This reading happened kind of spontaneously. Empress Theadora and I were on FaceTime, winding down at the end of the workday like we usually do, and she mentioned needing to do her full moon reading. I just happened to be shuffling my cards at the same time — which I don’t usually do when we’re just talking — and she asked me if I wanted to do the reading with her. And I said, “I’m down for that.”

We weren’t sure how it would go because we’ve never intentionally done a collective reading like this. But it ended up weaving together perfectly.

This Leo full moon is about being seen without shrinking. Leo’s planetary ruler is the sun — so it’s calling you to the front of the class to show up as who you are at your core. Not who you perform being. Not who you think you should be. Your actual self.

And with Neptune moving into Aries right now, there’s a lot of illusion and delusion happening. Some of that delulu energy is benevolent — it’s about dreams and vision. But when it’s distorted, it becomes deception and fantasy that keeps you from seeing clearly.

Add with all this bully energy happening online right now, people are performing instead of being present. Conforming instead of staying grounded in who they actually are.

The reading kept coming back to this: you can perform or you can conform — but neither of those is authentic.

When you’re performing, you’re putting on a show. You’re trying to be seen in a certain way, trying to manage how people perceive you. That’s exhausting and it’s not sustainable.

When you’re conforming, you’re shrinking yourself to fit someone else’s expectations. You’re making yourself smaller so others feel comfortable. That’s not liberation either.

What this full moon wants from you is to go inward. To check in with who you are when nobody’s watching. To ground yourself in your core essence instead of the version of you that you think the world wants to see.

We talked a lot about boundaries — not just setting them but maintaining them. And about accountability, especially if you’re in any kind of leadership position. You can build community and gather people, but if you’re not holding yourself accountable to those people, if you’re not showing care for the trust they’ve placed in you, then what are you actually doing?

This came up because there’s a lot of ungrounded energy online right now. People moving without accountability. People building platforms without care for the people following them.

The guidance that kept coming through — and this is the practical takeaway — is to consult your higher self when you’re feeling confused or uncertain.

Not social media. Not the trending takes. Not what everyone else is doing.

Your higher self. The part of you that knows your past, present and future. The part connected to your ancestors, your spirit team, your divine guidance.

That might look like sitting in prayer. Journaling. Talking to trusted friends who ground you AND hold you accountable — not people who just agree with everything you say. It might be a hit you get in the shower or right before you fall asleep.

But the answer is always going to come from going inward, not performing outward.

For those of us creating and putting work out into the world, this is especially relevant.

Are you creating from your authentic self or are you performing what you think will get approval?

Are you setting boundaries around your work and your energy, or are you letting the algorithm and other people’s expectations run you?

Are you staying grounded in your purpose, or are you getting caught up in the distorted energy that’s swirling around right now?

This full moon is asking: who are you at your core? And are you showing up as that person, or are you showing up as who you think you need to be?

We closed the reading with sound bowl meditation to help ground everyone back into their bodies after sitting with all that energy.

If you’re feeling unmoored right now, if you’re caught up in the chaos online, if you’re exhausted from performing — this is your invitation to go inward.

Root chakra energy. “I am.” Present. Grounded. Not performing. Not conforming. Just being.

Carry some red jasper if you have it. It’s grounding, helps you stay present in your body and connected to who you actually are.

This Leo full moon is asking you to be yourself. Not the version of yourself that gets likes. Not the version that makes everyone comfortable. Not the version that performs for approval.

Just you. Your core self. The one your higher self knows intimately.

That takes practice. That takes going inward regularly. That takes consulting your own guidance instead of looking outward for validation.

But that’s where your power is. That’s where liberation lives.

We shared a lot in this reading. Take what resonates. Let the rest go. And remember, you have divine backing, ancestral support and your own higher wisdom to guide you.

You don’t need to perform. You don’t need to conform.

You just need to be.

Thank you to everyone who tuned in for the live recording! I truly hope the reading served you. And thank you, Empress Theadora for inviting me to join you in this collective reading!

Offerings and resources

My current offering: Write From the Wound.

This seven-day challenge isn’t about productivity hacks to help you write faster or more consistently. It’s about safety. It’s about witnessing. It’s about understanding that what we call “writer’s block” is often our nervous system saying, I don’t feel safe enough to write my truth.

Designed especially for Black and Brown writers, this challenge focuses on shadow work, witnessing and integration — rather than fixing or censoring ourselves for palatability. The wound is not something to write around. It is something to write from, once it has been seen.

Empress Theadora’s Offering: Clocking In Without Clocking Out Spiritually

Her upcoming 8-week experience exists for those navigating work, capitalism and their calling at the same time. This container is for people who are tired of choosing between survival and spirit. Who know their jobs don’t define them — but still require energy, boundaries and discernment to navigate.

Empress Theadora guides you through staying grounded inside structure, regulating your nervous system during transition and maintaining spiritual sovereignty while getting paid. I highly recommend getting on the waitlist.

Empress Theadora has also graciously shared this beautiful meditation with us. She created this meditation for Black women who’ve learned to survive by overriding their bodies — pushing through exhaustion, staying quiet when something felt wrong, enduring instead of listening. It’s specifically for that moment after you’ve set a boundary, when your nervous system is loud and your body needs reassurance that you won’t abandon yourself this time. The meditation uses drums as a warrior call to help you honor your body, hold your ground and rebuild trust through follow-through.

With love and fire,

Lakeisha, High Priestess

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thestorytemple.substack.com/subscribe