Happy Leo Season! Though happiness may feel hard to come by these days as fascism and climate crises escalate globally, Leo season arrives right in time for us to focus our will toward liberation. Prides of lions often face harrowing circumstances and precarity, and their loyalty to one another becomes paramount during these times. We are going to need many strong, aligned leaders in the years to come, and this season will encourage us to get very real about what that looks like individually and collectively. We will be given ample opportunity to embrace leadership roles within our pride this month. In contrast to Leo’s desire to take the lead, two of the mutable signs—Virgo and Gemini—will be dominating the astrological weather. Unlike fixed-values-system Leo, these Mercury-ruled signs are prone to ethical inquiry and adaptation. Mercury’s retrograde from the 4th until the 28th in Virgo will likely take what could (in another life or another world) be a reliable time to focus on our personal happiness, and turn it into a three-week-long intensive around our role in the revolution. One lion, no matter how fierce, is still vulnerable, whereas a pride of lions is much more formidable—doubly so without internal conflict. If we work on the intra- and interpersonal things we need to this season, we will become a larger threat to the ruling class. This season will be about finding when, where, and how we need to do so, and the full moon in Aquarius on the 21st will encourage deeper solidarity with our friends and associates who are equally dedicated to taking decisive action.
ARIES
Aries’ relationship with their own fire can be a bit frightening, as it is often less predictable than Leo’s fixed and hyper self-aware way of moving through the world. This month you might feel torn between learning from Leo’s steadiness and the chaos offered by your ruling planet Mars’ transit through Gemini. The good news is you are quite capable of doing both! This season, become someone who can be relied upon to cause the kind of chaos that disrupts inequitable systems and structures.
TAURUS
This month, Venus’ transit through fellow earth sign Virgo and the sun’s movement through your fellow fixed sign Leo will pull you out of a state of self-indulgence. Both of these signs can be very demanding, and your stubbornness will either be an asset or liability. The full moon in Aquarius on the 21st could be particularly impactful in this regard, as you will be asked to reconcile your earthly desires with the airy Aquarian imperative to care for the collective.
GEMINI
On the 14th, Mars (planet of action) and Jupiter (planet of luck) will align in your sign, so expect the unexpected. You may find that things in your life suddenly align in a way that supports your happiness and success in surprising ways. Leo season is about to put wind in your sails, but luck can only carry you so far. Make sure that your ship is safe before you cast off from the shore. A ship does not and cannot sail alone, so be sure to show gratitude to your support system for helping you stay afloat.
CANCER
The sun’s transit through your 2nd house this month is bound to bring up issues around self-worth and material wealth. We are unfortunately conditioned toward individualism, and you may struggle to ask for help due to (quite reasonable) self-protective crab traits. For you, this season is about building solid shared foundations. Show yourself the same care and understanding you show others so that you can focus on the satisfaction that arises when your physical body and emotional body are well supported to participate in—and contribute to—a community structured around mutual support.
LEO
Happy You season, Leo! You’re an icon, a legend, and like your ruling celestial body (the sun) a bright demonstration of the energetic potential. The new moon in your sign on the 5th is a good time to release self-sabotaging behaviors, namely the Leo tendency to vacillate between self-assurance and fear of embarrassment or abandonment. Your capacity to love can be such an asset when you are willing to risk being embarrassed. Be authentic despite the risk, and watch the universe offer you relationships and circumstances that uplift your potential.
VIRGO
Both you and your ruling planet Mercury respond quickly to information, which is to your credit, unless you tend to react according to a set of rules that is arbitrary at best and incomprehensible at worst. Mercury will retrograde from the 4th until the 28th, and this transit will make you face the parts of your life that require a higher level of integrity, both in your values and your actions. If you make a commitment, keep it; but try to not overextend yourself while you are going through this transformative moment.
LIBRA
Stereotypically, Libra and Leo share the inclination to indulge and an attraction to opulence. This month you might feel inclined (potentially as a coping mechanism) to lean into your most fabulous life. Our joy can and should exist in contrast to the terrors, but you could struggle this month to reconcile your happiness with the current social and political demands of our society. The full moon in fellow air sign Aquarius on the 21st could offer a sharp reminder that all the fabulous things you have to offer aren’t valid or sustainable if they aren’t actively applied to community care.
SCORPIO
The sun’s transit through your 10th house this month could cause discomfort. Your traditional ruling planet Mars will be transiting impulsive Gemini all month, which is not necessarily conducive to meeting the demands of your career and public image. You may want to take it easy in this department to avoid scandal or upset, but this could also feel unnecessarily restrictive. Take calculated risks and stay true to your values, and minor actions with major consequences might lead to an increase in your influence and impact, landing you exactly where you want to be.
SAGITTARIUS
Fire seasons can be quite a treat for you, as your playful and exploratory nature is able to find its natural groove and keep it going. Your creative projects, your desire for adventure, and your freedom are all being given a green light this month as the sun transits your 9th house. Embrace all possibilities as deeply as you can without going off the rails. Your path is relatively unrestricted, but all paths need at least a loose destination. Ask yourself: Would I rather be restricted to rails I didn’t build, or shall I build some myself?
CAPRICORN
This time of year might fall short of your expectations. The sun is shining, but it’s too hot. Opportunity knocks, but runs away before it can be embraced. The sun is transiting your 8th house, which is often associated with fear and loss. There is nothing more frightening to a Capricorn than wasted time or missed opportunities, and this month could potentially challenge you to relinquish control and accept that pain and disappointment are inevitable. You are as powerful as ever, but sometimes that power needs to be used for internal maintenance.
AQUARIUS
Leo and Aquarius are sister signs, and their positions at opposite ends of a spectrum concerned with ego and self-knowing represents an inquiry as old as time. What proportion of energy dedication to self or other is optimal for solving the human condition? This season, and particularly the full moon in your sign on the 21st, will press you to answer this question—and your relationships are often the most reliable source for answers. Let your friends and comrades inspire and guide you, and if they ask you to put yourself first, listen.
PISCES
You might fall prey to one of the most divisively stereotypical Piscean traps this month—dissociation. And who can blame you? It can be very difficult to understand and feel things at the level you naturally do, and our bodies can feel like a burden in the face of so many somatically harmful experiences. The sun’s transit through your 6th house this month will pull you back down to Earth and your body, potentially through sickness or injury. Embrace this yearly check-in with the physical realm, particularly if you can see all the ways it will serve you (and your body!) in the long term.
illustrations by Anneliese DePano
