Happy birthday month, Leos. Mercury, Venus and of course the Sun are all hanging in your sign until the end of this week. Mercury leaves on the 30th and Venus will leave the following week on August 5th. So, you need to take in the all the love communicated to you this week. And since, you all have the biggest hearts of all the signs – for all that you take in – give out twice as much.

Leo is one of the bigger constellations in the sky. In mythology this constellation depicts the lion that Hercules killed as one of his labors. However, this constellation has been seen as a lion since the beginning of civilization. The Persians called it Ser or Shir; the Turks, Artan; the Syrians, Ayro; the Jews, Ayre; the Indians, Simha. All these words translate to “lion.” This constellation also holds two of the 25 brightest stars in our sky, Regulus and Denebola, and a number of galaxies: Miessier 65, 66, 95, 105. It is theorized that the Lion and therefore Leo is associated with the Sun because the sun passes in front of the constellation from August 10 to September 16th, which coincides with the annual flooding of the Nile. Without the Nile flooding, agriculture and therefore civilization as we know it would not have started.   That’s a big legacy behind you Leos. So my question to you: how will you influence the world this year?

P.S. Remember, when signs have * it’s a big week for you.

Aries – Four of Swords – The Four of Swords’ lessons are around the 3Rs: retreat, rest, reassess. The Four of Swords is a mini Hangman card, reminding us that rest is something we all need to in order to have a healthy life and outlook. So go ahead take that cat nap or take a walk around the block, you only need a little getaway to gain the Four of Sword’s benefits .

Taurus – Ace of Swords – Hmmm, still no rest for you this week. Last week you had The Chariot spurring you on and now the Ace of Swords is asking you to keep that momentum up, at least with your thoughts. This week the challenge is to keep your mind and communications sharp. So you will need to think before you speak or act this week. If you are not sure about committing to something or need to buy some time just say: “I’ll get back to you on that.”

Gemini – Two of Pentacles – I hope last week you took time to stand back and re-assess, because the Two of Pentacles means you need a more slimmed down and balanced plan for the week. Now just remember when the storm hits, you are ready for it. (If you didn’t do the work last week make a quick plan and batten down the hatches.)

Cancer – Ten of Cups – Finally, one of the party cards has arrived. I was hoping you all would get the Ten of Cups during your birthday month, but you needed to get some work done instead. The Ten of Cups’ lesson is all about enjoying your family and home, and boy this what being a Cancer is all about. Your challenge is to find the things that make you feel comfy like making good food, hanging with close friends and/or family, and/or relaxing at home.  How hard can that be?

Leo – Five of Wands – Chaos is back in your life with the Five of Wands. This chaos is irritating like gnats buzzing around your head, or that itch you can’t scratch on the bottom of your foot when you are in a meeting. Your challenge with the Five of Wands is to get really still. If you can become quiet the gnats will not bug you and that itch will subside on its own. The lesson with the Five of Wands is in learning how to disengage from the chaos.

Virgo – Ace of Cups – Last week did you practice using your intuition muscles? If not look back to last week and do some of the exercises, because you will need them with the Ace of Cups. The Ace of Cups is a perfect start to the wind-down month to your birthday. Aces ask, what are the foundations you are going to lay down for the future? The cup is asking, what would truly make your heart sing this year? An example of an exercise to do this week is to ask yourself: if I had all the money in the world what would I do? The challenge around this question is to strip away all that hinders you from dreaming your heart’s desire.

Libra – Page of Cups – The Page of Cups’ advice this week is for you all to write a love letter to your favorite person. Not only will this do that person some good, it will help you keep your frame of mind swayed towards the positive this week.

*Scorpio – The Wheel – Your luck is going to change this week. Things will work out in your favor, you will find lost items, and you might even come into some cash unexpectedly. The challenge with The Wheel is to be aware of the signs the universe is telling you. So if you see a sign that says “turn here” and it resonates with your gut – take the detour.

Sagittarius – Four of Cups – Okay, the daydreaming card is back. When you find yourself a little bored this week, try to spend some time in your head. The challenge with the Four of Cups is not to spend too much time analyzing the past but use it to imagine and plan the future.

Capricorn – Page of Swords – Last week, I hope you spent some time seeing yourself as the creator of your reality, and how what you create outside of yourself is real and has value. It seems you found during this introspection that you need more information on how to create what you want. The Page of Swords says this is the week to do it. So the question to put out in the universe is: what do I need to know to make my creations more real and have more value? Then, the challenge is to follow the clues.

Aquarius – Nine of Wands – Okay, so the Nine of Wands says you have a lot to do this week and the big challenge is how to go about getting it all done. The Nine of Wands says it is all in the planning. Like A. G. Bell said, “before anything else preparation is the key to success.” So do your to-do lists before you go out, Google map your destination before you leave the house, and/or make sure you have an extra protein bar with you. The challenge for Aquarius with the Nine of Rods is that you need to be a bit more grounded this week than normal.

Pisces – King of Pentacles – Ah, typical Pisces. While the rest of us are still dealing with Venus in Leo, which is all about being loved and being in love, you all have jumped on ahead to Venus in Virgo which is a more practical way of looking at love. The King of Pentacles’ lesson is to ask yourself: what is all this hard work around love going to get me? Your challenge is to hold off your more cynical side. You know, that Tina Turner “What’s love got to do with it – second-hand emotion” side. You need to let in the positive side of how love helps you move through the world. A simple example you get a rush of oxytocin when you get a hug, and some studies have shown that lowers your blood pressure. Or a complex example – all the good things in life, including yourself, wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for Love.

May light be on you, light around you, and light within you,

Nina