great Gatsby. Then, the music gets louder. Everyone starts whispering about how good you look. If this doesn’t sound amazing to you, you’re not a Leo. If it does, welcome to your cosmic pool party for the next few weeks.
Virgo
Unlike Leo, this is not your season, since the sun is somewhat eclipsed in your shadowy house of the unconscious, secrets and hidden enemies. You can hear the pool party going on next door at Leo’s place, but you’re not able to attend. Why? You’re planning for your own party next season, when the sun switches into your selfhood zone. Until then, the cosmic energy is more introspective for you. Sun transits through this shadowy part of the chart invite us to reflect on the year, on the progress we’ve made, on the areas of life we need to develop more, and on the path forward to such developments.
Libra
It’s Leo season, and the boisterous Leo sun highlights the friendship sector of your chart over the next few weeks. Imagine a scene from a film to illustrate this transit: it just so happens that Leo is having a pool party nearby. You’ve been invited, so you show up with your crew. Champagne is flowing, spirits are high. Usually, you’re a very diplomatic friend: you listen, you give good advice. But under this big Leo sun – and amid the bouncy Leo pool party energy – you start talking more than listening. You drink some more Champagne and brag a bit too much about your promotion at work (even though your friend next to you just lost their job). This is classic big-ego Leo sun in the friendship zone. Of course, it’s OK to be a bit more Leo with friends this season, but always keep Libra balance in mind.
Scorpio
The dramatic Leo sun activates your career zone (which also has to do with public persona). For you, that means making yourself more seen this month, especially within your career. Good things could result from networking. So, imagine a pool party that your job is throwing to create team-building. Usually, you don’t show up to these types of things (you’re a pretty private sign). But you think, ‘you know, the Leo sun is activating my career zone – I’m going to make an appearance.’ So, you go. A DJ is playing, you sip Champagne and loosen up a bit. And then, your boss comes by for a drink. Referring to the DJ, you’re like, ‘I actually like this track.’ Your boss listens and says, ‘you’ve got a good ear. I want to introduce you to the director of brand sales.’
Sagittarius
The big Leo sun highlights your travel zone. This part of the chart is all about expanding horizons, either through learning or travelling. Let’s imagine a little scenario to illustrate this. Leo is throwing a pool party for its birthday season – and you can’t wait to meet up there. Why? You and the big cat (both fire signs) have pretty much been best friends since zodiac high school. You’re each flashy and fun, though slightly different. Leo is a fixed sign (it likes the party to come to it); you’re mutable (meaning you like to seek out the party). You arrive at the poolside get-together – everyone is laughing and chatting, as Leo holds court in a big deckchair. Near the bar, a DJ plays some tech house (a genre that you usually dislike), but in this context it makes sense. You follow the DJ on Instagram, and eventually get introduced to the music of Nicolas Jaar and Brian Eno. Congrats: you’ve expanded your horizons, aligned with the stars and learned something new.
Capricorn
The flamboyant Leo sun activates the intimacy zone of your chart. While your nature is understated, this is a time of year where the stars are saying: be a bit more Leo in your affections with someone. Imagine a movie scene to illustrate: Leo, always in good spirits, invites you to a big pool party for its birthday season, but you don’t want to go. You’ve heard how these parties end – at 10am on Monday mornings with some randoms. But your partner wants to check it out. So, you show up together and Leo is sitting in the middle of the party by the pool telling stories to everyone. Near the bar, the DJ plays some inoffensive house disco. Your partner leads you to a makeshift dance floor. You both drink Champagne, dance a little, then hold hands. You’ve never been so affectionate, so free.
Aquarius
The showy Leo sun energises the relationship zone of your chart, which deals not only with romantic partners, but also those related to business. Leo is all about being seen – all eyes on me. Yet, your nature tends to shy away from the spotlight. Don’t do that this season. New summits of love could be reached with a partner by making yourself more present. To illustrate this, imagine a pool party down the street. Leo is throwing it – and the gregarious sign has invited the neighbourhood for its season. You and your beloved go. Everyone is having a blast, especially Leo, centre of attention. In the back of your mind, you’re thinking, ‘I need to be a bit more like that, put myself out there.’ You head to the bar. Nearby, the DJ plays some nondescript tech house. You quip to the bartender about the music sounding like two cats yawning. The bartender smiles in agreement, as does your partner, who squeezes your inner thigh, seeing you in a new light.
Pisces
Your somewhat drab zone of routine and diet gets lit up this season by the showy Leo sun. (This part of the chart also deals with pets, interestingly enough). While we tend to make diet and health choices as ends in themselves, Leo energy tweaks this ethic somewhat. It’s the astrological sign of spectacle. It prompts us to make it known to others that we’re being healthy. We could imagine a scenario where this plays out. Say, Leo is throwing a pool party. Everyone is there, drinking cocktails. You show up with your pet poodle. A waiter offers you some kind of frankfurter in a bun. You decline and pull out a little Tupperware of quinoa salad (trying to catch the eye of Leo for approval as you eat). In the end, healthy choices are healthy choices (regardless of motive).
Aries
This is a powerful month for you. Why? One of your best zodiac friends (fellow fire sign, Leo) is ruling the skies for the next few weeks. And what’s more, the sun will be activating the fun and romance zone of your chart. Other than your own season, there is never a better one for you than this, so think of this month as a kind of big summer pool party over at your friend Leo’s place. You hear that there are a lot of people there: Champagne, swimwear, fancy sunglasses and a DJ playing. You show up. It feels nice to finally relax. You’ve been working hard all year. So, you take some Champagne and sit by the bar. Someone takes a seat next to you and asks if you want to play Marco Polo in the pool – or hide and seek. See: fun and romance.
Taurus
Did you know that the dramatic Leo sun activates the home zone of your chart this month? Let’s imagine a scene from a movie to make this transit feel more cinematic. Leo is throwing a big party. You kind of want to go, but you’re more into staying at home. You can hear the music faintly down the street, though. So, you think, ‘OK, let me align with this Leo energy somewhat and do something a bit bold to my place, rather than go to the party.’ You go out and find a fine-art print by Nancy Spero. It’s striking, and perfect for the wall above your work desk. You text some of your friends at Leo’s pool party and invite them over for a viewing of the print and some tea.
Gemini
With the showy Leo sun highlighting your communication zone, expect to feel even more expressive than usual. You’re the talker of the zodiac. And you will have extra fuel with this current Leo placement. You could, however, use speech to seek external validation this season – particularly around the self-promotion that comes with social media. In this regard, we could easily imagine a scene to exemplify this transit. You’re invited to Leo’s big pool party to celebrate its season. Everyone is sitting around, flirting and drinking Champagne, and a DJ near the bar is playing tech house. You show up ready, as always, to socialise. But rather than chat, joke and live in the moment, you make excessive videos of yourself eating watermelon and feta skewers. Please don’t. Use this fiery and fun energy instead to be fiery and fun – and to make people smile through old-fashioned storytelling.
Cancer
The flamboyant Leo sun activates your money zone. This is a show-off transit. Flash and cash. Perhaps you could imagine a scenario where, say, Leo is having a big pool party at their place. Now, everyone knows you’re a bit of a homebody who doesn’t naturally go out. Still, Leo is in high spirits this month, stopping by your house a week before the party and saying, ‘come on, it’s going to be fun.’ You notice how nice Leo looks. And you think, ‘you know, I think I’m going to that party, but I need to get a proper swimsuit.’ So, you go shopping and find something extra nice for the party. Eventually, you make your entrance there. Near the bar, the DJ does a double take in between some 1990s Balearic trance. ‘Cool swimwear,’ he says. ‘But you forgot to cut off the price tag.’