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Leo:
23 July to 22 August
Element:
Fire Sign (Intuition) second Decan of the Fire Trilogy
Quality:
Fixed - (Strong and Enduring)
Polarity:
Masculine/Positive/Yang (assertive, outgoing)
Symbology:
The Lion, symbol of leadership, power, majesty and grandeur. Leo is
the hottest astrological month of the Northern Hemisphere. It is the
heat of the sun, which ripens the fruit brought forth from the earth
by the vibrations of Cancer. Crops are thus developed to their most
abundant state of growth before the harvest of Virgo reaps the
rewards of previous effort. Leo embodies the quality of fixity with
the element of fire, which gives the eternal flame. This teaches the
lesson that those with weak hearts (both figuratively and literally)
can never shine consistently brightly, while Leo's fire never stops
burning. The highly developed Leo is ignited by the fires of the Sun
(the god Ra to the ancient Egyptians). The function of Leo in the
chart is to be individualistic, to be creative and to show the
abilities of humankind. It is to understand "what makes me, the
way I am?"
Mythology:
The lion of Leo was the Nemean lion, who was originally from the
Moon. As he was terrorising the city of Nemea, Hercules was called
upon to kill it as his first labour. As its hide was impenetrable,
Hercules strangled it with his bare hands and skinned it, and wore
its skin as his armour for his remaining labours. Juno placed the
lion in the sky with Hercules to commemorate their bravery.
Glyph:
Leo’s glyph has a number of meanings, the most commonly
accepted one is the lion's mane. It may also represent a coiled
serpent, which, in the study of mysticism, represents the fire of the
sun and creative energy. It is also thought originally to have been a
phallic symbol used in the Dionysian mysteries long ago. The house
ruled by Leo in the chart is where the creative ideas of an
individual are highlighted and where the children of body and mind
are manifested. It is where there is most purpose in life and where
one is self-propelling and aggressive in expansive efforts. It shows
the most sensitive areas of your life, especially against any threat
to dignity and pride. It shows where you find yourself, your own
individuality and creativity. Leo has an affinity with the 5th house
as both have to do with individuality and creativity, and has a
relationship with the trine aspect.
Ruler:
The Sun Colour: Gold Gemstone: Peridot/Ruby
Body
Rulership: Leo rules the upper back, the aorta and heart, and the spine.
Keyword:
Identity Keyphrase: "I Will"
Some
other words to describe Leo: Positive:
Individualistic, noble, capable, warm, creative, generous, romantic,
loving, proud, magnanimous, dignified, impressive. Negative:
Pompous, overbearing, self-indulgent, lazy, dramatic, bossy,
authoritarian, domineering, stubborn, attention seeking, pleasure
oriented, vain, bombastic.
Leo
is a warm generous sign who needs praise and acknowledgment of his
greatness. Leo is accustomed to giving orders, and loves not only to
be in charge, but the center of attention. He is very gullible to
flattery and underneath the toughest lions hide is a kitten if he is
treated the right way. Leo has a flair for drama and needs drama in
his life, even if it is of his own making. He can be egocentric and
self-obsessed, arrogant and dictatorial. However, his loudness masks
a fear of being inferior or of not being noticed. He is very
protective of his own dignity, his family, friends and children. Leo
considers criticism of his loved ones a slight upon his own ego. Leo
is a proud and can exhibit great strength when the chips are down. In
appearance, Leo's most noticeable feature is his hair - often a
luxuriant mane, although males tend towards receding hairlines or
baldness. He has a high forehead (and often big heads, both literally
and figuratively), and has long earlobes. An aura of power or
authority surrounds him, or is it an air of arrogance.
Allegory:
"To you Leo, I give the job of displaying My Creation in all
its brilliance to the world. But you must be careful of pride and
always remember that it is My creation, not yours. For if you forget
this, men will scorn you. There is much joy in the job I give to you
if you but do it well. For this you are to have the gift of
Honour." And Leo stepped back into his place.
(c)
Cecily Bazak
References:
(The above information was adapted and compiled from teacher’s
class notes, some of which comes from “The Only Way to Learn
Astrology Series”, (March and McEvers. Much of the information
on Mythology is from the Encyclopedia of Astrology (James Lewis),
Mythic Astrology (Guttman and Johnson) and Encyclopedia of Mythology
(Arthur Cotterell). |
