Leo (July 23- August 22)

June finds you ready to galvanize your courage and swing into action. Mars, the warrior planet, is now in Leo, a position that started last month on May 9. You’ve not had this special favor of the Red Planet since June 2006, so while you have it you seem ready to use it for all it’s worth.

A Mars visit to one’s sign is somewhat rare, typically lasts seven weeks, and always brings with it the opportunity to start a powerful new cycle. It’s always best to focus on endeavors and projects that require all the qualities that Mars is known to bestow: extraordinary courage, drive, and an attractive “I can’t fail” can-do spirit.

One day in particular when you’ll find things go your way will be June 4, when the Sun will be beautifully angled to Mars. You will be able to seize the reins and take a leadership position on a project or cause that’s dear to you. It’s an excellent day for an important meeting or presentation, too.

One other day you should circle in red will be June 24, when again the Sun, your ruling star, is involved, this time beaming important rays to Saturn. You’ll be pleased with how beautifully you express yourself on this day, and how persuasive and determined you can be when much is at stake.

There is only one little wrinkle in the way things will go this month. Despite how energetic and ready for anything that you may be, the world will not quite be ready to respond to you. It’s an unfortunate fact that the world doesn’t always work on our timetable, but rather ticks on its own little inner clock, something you will be reminded of now. Mercury, the planet of communication, negotiation, contracts, and commerce, will continue its retrograde course during most of June, a trend that started on May 26.

So although you’ll be biting at the bit, you’ll have to hold yourself back until you get past June 19, the date that Mercury will go direct again. Actually, don’t write down June 19 as your start date, as it’s never wise to act immediately on that very end date of Mercury’s retrograde. Mercury will always send out an inordinate amount of unintelligible static then, so you’d be best to wait until Monday, June 23, to take decisive action.

I particularly like the two dates of June 23-24 for you, days when you will be able to take advantage of a lovely interaction between Saturn and the Sun, mentioned earlier. This is a stabilizing and comforting aspect that will allow you to build something valuable that will stand the test of time. The Sun rules your sign, so this configuration - a blessing for all zodiac signs - will be doubly special for you.

Admittedly, this puts you in a bind. Here you have one of the best cycles starting up with Mars in Leo, but are being told at the same time to hold back and wait. Cheer yourself in the knowledge that any decisive actions you take during Mercury retrograde will later prove to be a false step, so rather than react in haste, take your time. Conditions are in a rapid state of change, and it will be impossible to make informed decisions until the last week of June. At that time the fog will lift and you will see things with much greater acuity.

Rather than try to push hard on projects now, particularly when delays, postponements, and reversals in direction crop up, go with a slower pacing. If you try to push things through anyway, you will wind up spinning your wheels and not accomplish much. Any deal you put in place while Mercury is retrograde will need to be redone later, so you see, there’s no value in forcing your will at this time. Let things take a natural course. If you “lose” anything, you will realize later, in hindsight (when this month is over), that it was not worth what you had assumed.

In the meantime, there are things you can do. Re-contact old friends, spend time mulling over current projects, and discuss ideas with colleagues and friends to get a feeling for the environment that you’re operating in. You will see that just recently the wind has changed direction, and you will want to be the first to pick up the subtle signs. Mercury retrograde is a time to stop moving frantically and move in to look closer. You will soon see - a new picture will emerge.

Socially, a brilliant new phase is starting up, too, one that is set to begin on the new moon, June 3. You’ll have much more interaction with friends this month, especially with dear friends from the past that you’ve not seen in ages. Those friends will prove to be true blue to you, and one in particular will show a willingness to go the distance to help you in some way.

There will be opportunities for you to make one or two new associations too, and those new friends will offer a whole constellation of new interests and fresh experiences. Be open to ideas and timely introductions that friends present to you now. You need to open up your mind and your heart now, for this social area is where your greatest personal growth will stem in coming weeks.

There appear to be special opportunities for you to gain from certain involvement with communities, groups, or charities this month, too. If you have been looking over a brochure for a conference to attend or a series of seminars to take, see if you can go. You’ll find that rubbing shoulders with others brings enlightenment and pleasures you hadn’t anticipated. Humanitarian interests are also indicated for you, and you’d find the work you do not only heartwarming but could lead you down a new path that you will want to continue on in months and years ahead.

This new moon will fall next to Venus, so events that fall just after June 3 should offer a touch of luxury and beauty that you will enjoy and find refreshing. We all need a little fun in life, for at the very least doing so will enhance your creativity (almost always important to a Leo). So give in, let go, and stop stressing about how slowly your plans are proceeding. It’s not often we are given a chance to kick back without guilt - take it!

If your birthday falls on August 5, plus or minus five days, then you will benefit in an outstanding way from this new moon.

Your social life reaches a pinnacle point on the full moon, June 18, plus or minus four days, but again the messages you will pick up from the universe at this point will be mixed. This full moon falls in a late degree of Sagittarius, usually a good placement for you because it’s a fellow fire sign.

If you were born on August 20, this full moon will be ideally angled to your Sun, suggesting that you will find benefits to all that happens. This full moon will light your house of true love, usually a fantastic development, but Pluto is associated with money and in your case, also home and property - so you may find you don’t see eye-to-eye with a lover or someone else, possibly a friend, about these more mundane matters of living.

If a love relationship or friendship becomes rocky at this time (and it could), try to craft a more thoughtful response rather than blurt something out in the heat of the moment that you might regret later. This month will be fraught with the possibilities for misunderstandings and miscommunications. If you take a little time to sort things out, you may be able to avoid assuming something that simply isn’t true.

Having said this, Uranus is about to go retrograde in your serious commitment sector on June 26, so you may find this full moon to be an awakening. If you feel the relationship needs to be fixed, you will be given the opportunity to work on it, possibly with a counselor, over the coming five months, until November 27, the date when Uranus will go direct. If you feel you have to break up completely, you can, and probably will. If however you feel this relationship has potential and that you are willing to give it your all, then don’t jump the gun.

Later in the month, the interaction of Mars and Pluto on June 30 could be a vibration you find quite affirming and uplifting. That hopeful aspect may bring you an illuminating change of mind or a sudden burst of clarity.

Dear Leo, in a month that is filled with retrograde planets, the message from the universe is to go slow and take your time.

If you are single, Mars in Leo will make you very attractive and should increase your social visibility enormously. Don’t be surprised if your BlackBerry keeps buzzing and your calendar fills up rapidly. You are a Leo, so being fussed over isn’t something you’ll have trouble adjusting to - you love it! In June you should get more than your share of compliments!

Attached or single, your very best romantic dates this month will be: June 3-4, 6-7, 25, and 30.

Summary

Despite life’s little “off” moments, June should prove to be a brilliantly happy month for you. Thanks to Mars in Leo all month, you’ll brim with energy and drive, and few will be able to resist your charms. You are starting a whole new two-year cycle, so it’s time to take a risk and to break out of old ruts. Anything that has held you back won’t continue to do so much longer - you won’t hear of it! While you have everyone’s attention, you will want to make the most of it. Present ideas, send letters, and strike out on an independent course.

On June 4, you should easily be able to get the attention of a key authority figure. You’ll be persuasive, articulate, and eager to succeed - the reason why you will!

This also will be a very festive month, filled with dinners, parties, events, and possibly a vacation. With four planets in your house of fun and friends, hopes, and wishes, you are being urged to dream big and bold. Truly, June will be one of those rare months when you come to realize that dreams really do come true.

You will be hearing from a number of old friends this month too, and one may have an idea you’ll want to take seriously. Be open to making new friends, too. If someone seems to have plenty in common with you, offer to meet for lunch or suggest your friend take a place on the committee of the fundraiser you’re working on, too. Send your new friend a clipping on a topic you both care about or ask her for advice on which boutique or bistro to visit. New friends will open a window of fresh ideas and take you in a new direction.

The full moon June 18 may bring problems however, as Pluto will oppose the Sun. Something seems “off” and you’ll be upset when a friend or lover tries to railroad you into accepting a position you find unacceptable. This full moon will be tense for everyone, so it may be wise to take a few days to think before you give your response. Full moons intensify emotions, but as you move away from them, things become clarified.

By time you get to June 23, you should feel the tension subside. After this episode is over, however, if it turns out that a romantic partner is the source of your woe, with Uranus turning retrograde on June 26, you may need to rethink the relationship, try to fix it, or if you feel there is no chance for reconciliation, simply leave it. See how you feel, and make decisions slowly over the course of several days.

There is one ray of hope when it comes to matters of love and relationships. At month’s end, June 30, Mars’ strong and positive angle to Pluto could bring forgiveness and a complete change of perspective. If you proceed slowly you won’t be sorry, for you’ll make the right decision for you.

Summing things up:

Make a new friend, join a club, volunteer for political organization: June 3 plus two weeks

A tough full moon for love or friendship: June 18 (+ or - 4 days)

Forgiveness and love conquers all: June 30