Leo in the tarot

Leo is high summer, fire held steady at its hottest. It is fixed fire — generous, proud, loyal, dramatic, the heart that wants to be seen. In the cards it is Strength, the lion calmed by a gentle hand, and the middle Wands of conflict, victory and holding the high ground.

Strength

Leo belongs to Strength, card VIII of the major arcana — courage that is quiet, patience, inner mastery. It is the card to choose for someone born under Leo, if you want a card to stand for them in a reading.

Its ruling planet, the Sun, is The Sun: vitality, the self, what shines.

The three decans

The ten-day slices of Leo are three Wands, the suit of fire. If your birthday falls in one, that card is yours.

• Five of Wands — 23 July – 1 August, the first decan: Saturn in Leo. competition, friction, the healthy fight.
• Six of Wands — 2–12 August, the second decan: Jupiter in Leo. victory, recognition, the public win.
• Seven of Wands — 13–22 August, the third decan: Mars in Leo. defence, perseverance, standing your position.

The court

Two court cards share Leo. The King of Wands — air of fire — rules its first twenty degrees, coming in from Cancer (12 July – 12 August). The Knight of Disks — fire of earth — takes its last ten and carries on into Virgo (13 August – 12 September).