Good news: We have the lion’s share of Leo season ahead of us. Troubling update: We need the promised distraction of pageantry, Polaroid nudes and one-night stands to weather the storm now that Chiron has stationed itself retrograde.
Chiron, named for the mythical centaur healer who suffered from an incurable wound, not so gently pulls back the scab and unearths the skeletons. Sage advice for survival from Indian mystic Papaji: “Whatever comes, let it come, what stays let stay, what goes let go.”
Leo
July 23 to Aug. 22
My youngest sister and favorite lion, reminded an ex, “The thing about magic is that it makes you seek more magic. In that way we can thank each other for walking away so we could both go get more of it elsewhere.” Magic: may you find it, may you make it and may the rest of your days be spent in pursuit of it.
Notable Leo: Whitney Houston/Aug. 9, 1963
Virgo
Aug. 23 to Sept. 22
Sculptor Louise Nevelson said, “I fell in love with black, it contained all color. It wasn’t a negation of color, black is the most aristocratic color of all. You can be quiet, and it contains the whole thing.” I wonder, Virgo, if you can apply a similar principle of expansion by reduction. What wholeness can you find in quiet, what pitch in blackness?
Notable Virgo: Seth Curry/Aug. 23, 1990
Libra
Sept. 23 to Oct. 22
Writer, sage and fellow Libra bell hooks writes, “Knowing how to be solitary is central to the art of loving. When we can be alone, we can be with others without using them as a means of escape.” Take to heart these words, Libra. Love yourself enough to be alone and others well enough to welcome them as company, not cure.
Notable Libra: Bella Hadid/Oct. 9, 1996
Scorpio
Oct. 23 to Nov. 21
Last week, in her light-filled kitchen, a blue-eyed, wild-hearted Scorpio gently reminded me “Everyone you love will die. People are afraid of that, but they shouldn’t be.” For her, the sentiment is an invitation to be present, patient, grateful and radically warm to those she knows, while she’s sharing the earth with them. I suspect this will resonate with you fellow scorpions in the weeks ahead. It’s not built to last, but it is meant to be shared.
Notable Scorpio: Pele/Oct. 23, 1940
Sagittarius
Nov. 22 to Dec. 21
Actress, activist and fellow Sagittarius Jane Fonda writes, “The entire world operates on a universal law: entropy, the second law of thermodynamics. Entropy means that everything in the world is in a state of decline and decay. There’s only one exception and that is the human spirit, which can continue to evolve upwards.” May you move yourself and thus lead the rest of us, onward, upward and ever forward.
Notable Sagittarius: Samuel L. Jackson/Dec. 21, 1948
Capricorn
Dec. 22 to Jan. 19
For most of the zodiac, Leo season is an invitation to go out and let loose. Not so for the people of the goat, you of the slow pace and heavy horns. For you, the solar power of this cycle is best applied to tending to your own fire. Invest in reflection, honest conversations, and self-care. In the words of writer and healing facilitator Alexandra Elle, “Be you, love you. All ways, always.”
Notable Capricorn: Mary J. Blige/Jan. 11, 1971
Aquarius
Jan. 20 to Feb. 18
The sun in Leo encourages you to evaluate equality and effort in your relationships, yet it’s also an opportunity to reimagine roles and energies within them. Consider the words of poet Jack Gilbert: “We think the fire eats the wood. We are wrong. The wood reaches out to the flame. The fire licks at what the wood harbors, and the wood gives itself away to that intimacy, the manner in which we and the world meet each new day.” Be willing to be warmed.
Notable Aquarius: Virginia Woolf/Jan. 25, 1882
Pisces
Feb. 19 to March 20
According to Hollywood legend, actress and fellow Pisces Elizabeth Taylor didn’t open her eyes for the first eight days of her life. She credited this extended incubation with providing her extraordinary powers of imagination, ultimately allowing her to conjure a world that would be rather than accept a reality that was. Close your eyes, Pisces, for as long as you can and envision your life as wide and wild as possible. Now, make it so.
Notable Pisces: Simone Biles/March 14, 1997
Aries
March 21 to April 19
You may feel emotion more acutely and the need for expression more intensely with the sun in a fellow fire sign. Leo season commands you to raise a proverbial microphone to your own beating, bleeding, insistent heart and let it be heard. Consider the query of writer Richelle E. Goodrich: “If you never bother to say the words, why should anyone believe you ever felt them?”
Notable Aries: Heath Ledger/April 4, 1979
Taurus
April 20 to May 20
I recently met David, a sommelier and fellow Taurus who had strong thoughts about biodynamic Italian wines and a word or two to share about living. “Food without wine is an insult to the gods, sex without tenderness is an insult to your body, sleep without dreams is an insult to the imagination and a day without laughing is an insult to life.” Cheers to taking your pleasure seriously and pairing it wisely.
Notable Taurus: David Choe/April 21, 1976
Gemini
May 21 to June 20
You’re more adept at entertaining possibilities than committing to them Gemini and yet there has never been a more perfect time than now to express the energy of indecision. Tongue-kiss all the strangers, taste every grocery store sample, accept all of the invitations and test drive all of the cars. You won’t see anything through until you’ve seen all there is to see.
Notable Gemini: Henry Kissinger/May 27, 1923
Cancer
June 21 to July 22
The sun in Leo shines itself on your second house of values and valuables. Commonly known as the house of possessions, this sector concerns not just what we own or covet but how we own our emotions, needs and wants. The lesson for you in the coming weeks is to work toward finding a balance between bald ambition and abounding gratitude. You’ll need both to fulfill either.
Notable Cancer: Ariana Grande/June 26, 1993
