When it comes to Leo, Love rules

Most of us are captivated by lions. They emit such a regal presence — proud and confident, beautiful and fierce, strong and fearless. They carry such largess. It’s in their paws (the walk), the mane of golden hair, the love and loyalty to their tribe. When a lion spirit animal enters your life, you know it’s your time to shine.

This is the magic of Leo. For Leo, it’s okay to be seen, appreciated, and loved. It’s okay to be confident, passionate, and empowered. We should want these things — for ourselves and for others. Yet, oftentimes pride and a beaming ego is seen as negative. Too showy, too self-centered, too selfish. When did confidence become a bad thing?

For much of my life, I was conditioned to feel shame if I achieved success in any way. Announcing my good grades was seen as bragging. Wanting to look nice was seen as vain. I experienced a great deal of mocking and sabotage whenever I felt confident, pretty, smart, or excelled at something. It was easier to live in harmony if I remained quiet, and for many years I preferred to be invisible and behind the scenes — using my skills to help others achieve recognition, rather than seek it for myself. It took me a long time to recognize this and understand the root cause. To this day, I still have anxiety when I put myself out there. It’s not easy to open up, trust, and be seen. And as I write this, I know there are many of you out there who can deeply resonate.

Partly because of a great deal of self-work and spiritual exploration, and partly because of my progressed sun transiting into Leo (roar), I understand that true happiness and fulfillment comes from not only being true to yourself, but being true to yourself AND EXPRESSING that truth in a powerful, confident, and fearless way. We should never have to feel shame for shining our light. We should never have to hide from self-expression. We should never have to feel like we can’t be who we are, and we should never deny the self our love. True connection and purpose begins with self-love. Leo is the sun that radiates from the heart, with plenty of love to give and receive. The only way that love can radiate outwards is if the flame is lit from within.

Leo is the flame that never goes out, and unexpressed love feels like a painful internal fire that only damages the person holding it in. Your fire should be able to light up the world around you and not be quenched by fear or shame. Let it be powerful, let it be intense, let it be your truth. ROAR!

Leo: July 23 - August 22

Symbol: Lion

Planetary Ruler: Sun

Element: Fire

Quality: Fixed

Body Part: Heart, upper back

Major Arcana: Strength