♌ Leo

Confident, generous, expressive and creative.

Approximate dates: Jul 23 – Aug 22 (the Sun's entry shifts by a day or two each year)
Element: Fire: Passion, action and confidence, driven by instinct and momentum.
Mode: Fixed: persistent and steady, holding on and going deep.
Ruler: Sun
Opposite sign: Aquarius: the other end of the same axis; the two often learn from each other.

"I am a Leo" usually refers to the Sun sign. But the Moon, Mercury, Venus and the other planets each sit in a sign too, and your Ascendant may be Leo, so you can have plenty of Leo traits even if your Sun is elsewhere. Here is how each planet behaves in Leo.

The planets in Leo

☉ The Sun in Leo

You need to be seen to feel complete. There is natural presence and real generosity here, a willingness to show up for the people you love, and genuine pleasure in creating and performing. When the recognition doesn't come, it lands harder than you admit.

☽ The Moon in Leo

You need appreciation and a response. Feeling shows warmly and generously, and you want to be taken seriously. When the response doesn't come, the reaction outsizes the event by some margin.

☿ Mercury in Leo

You speak with flair and make things vivid. Expression carries warmth and confidence, which suits teaching and persuasion. You do, however, like your ideas more than you test whether they hold up.

♀ Venus in Leo

You love generously and visibly, and you like making affection tangible. You need to be appreciated and treated as the particular one; when that doesn't happen, the disappointment shows.

♂ Mars in Leo

You burn for what you want to do, and your action carries confidence and a certain performance. Being seen is what fuels you; being ignored or losing face provokes a sharp reaction.

♃ Jupiter in Leo

Your confidence and generosity are themselves the source of the luck; people are willing to follow you. Exaggeration and concern for appearances are what need restraining.

♄ Saturn in Leo

You hold back on self-expression, wary of looking foolish or unliked. Neither creating nor romance comes lightly, but once you commit it is serious and it lasts.

♅ Uranus in Leo

For the Leo generation, self-expression and creativity are liberated. The barrier to personal style and performance is thrown open to everyone.

♆ Neptune in Leo

For the Leo generation, romance is invested in self-expression, stardom and creativity; theatrical beauty is this cohort's native language.

♇ Pluto in Leo

For the Leo generation, individualism and self-realisation are pushed to their limit, with the tension between authority and the individual at the centre.

These readings describe tendencies based on general astrological convention, not predictions; a natal chart is read by putting planets, signs, houses and aspects together.

Cast your own chart to see where your planets fall →

This week for Leo (weekly horoscope) →

This is fixed text compiled from general convention, not a reading of any individual and not a prediction. For important decisions, please consult qualified professionals.