5 Ways to Cultivate Your Inner Leo

All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players. — Shakespeare

Welcome to Leo season. The Sun moves into Leo on July 22, 2024 and will transit through the sign until August 21.

What to Know About Leo

Every sign is associated with an element and a modality. These associations help us understand its style of operation.

Leo is the element of fire. As the middle sign of the summer season its modality is fixed. In addition, it is a masculine, or yang, sign.

The symbol for Leo is the lion, from which it gets its name.

It’s ruling planet is the Sun, which means this is where the Sun does its best work.

Even if you weren’t born in Leo season or have any planets in Leo, you still have Leo in your birth chart and in yourself. The area of life that falls in the sign of Leo will encourage you to cultivate the qualities of Leo.

5 Ways to Cultivate Your Inner Leo

Here are 5 ways to cultivate your inner Leo this Leo season.

(1) Embrace the Spotlight

The Sun’s is our brightest luminary. It is at home in Leo because Leo represents the height of summer, when the sun shines brightest.

In astrology, the Sun represents our ego, our exterior personality, and the places where we shine. Our solar nature is how we present ourselves to the world. It is our education, our training, everything we learn and embody.

Leo is the sign of the actor. The Leo part of us craves visibility and the spotlight. It loves to perform.

(2) Find Your Passion and Joy

Leo is an archetype that symbolizes abundance, joy, and vitality. Summer is the most vital season.

Fire is the element of inspiration, action, motion, and creation. It gives us warmth and light, it allows us to cook. It purifies and sanctifies and cleans.

Fire is passion, purpose, and momentum. We “light a fire” under something to get it going. We “ignite” action. We “burn” with passion, with a “burning desire” to achieve some goal. When we have a deep motivation to act, we have a “fire in our belly.”

At the other extreme, we might “burn” with anger or rage.

(3) Be Bold and Courageous

Symbolized by the Lion, Leo brings an energy that is bold, authoritative, and courageous.

The word courageous actually comes from the root cour which means “heart.”

In its extreme, unbalanced state this can come across as self-centered.

In balance this is the energy of confidence: standing in the value of your work and yourself, and allowing yourself to be seen in your brilliance.

(4) Be Loyal to Your Authenticity

As a fixed sign, Leo can be stubborn and loyal. This can channel into persistence and perseverance, one of the crucial elements of summer energy.

That said, astrology Britton LaRue notes that Leo’s loyalty doesn’t come at the expense of its authenticity. Like an actor, we can give ourselves permission to “try on” roles and see which roles fit us.

Perhaps in reaction to the other-facing focus of Cancer season, Leo’s loyalty is to its own authenticity and expression.

(5) Speak and Act from Your Heart

In the body, Leo corresponds to the heart. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the heart is also related to the tongue. When our speech reflects our heart, we are aligned in our authenticity. When we don’t express what’s in our heart, we can feel pain or illness in our heart or other parts of our body.

In addition, as I learned many years ago when a puncture to my hand caused a bacterial infection that almost killed me, the hands and arms are direct extensions of the heart. The blood line from the hand is a direct line to the heart.

The work we do with our hands — what we make — reflects what is in our heart.

Summary: The Work of Leo Season

This is the season to let your inner radiance shine forth, to release the shame and fear that leads to self-censorship and hiding. Leo leads with the heart, takes center stage, and allows itself to be seen in its full radiance.