Leo season has arrived with real heat behind it this year. Two of the most talked about events in the astrological calendar are landing within days of each other, the Lion's Gate portal and a solar eclipse, and the combination makes this one of the more charged stretches of the summer.
LEO: THE RADIANT ONE
Leo is a fixed fire sign, ruled by the Sun, and its symbol is the lion. Where Cancer moves through feeling and retreat, Leo moves through expression and presence. This is the sign of creativity, courage and being seen. Its gift is warmth, the ability to light up a room without trying, and a generosity that comes from genuinely wanting others to shine too.
THE LION'S GATE PORTAL
The Lion's Gate opened a little early this year and peaked on the 8th, the date when the sun in Leo aligns with Sirius, the brightest star in our sky after the sun itself. In holistic circles it is considered a window of amplified energy, a moment when whatever you are focused on, intentions, ambitions, the version of yourself you are growing into, gets a little extra charge behind it. It is less about starting something new and more about stepping fully into what you have already been building.
We spent the afternoon at the amazing Rollright Stones, a circle of standing stones on the Oxfordshire and Warwickshire border that has been there since the Neolithic and Bronze Age, which is exactly the kind of ritual I love to do on a day like that. Nothing too crazy, just finding somewhere in nature that feels special, lying down on the grass, staying present, and observing whatever comes up. I am still completely in love with my Lemurian crystal and I cleanse it in the river whenever I can. It comes everywhere with me now, even in bed. I sometimes lie on the floor and put it under my shoulders or back when I need to release tension in the body, and if I am a little hungover I simply ask it to cleanse me too. Apparently you have to tell your crystals what work you want them to do for you, so it's quite busy!
I am also still working through my Quantum Jumping meditations on Mindvalley, and would really recommend them if you want to move any old energy. They completely switch up your mindset, and this window feels like exactly the right time to use them.
THE ECLIPSE ON THE 12TH
A total solar eclipse follows on 12 August, visible across the Arctic, Greenland, Iceland and northern Spain, with much of the UK seeing a striking partial eclipse. Eclipses are New Moons with the volume turned up, and this one leans heavily towards letting go. Whatever has been sitting stuck, a habit, a relationship, a story you have outgrown, this is the window to release it rather than carry it into autumn.
If you can, seek out a sound bath or gong bath around this time. We went to one at Bamford in the Cotswolds, and the difference sound makes is hard to explain until you feel it. The vibration works on stuck energy in the body in a way that thinking your way through it can't quite reach, and it pairs well with a new moon that is asking you to release rather than force anything new.
THE SHADOW SIDE OF LEO
Every sign has one, and Leo's shows up as needing to be seen at any cost. The same warmth that makes this sign so magnetic can tip into pride, or a fear of being ordinary. The invitation this season is to let your light be steady rather than performed, to shine because it is who you are rather than for an audience.
AFTER MIDNIGHT: THE SCENT FOR THIS SEASON
If I were choosing one fragrance for this stretch, it would be After Midnight eau de parfum. It holds both sides of an eclipse in one bottle, the sensuality and the radiance that follows it. Wear it on the night of the 12th, or whenever you need to feel like the best, most elevated version of yourself.
A SIMPLE RITUAL FOR THIS SEASON
On the evening of the 12th, step outside if you can and simply notice the sky, even if you are not in the path of totality. Light your candle, and write down one thing you are ready to let go of. Then safely burn the paper in a heatproof bowl and let the smoke carry it out.
Be warm. Be steady. Let your light be the kind that does not need an audience.
With love, Tilly x
