“Full Moon from Kitchen Window,” chalk pastel by Maria Theresa Maggi
Welcome to Maria’s StarGarden, readers and listerners! As I begin I ask that the forces of love and light surround us and bless our communication.
The moon is full at 5 degrees Leo of the tropical zodiac at 9:54 AM Pacific Standard time on January 25, 2024.
Leo is the fifth sign of the tropical zodiac, the second fire sign (in between Aries and Sagittarius) and it’s ruled by the sun itself. Its animal is the lion. Its symbol suggests the lion’s mane. The majestic mane of the male lion is a sign of his power, and lots of Leo people have an ample and dramatic head of hair. Even if they don’t have a hair on their head, Leo knows how to carry himself like a king. Leo is a master of the theater of creativity and play. They know the power of pageant and spectacle and appearance. Their passion for such things is sincere and heartfelt, but they can get caught up in appearances as a means of gaining approval.
Leo rules the heart in the physical body. To align with the heart is the essence of this sign. Leo is also a fixed sign, like Taurus, Scorpio and Aquarius, which means it seeks and must have experience in order to gain life understanding that sticks. Any experience that opens the heart or warms the heart or touches the heart or breaks the heart affects the creative spark of our being, which in turn affects our vitality and will to live, which is all Leo’s territory
While Leo prefers an audience and a stage to exhibit his feelings, the relationships this full moon makes with Venus, Jupiter and Saturn suggest that the gifts of Leo are masked within larger issues. Forces that mute or turn back Leo’s love of bright lights and sparkle mean that the attention is on more humble and even surprising ways to delight the heart. Instead of basking in the attention of the spotlight, Leo energy is having experiences that can bring awareness of how shining the spotlight on the goodness of others is a most powerful way of feeling and receiving love that doesn’t fade when the bright stage lights go dark.