Leo: Think Before You Speak

We are currently welcoming the mighty energy of the New Moon of Leo. The essence of a king of the jungle, Leo is regal and proud; he stretches out in the beautiful glow of the sun luxuriating in his own powerful essence. A force brimming with confidence, strength, and ability, he is self-assured and magnanimous, as well as a natural born leader. A Leo is certainly impressive and hard to ignore. What’s even harder to ignore is that this energy is available for all of us this month¾so let’s ensure we all get the lion’s share of it!

Understanding the energies of the new moon not only help to guide us through the month but help us understand aspects of our personalities, in this case, whether we are a Leo or not. We don’t need to be born under a sign in order to feel its effects when its turn under the sun rolls around, and knowing how to work with it is only to our benefit. Every sign brings positive things and qualities that we can expect as well as challenging aspects, and Leo is no different.

The month of Leo, or Av as expressed in Hebrew, is certainly a conundrum. Leo is bright and shiny, bringing self-assuredness and star-quality, yet it is also a month that is understood by kabbalists as a “challenging month.” The months of Leo, Cancer, and Capricorn each bear this “negativity,” as it were. But what exactly does this mean? How can a month be labeled negative?

As we know, each sign is ruled by a planet, but Leo is not influenced by a planet, oh no, Leo is the ruler is the sun. In fact, it is the only sign ruled and influenced by the fiery star at the center of our solar system. This would certainly explain Leo’s propensity for thinking that the world – or entire universe! – revolves around them. Ever the king or queen of their kingdom, looking to rule, regulate, and organize their dominion the way they want it and prefer it. At their worst, “arrogant” and “Leo” become interchangeable.

However, the flip side of their perceived arrogance is tremendous generosity, charisma, and power. They are magnetic, alluring, and commanding; making them incredibly social beings. They love to entertain and have people around them. Beneath the shell of their bold exterior, they seek simply to love and be loved. This is where their happiness is found.

In Kabbalah, it is believed that the sun directly links us to the Infinite Light that created us, which is solely made of everything positive in the world. Since the sun governs this month, we have a mighty amount of light to contend with; an energy that is at its most abundant, with great promise for positive, wonderful things. But as we know, the amount of positive energy is directly proportional to what’s available as negative energy, too.

This is why Leo is viewed as a negative month. With so much unbridled Light and nothing to temper it, we are under special instruction to do the tempering for ourselves. Going to the beach might be a beautiful, relaxing experience but if we get caught up in the luxury, we’ll forget to wear sunscreen and end up getting burned. We don’t want an energy-burn so how can we work to temper the Light of the month and use it beneficially? By tempering our ego.

There are many ways to check our ego, but this month, I want to take it down to a simple, almost basic approach: think before you speak. Is it a platitude? Yes; but for good reason. When our ego is on the scene, it means that we are the center of our focus. We can’t come from a place of sharing or kindness when we’re only thinking of ourselves, and this can translate as saying things we don’t mean, disregarding the feelings of others, and behaving reactively. Talk about getting burned.

The simplest way to avert these things is bringing special awareness to what you say, why you say it, and how you say it. From a kabbalistic perspective, our words hold incredible power. The kabbalists teach that our ability to speak comes directly from our soul and that every word that leaves our mouth takes with it a spark of our soul. That’s a pretty big deal. Knowing that parts of our soul go out into the world with every word we speak can give us a whole new reverence for what we say and the energy we put behind it. Here are a few ways to utilize your words like the true leader that Leo embodies instead of giving in to his inner tyrant.

Don’t react. If you find yourself in a situation with a challenging person and begin to feel that fiery urge to react, take a breath. Move your focus away from yourself and take in the big picture. Look for ways to be compassionate, to find a solution, or to communicate respectfully, and speak from that place.

Listen more. Sometimes no words are the best words. It is very easy for Leo to want to steal the spotlight, and this can cause a whole host of problems. Instead, take every chance to listen to those around you, hear other people’s points of view, and practice speaking only when you need to.

Respect boundaries. Asking too much of others, offering unsolicited advice, and interrupting are all ways that we can overstep someone’s boundaries with our words. Bringing an empathetic awareness to everyone you spend your time with this month will greatly decrease these missteps. It may be well-meaning, but if it’s making someone else feel less-than whole, it isn’t helpful.

No Gossiping. Once our words leave our mouth, they are gone forever, and what we say can never be unspoken. Speaking negatively about others is one of the most damaging things we can do to them – and to ourselves. Because this behavior comes directly from ego, it will be especially tempting this month. Catch yourself as often as you can and stop in your tracks. We all know the saying “If you can’t find anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” I take it one step further: “If you can’t find anything nice to say, you’re not trying hard enough.”

The month of Leo can bring us great blessings and beautiful experiences. Don’t let your pride get in the way of the abundant miracles that are available to you this month. Temper your ego through the incredible power of your words and let the Light do the rest.

 

THOUGHT INTO ACTION

Your words can be a superpower or a deadly weapon. Try to go an entire day this week without saying anything negative. Then continue that practice all month long.