Leo Virgo Cusp

While August 18^th to August 23^rd are the days when the Sun can change signs, the Leo-Virgo cusp date range extends from August 19^th to August 25^th. If you happen to be born on one of those days, you are “on the cusp” of Leo and Virgo.

Leading with Leo

If you happen to be born “on the side of” Leo, then Leo traits lead your Sun sign expression. The symbol for Leo is the lion. As the Fixed Fire sign, these individuals work hard to be creative, playful and recognized. They are at their best performing, competing, and acting heroically. They must learn self-discipline to manifest their best results. Being near Virgo makes them more careful and practical, which helps these Leo individuals get their creative projects in good working order and finished.

Strengths of Sun in Leo on the Cusp of Virgo

Unlike full-on Leo individuals, these people can be more careful and practical. Positively, they will be more cautious with their choices and considerate towards others, which can help them be more successful in completing tasks in a responsible way than what you might see with a typical Leo.

Weaknesses of the Sun in Leo on the Cusp of Virgo

A Leo Sun near Virgo can pick up some of the critical mindedness and literalness that plagues the shadow side of Virgo, which can rob Leo of his or her natural hopefulness and good nature towards others, leading to sarcastic treatment and nit-picking in relationships that a full-on Leo would not exhibit.

Leading with Virgo

If you happen to be born “on the side of” Virgo, then Virgo traits lead your Sun sign expression. The symbol for Virgo is the young woman or maiden. As the Mutable Earth sign, these individuals adapt by solving problems, being inventive, and acting through service. They are at their best following instructions, paying attention to details, and fixing what is damaged or broken. They must learn to “see the forest for the trees” to manifest their best results. Being near Leo makes them more playful and creative, which helps these Virgo individuals loosen up and have fun when doing tasks or playing games.

Strengths of Sun in Virgo on the Cusp of Leo

Unlike full-on Virgo individuals, these people can be more risk-taking and creative. Positively, they will be open to trying new adventures and meeting new people, which can help them be excellent creative problem-solvers and performers, making them much more clever and exciting than what you might see with a typical Virgo.

Weaknesses of the Sun in Virgo on the Cusp of Leo

A Virgo Sun near Leo can exhibit less attention to detail and be sarcastically critical of what others accomplish because of narcissistic behavior, which comes from the shadow side of Leo, which can rob Virgo of his or her natural desire to serve and help others, leading to a selfish need for recognition that a full-on Virgo would not seek.

The Points Involved: the Sun and Mercury

Each sign has a ruling astronomical point. The Sun rules Leo and Mercury rules Virgo. So, the Leo-Virgo cusp individuals merge or blend the Sun/Mercury.

The Sun represents our primary drive in life, our Life Path. Its placement in a Sign and a House reveals our lifelong energetic identity through the Quality of the Sign’s influence and the Quest of the House.

Mercury represents your Way of Communicating. Its placement in a Sign and a House reveals how we try to make sense of the world around us and develop our own internal dialogue, which we then try to communicate back into the world as we navigate our interactions.

These individuals will slightly favor masculine energy over feminine energy because Mercury is a feminine and masculine point; it rules both Gemini (a masculine sign) and Virgo (a feminine sign). So, the full formula for this cusp individual would be:

M (the Sun) + M (Leo) + F/M (Mercury) + F (Virgo) +, resulting in 3M/2F.

Therefore, these individuals will be attracted more to masculine energy signs than feminine ones.

 Leo-Virgo Cusp Compatibility

Cusp individuals can work very well in relationships because they have a connection to two energies as part of their natural design. Imagine that each sign has its own language. A “pure” Leo individual talking to a “pure” Virgo individual may really struggle to communicate, the same way someone who only speaks Spanish might struggle with someone who only speaks Hindi. The cusp individual is bilingual and can speak both languages, which makes them very valuable to society. Essentially, they can translate between signs.

Here we discover why the simple model of compatibility or incompatibility is insufficient to explain real relationships out in the world. There is a good chance that “cusp sign” individuals are involved where two signs that should work well together do not, and two signs that should struggle together, actually work.

In the first case, the influence from one of the extra signs causes friction; and in the second case, one of the extra signs smooths out the friction. Therefore, basic compatibility measures are just starting points for understanding how any two people might relate.

The Leo-Virgo individuals have a much wider range of compatibility because they can work well with fire and earth signs. And they can complement air and water signs. If they happen to lead with Leo, they will favor the fire and air sign connections (Aries, Sagittarius, Libra, Aquarius, and Gemini). If they happen to lead with Virgo, then they will favor earth and water connections (Capricorn, Taurus, Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces).

The Bridge Between

One useful way to understand the progression of the signs, starting with Aries and going all the way through to Pisces, is to see them as a series of evolving steps. Leo is the “I create” sign of the Zodiac and Virgo is the “I serve” sign. Individuals with Sun signs in the middle dates and degrees of the sign are here to work on the central energy of that sign. But individuals born on the cusp are here to work on the transition from one energy to another.

Therefore, the Leo-Virgo cusp individuals are here to learn how to “create the life they want” and “be of service to others” in practical ways. On the positive side, this “in-between” cusp energy gives them a broader view. On the negative side, they can feel “caught” in-between, making it harder for them to find a place that is a perfect fit.

• Aries Taurus cusp: April 16 to April 22
• Taurus Gemini cusp: May 17 to May 23
• Gemini Cancer cusp: June 17 to June 23
• Cancer Leo cusp: July 19 to July 25
• Virgo Libra cusp: September 19 to September 25
• Libra Scorpio cusp: October 19 to October 25
• Scorpio Sagittarius cusp: November 18 to November 24
• Sagittarius Capricorn cusp: December 18 to December 24
• Capricorn Aquarius cusp: January 16 to January 22
• Aquarius Pisces cusp: February 15 to February 21
• Pisces Aries cusp: March 17 to March 23