Leo
July 22: August 22 · Fire · Fixed · Ruled by Sun
"the spotlight finds you. you didn't ask. (you did.)"
Leo at a glance
| Sun in Leo | July 22: August 22 in most years |
|---|---|
| Position in the zodiac | 5 of 12, 120° to 150° of the ecliptic |
| Element | Fire |
| Modality | Fixed |
| Polarity | Positive (day, outward) |
| Ruling planet | Sun |
| Opposite sign | Aquarius |
| Natural house | 5th house (play, romance and what you create) |
| Symbol | Lion |
| Time in the sign | Sun about 30 days a year, Moon about 2.5 days a month, Rising about 2 hours a day |
Leo in October 2026
| Sun | Libra until October 23 (your 3rd house, communication and the near world), then Scorpio (your 4th house, home and roots) |
|---|---|
| New Moon | October 10, 17° Libra, your 3rd house (communication and the near world) |
| Full Moon | October 26, 3° Taurus, your 10th house (career and public standing) |
| Turns retrograde | Venus on October 3 at 8° Scorpio (your 4th house); Mercury on October 24 at 21° Scorpio (your 4th house) |
| Turns direct | Pluto on October 16 at 3° Aquarius (your 7th house) |
| Retrograde as the month opens | Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto |
| Your ruler, Sun | 8° Libra on October 1, your 3rd house (communication and the near world) |
| Days that favour a move | October 10 and 16 |
| Days to step lightly | October 3, 24 and 26 |
You read a month by whether you get to be fully yourself in it. The Sun runs your year through identity and creative will, so every shift is felt as a question of where your light is welcome and where it is asked to shrink. In October 2026 the Sun moves through Libra until the 23rd, your 3rd house of communication and the near world; from the 23rd it enters Scorpio and turns the light onto home and roots. The New Moon on October 10 falls in Libra, your 3rd house of communication and the near world; the Full Moon on the 26th falls in Taurus, your 10th house of career and public standing. Venus on the 3rd and Mercury on the 24th turn retrograde in Scorpio, your 4th house of home and roots. These are the dates. How they land for a Leo, week by week, is what the October edition reads for your sign, yours to keep.
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- When are the New Moon and Full Moon in October 2026 for Leo?
- The New Moon is on October 10, 2026 at 17° Libra, which is Leo's 3rd house of communication and the near world. The Full Moon is on October 26, 2026 at 3° Taurus, which is Leo's 10th house of career and public standing.
- Is Mercury retrograde in October 2026, and where does it land for Leo?
- Yes. Venus stations retrograde on October 3, 2026 at 8° Scorpio, Leo's 4th house of home and roots. Mercury stations retrograde on October 24, 2026 at 21° Scorpio, Leo's 4th house of home and roots. Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto are already retrograde when the month opens.
- Which days in October 2026 are strongest for Leo?
- The days that favour a real move are October 10 and 16, 2026: New Moon and direct-station days. The days to step lightly are October 3, 24 and 26: Full Moon and retrograde-station days. The dates are computed from the lunations and planetary stations of the month, not from a generic calendar.
Computed from the lunations, ingresses and planetary stations of October 2026, houses counted from Leo. Updated 2026-09-17.
core traits
Leo, read closely
Leo is the performer: the sign that was built to shine. Ruled by the Sun (the literal center of the solar system), Leo energy radiates warmth, creativity, and an unapologetic need to be seen. The 'attention-seeking' label misses the point: Leo gives as much light as it receives. The shadow is performative confidence masking real insecurity. The gift is the ability to make everyone in the room feel like they matter.
the shadow side
ego that can't handle criticism. generosity with strings attached. performing confidence while privately spiraling. needing validation so much that rejection feels existential.
compatibility
natural flow with
see Leo compatibility with every sign → · real compatibility requires full charts. learn about synastry →
Leo sun + every moon sign
planets in Leo
famous Leo placements
Barack Obama · Jennifer Lopez · Megan Markle · Travis Scott
Leo, frequently asked
What dates is Leo season?
The Sun is in Leo from July 22: August 22 in most years. The exact boundary shifts by about a day depending on the year and your time zone, so anyone born on the first or last day of the range should read the Sun sign from a birth chart rather than from a table.
What element and modality is Leo?
Leo is a fixed fire sign, ruled by Sun. Fire signs run on initiative and heat; fixed signs hold the middle of a season and sustain things. Its polarity is positive (day, outward).
What is the opposite sign of Leo?
Aquarius. Opposite signs sit 180 degrees apart on the same axis and are two answers to one question, which is why the Leo and Aquarius pairing feels both familiar and demanding. In a birth chart, planets in Leo and Aquarius face each other across that axis.
Which house does Leo rule?
Leo is the natural sign of the 5th house, the part of a birth chart about play, romance and what you create. In your own chart Leo can sit on any house cusp; your Rising sign decides where, which is why two people with the same Sun sign live it in different rooms of life.
Who is Leo most compatible with?
By Sun sign alone, Aries, Sagittarius, Gemini and Libra are the classic easy fits for Leo, and Taurus and Scorpio the growth edges. A Sun-sign pairing compares one placement of ten. A real answer compares both full charts, which is what synastry does.
Is being a Leo the same as having a Leo Sun?
Usually that is what people mean: the Sun was in Leo when you were born. Your Moon and Rising sign can be entirely different signs, and they shape how the Leo Sun is lived. Your Big 3, read together, is the picture; the Sun alone is the outline.
Sun-sign answers are the outline. Your free Big 3 reading adds the Moon and Rising; the full birth chart adds every planet, house and aspect.