Leo Season
HEAR ME ROAR
LEO SEASON July 22nd - August 22nd
You know who your Leo friends are because they have definitely told you. Maybe they told you between commercial auditions, or when they volunteered to be the main conference speaker, or in your D&D group chat that your Leo friend started when they became dungeon master. Because everyone reluctantly agrees they are the best dungeon master. The twisty bummer about astrology lions is that they are egotistical, dogmatic, conceited...and often correct.
The kids of late summer know what is owed them thanks to the force of their charm, the dazzle of their faces, and the strength of their will. They are the people in your life who sometimes overwhelm you with ego or annoy you with a persona so comfortably public that it is unnerving, but you find you can't resent them. They are too entertaining.
This season brings fire, righteousness, and extroversion as Cancer exits and all those watery, depressive feelings transmute into passion. So take stock of any anxiety, sadness, yearning, and insight from the last 28 days and turn it into action. Manifest the confidence and courage of a lion and demand to be treated like royalty. Now is the time.
ELEMENT
Fire is wily, tough to control, devastating, and vital to existence. It is the most dangerous elemental because it lacks a dimmer switch, volume knob, or any other device by which it could be tempered, as opposed to more pedestrian states of transformation. Unlike clothing that may range from damp to soaked, landscapes that vacillate between windswept and calm, or the varying degrees of filth on say, a windowpane, nothing on this earth can be 'a little bit on fire.' Fire is occurring, or it is not. If Aries is the youthful spark and Sagittarius the mellower ember, Leo is a flame at it's apex - dominant, mesmerizing, and overwhelming. Candles were practically made for Leo- they're fire for inside, a constant reminder of their singular power and magnetism! This local candle maker has incense cones to match, and the smoke scent strongly connects to Leo's desire for passion and action. Esoteric lions might appreciate something formulated to their astrology or cartomancy profile, and the whimsical, youthful lions will want to keep this precious beeswax kitty in their pocket for emergency use. Alright, Leo, maybe you can pull off being a little bit on fire. Just you, though.
MODALITY
The four directions of north, south, east, and west are representative of constancy and foundational ritual across global cultures, religions, and practices. They are as forever as anything can be - even in the absence of humankind, west will always be west and east will always be east. This is the nature of fixed signs, the representatives of earthly pillars and universal stability that do not change because they literally cannot change, lest all of creation fall into disarray. Aquarius, Taurus, Leo, and Scorpio are the immobile pillars around which everyone else shifts and vacillates, which accounts for Leo's truly stunning intractability and occasional egomania. If Leo has decided something, it is decided, and if you want a different outcome you may have to kill them.
Tiger's Eye helps narrow focus and feeds creative juices, which helps Leo achieve their goals but does nothing to temper some of their stickier personality traits. Amethyst can mellow fiery rage for a Leo uncomfortable with change or feedback, and rose quartz might help them develop a more compassionate stance with the external world, since fixed signs have a hard time internalizing any perspective that isn't their own. For a truly powerful Leo crystal combo, combine tiger's eye with calming blue stones like sodalite or celestite to add harmonious expression and calm rationality to their creative fire. They also just look cool together, and sometimes that's all Leo needs.
DIVINATION
The double edged sword of strength is a often a lesson learned later in life - too much power wielded can turn allies into resentful opponents, and too little will render the wielder a mark and a pushover. The Fool learns to balance force with equanimity during Leo, and to counter opposition with equal parts strength and love.
The Lost Hollow Deck appeals to fire signs and novices due to bright red pictorial accents and bold, no nonsense key words for each of the minor arcana. Leo desires skill mastery and success as quickly as possible, and this deck is one of the most efficient and informative available locally. Crystal assistance in the form of tiger's eye can help Leo with focus and creativity during readings. Because Lost Hollow weaves symbolism from both Thoth and R.W.S. traditions, two Strength cards are included in each numerical position of those practices, which gives Leo the most attention of any zodiac profile in the deck. They absolutely adore that.
STYLE
Leo wants to wear vestments suited to their superior station in life (even if they haven't actually achieved superiority quite yet.) Standing out like a sore thumb is not a drawback for Leo, it is an expectation. For sporty lions this may mean ostentatious athleisure-like wet look leggingfishnet sport tops, and warm-up hoodies with an attention grabbing twist.
Witchier Leos may be more circumspect than kinetic Leos, buy they are no less inclined towards the spotlight. Mixed material kimonos like this one offer a twist on this goth summer staple that will help Leo stand out in a crowd, perhaps paired with a leather top that offers the barest amount of modesty. (Leo has no use for modesty. None.) Though often drawn to the stage, lions will make edgy accoutrement like harnesses work in whatever profession they choose. Once popular, magnetic Leo shows up in a harness, everyone at the office will start wearing them - even Brenda from accounting. Brenda will put a harness over her Live/Laugh/Love shirt and she will love it. That is the power of Leo.
SOUND
A mixture of joy and anxiety permeate the late summer to autumn transition that defines Leo - in part due to gooey August sunbeams contrasting the creeping vegetal decay of September. Assert your dominance and bask in the dwindling light to Leo crooners Madonna and Mick Jagger, courage boosting anthems by Florence + The Machine and Peter Gabriel, and fiery dismissals from The Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Tomahawk. During Leo season, whatever you desire is correct.
Sarah Randall Williams