Astrological Reading Circle: Leo (July 23–August 22) 2021

[TheLoracular]

This is my first experiment at a reading circle! Everyone is welcome. The idea I have is for people to post tarot readings or ~any~ kind of content they like that relates to the astrological sign of Leo that they would like to share starting today July 23rd 2020 and ending on August 22. If people like it, we can do another for Virgo on August 23rd?

The only rule I'm making is post personal content that relates to Leo as a zodiacal sign that is more than just throwing up links. Share at least a little of your own thoughts, opinions, personal stories, self-created spreads, something that relates your own life to Leo. You do NOT need to have Leo as sun sign or ascendant but you are definitely welcome to talk about it if you do or you are dating/married to a Leo, child or parent of a Leo.

Leo (Lion) or July 23–August 22
Here is an example spread. I will try and do it myself tomorrow.

Leo (6 Card).jpg (20.62 KiB) Viewed 3347 times

1. Card that best describes me currently
2. How can I improve my communication skills
3. Why am I afraid to show others my "true self"
4. How can I begin to accept my flaws/imperfections
5. Something about me that I don't fully recognize
6. A way I can practice self-love & treat myself

[Rose Lalonde]

Love this, and I'm definitely interested in taking part.
My OH has some medical procedures coming up that will keep me away for a bit as he recovers, but I wanted to pop in and thank you for starting this.

I came to astrology through tarot, not the other way around, and am most interested in where readings have overlap in signs, Leo showing up in a couple of ways, connecting cards and influencing how I read the spread.

But my ascendant corresponds to Leo's last decan, the 7 of Wands. It's a hell of a card to have there, because I have big issues around standing up and expressing an unpopular opinion. I don't think at this point in my life it's ever going to feel easy. But every great once in a while, it can't be helped. If there's some harm happening, I can't stay comfortably silent if it might help to call attention to it. But yeah, not my idea of fun. Still, I'm glad for the times I've overcome that and spoke up or took part in a protest. It catches those who know me off guard, because I'm generally such an introvert, and happy about it.

[Rose Lalonde]

I decided to do a modified version of the spread you gave for Leo, just for time's sake. Thoth Tarot.
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1. Card that best describes me currently - 8 of Cups (first decan of Pisces, a decan ruled by Saturn)
3. Why am I afraid to show others my "true self" - Queen of Swords (first 2 decans Libra, last decan Virgo)
4. How can I begin to accept my flaws/imperfections - Prince of Swords (first 2 decans of Aquarius, last decan Capricorn)

I've got some earth in there with my water and air, but no fire, Leo or the Sun to point to the current sign for this thread.

8 of Cups makes sense for the sort of holding pattern and stressed torpor waiting for the major hospital trip coming up. I feel like I'm fine, but objectively I see where I'm doing a lot of nothing that takes my mind off of things. Not terrible for the week to distract myself from my tendency to worry. There's weight from Saturn, and really it's sort of the antithesis of Leo, which I only mention because of the theme we've got going. This is a mutable sign, but the beginning of it; something transitory that's just getting started is the medical stuff.

The Queen of Swords' decans correspond to 2S Peace, 3S sorrow, and her shadow (or at least where she's literally out of her element), 10 of Disks Wealth. Her characteristics point to me being 'afraid to show my true self' because it tends to isolate me, ironically. You know how you can sometimes show what's really important to you and find that you're the only one in the room that feels that way? Being in a crowd can be lonelier than being alone. And also I have some mild social anxiety issues, especially around strangers. I work to not let that limit me, but I'm far more comfortable with my husband where I can say whatever I feel and don't worry at all.
I look at this Queen's shadow of Wealth less in terms of money specifically, and more in terms of anxiety about losing what I have.

The Prince of Swords is my significator when I use one, and corresponds the decan of my sun sign, so it's really on the nose to have it in the position of accepting myself. I also associate the Princes with the HGA. I can be a bit Queen of Swords critical of myself (who isn't) and this points toward looking at how I am, rather than nitpicking or dwelling on how I think I 'should be'. What if you're ok just as you are? Someone said that to me at a retreat once, and it had a much bigger impact than I expected. Hit me like a brick.

A cool and damp reading of greens and blues (on a rainy winter's day here). Not Leo-like at all. But being my ascendant, Leo is more a public face. This spread includes instead both my sun sign, and in a roundabout way my earthy moon sign, so it's digging past the shell into my private life. The draw gets a bit warmer with the gold on the Prince of Swords, the way forward.

[TheLoracular]

Finally a morning where I could just start the day off shuffling tarot cards for myself! My best readings for myself and others happen between 6 am - 10 am.

1. Card that best describes me currently:  The Sun

There is no card in the tarot that is more "Leo" to me than the Sun, in both good and bad ways.  The Sun is joyous, triumphant, radiant, manic, enthusiastic, and can be over-whelming in its attention and problematic in its affections, not good at "reading the room" and taking up too much space/attention because it simply has so much energy, so much zeal and flare.


2. How can I improve my communication skills:  5 of Cups Disappointment

So looking at myself as The Sun?  The Five of Cups represents a lot of challenge and grief to me; this seems like a strange card for the question at first glance.  But I think in this case it is telling me that I can improve my communication by pausing, "reading the room" and letting myself give other parties an opportunity to express more while I listen/witness more- and to not take their emotions on as my own, not expect them to take my emotions on as their own either. 


3. Why am I afraid to show others my "true self":  7 of Cups: Illusions of Success

Another interesting card for the placement, but this one this home.  I worry a lot over what other people see/think of me.  I do genuinely put my true self forward (most of the time) but I over-worry when the response I get is silence or indifference.  I'm not a Leo (Capricorn) but I have been radiating a whole lot of Leo/Sun-like energy out into the universe this year both intentionally and unintentionally.  The psychic wounds of the past expect to run into "Mean Girls" the kind of people who went after the fat, shy, vulnerable introverted kid/teenager I was.  There's Imposter Syndrome lurking about and fear of people saying "you are so full of shit" or "you are such a fraud" even if I can look in the mirror and say "You know, you've grown into a remarkable person" most days. 


4. How can I begin to accept my flaws/imperfections: Father of Stones in the West - Old Man

This is a really interesting card, especially for this position.  The King of Pentacles in all its forms is usually a card with calm empowerment.  So I think my answer is "Actually, I do accept my flaws/imperfections but I'm still figuring out which ones are problematic and which ones are just who I am and they're okay."   But I think maybe I should take a look at flaws associated with Leo/The Sun more and consider which of those I might actually, unknowingly, be casting out into the world because of how sun-aspected I've become this year.  Na'ai the Blackfeet Nation's Creator God is "Old Man" to me and "a combination of strength, weakness, wisdom, folly, childishness, and malice" which fits me just grand! lol.  


5. Something about me that I don't fully recognize:  Father of Cups in the North - Odin

The first thing that came to my brain is "You are so much more loved, beloved, and respected than you know or let yourself believe" and it is interesting how this card and the Father of Stones reflect off each other in this reading.  Despite the Sun as my archetype and the embodiment of Yang-ness, all six cards have been of water/earth.  But both Kings.  I'm presenting in very yang/extroverted ways even in my Inner World.  Huh.  Also? Odin is not just the All-Father; like Na'ai he is really complicated but among so many other things, Odin is a Magician. Food for thought.


6. A way I can practice self-love & treat myself: 10 of Stones Richness

What a wonderful card to end the reading with.  I'm actually practicing a lot of self-love and reward, I just need to continue to do this in ways that are genuinely helpful: more time in the swimming pool, less time with ice cream 

[ZhanThay]

For those who don't recognise them these are cards from the Thoth Deck c. mid 1970s. I'm not a Crowley scholar and tend to interpret according to astrological attributions. So there will be variation from the titling of the minors and OTO orthodoxy.

Rose, I like the way you included references to the decans. I'm tempted to do that too but in my case I don't have the depth of knowledge that you do. For a similar reason I would like to reference the nakshatras due to my longstanding interest in the Kalachakra sytem of astrology.

I don't like to brag but I have 3 planets in Leo (please excuse the irony). Uranus is at the start, Jupiter in the middle and Pluto near the end. Pluto is in conjunction with Mars in Virgo which is in conjunction with Sun and Venus in a same degree conjunction also in Virgo. By the astrological theory of 'translation of light' it could be said that Sun/Venus is also in conjunction with Pluto and Leo. Sidereally, Sun/Venus lie close to rho Leonis which roughly speaking is the elbow of the constellation lion.

1. Card that best describes me currently: 10 Disks - Wealth
Mercury in Virgo, its ruling sign. It seems to me this would indicate a wealth of intellectual curiosity. Materially though, I am not rich by Australian standards but by comparison with many of my friends in Asia I feel wealthy. Many of them have no income and very little assistance, if any, from their governments. To some extent I have been able to help them. In particular, an extended family was under threat of losing their home because they had mortgaged it to buy food but then been unable to meet the repayments. Their home is now safe and they have food security. While this has depleted my stocks I still feel wealthy.

2. How can I improve my communication skills: 6 Disks - Success
Moon in Taurus where it is exalted. Maybe I should express my emotions in a down to earth unambiguous way, wear my heart on my sleeve so to speak. I sing in a rock band so I have the pefect vehicle to do that, if we can get back on stage after all the restrictions lol.

3. Why am I afraid to show others my "true self": XIX The Sun
I don't know if "afraid" would be the applicable word tho I was pretty shy as a child. Maybe The Sun is telling me to play in an uncontrived and uninhibited way to demonstrate my "true self". I am just unconvinced that anybody would be interested, to be honest. I might write an autobiography one day and put the theory to the test. My Buddhist teachings say "We mistake self-awareness to be a self… May we get to the bottom of ignorance and delusion." Is there a "true self" or is it just the mind's manifestation?

4. How can I begin to accept my flaws/imperfections: 8 Swords - Interference
Jupiter in Gemini and all those exotic swords. It's hard to reconcile acceptance with 'Interference' but who knows? I might need some intervention by an agent with plenty of incisive thoughts. Should I seek out a protagonist to argue with or a psychotherapist? Neither have seemed to have much effect in the past except for some engaging conversations.

5. Something about me that I don't fully recognize: The Hermit
I think someone else should make this assessment. I am quite capable of being by myself and never feel lonely unless near people who have rejected me. I live on my own and lockdowns make very little difference to me except to allow me to further indulge in the projects that interest me. Almost the archetypal hermit. If there were others around interrupting it would only engender resentment. From my chart I will share here that opposite my Pluto/Mars/Sun/Venus is Moon in Pisces which is trine to Saturn in Scorpio.

6. A way I can practice self-love & treat myself: 10 Wands Oppression
Saturn in Saggitarius. Maybe I should oppress my self-indulgence, especially where my diet is concerned. I don't know if that could be called a treat tho. My long term health would certainly benefit from more self control and application to diet and exercise – a worthy philosophy. Being on hand for my granddaughters should motivate me - 2 already (Sagg & Scorp) and another on the way in early December (another Sagg). It's certainly a treat being around them and their cousins, all 3yo and under, hehe.

[Rose Lalonde]

I don't like to brag but I have 3 planets in Leo (please excuse the irony).

Hah, nice.

(And you clearly know a lot about astrology. I didn't even know the word Kalachakra.)

Since this is an astrological group, your 8 of Swords has me thinking about Jupiter wanting to expand and grow while Gemini flies off in more than one direction. It seems like this card's keywords "Interference" and "Shortened Force" describe things that may happen as a result of that split focus rather than describing the situation itself. RWS shows a possible result too, locked down by it. Anyway, when it comes to accepting flaws, I'd be tempted to look at there being many different things you're interested in, sometimes conflicting with one another, and you not needing to see that as a problem and force yourself to stick to one thing, or to necessarily know where you're going all the time.

[ZhanThay]

Since this is an astrological group, your 8 of Swords has me thinking about Jupiter wanting to expand and grow while Gemini flies off in more than one direction. It seems like this card's keywords "Interference" and "Shortened Force" describe things that may happen as a result of that split focus rather than describing the situation itself. RWS shows a possible result too, locked down by it. Anyway, when it comes to accepting flaws, I'd be tempted to look at there being many different things you're interested in, sometimes conflicting with one another, and you not needing to see that as a problem and force yourself to stick to one thing, or to necessarily know where you're going all the time.

Thanks Rose. Yes I agree there are many different things I'm interested in and clearly concentrating on any particular one of them does detract from the time available to others. However, I don't get too fussed about it unless there are deadlines like this Sunday I have a scheduled rehearsal and I don't have memorised all the words to all of the songs plus I have to practise the bass guitar parts and ensure I have the song structures right. In the meantime I am writing a reply here, I have been researching my pay rates for work, chatting with a friend in quarantine in the Philippines and collecting Tibetan titles for the tiles of a board game, 'Rebirth: Tibetan Game of Liberation', that I have converted to pages of a website and writing a reply in this forum. It's almost 8pm and I got home from work about 5 hahaha. Oh, I also collected the chords for Sound of Silence, formatted them and practised it because I want to record it for another friend in the Philippines who is suffering from Covid.

Looking at my chart there is a lot going on as you might expect lol. My rising is Gemini/Cancer cusp. Nodes are Gemini/Sagittarius. Mercury is in Libra midway between Jupiter and Saturn which are in square. So while there is this tension between expansion and contraction, or self-control and licentiousness as I read in some book, Mercury is the mind trying to make sense of it and manage the balance of the extremes. Is this the recipe for a nervous wreck? There have been moments haha. One thing about being in my 20s in the 1970s is that I was introduced to the concepts of New Age philosophies and believe to some extent that everything is happening as it should and that if my activities are in tune with those of the Universe then not only will they flow smoothly but people, resources and energies will manifest to support them. We'll see how it goes. It's a wild dance at times but I like dancing