Leo Season is for everyone*
*But especially for Leos
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We are living in chaotic times. We’re in the midst of Brat summer, Katy Perry just learned about wave 1 of feminism (aka How to Lean In™), and we have finally made it to Leo Season (July 22-August 22).
I’m aware that many think astrology is meaningless, and I’m not here to convince anyone that there’s any meaning in the stars. What I will say is that we accept all kinds of testing to give us a language to understand ourselves and our relationships. This may include personality tests, tests offered by career counselors on our prospective career paths, the love language quiz (I’m all of them), and every non-medical TikTokker’s eval that half-convinces me I may have ADHD. What all of these things have in common is that they may not be based on hard facts, but rather suggest ways we can organize knowledge about ourselves into useful intel. For example, how would you make sense of this list of events?
This past weekend, J. Lo:
Posted a chaotic selfie telling everyone it was going to be a great day
That same day, she hosted a Bridgerton-themed party for herself while her husband rode his motorcycle on the opposite coast.
By Tuesday (her actual birthday), she was re-posting montages of herself made by fans.
What is happening here? A breakdown? A breakthrough? No. It’s Leo season.
Leos are the most misunderstood sign of them all. Are we divas? Maybe. We are allegedly defined by our desire for the limelight. I had a hard time finding a definition for my sign because many of them are rude. Here is one that feels right:
“Charismatic, determined, and bold, anyone who has their sun sign, rising sign, or moon sign in Leo is a dynamic go-getter who adores being the center of attention. Leo shines when entertaining, engaging, and soaking up attention from others, taking the reins on a passion project, or speaking from the heart.”(Pop Sugar)
I asked some friends (and readers) to define what “Leos” conjures for them. Here are some sample replies:
“More is more is more” (submitted by a Leo rising)
Winning
Cumby’s
Chill zone
Jo March
Diva behavior
Selfies
Obscure celebrity baby names
The Percy Jackson book series
Playing a 2000s-era romcom opening song in my head every time I start my car and put on sunglasses (submitted by a fellow Leo)
“Leos are so misunderstood and dare I say underrated. They are your hype friend, strongest ally, and just want to love on their people. Why not add a little more sunshine in the world?” (submitted by a fellow Leo)
When I asked my friends if they could cite any classic Leo behavior they’ve witnessed in me, one of them responded:
Adamant denial at the suggestion that you are in any way like other Leos
Insisting it’s about to be Leo season when Taurus season hasn’t even started
AND “Threatening to jump out of a first-floor window at a minor inconvenience.”
For the record, someone refused to agree with my take on Grey’s Anatomy at a party. But doesn’t that kind of energy add color to your days and light to your life? What is so misunderstood about Leos is that we are not seeking the spotlight. The spotlight seeks us!
Many of you reading this may not even know what sign you are. That’s fine! A core trait of Leos is that we know, and we need you to know. However, we also want to share our sun. This is why I’m more invested in Leo season than actually being a Leo. Leo season is for everyone!
Here’s a description of the “vibe” of Leo season that I will accept:
“At its most enlightened level, the fixed fire sign teaches the importance of owning your voice and loving yourself unconditionally, and Leo season is an opportunity to nurture these skills. Leo season is also a chance to command the spotlight and embrace any chance to run the show, even if that's only in terms of setting lofty new personal goals and creating an ambitious game plan for achieving them. Leo energy encourages a glass-half-full, action-oriented approach; you can accomplish what you set out to because you believe you can.” (Pop Sugar)
I want to encourage everyone reading this to attempt to channel these traits for Leo Season (July 22- August 22). I understand this is new territory for most, so I want to offer some guidance this Leo season for the Leos out there (and those who aspire to be us, aka everyone).
Who are our heroes??
We have many illustrious Leos in our ranks. Martha Stewart, poncho-making thirst-trap purveyor with a custom Skechers line? You bet. I will never question her choices. Our non-colonial Mount Rushmore might include Whitney Houston, Michelle Yeoh, Sandra Bullock, and Estelle Getty. The list goes on.
Some Leos from history:
Amelia Earhart. She is not the face that launched a thousand ships, but rather the aviator that inspired many (mostly men) to spend millions to find her wreck. Icon.
Alice Ball. A gone-too-soon Black chemist who developed a treatment for leprosy in the early twentieth century.
Zelda Fitzgerald. F. Scott who?
Jackie O. No explanation needed.
Emily Bronte (author of Wuthering Heights) and Kate Bush (songwriter of “Wuthering Heights”) (Okay, so maybe there is truth to the “loves drama” allegations. )
Role models who are not Leos, but live like one
(This is a special class of role model who doesn’t qualify by birth but rather by lifestyle).
Mariah Carey. She is an Aries and I’d never take that away from her. HOWEVER, her iconic behavior and choices, including the lawsuit she filed against an ex-fiance for $50 million for “wasting her time,” called an “inconvenience fee,” jumps her to the top of my “honorary Leo” list. Forever may you wave, fellow Mimi.
Miss Piggy. Idk her alphabet or her birthday, but I just know that posting content like this, she gets what being a Leo is and does it better than most.
Ellie the Elephant. The second non-anthropomorphic addition to this list, this mascot is allegedly on the payroll to hype the NY Liberty, but in true Leo fashion, makes most public events about herself. At the recent WNBA All-Star Game, she lounged on the sidelines as the other mascots competed in a dunk contest, thereby winning the All-Star Game itself. No notes.
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Tyra Banks, and specifically her “Smize & Dream” pop-up in DC. This ice cream pop-up features her special brand of ice cream that she’d previously sold only via a website and out of a trunk in Dubai (?). The brand, named after her “smize” or “smiling with your eyes” direction from ANTM is one of many fraught concepts and metaphors that makes this brand both impossible to parse and a must-see for me personally. What does smiling with your eyes have to do with ice cream? Don’t ask. If, like our current VP, you stop by for a scoop and want to add some toppings, please note the entire brand refuses toppings because “her ice cream can’t be topped.” I don’t know what to do with that when I want Oreo crumble on everything, but she is so confident I can’t question it!
When Public Leos make us all look bad
To enjoy Leo Season, you should absolutely treat yourself, stand in your power, and celebrate the people you love (not just yourself!). Please also learn from these cautionary tales:
J. Lo’s general life choices for the last 12-24 months. As I mentioned earlier, her life has been chaos in large part because she has insisted on marrying another Leo. HUGE RED FLAG. We are not meant to be with each other for life. Just like batteries, two positives make for repellent negatives and/or fire hazards. I have some best friends who are Leos, but importantly, we all chose non-Leos as partners. It’s for the best! When she spent millions on a film all about trouble in her own heart factory (?) and the Zodiac counsel it took to get her to pick better men, I knew we were in danger. She should have taken that money and gone on a nice trip with her phone firmly in a locked safe only to be returned to her when she signed an NDA to conceal every daydream that eventually made its way into that film.
Ben Affleck voluntarily marrying a Leo when he likely knew better. The moment this man realized his wife had taken his bound book of love letters (sentimental gifts are very Leo-coded) and SHOWN THEM TO HER SONGWRITING TEAM FOR INSPO, he should have run away never to be found like Matt Damon’s character in Good Will Hunting.
JK Rowling and I tragically share a birthday, and it’s a yearly reminder that there is no space for TERFs in Leo Season (or any season!).
Is it possible any other sign has the same mythos as Leos? Are there other “seasons” I should be following?
Note: I will be donating to The Trevor Project and SAGE for Leo Season, two charities I highly recommend.
Call Me! (or not!)
I’d love to hear from you! Drop your thoughts in the comments to share with the Landline community, or reply to this email to contact me. You can also find me on Instagram, or email me. I don’t have a dedicated phone line yet (just like in my youth), but maybe someday I’ll achieve Claudia status and get a Landline.
Thanks for reading!
This is a free post for subscribers of Landline. Consider subscribing to the paid plan to get my weekly email of recommendations and links, a podcast episode, and more! You can also help me spread the word by sharing it with a friend who would love it. Thank you for being a friend!
Lovingly, insisting that Leo’s are the the most misunderstood is classic Leo.