Full Moon in Leo
Today’s Full Moon is in the fiery sign of Leo.
I think Leos sometimes get a bad rap as being too showy and self-obsessed, to proud to admit when they’re wrong. And, sure, we probably know a few Leos like this (Donald Trump comes to mind… and Leo is his Ascendant sign). But the truest expression of a Leo is someone fully connected with their heart, with a strong sense of self-worth and identity. Sort of a quiet, rooted power, fully in touch with their body and personal power. But maybe I’m a little biased because I married a Leo Sun, and he is certainly not hot-headed or egotistical.
Leo is represented by the Lion - self-assured, courages, loyal, and sure… they like to preen and be the center of attention occasionally. Like all cats, they work hard and need to be seen and appreciated for their hard work. Once their ego is satisfied, they’ll retreat and rest up for their next exciting adventure. (Like when our cat meows loudly to let us know she’s brought us a dangerous kill… aka one of her toys. 🤣 As soon as we thank her and pet her for it, she’s off on her own again.) Leos know who they are and what they stand for, so they don’t typically feel the need to go searching for their life’s purpose. They are generous, open-hearted, and believe the best in everyone. Their claws come out when they perceive a slight or threat, but thankfully they don’t hold grudges. Ruled by the Sun, Leos are warm and affectionate, bringing sunshine wherever they go. It’s hard not to bask in their light and feel a little brighter when they’re around.
The Full Moon is a time of release, surrender, and celebration - releasing what no longer serves us, surrendering to the flow of the Universe, and celebrating what you have brought into being since the New Moon. Use the Leo Full Moon to expand, stretch, and take up space. Connect with your heart’s truest desires and start taking steps toward bringing them into being. Reflect on moments of your life when you felt small and release those moments. Here’s a ritual to help you:
Leo Full Moon Ritual — Release Feeling Small, Let Yourself Be Big
We all have moments in our lives when others made us feel insignificant, and it can stop us in our tracks, make us doubt everything we believe to be true about ourselves. The trick is not to hold on to these things. Sit with them, connect to your heart, and see if they really ring true in your body and soul. If it does, perhaps it may key you into something you may need to work on. If it doesn’t, release it and realize whatever was said is the other person’s issue, not yours. In this ritual, we’re going to work with Leo energy to burn away these moments and forgive the people in our lives who have made us feel small. Now, you don’t have to actually talk to them if that’s too painful or you’re not ready, or especially if they aren’t ready or open to hearing what you have to say. Forgiveness (I am learning) is about releasing the power someone else has over you. Therapist and boundaries expert Nedra Glover Tawwab says forgiveness is “a way to be unbound by the past… Deciding, despite what happened, I choose to live my life… Choosing to live your life by accepting what happened, your inability to change it, and your choice to move on.” Forgiveness is an emotional release for you, not the person who wounded you. Often, we get stuck waiting for an apology that maybe will never come. What we’re really doing is waiting for the other person to release us so we can go on living our lives. We’re giving our power to the other person. Life’s too short for that. We need our power so we can do the work we were meant to do, so we can, like Leos, shine our light fully and bring sunshine to the lives of people who love and accept us exactly as we are, warts and all. So here’s what you’re going to do:
Light a fire. SAFELY. In your fireplace (inside or outside) or in a fire-safe cauldron. If you don’t have a way to safely light a fire, light a candle instead (orange, yellow, or red is best) and I provide steps on how to adapt the ritual. But since Leo’s element is fire (and I like burning things to release them), I wanted to create some sort of fire.
Grab a paper and writing implement. Write down on this paper a person’s name and an instance when they made you feel small, doubted or belittled you. Give yourself space between each instance/person because you’re going to tear up each memory into individual strips.
Tear up each memory into individual strips of paper.
One by one, safely burn each strip into the fire. Repeat this mantra for every memory/strip of paper: “I forgive __[insert name here]__ for making me feel small. I release this memory.” If you don’t have a fire to burn your paper into, rip each one up into small pieces for now.
Once you’ve finished burning or ripping up each memory, say: “Today, I am connected to my heart, to my true purpose, and I am living in that purpose. I am taking up space and letting myself grow and be big. I am proud of my accomplishments [list everything you’re proud of here!] I am worthy of love, belonging, and understanding.” Let your fire or candle burn itself out.
Bury the ashes (or the ripped pieces of paper) representing these memories off of your property, or release them to the wind or to water. You can also throw them into your garbage can if that’s easier. Whatever you do, just get rid of them! You don’t need them anymore, they’re not serving you or the highest good and best version of yourself you’re working toward.
Leo Full Moon Affirmations:
I know who I am, and I am proud of who I am.
I bring light to this world that I shine upon those I love.
I work hard and I deserve rest.
Leo Full Moon Self-Care Rituals:
See above ritual :)
Go for a walk or hike and bask in the sun!
Reconnect with your inner child - what creative activities did you love to do as a kid? Color? Craft? Draw? Dance? Spend some time doing those activities by yourself, with friends, or even better, with kiddos.
Take a bath (or foot bath) with yellow, orange, and golden flower petals (calendula, chamomile, sunflower).
Spend time brushing your hair or trying out a new hairstyle.
See which house Leo falls in within your birth chart, and create your own self-care rituals around this aspect of your life.
*Take a look at where Leo falls in your birth chart. If you don’t have one, you can create a free one at astro.com or astro-charts.com. It’s best if you know your exact birth time and location to create the most accurate chart based on your rising (aka “ascendant”) sign - the sign that was on the horizon at the moment of your birth - which changes every two hours. A birth chart based on your rising sign is much more specific to you, and will show you which planets and signs are in which houses. Look to which house Leo is in and try to show some love to those aspects of your life. For example, as a Scorpio Rising, Leo rules over my 10th house, the House of Career, Life Purpose, Goals, Public Standing and Father Figures. Some good self-care rituals for me might involve doing a guided meditation focused on my life purpose (I love this Money Visualization Meditation from Natalia Benson). I could do some career planning like creating a list of big long-term goals and breaking them down into shorter-term actions I can take. Or spending time with my dad or other father figures in my life (I immediately thought of calling one of my uncles who has been a huge guiding figure in my life and, coincidentally, loves lions!)
Go forth and shine your light!
🌙 Sami
