I’m a Leo — But I Dislike Attention

Are all Leos thirsty for centre stage? One hundred percent of them? No, of course not. Astrology is a complex subject there’s so much more to it than the Sun sign. And while the lion may be somewhat more predisposed to relishing attention, many of them shy away from the spotlight.

And as a Leo myself, I can understand wanting to remain largely anonymous. My self-confidence has improved in my thirties but in my younger years, I was painfully shy at times. This terrible shyness also affected my work as I wasn’t very good with talking to my clients as a freelance graphic designer. I couldn’t even pluck up the courage to chase missing payments.

Later in life, I pondered for many years whether or not I should start this website because I knew that running it would include revealing quite a bit of information about myself like my face, name, location, astrological chart and so on. I found it hard to put myself out there for many reasons including fearing being harshly scrutinised.

Because there’s so much data in any given birth chart, it’s no surprise that you might dislike attention despite being a Leo. And aside from astrology, there are lots of other factors which could lead you to keep yourself to yourself like your upbringing and your life experiences. For the sake of simplicity, however, I’ll list the biggest astrological reasons which should help to explain why you’re a more reserved Leo.

Virgo Placements Can Offset Leonine Traits

Did you know that roughly a third of Leos have Mercury in cautious and oftentimes, shy, Virgo? Mercury’s orbit is very close to the Sun so it’s only ever present in the same sign, the one before it, or the one after. Mercury heavily influences the way you think as it governs intellect and thought processes. Since Virgo is quite quiet, modest and introverted, this could explain how you feel if you have Mercury here.

Unlike Leo, Virgo is uninterested in being the centre of attention. Show businesses doesn’t strike a chord in this sign. In fact, Virgo would much rather live a peaceful, calm, and grounded existence on its own terms — preferably in the woods away from too many people, especially those they don’t like! Sure, there are plenty of Virgo celebrities but they tend to have plenty of extrovert energy — Aries, Leo, Sagittarius, Gemini, Libra, Aquarius — in their charts too.

Some Leos will inevitably have Virgo Moon signs. The Moon in astrology is also a very important part of the birth chart. It represents a plethora of things about us, the main themes being emotional nature and gut reaction. When emotions pass through the filter of Virgo, they can be more subdued than that of the untamed lion.

It also represents our relationship with our mother or primary caregiver. Since our relationship with our mother or primary caregiver is our first relationship, we learn a great deal from it and it can heavily influence us. If your mother was a Virgo or she embodied the traits of the sign, you may have been influenced by her behavior. Perhaps you were taught to be modest, humble, cautious and to serve others.

The House Placement of the Sun

If the Sun is in a house that’s linked to an introverted sign (these are the water and earth signs), this means that you shine in a quiet area of life. A close friend who is also a Leo has her Sun in the 12th house which is associated with Pisces. This is a water sign, meaning that it’s introverted. It’s also a very gentle sign. Despite being a medical doctor, and therefore around people who frequently compliment her on her skills and intellect, she genuinely dislikes attention. Her primary focus in life is to help others — to make them well again and see them thrive. I think she’s a real gift to humanity.

Dominant Element or Quadruplicity

One or more of the elements dominant in your birth chart could be earth or water. Both of these elements are introverted as I mentioned earlier.

The House Placement of the Moon and Mercury

As I said above, the Moon and Mercury are highly influential planets in astrology. But that isn’t just down to the sign that they’re in. Their house placements also impact your personality and your preferences. So, if either planet is located in a house that’s associated with an introverted (feminine) sign, that could explain your disdain for the spotlight.

The Rising Sign is Introverted

The rising sign may be feminine (an air or water sign) and therefore introverted. However, it may also be in the sign of Gemini, which is ruled by swift and intellectual Mercury. As a Gemini rising myself, I can be as timid as I can be sociable. Gemini is known for being chatty, outgoing and in constant need for mental stimulation. However, it can also be nervous, flighty and fidgety. It can be easily knocked off kilter so some Geminian types prefer to avoid attracting too much attention to themselves. For the sake of keeping their nerves in tact, they prefer to fly under the radar, so to speak.

Aspects to the Sun and Personal Planets

There are a myriad of different aspects which could be made to a myriad of other planets and calculated points in the birth chart, so it’s really no wonder why some Leos can’t relate to all of the personality traits that are associated with the sign.

It’s Absolutely Ok to Stay Under the Radar

As Shakespeare wrote in As You Like It: “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players.”

My personal take on this poem is that life is what we make it. If you prefer to stay out of the limelight, do so. Why shouldn’t you? Yes, Leo men and women are supposed to behave like X,Y and Z but astrology –and human nature — is a lot more complex that one’s Sun sign. We’re all ultimately, human no matter what our charts look like. And our species is known for being varied in personality. We’re interesting, emotional, disorganised, fun, and at times, wildly unreasonable!

We also tend to change as we age. I’m sure there are plenty of Leos who sought copious amounts of attention as children and teens but as adults prefer to do without it. And the reasons for this are virtually endless. From an astrological standpoint, planetary transits could have something to do with it. The planets never stand still and neither do we, in any way, shape, or form. But mostly, it’s because we’re all different.

This content is 100% human-made.

Sources:

1. NASA. Mercury Facts.