written by for Venus Rising Magazine
Leo 07 Issue
Leo is the fifth sign of the zodiac, symbolized by the lion (king of the jungle), and its natural element is fire. Leo rules self expression, the creative principle, and a subjective viewpoint. Like the noble, radiant lion, Leos like to be the center of attention, and they need to be noticed by everyone.
Mixed Media by Philip GaligaLeos are also creative, child-like, and they love to play. Ruled by the fiery and masculine sun, they tend to take charge, and they like to be at the center of everything. Likewise, they are easily hurt when they are not loved or noticed for their shining brilliance. Leos are natural performers and tend to gravitate toward performance art (acting, singing, dancing, etc), children’s books, teaching, and coaching.
Leos often look cat-like with a “mane” of hair, and like majesty, Leos rarely lose their dignity. Very affectionate, they easily display their feelings, and children are attracted to these warm, fatherly types. Also very dramatic, a Leo needs to tell their story in their own way and can be quite entertaining and fun to be around.
Leos can be loyal and are often quite traditional. In this way, Leos make great friends and partners. They are very optimistic, and they rarely give up on those they love. Even though they can be ostentatious, they are quick to take responsibility for their mistakes and will try to make amends, which only enhances their leadership role. They will do anything to maintain their role as master and commander at work and at home, and they would surely wither away and die if they had to sit back and “play second fiddle.”
Very focused on what is external and how things relate to them, Leos struggle when they are asked to be objective and analyze things. Very passionate, they would prefer to tell you what is in their heart and leave it at that. This is the only perspective that matters to a Leo.
When balanced, a Leo is a noble leader shining with creativity and self expression. Leo is our childish, playful side that is full of fun and mischief. Leo impels us to produce expressions of our inner experience for the world to share. Leos are loving, lovable, and magnanimous.
When unbalanced, Leos can be overly external, pushing their ego onto others in order to be noticed. Our Leo side is then impelled to take credit for everything and to plaster “self” everywhere in order to gain exposure. Leo is then an autocratic leader making decisions based on the needs of the ego rather than a love of the people.
When the sun is in Leo, expect to feel creative, playful, and dramatic. Depending on where Leo is in your chart, you may either feel radiant and expressive or pushy and egotistical.
The sun rules Leo. The placement of the sun in the birth chart (a.k.a. the sun sign) tells us about our external, masculine side and accounts for about half of our personality. For example, someone with their sun in Capricorn would express themselves in a controlled and traditional way whereas someone with their sun in Sagittarius would express themselves in a more extreme and philosophical way.
To find out where Leo resides in your natal chart, go to create your birth chart and enter your birth date, time of birth, and place of birth. 
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