Leo is the fifth astrological sign, after Cancer and before Virgo. Leo energy is masculine, positive, extroverted. Leo is a Fixed sign and a Fire element, ruled by the Sun.
Leo in Personal Astrology
According to tropical astrologers, those born between approximately July 21-23rd and August 20-22 (this varies by year) are born under the sign of Leo and are said to be Leo natives.
Leo Personality
Leo is a powerful, take charge personality. You can depend on a Leo. Leos get things done. Whether you want them to or not. They will take the lead on any project and find the best way to do it with flair and confidence. Whether you want them to or not, Leo will take over, but not out of spite. Usually, they genuinely believe that they are helping and they want to help. Leos love a cause, a mission, a bandwagon. They will jump right on and take the reins. They want to get things done and if you want something done right, you know it's best to do it yourself. Leo won't leave you behind on purpose. He wants your company. He'll even share the credit, as long as he gets plenty of praise too.
Leos are optimistic, energetic, friendly, persistent, intelligent, idealistic, persuasive and thrive in adversity. They are great to have on your side and fearsome enemies. They are fun to be around, and sometimes annoying.
For the most part Leos are benevolent individuals but they are also extremely sensual beings and may be tempted by their desire for luxuries, sex and personal acclaim to engage in their darker nature. However, Leos are naturally wise as well as kind and though they may stray to the dark side on occasion, they tend to have enough self-discipline not to succumb completely.
The personal energy of a Leo can manifest in darker ways as arrogance, extreme ambition and overbearing, autocratic tendencies. The unpleasant Leo may be an overbearing attention whore, overly impressed with his own accomplishments, belittling or envying those of others. His idealism may manifest as extremism and his persistence may cause him to resort to cunning, lies, stealing or worse, to remove obstacles to his ambitions.
Things Leos Like (and don't)
Leos tend to enjoy the company of children and playful pets, luxurious surroundings, exotic flavors and fragrances and expensive clothing and jewelry. Leos also love the theatre, and may want to be a part of it. They thrive on drama and pageantry.
Leos hate pettiness, and closed minded people. They are generally not going to be pleased about being put on a restricted budget and are turned off by "cheap" people. They get restless when forced into a routine and hate limiting their activities for the sake of safety or prudence.
If you're looking for a gift for a Leo, consider an elegant accessory for their home or wardrobe, a day at the spa or some luxurious spa items, tickets to a sporting event, the theater or a museum. Leos love to be pampered, are attracted to shiny objects and tend to enjoy competitive games and the arts. Which ones specifically, you'll have to figure out for yourself.
Leo Appearance
You can spot the Leo in the room by looking for the confident individual holding court somewhere near the center. He is listening intently with a polite, mildly condescending smile and responding enthusiastically and effusively, maybe sharing a joke, probably flirting. He is in good shape and well-dressed, maybe not to the modern fashion, Leo is beyond that. He wears what suits him best, what gets him noticed. He may have a carefully cultivated sense of carelessness about his clothing. Leo appears tall, even if he's not and may appear younger than his years. Leos are most often good looking and if not that, at least striking in appearance. His movements are graceful, leonine and he shines with an inner fire.
Leo Health Concerns
Since Leo rules the upper back and spine, forearms, wrists and heart, Leos can be susceptible to problems relating to the lungs, heart and circulatory system and back and spinal issues. When exposed to virulent disease, Leo is likely to catch it and suffer unusually high fevers in the process.
Leo in the Sky
The constellation Leo forms the shape of a crouching lion facing West in the night sky. Its head is made up of six stars in a sickle formation. Its brightest star, Regulus, marks its chest or heart area. Following the lion's body toward his hindquarters, a triangle of stars forms his haunches with the furthest and brightest star, Denebola, marking the lion's tail.
Leo is best viewed in the spring in the Northern Hemisphere and the autumn in the Southern Hemisphere, especially around the beginning of March. To find Leo, look for Regulus aka Alpha Leonis or Basiliscos, the brightest star in the constellation, which shines from the lion's heart. You'll find it South of the Big Dipper's pointer stars and Northwest of Virgo. Once you've found that, follow his body upward to the sickle shaped head and back to the triangle haunches.
Leo in Myth and Lore
The Nemean Lion
Heracles, the son of Zeus, was tasked with 12 labors to atone for a heinous crime. The first of these twelve labors was the slaying of the Nemean lion. This lion lived in a cave near a town and had developed a taste for human flesh. It was strong and cunning and, most troubling, had a tough hide the could not be pierced by any weapon. Heracles wrestled with it, pummeled it with his club and finally strangled it and then skinned it using its own claw. Most images of Heracles show him wearing the lion's skin which was as good as any armor. The lion, which was a noble beast of divine heritage (the child of either Orthrus, Typhon or Selene) nursed by either Selene or Hera was immortalized in the heavens in the form of the constellation Leo.
Leo's Energetic Influence
The Moon in Leo encourages us to express ourselves and get noticed. This is a time of confidence and inspiration. If you are staging a play or giving a presentation, this is a good time to schedule it.
If you're gardening, be aware that Fire Signs are considered barren and dry for gardening purposes. They do favor planting things that are grown for their seeds, like grasses, corn or sunflower. Leo is an excellent time for harvesting plants you plan to store for a time; particularly root vegetables and fruit, for weeding to prevent regrowth (especially during the waxing moon) and for preparing your soil for future planting.
Leo Correspondences
- Ruling Planet - Sun
- Color- Gold, yellow, orange
- Number- 1 and 4
- Stones - Peridot, Diamond, opal, ruby, amber, topaz
- Metal - Gold
- Plants - Bay, chamomile, calamus root, cowslip, hops, marigold, mistletoe, saffron, sunflower, cyclamen, willow
- Animals - Lion, wolf, sturgeon, salmon, cougar
- Tarot card - Strength
- Gods and Heroes - Heracles, all Sun Gods, Helios, Ra, Sol, Sekhmet, Bast
Leo in Magick
The energy of Leo can be used to support magical work for the performing arts and courage; especially related to public speaking as well as fertility and childbirth. Leo also supports healing magic aimed at the spine, upper back and heart.
Waxing Moon in Leo
This is an excellent time for spells related to increasing fertility in men or women (but not necessarily for conception) and for increasing one's influence, courage, creativity and confidence. Any spells related to drawing attention to or increasing the buzz about a person, issue or thing (your business, your website, your show, etc.). It's also a good time for spells to strengthen the health of the back, spine or heart.
Full Moon in Leo
The Full Moon in Leo occurs when the Sun is in Aquarius in late January or early February. If you made a New Year's resolution on January 1st, this is a good time to review your plan and do some spellwork to help ensure your success. Magick aimed at achieving your goals and fulfilling your dreams is supported at this time as are spells for good luck in any area.
Waning Moon in Leo
The Waning Moon in Leo supports magick related to dissolving obstacles to your goals, and for banishing disease in the back, spinal column and heart.
New Moon in Leo
The New Moon in Leo occurs when the sun is in Leo, at the end of July or the beginning of August. This is an excellent time to begin a project related to creativity or success in any area, particularly the arts, communication, politics or anything involving you and the public. Magically set your foundation for these projects today!
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