There’s more about being seen than just being seen. Regardless of our personality traits, the extent to which we feel comfortable with being witnessed and praised for the work we do is indicative of a number of things.

Our sense of self-worth is definitely among them, but so is our ability to live our truth, our willingness to take ownership of our narrative, to accept that our presence in the world has an impact and generates consequences. Our fears around being misread, misjudged, misunderstood, perhaps re-traumatized. Our familiarity with the wounds of neglect and abandonment. The boundaries of our identity, when not our identity itself. The list could go on forever.

The upcoming Full Moon in Leo, arriving on February 9 (7:33 AM GMT) at 20 degrees of the sign, is going to cast a spotlight so bright and bedazzling, there will be nowhere to hide — especially for the personal (or transpersonal) demons that lurk in the shadow, dimming our ability to shine and be loved for who we are.

Leo is associated with both the heart in our body and the Sun, heart of our solar system. Both keep us alive unconditionally, regardless of how broken, flawed or deserving we think we are, reminding us that the intrinsic holiness in every life-affirming act is stronger than anything else. Every soulful, fearless act of creation deserves to be celebrated, and reciprocated by the whole of the Universe.

Some of us feel ready to embrace this concept wholeheartedly, while many of us are still struggling with validating themselves from within, and, thus, with allowing themselves to be appreciated and compensated for the talents and gifts they contribute to humanity. The most damaged and alienated fragments of our Self might even prompt us to question the validity of our offerings. The shadow is their ideal habitat, perhaps because it provides a shelter from the punishment that we have come to associate, consciously or unconsciously, with self-expression. Shock and trauma alter our perception of reality and of our very own qualities in ways that are difficult to articulate, conditioning us to fear the potentially dreadful consequences of exposure.

Pluto, Saturn and Jupiter in Capricorn form a tense Quincunx to the Leo Moon, and so does Neptune in Pisces. Whenever we go, we take our personal baggage of painful memories, phobias and maladaptive beliefs with us; it can be difficult to acknowledge the extent to which our thoughts, actions and decisions are shaped and undermined by their weight. The very parts of ourselves we try to control and isolate can, and often do, end up controlling us and holding us in their grip. Too, as much as we try to fight back, the subliminal, systemic messages about our worth and our very right to exist, or lack thereof, depending on our willingness to meet certain standards, can affect our self-image in subtle but powerful ways.

Luna gently asks us to hold space for it all. She gives us permission to affirm ourselves in spite of, or precisely because of, the darkness within and without. She wants to remind us that it’s now safe of us to ask and receive, even in the case we’re not done with unpacking our inner blockages and trauma-informed, culturally enforced conditionings or collecting our messy pieces yet.

Mars, transiting the sign of Sagittarius, echoes the Full Moon’s sentiment, supporting her via an amicable, sympathetic trine and reminding us that there are freedom and hope on the other side of fear. The trine between the Moon and Mars is fiercely emboldening, an enthusiastic invitation to use our inner workings as a fuel source for expansion and exploration of new avenues for self-expression.  

The Full Moon in Leo will encourage us to let ourselves be seen, heard and celebrated, while also showing us the ways in which our beliefs, assumptions and internalized criticism sabotage our chances of receiving what we want and need. We have to trust that, if we let her warmth unfreeze the crystallized parts of ourselves, her rays will melt our fears and reluctance away, allowing the whole of us to shine.  

If you want to know more about the ways in which the Full Moon in Leo might impact you, you can purchase an astrology reading. Tarot readings are also available!

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