On July 22nd at 4:41 P.M. MST the Sun enters courageous, confident Leo. Annually this signals a celebratory cycle when rays of enthusiasm, joy and vitality flow freely from the very source of our solar system and life, the Sun. What makes 2014’s solar homecoming extra vibrant is that abundant Jupiter, our solar system’s second biggest celestial body, has also recently rolled into the charismatic fixed fire sign, for a year-long stay. In the context of Saturn gaining forward momentum and Mercury and Mars past their retrograde shadows and picking up steam, the forecast is indeed sunny and optimistic. But if a plot line is to be genuinely compelling, it needs a good antagonist. Contentious Mars and obstinate Saturn have been cast for those parts. On July 25th Mars will move into fixed, intense Scorpio, where alongside Saturn, it will square the planets traveling through lively Leo, cooling intemperate tendencies and issuing the reality checks. Whether you are sitting back to watch the show, writing your own script or feeling like the Oscar-winning director of your own life story, the cycle ahead will be filled with new opportunities and plenty of entertainment.

     Co-starring in this month’s blockbuster are the Sun and Jupiter. Together in dramatic Leo, these powerhouse planets will enliven and expand our endeavors. The Sun is after all, the gravitational center of our solar system and our source of life. But a few billion years back, Jupiter came very close to becoming a star in its own right. It opted for becoming hefty enough to hold 1,330 earths, having sixteen moons revolve around it and turning into our solar system’s second largest energy supplier. Not a bad gig if you can get it. From ancient to modern times, it has symbolized good fortune, success and benevolence. Who doesn’t want some of that? Combined with the regal radiance of playful Leo, the celestial stage is set for a year filled with positive possibility. Where in your life are you ready to take a leading role? What projects are ready for their debuts? The silver screen is lighting up now, and a cast of cosmic characters are waiting in the wings to support you.

     The first supporting role will be played by the new Leo moon on July 26th. By the time this one is full on August 10th, it will be one of this year’s SuperMoons. Would a Leo settle for anything less? Setting a clear intention as this one dawns is the surest way of manifesting your heart’s desire. After all, Leo rules the heart. Getting into the act next will be nimble Mercury, which makes its Leo run from July 31st to August 15th. Bolstered by Jupiter and the Sun, this transit will give us the chance to think big and express boldly. Turning up the volume and star power, magnetic Venus will join the leonine tour de force on August 12th. Her run will last until September 5th. This Jupiter/SunVenus trio suggests ideal conditions for attracting new relationships or spicing up existing ones. Cheering the star-studded Leo cast and us on, possibly into celestial overdrive, will be rambunctious Uranus, who will beam surprises from passionate Aries. Even in retrograde mode, this innovative force will find good company amongst its feisty and fiery planetary companions. The extra energy will likely prod and push us to abandon routines, experiment and play to new audiences. Uranus will form exact trines with Mercury and the Sun on August 8th, the same day that the Sun and Mercury conjoin. Further out, it will trine Venus on August 25th and Jupiter on September 25th. In the immediate forecast, look for lucky Jupiter hookups with Mercury on August 2nd and Venus on August 17th-18th. Bright lunar transits of Sagittarius, August 5th-7th. and Aries, August 13th-15th round out this ring of fire. But this all-star cast won’t be without its critics.

     As Luke Skywalker needed Darth Vader and Harry Potter needed Lord Voldemort, to grow Leo requires her nemesis. She’ll find him in Scorpio. There Mars and Saturn will be waiting to challenge the Sun’s self-centeredness and Jupiter’s excess. First aggressive Mars will rival the royal players when he forms squares to the new moon on July 26th, Jupiter on August 1st and Mercury on August 2nd. Next, and more significantly, restrictive Saturn will be putting the smack-down on Jupiter influenced exuberance when he squares that new Leo moon, Mercury on August 8th and the Sun on August 9th. Though Saturn will not square Venus until August 26th, the day after an exact meeting with Mars, and the battle royal with Jupiter will not heat up until the autumn, these early Mars and Saturn skirmishes will give us some indication of the issues we need to surmount during the coming year. Where do our excesses get us into trouble? Where, as Casey Kasem might have phrased it, do we need to keep our feet on the ground as we reach for the stars?

     Dreams born in the fires of Jupiter in Leo and forged by the mettle of Saturn in Scorpio. can build a foundation that will sustain us, and our happiness, for the next twelve years, Jupiter’s cycle. At its worst Leo is immature, selfish and autocratic, and at its worst Scorpio is vindictive, obsessive and ruthless. Jupiter expands and sees what’s possible while Saturn constricts and sees soberly. Under the aforementioned squares, the skies, and plot, could turn very, very dark. What are we and our hero to do? Like Simba, Leo can access its enormous heart and act with its signature courage and generosity for the greater good. Scorpio can mead out its candor with watery compassion. We can pour our enthusiasm into manageable tasks. The full Aquarius moon of August 10th at 19 degrees of Aquarius and the August 1st Venus trine to Saturn and Chiron can show all of us how to integrate the best of these aspects. Jupiter will be in Leo until August of 2015 and Saturn will not leave Scorpio for good until the following month. Their friction between them will intensity this fall before dropping off for the winter, but their exact square will occur in August of 2015. The Lion Kings and Queens among us will now begin learning how to manage, fuse and master these conflicting forces, and create the lives of their dreams. Let the Sun shine!