Mercury Retrograde in Leo

Mercurys retrograde in the sign of the Lioness begins on July 14th and ends with a bang on August 11th.

In this fiery, fixed sign, it may be more of a challenge to raise our roar and express our truth—without trampling over the truth of others.

Retrogrades tend to both heighten and weaken the energy of the planet and the sign it’s moving through. Mercury, as the cosmic messenger, always tends to muddle his words and forget how to communicate clearly when he does his backwards dance. In Leo, Mercury is often the loudest voice in the room. The roar of Mercury in Leo is warm and charismatic—it stirs the blood and rouses passion. It’s the voice of leadership. The voice of royalty. The voice that inspires.

Yet, in the shadow of Leo, Mercury can become condescending, arrogant, and even a braggart. It’s unlikely that this comes from overconfidence or narcissism—it’s more about the fear of not being heard, not being seen, not having the opportunity to express an opinion.

When we feel unseen, we act out. We misbehave. We shout louder, hoping someone will finally hear us. Like an angry teenager, we think we know best. We refuse to be humbled.

This can easily step on many a toe. So, it benefits us to remain humble. To cultivate the art of listening. To speak only when we are fully connected to our truth, rather than for the sake of speaking. Not being witnessed—being ignored—is where Leo becomes undone. This is not a sign that sits quietly in the corner. Leo refuses to be quieted. The tantrums of this royal archetype are notorious for their drama.

Where are we giving into drama? Where might we be stamping our feet and becoming petulantly demanding? What is it that our inner teenager wants from us?

Sitting down and quietly facing this part of ourselves helps to soothe it. When we turn toward ourselves—giving ourselves the attention, the validation, the affirmation we so deeply crave—we instantly calm. All we wanted was to be seen. All we wanted was to be heard. We were just going about it the wrong way.

So, when we’re communicating—when we’re typing out that message or composing that email—make it a ritual to pause and reflect before sending. Do we need to make such a big deal out of this? Do we have to push a point? Is it really so important to be right? Do we need to roar this loud?

The biggest impact we are likely to have is when we take the time to absorb the information given to us, and speak last—quietly, but with power and authority. This is the true energy of Leo. The evolved energy.

It’s also a time to reflect on what connects us most to our authenticity. We’re not here to please others. We’re here to shine our unique, bright light. That light deserves to be seen—but it doesn’t have to drown out the light of others.