Leo Season: Under the Reign of the Sun
Sun, Sun, Sun . . .
The sun (our vitality, source-light, solar fuel) is hanging out in Leo, where it also finds its home. This means that when the sun is in Leo, it uses its own fuel and has pure access to the solar prerogative. As we know, all signs have planetary rulerships. But, what do we mean when we say that the sun rules Leo?
Leo is a sovereign sign and holds within it the energetics of kings and queens who reign supreme over their kingdoms. The lion is the very embodiment of pure animal power and magnetism. A (good) ruler oversees, cares for, attends to the needs of his or her subjects and so the sun cares for Leo.
And so now let’s ask: What does the sun want? What’s its agenda and desire? All celestial bodies have tasks that they want to carry out and ways they want to live. Just like us. The sun wants to shine, to be vibrant, to give life, to create. It’s generous that way. It also wants to be seen. So seen.
What is the Self?
Leo falls in the middle of the season and is a fixed sign. There’s a solidness to it, an unwavering steadiness to the reign of its light. The idea of the self gets stabilized and solidified in the sign of Leo. It’s where we differentiate the one from the many.
The sun needs us to behold it. How do you shine in the world? The place where your sun shows up on the map of your natal chart offers clues about the fuel of your boat and from whence the fuel comes — how you move from here to there and shine on, you crazy diamond. Shine on, Leo says and also, watch me shine. The generosity of the lion is in its ability to grant us access to the uniqueness of ourselves via the bright light of his reflection, the shake of that stately mane.
The sun illuminates everything, undiscriminating in what it highlights. We revolve around it and when it shines directly upon us, we feel blessed, seen, alight with some universal truth-nutrient. The higher intelligence of the sun feeds us.
What is spirit? You think you might know when the sun shines directly on your face.
Ah, but with blasts of solar illumination comes the possibility of blindness – everything awash with white light, white heat. Sun spots, sunburn, sun poisoning, a blown-out photo. It is hard to turn away from the sun, though we can never look directly at it. Ouch.
The Realm of the Spirit
The beliefs of our astrological ancestors tell us that the sun is spirit, the highest realm, the realm of the perfection that is beyond human, while the moon is associated with the material world, the ever-changing states of our own fortunes, events, and emotions. The sun reminds us that we are not eternal and that we oh are so very eternal.
The dark side of the Leo archetype is a self-centeredness, a narcissism, the cool control of fire. One gets hypnotized staring at the center of the flame, the belly of danger and life. One cannot remain forever in the center and at some point, we all become one of the many, our identities ever-oscillating. Leo sits directly across the wheel from Aquarius, its polarity. The one (Leo) vs. the many (Aquarius). Anyone who has ever had a moment in the public eye knows the sourness and comfort of realizing that it doesn’t truly matter, that we are all one and the same. Whereas for Leo, it’s personal.
Leo Season Questions
How do you shine in the world?
Where is the sun in your chart (house and sign)?
How do you use your solar fuel?
When do you feel centered?
Where are you one of the many?
How do you rule over your kingdom?
What do you behold in awe and wonder?
What takes you under its beams?
What is your relationship to fame?
About the Author
Emmalea Russo (she/her) is an artist, writer, and astrologer. After her whole system got shocked by her first grand mal seizure at age 19, she started to wonder how the stars and planets influence our minds and bodies. Her interdisciplinary work focuses on edge spaces in human consciousness, art, and epilepsy. Her books, which combine visual art and writing, are G (2018) and Wave Archive (2019). She received her MFA from Pratt Institute and has been an artist in residence at Lower Manhattan Cultural Council and 18th Street Arts Center.
She has taught classes and workshops on the creative process at RA MA Institute, Parsons School of Design, The Art Institute of Cincinnati, and elsewhere. She writes about astrology, art, and culture at The Avant-Galaxy Journal and hosts The Avant-Galaxy Podcast. She lives between the New Jersey shore and Los Angeles. Book a chart reading or astroplanning session with her here. A version of this piece first appeared on Emmalea’s journal, The Avant-Galaxy.
