WHAT IS IT THAT WE'RE LIVING FOR - APPLAUSE ... APPLAUSE !!!

The Sun begins its transit through the dramatic, romantic, proud sign of Leo today, July 22nd, at 5:41 PM EDT ... a  lot of what this energy is all about is being acknowledged, appreciated and applauded !!! ... the Sun in Leo encourages one  to shine through creative endeavors, seek recognition through risk-taking or exciting activities, shine through ones generosity, and certainly shine through ones own charisma ... this is the ultimate in fire energy - it is very happy,optimistic energy ... and isn't the Sun pretty much at its peak in Summer during July/August ??? ... it's easy to see why these native born individuals are so warm and cheerful - unless of course they are modified by some other "darker" energy in their natal chart !!! ... it craves attention, and Leo energy usually loves giving and receiving hugs ... if you've had your natal chart done, then you may gain awareness on what "stage" of your life this energy may affect you over the next 32 days ...

Leo is a masculine/fire/fixed sign which makes it enthusiastic, powerful, expansive and creative, generous and extravagant, dogmatic and very fixed in its opinions ... Leo is ruled by the Sun so the Sun is extremely happy to be traveling through this sign !!! ... the Sun is the center of our solar system and therefore the most powerful planetary influence which bestows vitality and authority ... its symbol is the Lion - regal, brave, dominating,possessing nobility and pride, and sometimes insensitive to pain ... the glyph for Leo represents two valves of the heart ... it is also the Greek symbol for the first letter of Leo ... symbolically, it is two incomplete circles of the Sun joined by a crescent Moon (its tail) which symbolizes that power is derived from both the intellect and the emotions ... its key phrase is "I Will" and its keyword is "Magnetism" ... the Sun is the main expression of the individual ... it shows the qualities of leadership and success ... it represents the masculine principle, the father, husband, and men in general ... it rules health, vital principles, authority and bosses, rank, title, high office, progress, dignity, energy, sense of identity and capacity for experience ... wherever the Sun is located in your natal chart is where you find the life and heart of your horoscope - it is where you truly want to shine !!!

Leo anatomically rules the heart, back, spine, the right eye of the male and the left eye of the female ... emotional strain and physical overexertion can cause back and spinal ailments in Leo born people ... sometimes Leo born people can be overbearing and challenging to the point of unknowingly provoking others into impulsive violence !!! ... Leo is the sign directly opposite of Aquarius in the natural zodiac ...

Leo naturally rules the 5th house of the horoscope ... it is a house of life whose keyword is "Creativity" ... the 5th house represents children, artistic expression, love affairs, romance, pleasure, amusements, holidays, vacations, games, speculation, hobbies and what distracts you from your main employment ... it also represents your emotional attitude, the love you give, your enterprise, sports, originality and creative outlets, shows dramatic, literary or artistic ability, shows publications, politics, the fine arts, social affairs, pregnancy and the education of children ... also represented here are any groups to which you may belong that relate to having fun ...

The lesson of the Sun in Leo is learning to live through the process of creating and being creative ... it is one who is truly a child of the Sun ... it wants to shine and be the center of attention ... even if you are shy or lacking in confidence, you will want to be noticed in some way ... respect is vitally important not only for yourself but from others as well ... respect is dependent on self-respect ... a radiant glow is often physically noticeable ... Leo can create an "air of certainty" which makes many things possible ... but for all the apparent confidence streaming forth from ones heart, it can belie the fact that one is highly dependent on being appreciated !!! ... here one must pay special attention to critics and admirers alike to avoid being blinded by ones own light and thus destroying whatever it is that one originally tried to create and maintain - a relationship, ones home, health, profession or even ones own children ... just like the Sun, Leo energy cannot see the shadow it casts ... ultimately Leo must realize that its power and influence shine through it and not from it ... and when that power is wounded or challenged, it is very much like the Sun disappearing behind a cloud - the world becomes a colder and darker place ... the energy of the Sun in Leo can be expressed in the following ways:

POSITIVE: noble, confident, generous, gracious, encouraging, commanding, ambitious, enterprising, proud, cultivated, dramatic sense, impressive, self-expressive, wealth of ideas, fun to be with, warm, affectionate, loyal, romantic

NEGATIVE: pretentious, self-righteous, flamboyant, domineering, demanding, intolerant, overestimating, vain, snobby/stuck-up, melodramatic, show-off, self-centered, overbearing, overblown, scorching, affected, fierce, impossible, unrealistic

HAPPY SOLAR RETURN LEO BORN !!!! ... Leo born individuals this is your time of year to SHINE - even more so than you usually do most of the time !!! ... for all of us, we should remember that most of those who love us do so for our inner glow more than our outer show ... the Sun never tries to shine AND set conditions - THE SUN JUST SHINES !!! ... recognize, appreciate, respect and pardon both yourself and others ... take time to get in touch with your inner child and try to enjoy the simple pleasures of life !!! ...

The Sun now joins Jupiter in Leo ... that is a lot of optimistic, positive energy surrounding us which may be very helpful especially since Saturn has just stationed back into direct motion in dark, secretive, intense Scorpio once again making us slow down, focus and look deep within ...   the Sun remains in the sign of Leo until August 22nd/23rd depending on the time zone in which you live ... for now, since this larger than  life energy compels each one of us to take center stage in some area of our life it's time - CURTAIN UP ... LIGHT THE LIGHTS  AND ... CUE APPLAUSE !!!