What are the Leo strengths? Or, as this Leo asks, are they a joke?
Good Evening,
I hope all is well! I’ve recently discovered your blog, and I’m becoming a fan. Your posts are so well thought out and insightful, in the short time that I’ve been reading them, I’ve already learned so much.
At the risk of sounding terribly insecure, I wanted to ask a question that’s been on my mind for a while now. I frequent a couple of astrology forums and the general consensus seems to be that Leos aren’t as fierce or courageous as popular astrology suggests.
I’ve read so many posts from people saying that Leos are the weakest fire sign, that we’re one of the least intelligent signs, that we’re THE most insecure sign and that it’s easy to beat a Leo mentally and physically. Our “roar” is supposedly way stronger than our bite. So, why do astrologers say that we’re one of the most powerful?
Don’t get me wrong, there are definite perks to being a Leo (not to sound vain, but I do have really nice hair lol) and I have a creative streak that I can tap into. But sometimes, I wish I had more savage traits. I wish I could verbally spar as well as a Sagittarius, or I wish that I was as immovable as a Taurus. Even Cancers are known to be vicious badasses when they need to be.
So, I guess my real question is: What is the true strength of a Leo? How can I find it?
Sincerely,
KikiQ
Leo Strengths? Light Over Shadow, Art, And Dignity
Dear KikiQ,
I don’t know what forums you’ve been frequenting, but they sound a bit limited, and their ‘general consensus’ is incorrect. Of course, there are stupid Leos. Sun Sign does not determine intelligence, and there are many different styles of intelligence. There are low-vibe versions of any sign.
If expressed poorly, Leos default to Dark Sun Leo, like a walking-talking, chaos-addicted eclipsed version of themselves, sucking up all the light and heat in a room, visibly annoyed when the conversation turns away from them.
But Leos also embody big cat magic. Like the Strength card in Tarot, they reference Lion Goddess Sekhmet. See Vital Leo Personality Truths for more on the real Leo vibe.
And Leos are courageous, but they value their dignity and languid chill. If it is a choice between losing either of those two or being seen to ‘lose’ to someone whose opinion they don’t care about anyway, what do you think wins out?
Big Cat Magic
Their courage is that of the Performance Leo, showing up and radiating solar charisma no matter what. It may or may not be in their contract with a studio, but for every Leo, professionally a star or not, it is in their covenant with God. AKA Source Vibe, Aslan, Quintessence, Higher Self, or whatever you want to call it.
Lack of savagery or immovability is not a problem. You may have Leo Self-Limiting Syndrome? And sure, occasionally, Leo aspirations congeal into pretensions, but they’re on a creative frequency, one that is easily scrambled or jammed by competing signals.
To me, the true strength of a Leo is that they carry the light and shine it into the shadowy corners of dark rooms or psyches. An actualized Leo validates others with their presence. They’re art, generosity, and yes, epic hair.
What does everyone else think?
Firstly… Am I the only Cancer reveling in the compliment of being occasional viscious badasses?? 😅
Second… I have known (and am related to) a number of Leos. They all have their spectrums. The Leo I still hold in the highest regard, was not the loudest (even tho he made every freshman rugby player pay for his meals in his senior year of college). He was the most gentle and compassionate person. He encompased more than he let on. And to this day, took me on the most romantic date. (Dinner with violins and a rose, a play and dancing into the wee hours of the night. All while paying with $2 dollar bills.)
Leos have the ability to seem ferocious at times, but I far more value their ways of showing how they feel. (Yep… This cancer loves the feels.)
Even the sweetest kitty can scratch. And that’s why all know to be respectful in their approach.
Leos are passionate, leading with the heart. And for every time you wished for another sign, another sign wished for Leo. You might as well embody your strengths and jump off that old merry go round.
Sun, Moon, Venus, and Mercury all in Leo here, couple that with my Scorpio ascendant, well, let’s just say Lestat wishes he was me. Anywho, as so many here have stated about their wonderful Leo friends and family we are fiercely loyal and uber generous. To put a pep into that cat prance, I would spend time out in the Sun and naturally around some felines! Be playful and to hell with naysayers. You got the magic in you!
Yes! My Leo best friend is all of these things. I would like to add that through their own dignity and generosity of spirit, Leo’s dignify others as well.
My best friend is the best person to come to when you’re in a rough patch. She offers tea and food always. She also listens and offers wisdom. Always insightful, showing you what you aren’t seeing. Her advice is always practical and actionable even in whatever low state of self esteem you are in. She will never give platitudes, blow smoke up your ass or excuse you from getting off your ass and getting on with things rather than wallowing. You always end up feeling cheered, comforted but also reassured that you can fix the issue yourself. Leos are amazing. Everyone should have one in their life.
This Leo Moon says ignore the naysayers! I’ll bet they’re just jealous of Leo’s regalness, the deference expressed by their posse, and fabulous hair! But yeah, another thing to check yourself for: Imperiousness. It’s undignified.
Also: why Taurus? Low vibe Leo’s imperious is downright pleasant. compared to Low vibe Taurean’s mercenary, or…….you know Hitler was a Taurus, right?
I am a Taurus and I agree with this. Low vibe Taurus is the worst of the zodiac.
Yes I agree to most of the comments that Leos are fiercely Loyal, Royal and Comedic! If I ever need defending the first two to jump in will be my Leo mum and Leo best friend. And their Bite is definitely as bad as their Roar, no cowardly Lionesses here that’s fur sure. They are my most Generous benefactors, my warmth and light generators and they both love telling jokes. They’re also very smart and my red headed Scottish Leo friend is the best come-back queen around, no-one gets the best of her verbally, but she has a soft heart (Leo moon – me too) and get’s easily hurt. My Virgo sun knows how to help, scratch her mane. She was born to be a comedian, the scorpio rising gives the sarcastic slant, but instead she was an altruistic nurse, who runs the homeless shelter and has a small tribe of animals. Don’t touch Leo’s kids is all I can add.
Spot on.
Love Leo’s! I enjoy the silly childishness, the warmth, and I don’t see the insecurity and ego as disturbing so much as transparency about who they are, which is refreshing as many are so guarded about these same qualities. Relaxed Leo’s are the most fun though. I agree with Mystic, just holding the light in the dark is about the best of Leo. Not being moved by the anxiety, tension, and external chaos but holding true to yourself is a great quality. Good Leo’s can do this, and I think it takes a lot of internal strength, to see with inward looking eyes and project confidence no matter the terrain. Others will see shameless narcissism because they want you to suffer as they do. Just hold the light kindly and use your native fixedness for stout forebearance.
Yes. For sure. This big cat would much rather lose an argument than loose dignity. Likely., I didn’t care what you thought in the first place so why were you pestering me? I’m just chilling in the sun waiting for the right moment.
Venus in Leo and proud. Over time I’ve learnt to tap into more of the positive expressions and learn to override some of the negative ones. I feel like the sun with the ability to shower people with warmth and attention. When this attention and care is given to someone upset or vulnerable, it can often give them the energy needed to pull themselves up. And I’m happy to oblige 🙂
I’m curious to know how my saturn in Aquarius (5th H) (upcoming saturn return) may affect my Venus in Leo (11th H). Yikes!
Venus Leo here!
Proud of these big love & loyalty traits too!
Leo is the sign of my abusive ex so I’m always up for anti-Leo content (sorry not sorry). Also YOU WISH YOU WERE A TAURUS? I spend my life pretending my birthday is earlier in April so my personal brand won’t be disrupted by all the horrible crap that is written about Taureans online.
But in actuality of course you wish you were a Taurus. Taurus has all the creative talent and stick-with-it, none of the arrogant pronouncements… Actually all the Fixed signs are so similar. Scorpio can be the odd one out but Taurus, Leo, and Aquarius all cause similar problems (often with each other).
Perhaps you can forgive yourself for involving yourself with the lower type of Leo? Or for taking seriously the mean stuff about Taureans, who are amazing as you point out! Stubborness is an unfortunate quality unless it is applied to behaviour such as a work ethic. Why do you choose Saturn in Pisces as your moniker? I am curious what it means to you?
I was a child when I met this person so I do try to forgive myself – also noting that it’s obv. foolish of me to blame the issues with the relationship on said ex being a Leo, of course I have a more complex view of both life and astro, haha. (Sadly I don’t have this person’s birth time, which is the astro info I would really value.)
My name here comes from my Neptune in Capricorn rising, which is in mutual reception with Saturn in Pisces. That’s the point of my chart that I feel “overwhelms” everything else in significance, while also encapsulating the themes that are constantly repeated throughout my chart (and me): a strange and contradictory blend of harsh discipline and boundless empathy/creativity, penetrating realism combined with unrestricted fantasy. The major benefit I have gleaned from astrology is integrating those two “incompatible” yet equally significant aspects of my character, allowing both “space” in my conception of myself and in my life, rather than constantly feeling a tug-of-war between these somewhat irreconcilable patterns of being and “shunning” one half of me while in the “grip” of the other.
I’m an 8th house Leo sun and mercury. I’m also a Capricorn rising and an Aquarian moon. I am NOT dumb and i NEVER lose a fight. I am never mentally triumphed over and i have more wit than most people know what to do with. I’m about as savage a bitch as you can get. It’s not one of my more favorable traits. My roar is loud but my bite …is far worse. If I bite, something ends. I am extremely skilled at destroying others. People don’t see this side of me unless they know me well or trigger me. But it can be very scary. I’ve come toe to toe with several Scorpio stelliums. They left crying. I left laughing. My mom is a heavy Scorpio so she taught me how to fight: stay still, move fast, keep it easy and go for the jugular. My father is a heavy sag. Biggest moron on the planet. I remember being a child and wondering if he could read. So find another Astro forum. People can be jealous of Leo’s. You’ve obviously found a group of those people. You’re better than them. You’re a leo. They’re just bullies trying to bring down the stars they’re threatened by.
A Leo will also kill for someone they love or know is loyal to them. Someone below said they’ve known some very narcissistic leo moons. As have I. The last two men I dated seriously. And my oldest friend. She was deceptive beyond anything I have ever experienced. I destroyed her when I found out. I guess the moon expresses Leonine traits differently than the sun sign. I grew up with a boy – we did not get along then, we do now – who was born the same day as me. I both loved and hated him. He was SO FUNNY it killed me. He was the funniest person I’ve ever known and I feel like he taught me everything I know about humor. Now he says I’M the funniest person HE knows. But he’s just like me. Cool. Calm. Hilarious. Piss him off and he goes feral.
I know* I am stronger than most people. I’ve been told I was since I was small. But now as an adult, I really know it. I’ve seen what I can handle and what others can and it’s not even a competition. And fighting is easy. Nasty people tend to use key words repetitively when they attack you. Pay attn to those words. They are the key to their biggest weaknesses. Then use it to hurt them.
Ex. Some girl attacked me verbally at a party years ago. She kept saying I was a “blond” this or that. I am very blond. I have a LOT of hair and it’s very long. And I’m 5’10”. She said it about 3x before it became so obvious she was jealous of women with blonde hair. So I just started slamming her with comments about how basic she looked, with her boring shit colored brown hair (I actually love brunettes and this girl – she is still so skeezy. She sleeps with people’s husbands it’s a known thing. She’s messed up. But back then she was popular and BEAUTIFUL. Spitting image of Natalie Portman. But she had this blond hair thing so I shit all over her “shit stained hair” and she left running away in tears.
*i do not start fights. Ever. I have a hard Mars sq Pluto signature in my chart. And Neptune Rx on my ascendant. People project shit on to me ALL the time. Women try to start shit with me often. It’s been like this my whole life. But if they want to start it. Fine. I’ll be the one who ends it though.
I haven’t known many sun leos but I know a few Leo moons who are very narcissistic and sooky. But my friend’s Leo daughter is radiant, kind and compassionate, and wants to change the world for the better (Leo’s can be very altruistic). She’s the centre of a circle of diverse friends and a cheerleader for all of them. I think you need to let your light shine, KikiQ
Leo’s to me are the Hearth & Heart Fire. Warms your soul to be around them. They make sociability an art form especially when ordering Pouilly Fuisse from a handsome waiter.
A fellow Leo here who has wondered the same question so manytimes too… My S. O. is a triple Leo (Sun, Venus&Mars so a heavy load!) and all my male friends happen to be Leos as well (and many female friends too). A wounded or sad Leo is the saddest thing in the world. We don’t deal well with depression. We also have HUGE expectations for ourselves and blame ourselves if a person in our family/work team/whatever is failing or suffering. If you feel like a joke, check your expectations for yourself and your expectations for the next non-Leo person to you and see if they’re anywhere equal. I feel like I am responsible of my whole extended family, a team project at school depends solely on me and also I have to single-handedly save the world via ingenious art and probably a non-profit charity organization which will save all the children, animals, fish, coral reefs, glaciers and rainforests on the planet. No Wonder I constantly feel like a failure.
I spent all my youth searching for that Leo shine and I was a miserable person while doing so. Now I feel like I have started to grow into my power trough motherhood. And parenting is often where you find Leos’ fire. I would never ever go between a Leo and their family. All my Leo male friends are the most easygoing, loveable guys ever, but say something about their mother and they will end you. Find your power, courage, true leadership and charisma <3
My first high school crush was a Leo boy from South Africa and my goodness. He had long golden blond hair that he styled so perfectly, he walked so boldly and at one point I swear, he was sitting on a chair and there were girls surrounding him. It was quite the scene. But I was a shy introvert and was never able to talk to him.
Leo’s are awesome and don’t ever let others opinion about them get to you, they clearly need more Leo’s in their life! Sadly I don’t have any in my life at the moment, I’m a Water attractor lol
as a sun and moon Leo, pisces rising – a performance Leo who has self limiting syndrome and internal push and pull between fire and water. KikiQ – find the song that you will use today to be the sign that does not bite, only roars for humanity.
Me too, to all those aspects! And yes, I feel ya, though I’m not a performance Leo, I admit I like being in the centre of attention… but then my self limiting Pisces wants to swim into the dark depths…
No not a joke at all! Some of my favourite peeps have been Leo’s. Yes they do have amazing majestic hair, and sometimes they are a bit too much muchness, but they are fiercely loyal, warm, and endlessly entertaining. I lived for awhile in Dubai which was a surreal and enlightening experience in itself, but my time spent there with two Leo’s really created some wonderful technicolor memories. Whether you’re flush or down to a few dirhams, Leo’s know how to create an atmosphere and make everyone feel welcome. I guess it’s stagecraft?
Badass cancer here. Do not believe all you read or at least do further research until things start to ring true. Took me ages to understand how utterly formidable I am. But I am not about to beat you up but I will give you a very honest appraisal which terrifies some folk. I am anti fragile to the nth degree and Saturnian to boot. But as I recently posted I am now aiming to gain more of my Leo power. The charisma and charm of the Leo is one of their greatest strengths and also knowing when it is simply not worth the effort and with a flick of the tail or a tweak of an ear, too leave. Every long term relationship I have ever had has been a Leo rising so I know this so well of them. They light up the room without trying if they consider it worth it. I love a Leo.
KikiQ, start to question the creative power of words, the astrologer’s art form as a kind of inner journalist reviewing gigs and performances. You’ll realise which astro forums and explainers have real artistic cred.
Leos in my world are really varied in what they do, how they dress, what they like to talk about, and how they think. But all of them have a theatrical and creative flair that expresses front-of-house in their face and style. Behind the scenes, almost like the Director whose work expresses through the Actor, there is plenty of actualised talent, along with super-Sun motivation.
Yes, there are shadow sides. Leos prefer the Sun and some may deal with that by personally bringing their Shadow into the light, or repressing it (we know repression grows by distortion).
How beautifully expressed! My daughter is Leo and she is the light of my life!
Leos are pure Sunshine. Very dignified.
I would have thought the complete opposite.
I think Leo’s are very unabashedly themselves so at times can strike more shy folks as abrasive and unintuitive if they don’t get along.
Agreed!
and we are – when vibing correctly – loyal. fiercely loyal!
Hey, i experienced that this morning, and it was a golden frame for my day.
so pleased to hear that! x
What!? *spits* Leos are the ones TELLING the joke.
hell yes!
I love Leos.
Their theatrical yet laconic flair. Bouts of genuis creativity. Magnetism. The way they inject fun and laughter into the regular and mundane. Their tres flattering, magical bathroom vanity lighting. The way they cook, care and validate, lick your wounds. Plan your next big move.
You need them in battle? They’re there. They’re LOYAL AF once they love you. Will protect you like family. Need their own space (leader/king chambers), maybe even a good chair with a view.
When I need a dose of solar energy, my Leo best friend is my source. A magnificent and magnanimous ball of energy when appropriately fanned (the skin Wow it Glows; hair So Shiny; workout regime against aging Man your Butt Looks Good). Her hair is not-coloured and sunshiney red/gold/blonde. How.
Flattery will literally get them going. Bask in their radiant presence as they do their thing. Don’t fight to share the spotlight: it’s theirs.
Ohhhhhhh I love this response!!! You just fanned this Sun Leo’s heart 💖💖💖🌟
…. may be baised… Leo Venus here….
Leo’s really are the best!
I agree an Haute Leo is a force of fun to reckon with! The low Leos have given others a bad rap.
As a teen I hated my best friends Leo brother. He was big loud and constantly attention seeking. Astro books declared that Aqua and Leo were basically mortal enemies… If I had fixed my idea of Leo’s based solely on this I would never have met the warm generous beautiful Leo’s of my adult life. You don’t have to be savage to be truly strong.
I’m a Leo Sun Acqua Asc. so I live with the mortal enemies within!! I love that the quirky Acqua adds an extra layer of aloofness and oddness to my Leo vibe. Enemies? Nah! Both signal, no fuquery vibes, ever. We simply ignore and walk away. Freedom always comes first.
Bingo. My Leo bestie is also Aqua Rising.
She has so much GET FUCKED attitude at just the meerest hint of traitors/liars/obstinates. She will go in for the attack always just to suss out if the prey is worthy of a show down. More often than not… they’re not. I’m glad, I think she’d take quite a shine to such a person! #virgofriend #virgoworries
My two oldest & closest friends are a Leo & an Aqua. In the 40 years or so that i’ve known them, they’ve only met twice. I never bother to get them together anymore because it’s not that they don’t like each other, it’s just that they simply do not get each other – at all. Chalk & cheese. I can also see that they’re thinking how the fuq am i’m friends with the other. But my MC/IC is Leo/Aqua and i need these two friends like a boat needs sails & rudder.
Love this. Yes!
Being with my Leo helps me access more of my Venus Leo. I get certain parts of myself when I see how naturally she exudes her truth or nature.
Having Venus Leo in 8th is pretty epic for me to navigate, so all the help required!
I can understand why these two are separated in your world. Aquas are their own sort and Leo’s, well, everyone else seems caught up in Leo’s rays. Aquas, just too busy on a another playing field.
My Aqua ex was under intense scrutiny via my bestie Leo. Neither could charm the other and/or didn’t want to.
Safe to say my Leo pushed me to listen to my heart. Thank fuck!
Yes I can relate, I have the same situation. And even though I met the Aqua via the Leo they don’t tolerate each other well at all.