For the Lions, this next chapter isn’t just bold—it’s personal…

“We create our conditions inside us and if we want to change what is manifesting in the world of appearance, we must change ourselves and our consciousness.”  Isabel Hickey: Astrologer with an Aries Sun and Cancer Moon

The Sun returns to Leo with quiet intensity this year. You might expect fireworks and a spotlight moment when Leo season begins – but instead, we start with a whisper. The Moon, at the very first degree of Cancer, is in its final waning phase. It’s the Balsamic Moon, a time of deep release. It sets the tone for the year ahead: not one of instant gratification, but of deep, powerful transformation.

The year ahead isn’t about wiping the slate clean just to scribble on it again. It’s about cracking open the vault of what’s buried – especially in your family and personal history – and doing some deep cleaning. The kind that requires honesty and courage. The kind Leo has in spades, when your heart is in it.

The Emotional Undercurrent: Private Before Public

The Moon at the threshold of Cancer says, “Start at home.” That could mean your actual family home, your inner world, or the emotional legacies you’ve been carrying that are no longer necessary. Whatever “home” means to you, this is the moment to acknowledge the skeletons in the closet, and not just throw a blanket over them. You don’t have to solve everything at once. But the willingness to feel what’s been left unfelt is powerful medicine.

What the Year Asks From You: Responsibility, Realness, and Recommitment

The Sun links up in a supportive way with a major long-term pattern in the sky – a combo that speaks to dissolving illusions and stepping up at the same time. Translation? You may be offered opportunities that look amazing on the surface, but they’ll come with serious hard work and commitments. If you say yes, mean it. If it doesn’t fit your long range plans, don’t let the fear of missing out make your decision for you.

This vibe is two-fold: it’s about holding the vision and being the one who shows up to build it, brick by energetic brick.

What Needs to Go: Power Games, Old Stories, and Outdated Masks

One of the loudest pieces of this Leo ingress is a direct face-off between the Sun and Pluto. That’s a big deal. It’s like flipping on a light in a room you didn’t know you were still sitting in, and suddenly noticing how much junk is piled in the corners.

This might show up as uncomfortable truths about how you’ve given your power away. Or how someone else’s story about you is still writing the script of your life. This is your call to incinerate the Bullshit. Let go of the guilt. Let go of the mask. You don’t need to play a role anymore… this next chapter is asking you to become the author of your own transformation.

Stay Grounded: You Are Not a Machine

The Sun is also wired into change and stimulation. That means this upcoming year might feel like you’re living inside a group chat that never stops pinging.

You will be hit with ideas, inspiration, unexpected twists. But, your mind and nervous systems can get overloaded. Unless you ground yourself in the present, body, breath, and boundaries, you’ll burn out. Make “disconnection” part of your daily self-care. Step away from the screens. Touch grass. Pet your dog. Drink extra water, and try to avoid doomscrolling. You get the idea.

The Relationship Plot Twist: Venus and Mars Square Off

Just as the Sun begins its Leo journey, the cosmic lovers are not playing nice.

Venus in Gemini is all flirty and curios. Mars in Virgo, right next to the South Node, is digging up old patterns that need to be handled – not bantered with. The tension between what you want and what’s actually good for you may be hard on relationships, both romantic and otherwise.

This square asks: Are you being honest about what you value? Or are you just going along with what’s familiar, even if it isn’t fulfilling?

If an old dynamic resurfaces, it’s not here to haunt you—it’s here so you can finally respond differently.

Final Thoughts: For Leo, This Year Isn’t Light – But It Is Luminous

This isn’t a year of being on stage. It’s a rehearsal for the real show. You’re being asked to show up not as the “best version” of yourself, but the truest one.

Transformation doesn’t come with a standing ovation – it comes with daily choices, emotional bravery, and the willingness to tell yourself the truth even when it’s hard.

But Leo? If anyone can do that with heart, fire, and style—it’s you.

PS: Want to stay ahead of the curve all year long? Sign up for my newsletter or join me and Lillian for deep-dives, laughs, and honest astro talk in our Sky Notes YouTube channel. If you want to check out your birth chart, or you’re interested in an Astrology report, check out the Astrology Resources page!
And hey—be kind to yourself.

Tracy Quinlan

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