Proud to be a Leo

I was born a Leo. My mom heavily believed, and still does, in astrology and all things mystical. Our family computer had multiple sites dedicated to star signs saved under favorites. Checking my horoscope and learning about the traits of a Leo became part of my daily routine. Following in my mom’s footsteps; I wanted to know everything there was to know about astrology. Looking back, I had no idea how difficult that venture would prove to be.

My nickname, particularly when I needed to be brave for any number of reasons, was “Wendy the Lion Hearted”. A stoic reminder that my sun sign meant I would be brave, true, and loyal. I spent my teen years trying to embody all the good about my sign and actively avoiding the bad. In my twenties I realized, the good comes with the bad. I was proud. I did enjoy being the center of attention. Making friends was easy, keeping them was not. I always seemed to match the baseline description of a Leo.

Later I had a harder time with my identity. My family suffered the loss of my younger brother, who was nearly twelve when he passed from cancer. I became riddled with depression and anxiety. I would spend hours reading descriptions on my sun sign, trying my hardest to remember the “Lion Heart” I once had. I spent years thinking there was just no way to get back to being the Leo I was.

Enter, Real Astrology.

There is so much more than one sign. I learned about my rising sign, moon sign, and the houses and placements via the internet and multiple conversations with friends. I’m still actively researching and participating in conversations with like-minded individuals and nay-sayers alike. I still identify with being a Leo, first and foremost. Then upon reading and researching the rest of my birth chart, I realized that there was so much more to learn.

Do I think the stars shaped my personality? Maybe. There is no predicting a person’s particular life experiences and environment. However, the more I read about birth charts and discuss other peoples, the more telling astrology becomes.

I think astrology should be used as a self-care tool. Finding the pieces, putting them together, taking the time to question yourself and your motives, introspection is a good thing. At the very least there is validation, even comfort, to be had.

I am a proud Leo. I am also a Taurus Moon and Libra Rising. My birth chart is filled with other signs and every house placement has a meaning as well. However, for this write up, I want to focus on my “Big Three”.

While Leos may not be the types to be rocking back and forth from anxiety, a Taurus Moon very well would be. The Moon represents reactions and emotional habits, a Taurus Moon is in constant need of security and comfort. Reading the full description of a Taurus Moon, from being abhorrent to change, to having an uncanny maternal instinct, felt like coming home.

I was more than a prideful lion. I was also a bull in a china shop, who was highly aware of “You break it, you buy it” and spent a lot of their life just trying not to break anything.

Leos may be leaders but Libra Rising is a people pleaser. It’s hard to lead people you want to be friends with, even when you’re liked. The first time I was put into a management position, I thought there really could not be a better job for me. I realized after a few months; I had an incredibly hard time criticizing people. Compassion should be a virtue, being overly compassionate makes “putting the company first” almost impossible.

Astrology has allowed me to not only find weaknesses in my character, it has also taught me that I am not alone within those limits. I use my birth chart and the information I have attained as reminders of the good and bad about myself. On the days I find myself lost, especially during the current turbulent climate and pandemic, astrology reminds me of my strengths. It helps me stay grounded, as well as take care of my weaknesses without resenting myself.

Astrology has offered me a community, a wealth of information, and personal understanding. Anytime I hear “I just don’t believe in astrology”, I find myself saying, “Then you haven’t done your research.”