FIND YOUR RISING SIGN TO SEE WHAT LEO SEASON HAS IN STORE FOR YOU!
This month, you’ll be exploring two archetypes of authority represented by Leo and Virgo. These lessons hold great value despite Mercury’s antics; Aries risings are born leaders, after all! Mercury enters its home sign of Virgo on July 25th, and quickly goes into retrograde on August 4th. Virgo is a practical leader who aims to be of service to her community. She utilizes her wisdom and communication skills to get the most out of each day, nourishing the people around her. Now is a good time to focus on how you can better utilize your gifts to create symbiotic relationships that nourish you both. Considering how you take care of yourself might give you some inspiration. Mercury retrogrades into Leo on August 14th, moving your focus onto solar authority. Leo is the heart of his community. He is seen as a leader for the warmth and positivity he emits, filling the cups of others without emptying his own. He gives freely because his source of love is limitless. How can you foster your own inner light so you can give in the same way? Pour into yourself these next few weeks and see how this helps you help others.
Allies for the Season: You’ve Got the Power Pyrite Gem Essence, Blackjack Hearth Candle, Small Spells Healing + Self Help Book
Your attention is once again pulled towards your inner world and meeting your own needs this season. Mercury goes into retrograde this month, moving from your Fifth House into the Fourth. The Fifth House pertains to Leo and all its themes, such as self-expression, creativity, and romance. How can you express your individuality in a way that makes you feel seen or heard? What kinds of expression can you practice with love, and see that love returned to you through appreciation? Being Venus-ruled, Taurus risings have a natural affinity for the arts, and it would be a shame not to utilize it. Experiment with different mediums and see which ones resonate deeply. Venus herself enters the same house on August 4th, so all the inspiration is at your fingertips! When Mercury regresses into your House of the Home around August 14th, see if you can connect with a past self that may need acknowledgment or release through what you’ve been exploring. Bringing those thoughts and memories into the physical world in some way can be more cathartic than you might think.
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Anyone with strong Gemini placements is going to value communication. Even if you’re not the strongest communicator yet, transparency and human connection are important to your wellbeing. Leo Season will give you the opportunity to fine tune these skills and use them to express and release emotion. The conduit for this growth is your old frenemy, Mercury retrograde. Being Mercury-ruled, these transits will affect you on a more personal level. The best thing to do is utilize the discomfort for the purpose of transformation. When the retrograde begins on August 4th, Mercury will be in your House of Emotions. Try to get out of Gemini “brain space” and connect with your underlying emotional currents. The New Moon in Leo may be a good friend to ask for assistance. Embrace vulnerability and treat yourself gently, without criticism. After Mercury retrograde comes home to your House of Gemini on August 14th, practice talking about them with a trusted friend or family member. Notice the benefits of including emotion in conversation, in comparison to a Gemini fact fest. There’s room for both, and doing so will only strengthen your connections, and the power of your words.
Allies for the Season: Putnam & Putnam Vibrant Intentions Candles: Jasmine, Radical Love Rose Quartz Essence, Botanica Cimarron Plant Medicine Elixirs: Weaving Minds
Cancer risings are sensitive people, usually affected when their environment or community are disturbed. You can diminish this effect by becoming secure in your own behavior. Knowing you move and speak with pure intention leaves much less room for the spiral over whether you did/are doing something wrong. Mercury retrograde begins in your Third House on August 4th; this House is associated with Mercury who will be at home in Virgo, so the energy will be intense. Pay special attention to conversation during this time. Take note of what makes you leave a discussion feeling satisfied, and what behaviors seem to make people feel respected and heard. If you make a mistake, embrace it; you can learn from this without taking on shame. Mercury will regress into your Second House around August 14th, at which time your focus shifts to security. Whatever activities and routines make you feel stable, bring ‘em on! As you increase self care and grounding rituals, observe how this affects your mental wellbeing and communication.
Allies for the Season: Rough Smoky Quartz, Putnam & Putnam Vibrant Intentions Candles: Mint, Spirits Calling Kyanite Gem Essence
This season is all about authenticity for Leo risings. Now that you’ve wrapped up the last cycle, another begins, and what better way to start off than as your truest self? Mercury retrograde begins in Virgo in your House of Taurus on August 4th, the same day Venus comes home to the same House. Venus in Virgo in the House of Taurus offers some stabilizing energy to help you stay grounded, as well as encouragement to embrace the beauty in imperfection. Virgo and Leo placements tend to adopt overly high standards, but they operate best when they pursue ingenuity over flawlessness. Taurus reminds us that being confident in our natural selves is sexy, despite what our brains might tell us. Try to be extra gentle and loving within your self care practices during this time. Mercury retrograde moves into Leo on August 14th, bringing in First House themes of identity. Allow yourself to be introspective, and reconnect with the essence of who you are. Ask Venus in Virgo to help you bridge the gap between your environment and your authentic self - Leo warms and sustains his surroundings, never playing a minor role.
Allies for the Season: Leo Astrology Essence, Bloodstone Tumbled Crystal, Most Triumphant Spell Scrub
Virgo risings are ruled by Mercury, making its retrogrades hit a little closer to home. They may bring you discomfort, but they will also offer you greater wisdom and growth. This will be especially true for this Mercury retrograde in Leo, as it begins in your First House and ends in your Twelfth. Sure, it’s an upheaval, but it can also be a beautiful way to find closure and renewal. Venus offers assistance in this endeavor as it moves into Virgo and your First House on August 4th. I love when Venus is in the First House - life just seems a little dreamier, and easier to romanticize. Try to lean into that energy as Mercury goes into retrograde that same day. I recommend thinking about what energy you’d like to foster in your new chapter during this first part of the retrograde. This includes goals, routines, passions, values, anything that you feel is important to work towards. Maybe you could lean into the Venusian and Solar vibes and make a vision board. When it enters your Twelfth House around August 14th, let your focus shift towards what needs closure so you can move forward. Shadow work and releasing rituals will help you make space for new opportunities - it’s worth the retrograde weirdness, promise!
Allies for the Season: Carnelian Tumbled Crystal, Counter Magick Banish: A Room Spray for Clearing, Letting Go Magic Hour Candle
After spending plenty of time working towards growth and self-sufficiency, you’re ready to look towards the future with confidence. This might sound kind of far-fetched with Mercury retrograding this month, but if nothing else, these transits provide a good time for introspection. In your case, this retrograde will offer closure and transformation, so long as you’re willing to take a breath and dive in. You’ll receive support from your chart ruler Venus as she enters Virgo as well as your House of Closures and Healing. This transition occurs on the same day our retrograde begins, August 4th. Mercury will be in this same house, bringing your focus to your subconscious and self-limiting beliefs. Releasing rituals as well as practicing tarot may help you gain insight and stability during this potentially unpleasant time. You’re shedding your skin for something new, and that process demands some discomfort. The retrograde then moves into your Eleventh House alongside the Sun on the 14th. This House concerns the collective as well as the hopes and wishes we have for the future. Consider what path you’d like to take from here, how you can use your unique energy and talents to contribute to your community. Allow yourself to think big and bold - it’s Leo Season, after all! When Mercury finally leaves its retrograde, share these intentions with the universe and your loved ones.
Allies for the Season: Hekate Ritual Bath Bomb, Blackjack Mermaid Candle, You’ve Got the Power Pyrite Gem Essence
Being ruled by Mars, Scorpio risings are intensely passionate people. Once you’ve developed a goal that truly aligns with what you want and who you are, you can be almost obsessive in pursuit of achievement. This can actually make some folks with this placement avoid fully committing to an objective because their passion is so extreme. When you care so deeply about succeeding, it can lead to setting impossible standards for ourselves, or backing off due to fear of failure. Leo Season provides the right setting to try to address these things - yes, even with the retrograde! This transit begins in your Eleventh House, bringing to focus the bigger picture and your hopes for the future. This is the House of Aquarius, who understands that trial and error is a natural part of chasing success - in fact, this is how we learn and get closer to the goal! Invite this energy in and consider what there really is to fear around failure. The retrograde moves into your House of Career and Reputation on the 14th, drawing your attention to your ambitions. Try to look at your plans from a fresh perspective. Are there more possibilities when you take fear out of the picture? Embrace Leo Season and let yourself dream bigger than your inhibitions.
Allies for the Season: Failure As Future-Making, Blackjack Coven Candle, Astral Room Spray
Sagittarius placements create a deep need to pursue higher learning of some kind, whether it is spiritual, ethical, or scientific. As the truth-seekers of the Zodiac, what you choose to do in this world is of heavy importance. Leo Season draws your attention to these aspects of life, as Mercury retrogrades from your Tenth to your Ninth House. This retrograde begins on August 4th, as the planet activates your House of Career and Reputation. This House being Virgo-ruled makes reevaluation and critical assessment of your long-term structures hard to handle since you possess such high standards for yourself. However, if you can allow yourself to invite in flexibility and initiate these processes, it will ultimately help you achieve fulfillment. When Mercury enters Leo on August 14th, Ninth House matters are brought into focus as well. This is the House of Sagittarius, so your essential needs for higher learning are coming back to the forefront. Ask yourself, do your current career and plans align with the path that speaks to you the most? Face this with bravery and you’re in for some surprisingly sweet revelations.
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Capricorn risings have their Eighth House ruled by Leo, which is an interesting combination of energy. The Eighth House concerns Scorpio themes, the merging of souls and the sharing of resources. Leo is the sign of the Sun, a constant source of warmth for the people around them. This means that you might be more willing to distribute your own ideas, routines, etc. than you are to take on a partner’s or friend’s. Being open and giving is a wonderful thing, but accepting what another person wants to share is an important part of achieving intimacy. When Mercury goes into retrograde this month, you’ll be working to balance the needs of personal and shared pursuits/interests. It begins in your Ninth House on August 4th, which is the House of Higher Learning. How can you make time for your own curiosities and hobbies without abandoning your relationships and responsibilities? Make plans for some reading time, or maybe try a new educational podcast. When the retrograde moves into your Eighth House around the 14th, turn your attention towards your loved ones, and the things that they wish to enjoy together. This could lead to some beautiful moments with your community despite the retrograde vibes.
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One of my favorite things about Aquarius risings is how deeply they value authenticity and independence. Aquarius insists on marching to the beat of its own drum, no matter what anyone has to say about it. However, you can become a rebel without a cause when you lean too heavily into these traits, creating isolation and conflict. Mercury retrogrades can make it harder to resist falling into that mindset, and we’ll be experiencing one starting on August 4th. This is still Leo Season, however, and Leo is the sister sign to Aquarius. The polarity of the signs here evens out the playing field. Mercury retrograde will begin in your House of Intimacy, and regress into your House of Relationships. This energy combined with community-based Leo makes it clear that instead of retreating into solitude, you should actually go the opposite direction. As difficult as the retrograde makes that seem, this could be a foundational step in navigating urges to withdraw. Retrogrades will continue to happen, even though we might be happy about it. Everyone needs love, support, and good company, and that doesn’t make us weak!
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Now that you’ve had a big Pisces rebirth in your First House, you’ll be learning to balance this energy with that of its sister sign, Virgo. Most of Leo Season’s activity occurs in your House of Virgo (Sixth) and in your House of Libra (Seventh), which you happen to have ruled by Virgo. This means the ways you connect with people and take care of yourself can greatly benefit from taking on some Virgo traits. Mercury retrograde is actually going to help you get there. It starts in your Seventh House on August 4th, at full power in its home sign, Virgo. With all the opportunity for miscommunication, taking on Virgo’s practical and organized nature becomes essential, especially since Pisces placements tend to be vague to begin with. Being forthcoming and honest in conversation will help you avoid conflict. The retrograde enters your Sixth House around the 14th; this is a good time to organize, physically and mentally. All the tedium that you’ve been putting off needs sorting out, and it might not be fun, but it will be worth it. Venus is at home in the Seventh House, so bring in some beauty to lighten the vibe!
Allies for the Season: Counter Magick Spell Kit for Intentional Cleaning, Vetiver Alight Incense Sticks, Virgo Astrology Essence
