Leo season 2023: Fire, passion, and lust during Venus retrograde...OMG! How will it affect your love life?

Leo season 2023 is coming in fast and it's hot hot hot! With the planet of love beginning its backspin - here's what you can expect

Leo symbol on colorful background.
(Image credit: sarayut Thaneerat/Getty Images)

It’s Leo season 2023 and it’s hot hot hot! The final season of summer blasts its fire energy one last time with BIG social vibes, extraverted danceathons, and amped-up sex drives BUT how will Venus retrograde dampen this sizzling energy and affect your zodiac sign?  

Venus, the planet of love and money, moves retrograde from July 22 - September 3 2023 and will have its varying effects on all of the astrological beings on planet Earth. The key here is to keep cool during this muggy transit and to allow for any lessons from Venus retrograde 2023 to arise during this astro weather, in order to evolve and grow as a person. As above, so below!

After Cancer season 2023, you may well be excited and curious to know what this next season holds. First, let's take a look at the sign and get a greater understanding of what it means.

About Leo zodiac sign

Illustration of Leo symbol.

(Image credit: CSA Images/Getty Images)

Leo season 2023 is all about courage and the dramatic expression of personality. Think Madonna. The classic Leo archetype. Love her or hate her, she’s defied all odds and even though she’s currently battling the haters, ageists, and misogynists of the world, she is boldly and consistently fighting and pushing forward in order to express herself. *Insert her 1989 chart-topping song Express Yourself here. 

Leo is the archetype of the creator - highly creative, expressive, extraverted, and usually famous for something! A dynamic and powerful fire sign, with a fixed modality, (steadiness!) Leo’s are passionate about positive vibes, contagious energy, and inspiring others. The fifth sign in the zodiac, ruling the season from July 23 - August 23, Leo is often represented as the lion in the zodiac. In fact, the word Leo is the Latin word for lion. This link to the lion can be traced all the way back to the Greek myth of Hercules, who slain the lion called Nemean - who ended up as the Leo constellation!)

Also, connected to the Ancient Greek sun god Helios and the Roman sun god Sol, Leo has the Sun as its ruling luminary. The Sun is concerned with life-giving energy and this comes through the Leo temperament: warm, outgoing, and magnetic. 

Leo teaches us to courageously move forwards toward our goals and ambitions and to embrace the uniqueness of our own outward expression of our personalities. Other famous Leos who encourage and inspire are Helen Mirren, Megan Markle, and Viola Davis.

Embrace Leo season 2023 consciously through the Venus retrograde:  mind your temper, practice self-love, practice self-care for your relationships, and boldly love without attachment to the outcome. Your soul is on fire!

When does Leo season 2023 start?

Leo season 2023: Woman numerologist astrologer counts numbers.

(Image credit: Anna Solovei/Getty Images)

The brave lion roars its way through fiery Leo season from July 23 until it lays down to rest in the cool shade of the fading summer heat on August 23.

Check your astrology birth chart for your sun sign, rising sign, and moon sign to see how the season influences you and which days are heightened for your zodiac.  

Cancer season 2023 horoscope

Aries

Hello Aries! Last season there was a focus on prioritizing your health - mind, body, and spirit. You are diving deeper into the themes of healing this Leo season when the comet Chiron (the wounded healer) moves retrograde through your sign on July 23. This is a big prompt to work through unresolved wounds and trauma as this retrograde transit all the way until December 26. You have five months of healing that can change your life if you move through it consciously. Enter therapy, seek counseling, connect with a loving support system, or find other healing modules that can help you transcend the wounds deep within you. You’ve got this Aries! 

Mantra, “I am healing my trauma and wounds.”

Taurus

Hi there Taurus! Hopefully, the guidance from last season has helped to prepare you for what is to come this Leo season! The much anticipated Venus (the planet of romance) in retrograde is upon us! (July 22 - September 3) You may feel its effect on your love life, your ability to sensually connect with others, and all things dating. It’s all good though! It just means you can focus some of that energy on your own self-love, your projects, friendships, and creativity. Take a break from dating apps and spend more time with the romance of life instead! 

Mantra, “I am channeling love into my creative projects.” 

Gemini

Hi Gemini! Welcome to Leo Season 2023. There was some guidance last season around improving your career and home life. Sometimes we need to take care of the external and pragmatic concerns of life in order to address imbalances that make us feel unhappy. If there are any loose ends around your career and home life that need addressing, use the power of the Full Moon in Aquarius on August 1 to revolutionize your life. The Full Moon is the perfect time to cathartically release something that is no longer serving you or that needs closure. Find a quiet moment to do a small ritual for yourself and let go of the burdens and feel the shift of energy that brings. As you move through the final days of summer you will begin to feel the optimism of the new chapter that awaits you in the autumn. 

Mantra, “I am finding closure.” 

Cancer

Hey there Cancerians! There was a look last season at the way you are restructuring your relationships in order to bring more happiness and balance into your life. This is helping you to move into a new version of yourself. The themes of relationships continue during Leo season when Venus the planet of love goes retrograde on July 22 until September 3. During this retrograde, relationship energy could feel stagnant and frustrating. Use the retrograde to focus on your self care and your continued work of reflecting and restructuring all things relationship. Something is moving into a rebirth around your romantic life and if you consciously navigate this retrograde with an emphasis on self-love, you will be noticing the positive shifts come September. 

Mantra: “I am focusing on my self-love.”

Leo

Hi Leo! It’s your season and for many of you, it’s your Solar Return - happy birthday! There is much to navigate astrologically this season with the Full Moon in Aquarius in your seventh house of partnership on August 1, also the asteroid of commitment Juno moves through your sign on August 15. Plus, Venus the planet of love moves retrograde from July 22 - September 3. There is A LOT going on and there is a big focus on relationships this season! Navigate it all consciously by trying not to move into massive relationship commitments during the Venus retrograde, which feels contradictory since the first two weeks of August highlight relationship contracts. There might be hiccups, setbacks or obstacles but keep your cool and be mindful not to push or force things. 

Mantra, “I am consciously navigating my relationships.”

Virgo

Hello Virgo! There is an emphasis this season on your well-being when the Full Moon in Aquarius moves into your sixth house of health on August 1. Take the time to care for yourself:  mind, body, and spirit. Slow down and listen to your body, to your emotions and to your mental state. Perhaps find modules that help support your self-care - meditation, yoga, or some extra sleep. For those of you navigating emotional terrains:  communicate with a trusted friend, a counselor or journal your feelings. Be aware of your self-care! 

Mantra: “I am taking care of my health and well-being.”

Leo season 2023 - Light effect similar to an eclypse on sunset sky.

(Image credit: Busà Photography/Getty Images)

Libra

Hello Libra! It’s Leo Season and here is your astrological guidance. Last season was all about social status and career for you. We have this theme continuing this season with some mindful prompts around the energy of Venus in Retrograde from July 22 - September 3. Venus is not only the planet of love but she also rules money too. If you find that the hard work you’ve been putting into your career feels a bit stagnant or blocked this season, not to worry. This retrograde can cause these sorts of frustrations, but lean into it with ease by allowing yourself to calmly let go of anything that is ‘not working out’.  

Mantra, “I am letting go of whatever isn’t working out.”

Scorpio

Hello fellow Scorpios! Much can be learned through the past few months as our ruling planet of Pluto is moving retrograde until October 10. This is shadow work for many of us! The themes continue but with an emphasis on all things relationship as Venus, the planet of love, moves retrograde from July 22 - September 3. This is the season to clean up all the toxic and shadow aspects of your love life - relationships that no longer align. Last season it was all about ‘learning from your shadow’. Now it’s time to learn from the shadow side of your relationships. Do you keep going back to the same toxic relationships over and over again? Are you addicted to certain types of toxic relationship dynamics? This is a chance to heal and transcend these patterns by doing conscious work this season. Keep going Scorpio! 

Mantra, “I am healing from toxic relationships.”

Sagittarius

Hey there Sagittarius. Last season was all about letting go of an old chapter and stepping into the new but, for some of you, you didn’t quite get there! Some of you are finding it challenging to let go of something in your life that is actually holding you back from being the best version of yourself. The Full Moon in Aquarius on August 1 is the perfect time to let it go once and for all. Aquarius is the archetype of revolution and innovation and is the perfect energy for getting radical with yourself. Devote yourself to a ritual of self-revolution, meditate, journal, or join an online Moon Circle. Cathartically release the blocks and obstacles. You’ve got this! 

Mantra, “I am getting radical with myself.”

Capricorn

Hello Capricorn! There was some powerful guidance last season around shadow work to help your healing and integration journey and there are similar themes carrying through this Leo season. Your ruling planet Saturn, which is very strict and concerned with structure, is currently retrograde, so don’t be too hard on yourself through this healing journey. Consciously release negative thought loops, self-limiting beliefs, and negative self-talk. If you find yourself slipping into destructive behaviors, also don’t be too hard on yourself. As a wise woman once said, “a person who tries, has an advantage over the person who wishes.” 

Mantra, “I am picking myself up and trying again”

Aquarius

Hello Aquarius! It’s Leo Season 2023! Hopefully the guidance from last season helped some of you set intentions around the New Moon in Cancer on July 17. It will be interesting to see what manifests for some of you Aquarians on the Full Moon in Aquarius (your sign!) on August 1. Full Moons are a time of completion and for some of you, this auspicious full moon could bring about interesting results! Be mindful of navigating Venus, the planet of love and money, moving retrograde from July 22 - September 3 by consciously paying attention to your temper around all matters of relationship and finances. Keep your emotions in check and allow for some space when feelings of frustration or anger arise. 

Mantra, “I am keeping my cool.”

Pisces

Hi Pisces! It’s all about relationship issues this Leo season for many of you Pisceans. Last season there was a focus on creating healthy boundaries in relationships and the theme continues this season. With Venus, the planet of love, moving retrograde July 22 - September 3, relationship frustrations could be the primary energy this season. This is the perfect time for extra care in all matters of love, communication, connection, and care. If you are in a relationship, prioritize the health of the union with your partner. Think positive communication, transparency, and date nights! For some of you, it could be a prompt towards couples counseling to work out the intricate underpinnings of the relationship dynamic between you and your partner. 

Mantra, “I am prioritising healthy relationships.”

Tree Carr
Dream guide, death doula, and divinatory guide

Tree Carr is a published author who works in the esoteric realms of dreams, death, and divination. Her published books include 'Conscious Dreamer' and ‘DREAMS: How to Connect With Your Dreams to Enrich Your Life'.

Tree is also a CPD Crossfields Institute Certified Death Doula. Her work as an End of Life Guide involves helping people spiritually, emotionally, existentially and practically at the end of their lives.

As an intuitive empath, she is self-taught in divinatory guidance: The Tarot, Rune Stones and Astrology and has facilitated readings, rituals, classes, and courses spanning a wide variety of esoteric subjects.