Leo Season Kicks Off With Mercury In Virgo & Chiron Retrograde—Here's Your Horoscope

We're officially strutting through Leo season for the next four weeks, starting Monday, July 22. This annual solar cycle is high season for all things glamorous, romantic, and creative. Blow the dust off your neglected talents and get the band back together!

Does your name belong in lights? Visualize the successful outcome, then start positioning your personal “brand” for that ascent. The universe responds to a show of confidence now. Start believing in yourself, even if it’s just the tiniest bit, and the Leo Sun will pour its life-force energy into your tanks until August 22.

Touché! Power plays worthy of a Netflix historical drama could unfurl today, as the dominant Sun locks horns with tyrannical Pluto. Watch for veiled intimidation tactics. But even more so, “Beware the flatterer,” as the saying goes.

With Pluto in charming Aquarius and the Sun in self-important Leo, an interloper could slither past your gates by buttering up your ego. Don’t hand out any VIP passes to your inner sanctum, whether that precious place is your heart or your intellectual property. At least, not until you truly know this person and their intentions!

By the same token, catch yourself if you’re being overly guarded with someone who has genuinely earned your trust. Are you projecting old fears onto this situation? It could be hard, if not impossible, to tell.

Mental Mercury enters its home sign of Virgo this Thursday, July 25, adding an air of efficiency to summer. With the communication planet in this healthy, organized sign, you can integrate some midsummer wellness practices into your regimen to balance out the Leo season debauchery.

But don’t commit to anything too hardcore; This is the first of Mercury’s two voyages through Virgo this year, thanks to a retrograde that begins on August 5. Mercury will be in reversal until August 28, splitting its U-turn between Virgo and Leo.

Wounded healer Chiron slips into its annual retrograde today, backing up through self-aware Aries until December 29. During its journey through the Ram’s realm (2018–2027), the transformative comet is teaching us all lessons in self- empowerment and the constructive use of anger.

If you’ve been feeling silenced, thwarted, or resentful, this period provides an important window for introspection. Are you using the power of your voice to dominate others? If you’ve been playing a game of “the person who speaks the loudest wins,” switch your strategy to active listening, where the goal is to understand rather than respond.

On Sunday, the grounding quarter moon in sensible yet sensual Taurus reminds you of your priorities and principles. Make sure you’re firmly rooted in those before making any important decisions. If your energy is scattered, get back to basics and cut the superfluous stuff. Less is more!

No need to be overly austere though. Trim where things feel wasteful, knowing that you can reintroduce luxuries in more affordable doses. Repurpose, recycle or host a swap so you can lean into resource-conscious Taurus without sacrificing pleasure.

This is a helpful day to look at your financial habits. If your lifestyle is creeping over budget or a project is sprawling past its scope, make a “money date” at a lovely cafe to review the data in a pleasurable setting.