Full Moon in Leo

Full Moon in Leo

Sun Sign time: July22-August 23
House: 5th House
Ruler: The Sun
Gender: Masculine
Stones: Rock Crystal, Cat's Eye, Garnet, Ruby, Gold, Diamond, Sunstone, Opal, Citrine, Amber, Garnet, Peridot, Rhodochrosite, Onyx, Petrified Wood, Golden Quartz, Tourmaline, Sardonyx
Scents: Frankincense, Myrrh, Juniper, Neroli, Bay, Rosemary, Cinnamon, Basil, Ginger, Citrus, dragon’s Blood
Colors: Reds, Oranges, Yellows, Golds.
Gods: Helios, Apollo, Artemis, Hercules, Mithras, Cybele, Ra, Osiris, Sekhmet, Marduk, Nergal, Yaghuth, all Sun Gods & Goddesses,
Symbol: The Lion

The most fiery, solar sign of the whole zodiac, Leo joins the Moon in a perfect Yin-Yang balance; a balance of darkness and light, of Masculine and Feminine and of action and introspection. Leo brings new strength, vitality, warmth and energy to the Moon.

The symbol for Leo is said to represent several things, some say it is the curved tail of the Lion, some say it represents the two valves of the human heart, a part of the body Leo rules. Some say it is two incomplete circles of the Sun joined by a crescent Moon symbolizing power derived from both intellect and emotions. The pictograph is also the Greek symbol for the first letter of Leo.

Leo is the sign of the Lion, a truly powerful and magickal creature, Lions are fierce, and regal, they are guardians, protectors and hunters. Lions represent strength, courage, royalty, authority and power. Lions are one of the only animals in the feline family to live in groups called prides. These are tightly knit communities, with a definite and designed social structure. The females hunt and provide for the pride, and will even help raise other lionesses cubs. The males typically are clumsy hunters but do roar to panic their prey and lore them to the waiting lionesses. The males however are the first to feast upon the kill. Male Lions are the protectors and defends of the pride. Lions can teach us not only to rule our little part of the world, but teach us lessons in issues dealing with the community and your place in a group.

There are many lions in popular tales and mythology, the Lion drew the chariot of the Sun, The Goddess Cybele rode lions, and Artemis held a lion by its paws. The lion is a symbol of many royal families and is a symbol overnight for many nations and even greets us during the opening credits when we watch a movie. It is an important emblem for our times and that of the ancients.

The first of the 12 labors of Hercules was to bring King Eurystheus the skin of an invulnerable lion that terrorized the area around Nemea. He found this a daunting task, for he could not kill the lion with any of his weapons, instead he had to fight the animal with his brute strength and bare hands. After a long battle he succeeded in strangling the creature and using its own claws to cut the pelt from the animal and from it he fashioned a cloak that would protect him from all danger He also used the Lions head as a helmet, From that point the fierce Nemean lion skin became a powerful icon of Hercules’s strength and power.

Egyptians believed that the lion presided over the annual floods of the Nile and used statues and portraits on or above the gates of their temples to guard them. A lion with a Sun disk represented the God Ra and when it was a lion with a crescent it represented the God Osiris.

Sekhmet a powerful war goddess was depicted as a fierce lioness; or as a woman with a lion’s head and a woman’s body, she was dressed in red clothing, the color of blood.”Tame,” lions were kept at her temples. She is a perfect symbol of the feminine powers of the Sun, her breath was said to have created the desert and she shot fiery arrows at her or the pharaoh’s enemies. She brought death; destruction and disease as away to cleanse purify and destroy evil and right wrongs. She could also cure and protect against these ailments and she is a patron Goddess of physicians and surgeons. She is a protector of women and ruled over the menstrual cycle. Her feasts day coincided closely to the change of seasons and the flooding of the Nile. This indicated that cooler weather was ahead, as well as the promise of renewed life. This is perhaps connected to the myth of Sekhmet’s homicidal rampage to avenge Ra and her soothing. The peoples of Egypt had insulted and angered and even threatened to overthrow Ra, so he sent Sekhmet to avenge him. She was an excellent warrior but became enrage and intoxicated with bloodlust. She drank the blood of her victims and killed both the innocent and guilty. So much blood poured from her victims that the soil turned red. Ra seeing the destruction tried to stop her and tell her that was enough, that she had down a good job and he was satisfied, but to no avail. He devised a plan to get Sekhmet drunk; he infused wine or ale with herbs and pomegranate juice to look like blood and filled the Nile River with it. Sekhmet thinking it was blood drank and drank deeply and became intoxicated and soothed. She no longer was full of rage but was transformed into the mother Goddess Hathor. Sekhmet is the perfect symbol of a maternal figure with a great capacity for violence. Think of what a woman will endure to protect their children and think about the great rage and power than can overcome them when one harms or wrongs their children. Some see the lion as a reflection of feminine energies of creativity, intuition, and imagination and a model to use for a powerful, strong female leader.

Just like a Pride of Lions humans may feel the desire for companionship at this time. This Moon is a social Moon and not one to be faced alone. Surround yourself with friends and family, throw a party, especially one that leads towards the extravagant, and make it a truly elegant, black tie affair. This Moon lends itself well to forming and strengthening friendships. It is also a perfect time to draw near to you a new love or to bring back the spark in a relationship that may have cooled. It is the perfect time to lavish gifts upon your partner and to plan a romantic dinner or getaway. The Leo Moon is a perfect time to travel and to plan vacations. Scheduling a vacation at this time will not only ensure that the trip is rewarding but that it is packed with long lasting memories.

In business this is an excellent time to grow some balls and exhort yourself, it is a good time to ask for a raise or apply for a managerial position. Managers and bosses can use the natural leadership skills, and charisma of Leo to help them form a closer, more personal, more pack like atmosphere. She or he may want to encourage closeness by having her or his employees engage in out of the ordinary, fun and creative activities. It is a good time to recognize employee’s efforts and reward their abilities. It is a good time to encourage your employees to bring their special talents to the workplace. It is also a good time for speculation and investing, and signing contracts. Public speaking opportunities will go well and be well received. People in powerful situations do however need to avoid the temptation of becoming too self-centers and selfish, or becoming overbearing and know-it-all-ish.

The Leo Moon is a great time to do magick to draw a large sum of necessary money to you and can be a good time to ask for loans. Prosperity and abundance spells work well under this Moon. The Leo Moon is also a good time to sell a house for a profit or to lease or rent a property. Performing basic maintenance around the house and to redecorating will also go well under a Leo Moon. Leo is a sign of luxury and buying luxury items is appropriate at this time, jewelry, rings, designer clothes, silks, lingerie, theater tickets, champagne, caviar etc. Treat yourself you are worth it. You may be able to find some great deals at this time, but make sure to plan ahead, save your money and do not over do it. The Leo Moon also lends great energy for risky gambling ventures, buy a lottery ticket or play the slots.

The Leo Moon is a great time when one can become a leader, not a follower and truly change the world. It is a time to be generous to and thoughtful of others, and to bring about positive social change. It is also a good time for protection spells for our world leader and to ask the Universe to bless them with the knowledge and ability to use their power and influence, ethically, sanely and responsibly. Leo’s energy can also be used for binding spells. The Lion is a symbol of Justice so spells dealing with justice, knowing what is a just and fair action and legal issues work well at this time.

The sign of Leo is a confident, and self aware, it knows its strength and is proud of them and is proud to be who he is. He is not afraid of being noticed and not afraid to shine like the Sun that fuels him. Eternally powerful and confident, he can accomplish anything he sets his mind to and thrives to be the best he can be. Leo asks you to join him in his confidence, his energy, and his light. He asks you to banish all self doubt, to stop cowering in the shadows and to step into the light and be noticed, praised and adored. Do not shy away from complements and do not shy away from being proud of yourself and your accomplishments. Do not be afraid of being noticed but relish in it. Our society teaches us, that though we are special and unique, that we should strive to be ordinary and to fit into a certain mold or box. And if we stray, we will face harsh criticism and lose friends. If we are proud and confident then we are conceded, narcissistic and in love with yourself. If we have big hopes and dreams then we are being childish and unrealistic.

Now, is the time to be in love with yourself, now is the time to rejoice in just being who you are. Now, is the time to just do something for yourself, to visit a spa, to be pampered, to get a manicure, pedicure, to eat your favorite foods, to read your favorite books, to watch your favorite movies, to take a long candle lit bath, and just rejoice in the pleasures of relaxation. Now is the time to dress to stand out, to wear things that you may not have dared, that may be a bit flashy, reds, oranges, yellows and gold are particularly appropriate. Wear your fine jewelry; wear sunny stones such as Diamonds, Amber, Citrine, Sunstone, Opal, Garnet and Ruby. Anoint yourself in citrus, spicy, and/or warm scents, and/or buy yourself a bottle of your favorite perfume. Find ways to indulge in your favorite hobby, be creative and artistic, write, paint, dance, cook, participate in theatre, show off, and express yourself. Work on developing your personal skills and talents. Self edit less and talk more honestly, freely and openly.

A ritual that would be great for Leo would be to take some fine quality, brightly colored paper, and write down a list of things that define you, things that you are proud of, list your special talents and your accomplishments. Do not be shy or hold back, but let it flow freely. You are not being conceded just proud of who you are. When you are done read the list either silently or aloud and relish in your many wonderful qualities, this is you. Anoint the list with some Rose oil, some perfume, or other scents and maybe perform a self blessing ritual and either hang this list up, proudly displayed or put it somewhere, where you may find it when you truly need to remind yourself how awesome you really are.

You can also choose to turn this into a creative collage with letters, words, and phrases from magazines, and pictures of yourself, or things that represent qualities in yourself that you like arranged in a collage. You can write these qualities into a poem, a love poem to yourself. You can paint a self portrait with words or symbols to represent these qualities. You can sing yourself a song, or weave yourself a nice blanket or socks infused in this energy. Go with what your heart tells you to do and make the activity enjoyable.

This Leo Moon take some time to rejoice in playfulness and the pure joy of living, connect with your inner child and do things that you enjoyed as a child; (even if this is as seemingly silly as swinging or drawing with sidewalk chalk,) do it! Rejoice and reconnect. Take some extra time to play with, spend time with the children in your life. Honor and learn from them, they are the true spirit of Leo. They are unabashingly honest, they know who they are, they yield to no one’s expectations and aren’t particularly self conscious, they are truly selfish creatures but in the most positive sense of the word. Now, is also a good time to name a child or to make it known to the Universe that you would like to attract one into your life.

The Leo Full Moon is the time to have confidence, trust, and faith, it is the time to be bold and take a risk. Know that you will do well and that you really are the regal, powerful and proud lion. Be optimistic and determined, blast through any limitations and restrictions. Now is the time to completely rejuvenate your life.
Under the Leo’s influence honor your feline friends, appreciate the joy they bring and the lessons they teach. Spend some extra time with them, feed them some of their favorite treats, give them Catnip, and lavish them with attention. You may also wish to give time or money to charities that help conserve and protect wild cat populations or those that wish to reintroduce them to the wild.

Be cautious and aware not to be swept up in the negative sides of Leo avoid being entangled in others drama, avoid bragging about your success, avoid becoming selfish and self indulgent and self centered. Avoid being temperamental, stubborn and avoid manipulating others. And avoid getting cared away, spending too much and being too extravagant.

At the time of the Leo Full Moon be extra aware of the health of your, heart and circulatory system, back, spine, wrist and forearms. Be also aware of contracting diseases and of fevers. Be careful when enjoying yourself not to overindulge. Spend some time Sunbathing and otherwise enjoying the renewing properties of the sun.

In gardening now is the most barren of all the signs, do not plant or transplant, instead focus on tilling up gardens, pruning, trimming, weeding, destroying pests and diseases. It is also a good time to harvest root crops and store them.

Enjoy the Sun pouring down upon you, enjoy the light shining within you and with courage, strength and optimism face and celebrate the Full Moon!

Moon Magic Lori Reid
Praise to the Moon Elen Hawke
Lady of the Night Edain McCoy
Everyday Moon Magic Dorothy Morrison
Sisters of the Dark Moon Gail Wood
The Only Astrology Book You’ll Ever Need Joanna Martine Woolfolk
Grandmother Moon Zsuxsanna E. Budapest
Animal Speak Ed Andrews
Animal Magick DJ Conway

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