Leo time brings the time of year that's good for learning about our true heart's desire and our inner nobility.
The Sun leaves Cancer and enters Leo around July 23 each year.
This shift takes all of us from water to fire, from our emotions to our spirits. Ruled by the brilliant Sun, the center or heart of our solar system, Leo reminds us how important it feels to have sunshine, cheerfulness, and warmth in our lives. Also, the Sun, a longtime symbol for divinity, reminds us of the spiritual Sun that lies within each person's heart, making this month a good time to explore spirituality, seek your heart's desire, and consider how you uplift others when you radiate kindness and emotional warmth.
When the Sun travels through Leo each year, it brings a dramatic, fiery energy that inspires us to open our hearts and to express love as freely as the Sun shines its light upon all creation. We move away from Cancer's watery emphasis on memories, motherhood, and emotional security to the Lion's passionate world of creativity, courage, and confidence.
Leo's exuberance and flair for drama push us to seek the limelight in some way in order to share our gifts with others. If we avoid getting caught up in needing applause or basing our happiness on others' opinions and instead keep our focus on generosity and extending what we have to help others, we have an opportunity to connect with new people and enjoy expressing ourselves in new ways.
Leo time also urges us to honor the child within and return to its sense of wonder and innocence. Besides helping us remain sympathetic to young people regardless of our age, tapping our inner youngster gives us an endless source of personal renewal and creative inspiration. This resource can help us remain young at heart, although when taken to excess it can bring challenges by encouraging vanity, selfishness, and a refusal to grow up or take on adult responsibilities. Leo also can become a bully, intimidating others by roaring when it doesn't get its way; it also can exhaust others with emotional neediness that demands endless flattery, attention, or applause, or it may look down on others by seeing itself as royal or superior to mere mortals. At its best, though, Leo warms our lives with a brave and loving heart, inspires us to become our best by setting a noble example, and makes life fun through childlike enthusiasm for any new creative project.
Leo is ruled by the Sun, an ancient symbol of divinity and one of astrology's symbols of authority and the father. This symbolism suggests our status as children of the divine and reinforces our regal, noble origin as children of light on the spiritual plane. As a star, the Sun emits heat and light, both aspects of fiery Leo that give rise to Leo's charisma and star quality--and its link with light, whether the material world's sunshine or the invisible world's inner light of truth and understanding.
The Sun's location at the center of our planetary system gives us Leo's association with the heart, the life-giving pump that sustains our physical existence as well as the focus for our emotions and the center of our spiritual existence. We do best when we "put our heart into" a task or cause, and if we are "stouthearted" we exhibit the steadfastness and loyalty of Leo. If we are authentic (another trait important for Leo), we can express ourselves in a sincere, heartfelt fashion, and if we are brave we exhibit courage--a word derived from a root word meaning "heart."
Leo's symbol, the Lion, gives us the essence of royalty, leadership, and charisma; those born under the sign of the Lion exude warmth that attracts others, and they often show talent for leadership. This sign's metal, gold, indicates Leo's dedication to a high standard of excellence. When out of balance, Leo may seek what is flashy or showy and may become haughty or egotistical; at its best, though, the Lion seeks the best in everything, including potential that lies within friends and loved ones. It also shares its riches generously and joyously with others so that all may enjoy true luxury: of a life free enough from want to pursue both spirituality and our heart's desire.
During each year's Leo time, we feel intuitive impulses to focus on our inner, heartfelt lives.
Each astrological sign is associated with a phrase, and for Leo that phrase is "I will." This energy may be expressed negatively by imposing our will on others, misusing power and authority, or getting stuck in patterns or relationships we have outgrown. At its best, though, Leo gives us courage to follow our hearts and inspiration to use our will creatively in the arts, selflessly through noble acts of kindness and generosity, and spiritually through dramatic yet unconditional love.
Now is the time to embrace your light. You have the gift of a human heart illuminated with spiritual light, and with each act of lovingkindness you increase this light. If you will take up the task of making your heart the center of your life, you will come to understand why the Sun, the center of our planetary system and a mighty, perpetual fire that shines its light freely to all, long has served as a symbol of the Divine One, the great Intelligence that permeates all that is, has been, and will be.
Tune your heart to Leo's joyful spirit in an instant with art and gifts inspired by this heartfelt, noble zodiac sign.
Visit my online art shop featuring the Leo watercolor painting from my astrology book, Follow The Sun: A Simple Way To Use Astrology For Living In Harmony.
You'll find many gifts in my art shop, from colorful wall art and beautiful home decor to helpful lifestyle products and stationery to tech gadgets and apparel.
To see art and gifts for all zodiac signs, visit the horoscope signs watercolors art shop.
And for additional art, including beautiful spring flower photography, go to the main art shop, where you'll see all my art and gift collections.
Tune in even more to the Leo zodiac sign with the Leo Meditation.
Enjoy the meditation now:
It's my Birth Sign
Wonderful!