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The sun shines bright, warming the summer season and inviting more play, creativity, and expression. It’s the start of Leo season in the northern hemisphere, and I’m feeling the heightened energy of this time in new, inspiring ways this year. At its best, Leo energy encourages visibility, courage, and radiance, offering all of us lessons on authenticity and self-expression, and this year this energy is being astrologically juxtaposed in unusual and interesting ways. It’s as though we’re all being invited to undergo a powerful initiation, as the cosmic energies support the work of reclaiming sovereignty.
However, despite the vitality and joy of the heights of summertime, I haven’t always been fond of the Leo archetype myself. My dad was a Leo sun, as well as a narcissist who controlled my early life with arrogant dominance and consistently demanded performativity over authenticity. So, I got to know Leo energy through this maladapted lens, consequently considering it to be ego driven and recklessly selfish for the majority of my life, as my learned helplessness and personal insecurities reigned.
Yet, with everything that’s going on right now cosmically, I have been forced to reckon with these themes. I’m having to consider how I might be able to reclaim the energetic potentials of authenticity and sovereignty in spite of my childhood conditioning. It seems the entire universe is asking me (asking us) how I (we) will show up in the world going forward, and it wants me (us) to choose boldly and fearlessly, from the heart. To begin a new quest that requires overcoming conditioning and gaining confidence. Consequently, I can’t help but wonder: What would it feel like to no longer fear my own brilliance?
The Cosmic Invitation this Leo Season
Soon after its ingress into this dynamic sign, the sun is coming into a variety of alignments with all of the outer/generational planets, including: Uranus (Lord of Innovation; sextile, July 22nd-23rd), Saturn (Lord of Discipline; currently retrograde; trine, July 23rd-25th), Neptune (Lord of Visions; currently retrograde; trine, July 23rd-25th), and yes, even Pluto (Lord of Transformation; currently retrograde; opposition, July 24th-25th). To top it off, this is all going to be crowned by our Leo New Moon (sun conjunct moon, aka lunar cazimi) on July 24th-25th as well.
Now, the sun makes a variety of aspects to all of these planets all the time, but this is the first time since each of these generational planets have all shifted signs that these alignments are happening at the earliest degrees of their new signs. This means that all of them are carrying initiatory energy and opportunities for fresh starts. Given that these outer planets with their large orbits are considered “generational” because of how long they spend in each sign, their synchronous shifting has already caught the attention of astrologers world-wide, as it seems to be heralding the threshold of a new era for humanity at large… And I can’t help but feel that the crescendo of solar, Leo influence this week is asking us all, individually, what part we’re going to play in that.
Authenticity, Sovereignty, & Confidence
Regardless of whether you’ve had your own impressions of Leo distorted by someone in your life like I have, it’s true energetic potentials are the core of sacred selfhood. When expressed healthfully, it emanates authenticity, sovereignty, and confidence brilliantly. Though these energies can easily become distorted by ego and fear, their true essences encourage bravery, inspiration, and natural leadership.
Authenticity
When we allow ourselves to live authentically, we are holding space for sacred self-expression. However, it’s important to recognize that this includes all of our emotions, the grit of our reality, and even the mistakes and shortcomings we’d like to overcome. In these ways, it represents more than just delusional optimism or performativity, and instead invites us to be unapologetically real. It requires us to acknowledge that our successes are not in and of themselves that great, because without the raw challenges that we had to overcome in order to achieve them, there is no depth, meaning, or mastery to be claimed.
Sovereignty
To be self-sovereign is not the same as being domineering or controlling. Truly, when we develop the inner leadership necessary to embody this quality, we no longer have the need or desire to convince or command others. Instead, we become powerfully rooted in our own power to influence our lives, not by changing or swaying external factors, but through a resilient faith in our own capacity for change and adaptation. This is the energy that allows us to move through the world with more grace, satisfaction, and compassion. It represents how we are anchored into our values, as well as how that presence of purpose strengthens, emboldens, and assures us deep within.
Confidence
Showing up in the world confidently is not about showmanship or deceit. Rather, it’s the energy available to all of us when we’ve nurtured the kind of relationship with ourselves that has generated unwavering self-trust. True confidence doesn’t need external validation to thrive, and it is just as intact and inspiring to us in times of solitude as it is when we are surrounded by others. This is the kind of energy that leads by example, not persuasion, and it can help us to become more playful, audacious, and brave when we provide it space within our own hearts and minds to grow.
Yes, all of these qualities have their shadows. We’ve likely all experienced the self-centeredness, dominance, and arrogance that can manifest without the self-accountability and awareness that’s necessary to keep human potential in check… But, truly, when we engage with these Leo qualities from a place of honesty and curiosity, they can help us rise to heights. These are the energies that hold space for us to shine brightly in the world, not because we need the attention, but because we have so much to give of ourselves.
The Cosmic Mirror of This Inner Work
Hopefully you’re beginning to understand why I’m so preoccupied with everything that’s going on astrologically at the start of this Leo season. In truth, I’m taking it very seriously because of my own healing potential in these areas, but I’m also aware that—regardless of anyone’s personal connection to or association with Leo energies—there is a lot to be gained from the cosmic lessons available to us right now. So, I’m about to dig even deeper for you:
Sun in Leo Sextile Uranus in Gemini
Uranus is the last of the outer planets to have made its recent shift, moving into Gemini on July 7th after spending over 7 years in Taurus. Yet, this planetary Lord of Innovation is suitably the first of our generational influences to have a conversation with our Leo Sun this week. It began applying (moving into) a sextile (60° degree angle; bringing opportunity, potential, and possibility) on the same day that the Sun ingressed (moved) into Leo (July 22nd), and reached its perfect angle within the first day of Leo season.
This was our invitation, and perhaps initiation, when we were asked to start considering our potential place in this new era of humanity. We may have experienced a surge of originality, boldness, or revelation that inspired us to take a risk, speak from the heart, or begin considering our forthcoming reinvention. Like an intentional breath encouraging a spark to become a flame, this aspect marked the start of something bold and bright in our lives.
Sun in Leo Trine Saturn and Neptune
These two planets both shifted into the sign of Aries earlier this year, and they have also both turned retrograde earlier this month, so I’ve been keeping my eye on them as more of a duo or partnership than as solo influences recently (which will continue through to mid-2026 because of their ongoing close proximity). Individually, their energies are quite different, with Saturn acting as the planetary Lord of Discipline and Neptune serving as the planetary Lord of Visions. Yet, as I’ve tapped in intuitively, their combined force has felt much more progressive and cooperative than challenging. It seems as though Saturn is assisting Neptune in grounding its lofty ideals into practical steps, whereas Neptune is uplifting Saturn to be more optimistic and daring.
This powerful copresence began applying to a trine (120° degree angle; bringing fortune, cooperation, and harmony) with the Sun in Leo the day after it shifted signs (July 23rd), and will perfect its angle today, the same day both our Leo New Moon and the opposition to Pluto begin applying (July 24th). This is adding a high cord to this cosmic symphony, as it’s not only serving to reawaken our mystical clarity but is also refining the structure of our courage. It’s asking us to lead from the heart and align with our most inspired ideals, daring us to ground our most optimistic visions for the future into the bedrock of our own identities.
Sun in Leo Opposit Pluto in Aquarius
The final generational player in this climactic, cosmic drama is interestingly the one that started the shift in tides to begin with. After its two retrograde visits back into Capricorn in both 2023 and 2024, Pluto finally moved into Aquarius for the next 18 years in November of 2024, officially beginning the unprecedented procession of the other generational planets that we’ve seen since. Of course, as the planetary Lord of Transformation, this is well suited to the themes of advancement and fluctuating power dynamics that it heralds in this sign of evolution and interdependency.
As it comes into opposition with our Leo Sun today, we may all experience some intensity, revelation, and the provocation of deep, personal empowerment. Pluto is in retrograde motion right now, bringing these potentially disruptive and agitating energies to the forefront of our own, inner worlds. Truly, it’s challenging us to consider our place in the evolution of humanity, and it’s not afraid to surface our deep, repressed, and most resisted desires and fears in order to inspire us to rise into our true sovereignty.
The Leo New Moon
Then, as though this entire universal orchestra was only playing out to stir up our most profound emotions and stimulate our most extensive thoughts, today the Leo New Moon enters at its end like a cessation of chaos that could leave us breathless and boundless. Acting as a radiant reset, this lunation invites our bravest, boldest intentions for our self-expression, personal sovereignty, and authentic creation. It’s giving us the opportunity to plant the seeds for the life we want to lead, from the heart and for the collective, right as everything we may have been suppressing has been shaken up to the surface.
True, this is not a time of manifestation or culmination, but it is an incredibly potent chance to begin anew. If we accept this invitation, we will be called to live more fully and freely, to dare more confidently and courageously, to overcome our personal insecurities and build a future that is based in something far greater than the fears that have restricted us: our own sovereign will to do better and be better. This is not the time to ask of ourselves what we are ready for, but to reach down into the very core of our being and discover what we might dare from the power of our eternal spirit.
Overcoming Conditioning & Reclaiming Sovereignty
Part of me couldn’t be more excited about this crescendo of cosmic energy, stirring things up and asking us to live from a place of more heartfelt purpose. Still, a lot of what has been surfacing for me as I’ve been considering these opportunities and how I want to show up in this new era are fears. My childhood involved a lot of conditioning in which my truth was suppressed and shamed for the sake of someone else’s comfort and importance, yet, even beyond that, much of my adulthood has consisted of the haunting, personal insecurities resulting from experiencing that arrogance and an internalized desire to never outshine others or draw too much attention.
Of course, like everything, these internal struggles have had a lot of their own ebbs and flows. For a long time, I didn’t even know who I was, so I couldn’t even begin to imagine what being authentic would mean for me. However, at this point, I’ve done a lot of work to become the kind of person lil’ May would look up to and be inspired by… And it’s incredible to me just how much insecurity and fear still lurks beneath the surface of my otherwise reclaimed life.
Regardless of the causes and justifications, I know for certain that I want to show up even more empowered for this coming era. I’m tired, yes of fighting against old conditioning and learning how to continually hold my perspectives accountable, but mostly I’m tired of lugging around so much baggage. Of course, my past will always be where I’ve come from, but I don’t want it to play a role in what I’m able to do in my future. If I allow myself to shine as brightly as my passion burns within me, I will be seen as a radiant example of personal sovereignty. So, that’s what I’m going to do.
Reclaiming My Own Light
I am not my father. I do not need to diminish the autonomy and expression of others to validate my own identity. However, I am also no longer a victim of that suppression, and I do not need to dim my own light to ensure my safety. I am my own person, and though I haven’t always known what that really meant, I have spent decades exploring the extreme potentials contained within me and am proud to have discovered some consistency, balance, and peace at the center of my being.
It’s from this steady and assured strength that I am committing to show up in this new era as a leader, not because I want to be followed, but because I know the light I can emit may help others find their ways through obscurity and confusion. I know this, not because I like the idea of it or it makes me feel good, but because I have been in those spaces myself… And to let that truth shine, with all the radiance of hard-won sovereignty, is not a performance or an act—it’s genuine generosity.
So, as for me, I intend to be more generous. I intend to continue exploring my capacity for strength, resilience, and reclamation. I will choose, everyday, to do the things that nurture my soul and fuel my spirit, gaining confidence as I find new ways to share that nourishment and passion with others. I will rise, like the glorious sun in the heights of its Leo rulership, not to force my brilliance and warmth on anything, but because it is my nature to be brilliant, warm, and unapologetic about where that takes me.
A Leo New Moon Invitation
Today, I’m asking you to join me in making a courageous proclamation of your own, sacred selfhood. Don’t worry about the how, and don’t let yourself get bogged down by the potential challenges or your personal insecurities. Take this chance with me to plant the seeds of our becoming. Let’s get real together, going beyond all comfort and reason, and reconnect with our true sovereignty. Let’s use that to make our intentions for the future, leaving conditioning and insecurity in the past, as we step forward to claim our own, divine will.
I invite you to ask yourself:
- Where have I dimmed my light to belong?
- What parts of me are asking to be seen and honored?
- What does sovereignty feel like in my body, my decisions, my presence?
Let the cosmic harmony of this time, right now, help you to get as raw as possible. Let your truth set you free, and move through the fear, reclaiming sovereignty with me. I hope you will choose to shine bright and be more generous, providing all the rest of us with your own brilliance and warmth too. Say it with me:
“My sovereignty is radiant.
My confidence is generous.
My authenticity is brilliant.
I shine bright and warm, as a blessing to all.”
Conclusion: True, Authentic Radiance is a Gift, Not a Performance or a Threat
Maybe we haven’t had the best examples. Maybe our attention is being constantly fought for by cheap performativity and trends, which are exasterbating our personal insecurities. Maybe arrogance, selfishness, and pride are celebrated for the results they get through force, coercion, and demand… But regardless, by reclaiming sovereignty, we can be different and we can build a future in which these insecure qualities are no longer conflated with authenticity, confidence, and sovereignty.
Through our own honest reflection and personal accountability, we can ensure that our impact is one of service rather than selfishness. By aligning with our own ideals, and committing to the work of actualization each and every day, we can move beyond arrogance into impact, gaining confidence because of our authentic service. It’s with the strength of wholeness and self-trust from our self-nurturance that we will grow beyond separation and become leaders in this new era, finally overcoming conditioning and learned helplessness.
This powerful Leo season, may we all begin to glimpse our true sovereignty, that soon we might dare to stand tall in the truth of who we are. May we seed the future with courageous intentions that speak to visions of our hearts and inspire the discipline to see them become our new realities. May our challenges become our strengths, and the radiance of our eternal spirits illuminate the path ahead.
