Welcome In!
We’re entering peak Summertime in the Northern hemmi, and things are heating up indeed as we step into Leo season, the fire sign ruled by the Sun. Though you might’ve been instructed otherwise, this is definitely a season to play in the Sun!
In our Flavor of the Week, I explain why the usual Leo spotlight is amped up by several kilowatts in 2026, and how you can use this energy to fill your cup and fulfill your dreams.
Speaking of fulfilling a dream, I’ve added new cities to my book tour! This is primarily self-organized, so I need your help to get the word out. Even if you can’t attend, please share these events with friends, family, or colleagues who live in/near these cities.
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News & Events 📅 New Book Tour Cities!
Virtual Panel- Tuesday, July 28th at 2:00pm ET, Legacy Lit’s Blackademics Series: Beauty, Bias, and the Blackboard
Atlanta, GA- Saturday, August 22nd at 3:00pm ET at A Small Place Bookshop
Bridgeport, CT- Saturday, August 29th at 5:00pm ET at Kindred Thoughts Bookstore
Dallas, TX- Tuesday, September 8th at 7:00pm CT at Whose Books Neighborhood Bookstore
Jersey City, NJ- Saturday, October 3rd from 12:00-5:00pm at the Jersey City Book Fair, featured author/speaker
Baton Rouge, LA- Saturday October 31st at the Louisiana Book Festival, featured author/speaker
Washington DC- TBD at Busboys & Poets in conversation with Marita Golden, author of Don’t Play in the Sun.
Flavor of the Week 😋 Sun-Kissed Confidence
The offering of this Leo season with Jupiter also now in the sign of Leo is a confidence boost.
This is my hope for all of us, especially those healing from trauma, those grappling with karmic lessons, and those negatively impacted by oppressive systems.
The Sun in astrology represents our self, our confidence, self-esteem, self-expression (especially creative self-expression), and our hearts. And the Sun rules the sign of Leo—that’s it’s home sign where it… (pun intended…) gets to shine the brightest! ☀️😜
And Jupiter is the planet that expands and magnifies and boosts whatever energy it touches! So our confidence and creative, heart-centered self-expression gets extra juice from Jupe!
And there’s more… Jupiter alone is an amplifier, but this July, Jupiter is also getting amplified with supportive and positive connections to other planets in the sky, including heavy players like Uranus, Pluto, and Saturn.
So here’s what you can do to get that sun-kissed soul glow this Leo season: Set an intention to remain optimistic about your life. Even if it’s just for 30 days.
When we talk about confidence and self-esteem, we rarely consider how those states coincide with optimism about our lives. Not just because we’re waiting for dumb luck. But we are optimistic because we are confident in our ability to take action and lead our life in the direction we desire.
This doesn’t mean there won’t be challenges. But we remain confident in our capacity to learn better and do better. We remain confident in our resilience, which allows us to remain optimistic.
This Leo season reminds me of that famous quote by Marianne Williamson:
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”
Whether people have literally told you, “Don’t play in the sun,” or people have shamed you for your authentic self-expression, I encourage you to take in the healing light of the Sun this Leo season, and let it radiate and shine from the center of your heart.
If you’d like a personal reading or coaching session with me, order a coffee date!
Bookshop 📚 Don’t Play in the Sun
Prior to my book, Marita Golden published Don’t Play in the Sun: One Woman’s Journey Through the Color Complex in 2004, over twenty years ago. I was fortunate to have Marita Golden write the first blurb for my new book, and during a brief Zoom call, she suggested we do an event together at Busboys & Poets in DC once my book was out. That date is still TBD, but I’ll announce here once it’s confirmed! The title of Golden’s book speaks to the way colorism makes people literally not want to play in the sun. Remember that Leo season, with a large of helping from Jupiter, very much wants you to play in the sun and let it shine on your gorgeous, sun-kissed face!
I earn a small commission on items purchased through my affiliate links, not just the items I recommend.
Journal Prompts & Affirmations ✍🏿
Journal- What are the ways, even small ways, that you hide in the shadows?
Journal- What are you afraid will happen if step into the sunlight?
Affirm- I radiate inner beauty.
Affirm- I enjoy the warmth of sunshine on my face.
Affirm- My joy is enough.
Open Mic 🎤
“You ask yourself: There’s got to be more than what I’m living for… You ask yourself: There’s got to me something else, something more… Well let the Sun shine on your face. Don’t let your life go to waste. Now is the time. Got to make up your mind. Let it shine on you! Let it shine on you!”
