Leo Season Is Bringing the Heat and Romance This Summer

Every year, in the heart of summertime, Leo season is in full swing. Leo season, which occurs when the sun is at home in the fixed fire sign, is an opportunity to foster greater confidence, playfulness, and to roar what's in your heart.

Given that the sun oversees self-image, confidence, and identity, Leo season encourages you to foster and embrace your sense of self, find new ways to process emotions through vibrant self-expression, get after your dreams, and think proactively and optimistically. Determined to move the ball forward no matter what, Leo season can also stoke your inner fearlessness and fierce defense of passion projects, loved ones, and anything else near and dear to your heart.

Of course, all of these fired-up moves are a bit easier to make when the days are long, filled with intense, vibrant, golden sunlight, and you're on a mission to embrace the festive, fun-loving season with your friends, family, and love interests. But no matter how you plan to spend mid-July to mid-August, the sun's journey through Leo can bolster your sense of empowerment, self-assuredness, and drive. It's a time of year that can make you feel like you're center stage while fueling romantic moments galore.

Here's everything you need to know about Leo season in 2024 and what the season may bring for your zodiac sign.

In 2024, Leo season begins on July 22 and ends on Aug. 22. Because Leo is associated with the fifth house of romance and self-expression, the sign's energy can magnify your artistic impulses and desire for love, luxury, fun, and drama — ideally, the kind that's entertaining versus agitating. With the sun blazing during the long days and star-filled nights, this is the perfect time for steamy dates and Gatsby-like get-togethers. During Leo season, you will feel most blissful when showing how much you care and soaking up the limelight.

For a sense of how Leo functions in astrology and influences the weeks between mid-July and mid-August, zero in on the energy and themes of the sign's ruler, the sun, which oversees core identity, confidence, self-image, expression of pride, life path, and self-esteem. The sun is at the heart of who you are, what empowers you, and what drives you. In turn, Leo takes great pride in sense of self and stepping into and standing strongly in your personal power.

At its most enlightened level, the fixed fire sign teaches the importance of owning your voice and loving yourself unconditionally, and Leo season is an opportunity to nurture these skills. Leo season is also a chance to command the spotlight and embrace any chance to run the show, even if that's only in terms of setting lofty new personal goals and creating an ambitious game plan for achieving them. Leo energy encourages a glass-half-full, action-oriented approach; you can accomplish what you set out to because you believe you can.

Charismatic, determined, and bold, anyone who has their sun sign, rising sign, or moon sign in Leo is a dynamic go-getter who adores being the center of attention. Leo shines when entertaining, engaging, and soaking up attention from others, taking the reins on a passion project, or speaking from the heart.

From the moment Leo season kicks off on July 22, there will be an intense surge of energy thanks to an opposition between the confident sun and transformative Pluto, which is currently retrograde in fixed air sign Aquarius. This could signal a crisis point or crossroads where change is inevitable, but ultimately, the reason that you're being nudged to move in a new direction is likely for the greater good.

The Leo new moon hits around the same exact time that Mercury begins its second full retrograde of 2024, journeying backward through service-oriented Virgo and go-getter Leo from Aug. 4 or Aug. 5 (depending on your time zone) to Aug. 28. In turn, review the details of unfinished projects and dive into self-work related to boosting your self-image. This retrograde does set a mostly contemplative, meditative vibe for the bulk of Leo season, but going back to the drawing board to tend to other areas of life like leadership and self-expression can lead to greater inner knowing and fulfillment.

Leo season isn't entirely sleepy, though. On Aug. 14, Mars links up with Jupiter, supporting your ability to build momentum on any endeavor you want to usher across the finish line, particularly those related to communication and technology, since the conjunction is happening in Gemini. Finally, just ahead of Leo season's curtain call, the full moon in Aquarius (also known as the sturgeon moon) on Aug. 19 spurs you to consider the importance of community and humanitarian action in your life. It also happens to fall on the same day as Jupiter squares off with Uranus, which serves to stir up a burst of restlessness, free-spiritedness, and the desire to strike out on your own.

That said, before moving from Leo season into Virgo season, expect the unexpected.

People born with major personal placements in the sign of Leo aren't the only ones who will feel the confidence-boosting vibes of Leo season. Because Leo is a fixed sign, it's Taurus (fixed earth), Scorpio (fixed water), and Aquarius (fixed air) who are most likely to experience the greatest shifts and inspiration from Leo season.

Here's what every sign can expect this Leo season. Feel free to read the below based on your zodiac sign and/or rising sign, too.

Leo season tends to crank up the intensity of your artistic impulses and appetite for playfulness, Aries, because the sun is in your fifth house of romance, play, and creativity. This moment was made for expressing your emotions through a creative project and hitting pause on work so that you can really be yourself with the people you love the most.

For you, Taurus, Leo season is all about spending even more quality time with your nearest and dearest, thanks to the sun moving through your fourth house of home life. Whether you're heading to a beloved family vacation spot, puttering around in the garden, or taking twilight-lit strolls, relaxing with your loved ones can be particularly restorative for your heart right now.

Leo season takes your already curious, communicative nature to new heights, Gemini, thanks to the fact that the confident sun will be moving through your third house of information. It's also the astrological house associated with short-distance travel, so you could be enjoying more staycations and road trips than usual.

You could be feeling a little bit exhausted by the whirlwind of your birthday season, Cancer. But now, the confident sun is moving through your second house of income, throwing your focus on money matters and your values more than anything else. You may be contemplating whether you're being valued enough for what you bring to the table — and if not, considering where you go from here.

Welcome to your season, Leo! If there's one thing that you love more than soaking up the sun, it's an opportunity to be in the spotlight, and that's what this time of year is all about. With the sun moving through your first house of self, your mind is on how you're presenting yourself out in the world and pursuing passion projects. A surge of confidence can make it easier to make progress on all of your goals.

Leo season could be sleepier for you than it is for the other signs, Virgo, because the confident sun is moving through your 12th house of spirituality and dreams. You're more meditative and in tune with your intuition. For this reason, solo time really benefits your well-being and long-term goal setting.

Leo season is pretty heavenly for you, Libra, because you're such a social butterfly, and the confident sun is moving through your 11th house of networking and friendship, bolstering a feeling of connectedness. You should find you can easily join forces with friends, colleagues, and neighbors and fill your days with more group events, parties, get-togethers, and teamwork.

Leo season often makes you even more driven than usual, Scorpio, because your 10th house of career is activated now. Maybe you've been wanting to throw your hat in the ring for a more senior-level position or pitch a passion project to a new client. Either way, these next four weeks were tailor-made to staking your professional claim — and earning plenty of recognition for all your hard work.

There's nothing you love more than going on an adventure, Sagittarius, which is why Leo season was pretty much made for you. The sun is moving through your ninth house of adventure and higher learning now, nudging you to get out of your usual grind and go somewhere thoroughly eye-opening — literally or figuratively. You might also be feeling even more philosophical and want to soak up more knowledge, so take advantage of opportunities to connect with a mentor, professor, or teacher whose lessons will expand your mind.

While you'd usually rather stick to a logical game plan than go swimming in deep, complex feelings, Leo season presents you with a chance to step out of your emotional comfort zone, Capricorn. The sun is moving through your eighth house of emotional bonds, intimacy, and joint resources, encouraging you to be more vulnerable and share what's in your heart with your partner or loved ones.

Leo season emphasizes your one-on-one relationships — including those that are romantic, platonic, or professional — because the sun is moving through your seventh house of partnership, Aquarius. So whether you're working toward a shared goal with your lover or pulling together a business proposal, you'll want to be sure you're leaning on one another's strengths while dealing with any challenges you face as a team head-on.

Everyday need-to-dos (like doctor's appointments) and want-to-dos (like that mini wellness retreat) are easier to tackle, thanks to the sun moving through your sixth house of wellness and daily routine, Pisces. You can more easily find ways to not only be more productive but also elevate your sense of inner balance during this practical season.

Maressa Brown is a journalist, author, and astrologer. Her areas of expertise include writing, reporting, and editing lifestyle, pop culture, and parenting content that's both conversational and substantive. In addition to contributing to POPSUGAR, she writes for a variety of consumer-facing publications including InStyle, Parents, and Shape, and was previously an editor at Cosmopolitan and CafeMom.