Calling Leo

It’s another new moon: when the magically minded make wishes and astrologers attempt to divine this cycle’s intentions. The wishes you make now may indeed be super-powered, but if you don’t have a strong relationship with the archetypes, don’t expect special favors. If you rarely play your cello, don’t expect a starring role in the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra. New Moons are potent times to forge new alliances with the gods. Visit the invisible world. Bow and open yourself to their touch. Make an offering. Humans have been rendezvousing with these archetypes for thousands of years. When you call out to the gods, they do respond!

Calling Leo

Leo carries finger paints and a portable sandbox wherever he goes. He plays at everything, having never learned that life’s no fun. When he buys his groceries, he wheels his shopping cart with the passion of a diva singing to a sold-out crowd. He invites me to lunch and serves summer fruits in vibrant colors, arranging them thoughtfully on the plate, like a painter. His salad looks like the Eiffel Tower. Everything he does is worthy of applause.

Some say that admiration is all he lives for. But I know this isn’t true. He has known fame. He’s lived in grand houses with opulent gardens, but he’s also stayed in one-room dirt-floor cabins and been just as happy. “Love is everywhere,” he explains. He means the kind you give—which more than makes up for the love we’re all dying to receive. Leo’s heart is as wide as the Grand Canyon. His joy knows no bounds. His smile is constantly radiant. “What’s your secret to happiness?” I once asked him. He thought for a moment, “That’s hard… because I keep discovering new ones. But here’s a current favorite: Let everything you do be as carefree—and important—as a rose blooming in the weeds.”

Leo is star power. That we hunger for this gift explains our fascination with celebrities. Onto their canvas, we paint Leo qualities that are missing from our lives: importance, playfulness, childlike joy. We love to see people richly rewarded just for expressing themselves. They’re living the dream: playing big, being special, andhaving fun! But Leo is a little grumpy these days. He says our obsession with fame has gone too far. “Why appreciate just a few, when everyone has the special stuff? Doesn’t everyone have my Lion in their charts? Feel the love and roar!”

One summer years ago, on Leo’s dare I put fuschia and purple streaks in my hair. “A desperate attempt to look young,” quipped my partner. I understand why he’d say this to a woman nearly sixty years old. But the truth is, I liked these colors and didn’t care much what people thought of them. I felt a need.

I was surprised by what came next. People got friendlier. Their eyes were a little brighter when they looked at me, their smiles more genuine. Handing me change, the cashier at the health food store enthused “I love your hair!” Outside the movie theater an eight-year-old skated by and shouted “Excellent hair!” Women my age confided “Your hair looks great… wish I could do that.”

Every day I see people whose choices inspire me too—like the local bank teller who always wears an amazing array of rings, one on every finger, including her thumbs. This little creative detail gives me a boost every time I see her. She also wears a radiant smile and really seems to enjoy her work. That lifts my day too. Then there’s the opposite experience, when the pizza boy glumly drops off the pizza and how that stains the whole meal.

When we love ourselves, and love what we’re doing, we make the whole world happier. The entire field is energized by the vitality of many individuals joyously being themselves. Though we’re often warned against thinking too much of ourselves, our hearts get stronger when we do. When we know we’re good at something, when we express our passions and our joys without apology or fear, when we put crazy colored streaks in our hair just because we feel like it, we’re calling Leo into our field.

Leo’s Response

Waiting for the response is the fun part. No way can I predict it for you. But in the next few days and weeks, keep your eye out for lions, bright colors, a burst of courage, or the simple delight of feeling the Sun on your skin. You may be praised at work—or get a surprise invitation to a party. A child might run up and hug your knees. Maybe you’ll find yourself singing at full volume in the shower. Leo could arrive as a belly laugh, an artful salad, or maybe it just hits you in a quiet moment—that you’re falling in love with your life all over again.