Mars in Leo ♂ July 1 – Aug 17

July 1 – Aug 17, 2019

Mars in Leo cultivates strength and sovereignty. An important yet not often discussed aspect of Mars, God of War, was that Mars fought only if it secured peace. Fight if you must, but fight for a cause, as a warrior of peace. Fight only if your heart (rather than your ego) is roused to battle. And then snuggle up to your beautiful self, wrap your arms around your fighting heart.

Mars in Leo is magnanimous and contagiously enthusiastic. He experiences life directly through his heart, and here transpires great depth of feeling. There’s so much more to Leo than ego. Leo is a ripe violet grape; a festival; a crown of rainbow jewels; Aslan; a scarab beetle; adornments; a circus; a barrel of wine; a golden ring; summer noon; a dancing queen; an all-night rager; a regal family; a noble leader; a generous grandfather.

Astrology does not determine our behavior. We choose how we react in every moment. Astrology only allows us to see which doors will open and when. Whether you walk through the door – that is your free will. In the case of Leo, or any given constellation, myriad manifestations are possible. It is easy to cast Leo as a dramatic wanna-be in this world so saturated with self-centered behavior, but the more we nurture Leo’s heart, the less he feels the need to engage in unhealthy, indulgent behaviors. For example, Leo has a tendency to proselytize a “moral code” which he may or may not actually follow. If it doesn’t benefit him directly, he’s probably not interested. But if we let Leo know from the beginning that our standards and expectations are flexible – that is, if we ourselves can avoid the ego trap – then Leo will relax and won’t feel the need to prove himself.

With Mars in Leo, we will have plenty of physical and sexual energy. In excess, this causess us to splurge or binge. It is wise to be conservative with both words and expenditures. We are likely to spend more money on luxury items, especially yummy food or clothes. Leo values both quality and quantity. He does not mind dropping dollars on something that seems like a good investment, or if he expects that it will bring him great pleasure. Some individuals born with Mars in Leo appear to live simply and humbly, yet even they are not-so-secretly addicted to shopping. The best case scenario is, of course, if someone else will pay!

Mars transits shape our drive and ambition; Mars outlines the motivating factor. In Leo, we are motivated by loyalty. Leo holds his friends and family close. Though he is a social butterfly, the lion’s inner circle is usually quite small. To these people he is fiercely devoted, and in return he expects profound love and respect (if not idolization). Leo is also loyal to himself. Staying true to his beliefs and desires fans the flames of his characteristic pride. At best, Leo is confident and self-assured, as well as decisive, honest and productive.

Mars enters Leo one day before the upcoming new moon solar eclipse on July 2. Mercury Retrograde in Leo begins the following weekend on July 7. The very next day on July 8, these two planets will actually be conjunct in Leo, and this is a good thing – Mars energizes the retrograde and doses us with confidence and physical energy – watch for ego/anger outbursts however. Speaking of anger, on July 11 Mars will square Uranus in Taurus. This is a very feisty influence which brings out the inner warrior in all of us. Not necessarily a bad thing, but we will be quite fiery indeed, so keep those reactions in check and try to burn it off with some exercise. The sun joins Mars in Leo on July 22. (Heads up: the day before on July 21, Mercury Retrograde will be conjunct the sun – an excellent opportunity to do anything normally taboo during Mercury Rx such as travel, spend money or sign a document.) July 25 will be one of the best days of this transit (though Mercury will still be retrograde for another week ^___^ ) as this is when Mars trines Jupiter Retrograde in Sagittarius. We will wake up feeling light and energized. This influence is so joyful it makes us want to sing from the moment we arise. Venus joins the Leo party on July 27! Mars enters Virgo just after the August full moon.

In meditation, focus on the heart chakra. Power colors for Leo are warm, fiery colors. Keep it spicy with Leo Yoga. If you were born with Mars in Leo, this transit is your Mars return. To find your personal Mars sign, click here.

Affirmation:  I love myself