Even for the astrologically uninitiated, the sign of Leo tends to carry a powerful reputation: Symbolized by the lion, a Leo often comes across as confident, creative, and brave. Typically, that swath of traits refers to someone whose sun sign falls in Leo (which refers to the sign that you’d most often read for in a horoscope), and who was born between July 23 and August 22. But for folks whose moon sign is in Leo, the Leo effect presents a bit differently.

To grasp how, it’s helpful to first note the differences between sun and moon signs. Whereas a person’s sun sign reflects the location of the sun when they were born, a moon sign indicates the location of the moon at birth—and it’s sensitive to the exact time of a person’s birth, given that the moon moves quickly, passing through each sign in about 2.5 days. (You can find your moon sign by running your natal chart through an online generator, like this one.)

While sun signs tend to reflect a person’s overall sense of identity, moon signs hold sway over emotions, feelings, and inner truth. So, a person with a Leo moon sign, then, tends to embody that classic Leo energy, specifically in terms of how they process emotions.

“Leo moons have a lot of love to give in friendships and relationships. They appreciate the same level of effort and energy in return.” —Narayana Montúfar, astrologer

“Leo moons have a lot of love to give in friendships and relationships,” says astrologer Narayana Montúfar, author of Moon Signs: Unlock Your Inner Luminary Power. “They appreciate the same level of effort and energy in return.” As opposed to Leo suns, Leo moons generally only crave the spotlight or a center-of-attention role with those whom they love, she adds. Once they have it, they enjoy nothing more than showering those loved ones with presents, attention, and affection.

Because of the relationship between the sun—Leo’s planetary ruler—and the moon, a person with a Leo moon sign also typically bears a conscious understanding of their own emotions and an ability to communicate them. “The moon is illuminated by the sun,” says astrologer Corina Crysler, “which means that Leo moons have a beautiful capability to bring their lunar energy into their solar awareness.” In other words, they’re usually very clear on what they want or desire, and they can direct their conscious efforts toward bringing those dreams to light.

How the qualities of a Leo moon sign tend to show up in love and relationships

Given that the moon rules over emotions, a person’s moon sign tends to be most apparent—and most important—in matters of romantic and platonic connections. And when it comes to Leo moons, they’re all-in, all the time.

In practice, that means these folks tend to have super-intense friendships and relationships. “Overall, they prefer quality connections over quantity,” says Montúfar. That way, they have time to pour the kind of adoration, attention, and loyalty into each relationship that they also hope for in return.

That emotional verve and vigor translates to sexual relations, too. “Ruled by the element of fire, Leo moons can make great lovers when they tap into their lunar energy and allow their fire to flow,” says Crysler. “Passion is something they know well, and expressing it is something they do well.”

When a Leo moon feels stymied or repressed within a relationship, though, it doesn’t bode well. That can just make their feelings all the more fiery, says Crysler, which can lead to overt self-centeredness, jealousy, or competitiveness. As a result, Leo moons prefer to spend time around people who both allow them to express themselves wholly and who are similarly clear about their feelings and intentions. “Flaky and unsure friends or love interests just don’t appeal to them,” says Montúfar.

“When a Leo moon is happy or in love, their radiance will be noticeable and contagious from a mile away.”—Montúfar

The great part about that is, a Leo moon, while prone to flair, is usually easy to read. “When they’re happy or in love, their radiance will be noticeable and contagious from a mile away,” says Montúfar. And should their feelings get hurt, they’ll make that clear, too—perhaps even too clear, sometimes. “When they’re upset, some Leo moons can blow things out of proportion if they aren’t yet fully in control of their feelings,” says Montúfar.

In general, though, a Leo moon sign loves love. And once they cool off from any disagreement, they’ll be eager to reignite the spark. “This is the moon sign that most relates to the concept of the ‘inner child,’ giving Leo moons an enchanting and magnetic aura,” says Montúfar. In that realm, they tend to really thrive on creativity, which essentially keeps their fire burning, adds Crysler. To wit, their best friend or partner will always be a person who can keep things interesting.

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