Leo Season : Branded
I’m starting a new series where I create a moodboard for the current sun season, combining my knowledge of astrology with graphic design as a creative exploration. If you have a lot of Leo placements, feel free to use elements that resonate as a form of inspiration for your own brand. My end goal is to create moodboards for each sign as an artistic reference point.
Big hair by Victoria Adamson, You Got This by Jasmina Zornic, Abstract painting by Lucy Williams, Poppy icons by Rowan Made, Bright dining by Printro Shop, Stranger Things guy by Elliot Liss, Authenticity is Power by Kinzie Madsen, Flowers by Floral Deco, Sun emblem by Summerside Creative, Woman in lines by Isabel Castillo Guijarro x Bando, Pop! Studio by Rowan Made, She-esh! by Lisa Taniguchi.
Picture this. You’re sitting in your living room, guitar in hand, with four of your close friends sitting around you. They heard you wrote a new song and all but demanded you play it until you gave in.
Seconds before you hit the first chord, the butterflies in your stomach turn up to level ten. The lyrics are personal for you. Important. You worry they may not like it, but go for it anyway. After the first chorus, you see heads bobbing, bodies shimmying, faces smiling. You let out a deep breath. Butterflies turn into pride, pride turns into giddiness. Soon, you’re dancing too, as your heart and soul continues to pour out of you and into the surrounding room.
This is Leo in its purest form.
It’s a human being vulnerably expressing themselves with the right appreciative audience. And in that appreciation, they develop the courage to share more of their gifts with the world around them. Simply put, Leo is meant to shine, whether said shine is a subtle glow or a burst of radiant light.
SO LET’S MAKE LEO VISUAL
When I make these moodboards, I do so intuitively, starting with a little bit of Pinterest and ending with a lot of shuffling inspiration around on my artboard until everything looks and feels just right.
My guess is that not all Leos will instantly resonate with this moodboard as a whole, simply because it is SO incredibly Leo, influenced by nothing other than itself. In reality, all humans have a variety of archetypical energy in their birth chart. Leo may mix with a lot of Cancer. Or Capricorn. Or whatever. The point is that if you have prominent Leo placements within your chart, take what resonates and leave the rest. Leo doesn’t have to be so in your face and the way it’s applied through design can be subtle.
For Leo season, I immediately fell into pinks, yellows, and a pop of orange-y red for this fire sign. But it doesn’t have to be so literal, as any color palette that stands out is fair game. For example, maybe you have a unique mix of colors. Or maybe you have neutrals with one bright pop of color.
For typography, we carry on with that same vibe. An obvious choice would be bold “look at me” typography, as depicted in the above moodboard. But another choice could be distinct (often called “display”) typefaces or even hand-drawn lettering, with the latter tapping into self-expression in a more literal way.
For illustration, you’ll see references to the sun (Leo’s ruler), abstract art, and icons that feel fun and poppy.
For photography, I ended up pulling a lot of portraits. Leo is all about putting yourself out there, big or small, and getting in front of the camera is one way to do that. But you could also use imagery of the sun, blooming flowers, sunny rooms, or anything that feels warm, radiant, and joyful.
And that’s it for this season! As a Leo rising myself, I resonate with bits and pieces of this moodboard on a personal level. I’m actually a good example of someone who uses Leo more subtly. Given that it’s the only fire placement in my entire chart (which is mostly earth and water), I’ve chosen to “punch up” my color palette just a little as my very own ode to Leo, as explained here.
If you have any Leo placements within your own chart, let me know what parts of this moodboard resonate with you. Do you go bold with type? Color? Illustration? Or are you more of a subtle Leo, like me?