Full Moon in Leo: A Turning Point

By Leah R. Chatterjee

Full Moon in Leo 🌕 20 ♌️ 00’01” at 11:33pm (PST)

Hiiiii fellow stargazers, long time no type! I’ve been in a bit of a spoonie spiral since October, and been slowly digging my way out of a huge flare. A big part of living with chronic illness is trial and error…I tried working a part-time job for 6 months, and as much as I loved it, my body just couldn’t handle the physical side of it. If you’re a fellow spoonie and the past few months have been a shitshow struggle, you’re not alone, boo. On top of some really intense energies (helloooo Saturn + Pluto conjunction…still feeling you), we’ve got the usual choppy spoonie seas to navigate. We’re in a whole new decade, but the astrological new year isn’t until Aries season begins on March 21, so if you’re not feeling that sparkly-new-beginning energy yet: again, you’re not alone. Many of us are still in review, especially as we recently entered Mercury retroshade—the few weeks before Mercury goes retrograde. We will be leaving the post-shadow retroshade right as we slip into the new astrological year, so in a sense the next 6 weeks are the true “end of year” wrap-up.

I’ll do a separate reading for Mercury retrograde in Pisces, but for now let’s get into this full moon in Leo because I think it’s an important one for spoonies especially. In an ableist society that puts so much reward and emphasis on productivity (and activity in general), it’s super easy for us to get down on ourselves for not being able to keep up with the pace of the world of healthy people. It’s a true task trying to build up self-esteem and self-worth, to stop making comparisons, to stop measuring our timeline against those of our healthier loved ones. Global society has a LONG way to go towards being inclusive, and it’s important to acknowledge that—it’s NOT your fault, and the microaggressions and ways in which we are set up to feel like shit are REAL. But until society catches up, we will always have to keep building ourselves back up, building up our resilience (shame resilience, in the words of Brené Brown). A Leo moon can help us tap into what we like about ourselves, and a Leo full moon is a great time to let go of the shame and “less than” feelings we’ve been carrying around. However tired, sick, or hurting we are, we still have a roar within us, and the Leo moon can help us find it and let it out. 

“While you may feel an increased need for appreciation and demonstrative attention, this passage isn’t just about stamping your foot and demanding to be the star. Sometimes that’s necessary, because like the lion that rules Leo, we need to roar to let people know that we’re here, so they don’t step on our toes. But a Leo progression is more about remembering the reason you deserve that attention in the first place, to celebrate and express yourself. What’s in you that wants to come out?” —Amy Herring

Astrology of the Moon by Amy Herring

For this reading, I’ve asked the cards what this full moon is shining a light on to help us tap into self-love. Please do read for your rising sign as well as your sun sign for the bigger picture (you can find your rising sign & check where you have 20° Leo by getting a free chart here: astro.com ). I’ve used the Next World Tarot by Cristy C. Road for this reading.

Aquarius & Aquarius Rising (Jan 20 – Feb 18): Happy birthday season Aquarians! This full moon lights up your 7th house of partnerships (of all kinds), marriage, and how you relate to others. A Leo full moon in this house can shed light on what might be out of balance in your one-on-one relationships—are you able to ask for what you need, and with the sun in Aquarius, is this balanced with what you give? For your message of self-love, I pulled the King of Cups with the 10 of Wands. It’s time to tap into your emotional self, what is at the core of your feeling restricted by too many responsibilities? This is a good moon to review all that you’ve got on your plate, and really tap into how each thing on that plate is affecting your emotional well-being. What can be nudged, what can be let go of? Do you need more time and energy freed up to be able to nourish existing relationships and start new ones? If too many people have been pulling for your energy, it might be time to withdraw your energy from some relationships. With that 10 of Wands, something’s got to give to make room for the emotional well-being and kinds of relationships you crave.

Pisces & Pisces Rising (Feb 19 – Mar 20): Dreamy fishies, this full moon lights up your sixth house of health, daily life and routines, work and service to others, and how we overcome obstacles. The Leo full moon can shed light on how we’ve been doing in these areas of life, and it’s a good time to review your day-to-day life. I pulled the Empress (arguably THE queen of self-care) and the King of Pentacles for you, so I see this moon as an opportunity to find inspiration on how to balance nurturing yourself and working hard towards your 6th house goals. How is your routine feeling, and what can be changed up to make you feel better? It can feel a little overwhelming if you find yourself reviewing, and realize so many little things need to shift or be let go of…but part of the 6th house energy is taking things one day at a time. What can be shifted to help you tap into self-love—does more self-care need to be worked into your routine? When you’re living with chronic illness it can be easy to fill up the days and weeks with doctor appointments, paperwork, and health-related stuff, so it’s a good time to think about where you can make room for things that make you feel alive and tap into your inner Leo playful lion.

Aries & Aries Rising (Mar 21 – Apr 19): Fiery rams, this full moon lights up your fifth house of creativity, romance, and fun. This is a great moon to turn your focus towards all that brings you joy. What sparks your creativity? Where can you lighten things up? In what ways have you been holding back or stifling this side of yourself? This is a really good time to find some creative outlets, or return to ones you haven’t visited in a while. The playful energy of Leo gives you the opportunity to figure out how to tend to your inner child. I pulled the 9 of Wands and the 3 of Cups for your self-love message. If you’ve been spending so much time holding down your fort, protecting yourself, and just surviving lately, the prescription is some lightheartedness. It’s time to figure out how to have some fun—even if you’re stuck at home. As a spoonie you might have to get creative and have a friend or two come to you, even have a watch party online with some fellow spoonies, whatever it takes to have some belly laughs and remember that you can have fun even in the midst of a flare or emotional storm. 

Taurus & Taurus Rising (Apr 20 – May 20): Beautiful bulls, this full moon lights up your 4th house of family life, home environment, and roots. Often this can bring your attention to how you’re feeling in your home and in your close family relationships. If you’ve been super focused on work (and yes, managing chronic illness counts as work), or other areas of life, this might be a good moon to take a look at how to bring more balance in—do you need more down time at home? Is your home feeling good, and if not are there ways you can brighten it up? On the flip side, if you’ve been spending too much time at home, this is the time to think about how to get out more—even if it’s just a little outing or a short walk or wheel around the block. Leo energy can shine a light on how we deserve to feel in our home and in our family connections, how  we can let our inner lion roar a little more in these areas of life. I pulled the Hanged Man (Suspension in this deck) and the Fool for you. If you’ve been in in a transition period where not a lot of progress has been happening, or in a sort of holding pattern, I see the Fool energy coming in as an opportunity for coming out of this suspended state and starting a fresh path. The Fool is the beginning of a new cycle of some kind, sometimes prompting a leap of faith, always breathing new energy into your situation.

Gemini & Gemini Rising (May 21 – Jun 20): Gorgeous Geminis, this full moon lighting up your 3rd house of communication, thinking, writing, and short trips can have your already active mind extra abuzz. The Leo energy shining on this house invites you to check in on how you’ve been feeling in this area of life—how are you feeling about your communications with others? Have you been balanced in how you’re speaking and listening, your input and output? This is a great moon to think about how to let go of thought patterns that leave you feeling less than. The throat chakra is highlighted here, so get some hot tea, soothe your throat, and let out some sounds that feel good. Have you felt comfortable speaking your truth, and are you feeling heard? I pulled the 8 of Wands and the Ace of Cups for you. This moon brings with it hope, strength, and fresh drive to take some action—all opening the door for a new beginning in this 3rd house area of life. As we release the past cycle and whatever has been holding back or stifling our voice, a new beginning in the realm of emotions and creativity arises. 

Cancer & Cancer Rising (Jun 21 – Jul 22): Crabby cuties, this full moon lights up our 2nd house of physical resources, finances, desires, and values. How are you feeling about what you have to work with? This can be a particularly intense house for us spoonies, as many of us have worries about how we are going to survive in a society that is absolutely not set up for our success. I see this moon as an opportunity for us to let go of the ways in which struggles in this house can take a toll on our sense of self-worth. As issues surrounding how we survive come up, take a look around to see what resources you actually have. Money is only one kind of resource, but where else do we have tools and help? This Leo moon asks us to look at how we are feeling about this area of life, and can inspire us on ways to strengthen it. I pulled the Sun and the World for us. Examining the feelings that come up with this house can be overwhelming, but the Sun comes in to sprinkle some creativity and light on the subject. The Sun encourages us to find joy in the little things, in the everyday things we overlook—and perhaps we can find unexpected resources in those little things, too. The World comes up when we are at the end of one cycle, and the beginning of a new one. In some way or another things are coming full circle, and we can look forward to moving into a fresh energy.

Leo & Leo Rising (Jul 23 – Aug 22): Fierce lions, this full moon lights up your 1st house of personality and self. This shines the spotlight inward, and can be a time of self-evaluation—what parts of yourself are you happy with, and what parts would you like to take action towards changing? This moon in your sign encourages you to find balance between how you get your needs met, and how you give to others (the Aquarius sun has all of us feeling this on some level, and is particularly strong with the moon transiting your first house). The Leo moon in your first house also asks you to look at how you feel about the attention you need, and how you go about getting it. We all need and deserve attention, so this is a good time to think about what kind of attention you want/need, and what ways of going about getting it will feel good to you. What do you want to let go of as this cycle ends, and what do you want to make room for? I pulled the Queen of Swords and the Six of Swords for you. Tapping into your inner wisdom, attention to detail, and logic can bring clarity this moon. With the 6 of Swords you are coming out of a challenging (even dangerous) situation, and entering a more harmonious and balanced place. 

Virgo & Virgo Rising (Aug 23 – Sep 22): Virgo flowers, this full moon lights up your 12th house of things beyond the physical realm, the unconscious, karma, and self-undoing. Whatever you’ve been holding deep down can rise up to the surface now, and while you will need some alone time, the Leo moon reminds you not to isolate yourself too much. This can feel like a cocoon phase in some ways—the outer world can feel tiring as you dive into how you are feeling about things you’ve been holding inside, and things you weren’t aware of on a conscious level come to light. Your dreams can be particularly intense right now, you can learn from them for sure, but be careful not to let them take over your reality—especially with the Mercury in Pisces retroshade energy, when interpretations might be extra foggy. Take that extra time to withdraw, up your self-care (salt baths and curling up in cozy blankets), and reach out to someone close when you’re ready. I pulled Justice and the Queen of Wands for you. Some sort of inner conflict is coming to a resolution with the end of this moon cycle, and in some way inner harmony is being restored. With the Queen of Wands you step into a vibrant, creative, and strong energy—you find success as you strengthen yourself from the inside.

Libra & Libra Rising (Sep 23 – Oct 22): Lovely Libras, this full moon lights up your 11th house friendships and groups, goals and objectives. How are you feeling about your relationships with friends, and in the groups you’re a part of? Do you feel balanced in how much you are giving and receiving in this area of life? This could be a time of leaving groups you no longer feel aligned with or friendships that have grown apart. It can also be a time of making room for joining a new group, or new friendships. If you’re a spoonie who’s been having to spend a lot of time at home, this moon can help spark your imagination, and find your voice to speak up for what you need—are there ways you can feel more included, even from home? Are there new goals you can come up with that can be accomplished while you’re exactly where you’re at with your symptoms? It’s also a good time to review your goals now, and see if they still feel right for where you are now. If your dreams for the future no longer fit with how you feel now, let this Leo energy fire up your imagination for some new ones. I pulled the Hermit and the 10 of Cups for you—a time of some soul searching and inner reflection now can lead you to a long-lasting stability. Take some time for solitude this full moon, as your search within could lead to clarity on how to adjust your goals to reach that solid 10 of Cups space.

Scorpio & Scorpio Rising (Oct 23 – Nov 21): Soulful Scorpios, this full moon in Leo falls in your 10th house of career, public life, and how you deal with authority. This moon shines a light not just on your career, but the roles you’re playing in life—it’s a good time to review these, and you might be surprised what comes up. Sometimes as spoonies it’s easy to feel like our roles are limited, but when you really look at things you can see that you’re doing more than you realize (teaching, giving emotional support, philosophizing, being an artist, etc). Thanks to the internet, we can all interact with the public, and being seen in this way counts just as much. The Leo energy of this moon can inspire and encourage you to try new roles, and examine how you feel about the space you take up. Are you comfortable being seen? Whether you have too many things going on, insecurities that are holding you back from trying new things, or are giving too much energy to one thing, take some time to think about what you can let go of with this moon—make some room for what you want to bring into this area of life. I pulled the Wheel of Fortune and the Knight of Swords for you, both cards of forward motion. With the Wheel of Fortune a new cycle is beginning, and I usually see this as a positive change coming, especially if things have been rough. The Knight of Swords is a card of swift action, and I’m feeling two strong interpretations here: 1. for some of you this new cycle comes in quickly, with sudden changes; 2. For some of you direct action is needed to facilitate this shift (often this action is in the realm of thought, such as a choice that needs to be made). Keep up your self-care through this shift, and feel that fresh new energy coming in soon.

Sagittarius & Sagittarius Rising (Nov 22 – Dec 21): Glowy Sagittarians, this Leo full moon lights up your 9th house of philosophy, thoughts on spirituality, intuition, and higher learning. This house is naturally ruled by your sign, so in many ways you are at home in this energy. Give yourself time and space to let your mind wander freely this weekend! You might find it a good time for checking in with your beliefs and philosophies—are you still aligned with them, or are there ways of thinking you’re ready to let go of? Are there drains on your time and energy you could let go of to make room for learning something new? It’s a great time to start thinking about a course you’d like to take, or new subject you’d like to dive into. Let the Leo moon light you up with confidence because it’s a great moon to let go of any shame or insecurities surrounding your spirituality or philosophy on life. I pulled two major arcana cards for you, Judgement and Strength. I often see the Judgement card as this opportunity for transformation; it’s a card of spiritual awakening and growth, and change for the better. The Strength card comes in to let you know that you ARE strong enough, and you do have the inner strength you need to access this beautiful newness coming in. These cards fit so beautifully with your 9th house full moon—with the shedding of the old, and inspiration for new philosophical avenues, you can stir up an exciting awakening within.

Capricorn & Capricorn Rising (Dec 22 – Jan 19): Capricorn unicorns, this full moon lights up your 8th house of transformation, death and rebirth, and sexuality. This is often an intense house to have a full moon transit because it can shed light on things we’ve been avoiding looking at. This Leo energy helps give us the courage to face any fears that pop up, though, and access your inner roar. Not every full moon in this house is going to be a huge transformation—sometimes it serves to help you get in touch with what you truly deeply want, or face something that has been difficult to even think about. Don’t forget to come up for air while this moon has you diving deep into an intense area of life. Time alone to process is important, just resist the urge to isolate yourself too much. This moon can be a bit of a roller coaster; in the words of Amy Herring, “You are going on an emotional journey that takes you from fear to faith and back again.” Take extra time for self-care over the next few days. Facing things we tend to push down can motivate us to make the changes we need to, and even if they are small changes, they nudge us towards our true path. I pulled the 7 of Cups with the Ace of Wands for you. This moon brings with it a good time to think about what changes you want to make, and when you really look, there are a lot of possibilities. There is guidance here to take charge and make a decision, and with the Ace of Wands comes a new beginning—possibility for a new project, new job, or new creative outlet that lights a fire in you.