LEO HOROSCOPE

You don't always have to have the bright, shiny answer to people's problems. As a Child of the Sun, you feel like it's your moral duty to revive downcast spirits, rekindle their low-burning faith, and to rouse their better selves. After all, the Sun always rises on a new day, right? Well, this week people need a commiserator, not a cheerleader. Sit down with a troubled loved one or friend, knee to knee, and ask what's going on. You don't need to have a solution or a game plan. The fact that you're listening brings all the comfort and solace that this person needs.

The plus side to being sick and tired of being sick and tired is you just don’t care anymore. You've been thwarted too many times to worry about what happens next. Ironically, this frees you to try something different. A planetary square demands that we rise to the challenge and lock horns with an opponent; however, the Sun/Pluto square on October 26th insists that you throw the fight. It seems counterintuitive, but the moment you stop struggling is the moment you'll escape that corner you've painted yourself into. If it works for undertows and quicksand, then it will certainly work for your current dilemma too.

Did you accidentally walk onto the set of a Eugene O'Neill play without knowing it? That's the question you'll be asking when Mercury turns retrograde in Scorpio on October 24th and begins its long day's journey into night. For the next three weeks, you'll be revisiting family ghosts with all of their haunted disappointments and tattered illusions. Yet the point of all this isn't to bury you in the past, but to release you from it. It's time to live life on your own terms. And don't be surprised if you're joined by family members who want to lay to rest the very same things as you.

You're an unapologetic optimist. That's because your Ruling Planet is the Sun and the Sun always rises on a new day. You never give up hope. On October 15th, the Sun sextiles Jupiter. This is Astrology's “everything's going to be all right” transit, and you'll see it go to work right away on righting misunderstandings, uncrossing crossed arms, and restocking empty shelves with golden opportunities. Moreover, customers will buy, superiors will smile, and your romantic life couldn't be better. So should all this good fortune make you worried? Not with Jupiter around. Jupiter confers cosmic protection and benediction, so enjoy this time in the Sun.

You hate it when the people you care about fight. If you had your way, you would tell them to knock it off and that would be that. Unfortunately, that won't work and your attempts at playing peacemaker would only make matters worse. This is one of those times when you have to step back and let them work out their differences, and that includes the possibility that they may never reach an understanding. It's never easy being Switzerland, but the more neutral and nonjudgmental you can be, the better. Just because they don't get along shouldn't lessen the love you have for each of them.

You're all set to sign on the line that is dotted until Venus turns retrograde on October 3rd. This is when certain information comes to light that makes it impossible for you to proceed. Maybe you discover you were being deliberately played, facts were edited to make a compelling case, or the nature of what's divulged is so outlandish that it's unconscionable. It's awkward to be sure, but you're not doing anyone any favors by saying things are OK when they're not. Be brave and do what's right by giving the thumbs down. These are the moments that separate the champs from the chumps.

Nothing short of your personal best will do while Mars is in your sign. It doesn't matter if you're running for president or competing in a Bake-Off, if you can think of a way to improve your performance, you'll do it. You won't wait to see what others think or ask them for their advice. You'll have little patience for a cautious, studied approach. Why settle for progressing inch by inch when you can score a big touchdown or a home run? Indeed, given your love of excitement, the more down-to-the-wire things get, the better! Mars will be in Leo from September 27th to November 25th.

It may feel like you're playing for high stakes and that if you blow it, then it's all over, but nothing could be further from the truth. The Sun/Mars sextile on September 14th is the YOU'VE GOT THIS planetary aspect in Astrology. All you have to do is tune out the expectations and focus squarely on the task at hand. Remind yourself that you've done what you are about to do a million times before and with great success. Get into the flow of things (rather than pinning all your hopes on one particular outcome) and you will pass this trial by fire with flaming colors!

Did you say your good-byes too soon? Premature endings and unexpected reappearances have been known to happen when Uranus turns retrograde. This could give you a second chance to get things right in a troubled relationship or it signals the return of that bane-to-your-existence whom you hoped was gone for good. There will either be squeals of delight or groans of despair on September 10th. Another thing to keep an eye on is Mercury forming a trine to Pluto on September 12th. This shows a disapproving critic doing an about-face and giving you that last-minute boost you need to get up and over a hurdle.

You are being guided by a sense of purpose and that’s a good thing. Too many people base their career decisions on money and security while losing sight of the fact that if you don’t love what you do for a living, then work will become thankless no matter the size of the paycheck. Jupiter in Leo emboldens you to make those larger-than-life changes that you usually talk yourself out of and its trine to Saturn on August 31st ensures you'll discover the means to incorporate them into your life. Follow these impulses and you'll set a course for yourself that is both enlivening and fulfilling.