Leo is the fire sign of the summer in the northern hemisphere! The three fire signs are Aries, Leo and Sagittarius. Aries is a spring-time sign, representing the initiatory fire that primes our soil for new growth. Leo is a summer-time sign, which embodies the eruption of energy and creative joy while the days are their longest. And Sagittarius is the final winter-time sign, carving a coolly lit path towards new beginnings in the name of the growth and expansion. Leo hangs between the inspiration of Aries and this aspiration of Sagittarius. I like to think that Leo energy holds the sacred light that moves between those qualities. It is ruled by the Sun, which represents our collective heart center. From here, all life emerges and all wounds are healed. This energy is so gorgeous, but must be activated by a fluid and flexible spirit in order to expand generously. What can happen with Leo is that its light can lose its path and purpose. The light hangs over one spot, with the space around it slipping from its memory. Often it is said that people with Leo dominant charts can be ‘self-centered’ but this is not a Leo ‘trait.’ It is happenstance for a sign’s governing energies to be mishandled. Leo energy is very external, so it is easy to create patterns of security and value based on external validation. Compensation can occur here, because of insecurities that our Leo folks may have a hard time facing. If you are not a Leo and this sounds familiar, it is because Leo energy is universal energy and is not exclusive to people with dominant Leo placements. The lesson here is to witness where you want to prove yourself and why. Sit with that discomfort and eventually you will return to your light, which then, can feed everyone around you. Words and illustration by Ilana Koslov.