The Sun In Leo
The Sign Of The Great Father Of All Life
Creative Principle Of The Universe
Soul Food For Leos
I said a prayer for you today,
And God must have heard –
I felt the answer in my heart,
Although S/He spoke no word!
I did not ask for wealth or fame
I knew you wouldn’t mind –
I asked Her/Him to send treasures
Of a far more lasting kind.
I asked that S/He be near you
At the start of each new day,
To grant you health and blessings,
And friends, to share your way.
I asked for happiness for you
In all things, great and small –
But, it was for his loving care
That I prayed the most of all.
God be with you.
Many happy returns of the day, dear Leo friends.
Whether you are interested in my interpretation of this sign on your own behalf or that of a loved one, how about copying, pasting and printing this file, or any other – as well as my special blessings – and placing it inside a birthday card, as a special surprise?
Take care and God bless,
Enjoy!
With Love and Light,
Aquarius
Please, note that everything mentioned in this file applies not only when your Sun is in Leo, but also when:
• Your Sun is in the fifth house, the natural house of Leo.
• Your Moon is in Leo or the fifth house.
• Your Ascendant is in Leo.
• You were born on the 1st, 10th, 19th or 28th day of any month, not merely while the Sun is in Leo.
Mythology
The mythological background of the planetary ruler of each sign can reveal a great deal about the evolutionary pathway of human souls in general terms, as well as some of the character traits that are typical for souls born into any given sign. That’s why we are considering this aspect first. Leo’s planetary ruler is the Sun. The Sun in our birthcharts is a symbol for the Great Light of the spiritual Sun behind the Sun in the sky above us. This is the Source of all life, the Creator Father, the God, whose creative ideas are constantly flowing into the Mother Creator, the Goddess, so that together they can bring forth ever more new worlds and beings. The whole of the created world is the Mother of all life, Water and Earth. Her counterpart is the Great Light, the Father, Fire and Air. The fire that’s visible in the sky above us and felt on the Earth plane is a physical manifestation of the Great Light and Sun. This is the only born Son who completes the Holy Trinity. These three aspects of the Divine give life to and nurture and sustain everything in the created world and all other levels of existence.
Because of its life-giving powers, the Sun has always been of the greatest importance to the Earth and all its creatures and it is hardly surprising that in almost every culture throughout the ages solar motifs have been prominent. Yet, only the Egyptian, Indo-European and Meso-American ones developed religions that honoured and celebrated the idea as the Sun of the centre of the whole of Creation. Each one of them had a well-developed urban civilisation with a strong ideology of sacred kingship that worshipped the Sun as the ruler of both the upper and the lower worlds, which he majestically visits on his daily round. These early civilisations were aware that the Sun is the giver of light and life to the whole of Creation. Yet, it has taken until recently that we are at last finding a deeper understanding of its true nature.
Universally, the idea of the light of the Sun has always been connected with enlightenment or illumination. Thus, it is not surprising that in past ages the Sun’s unblinking and all-seeing eye was thought to be the stern guarantor of justice and the source of all wisdom. These aspects, as well as the qualities of sovereignty, power and beneficence were then central to many of the religious elite groups of our world, in which the solar ideology thus developed to a high degree. Solar deities, Gods personifying the Sun, were seen as sovereign and all-seeing. The Sun was often a prime attribute of the Supreme Deity or even identified with it. The kings in these societies were usually declared to be descendants of the Sun, who were thought to rule by the power of the Sun.
Let me give you a few examples of this. The Egyptian Sun God Re was the dominant figure among the high Gods and retained this position from early in that civilisation’s history. The Sun God also occupied a central position in the Sumerian and Akkadian religions, though neither the Sumerian Utu nor the Semitic Shamash was included among the three highest Gods of the Pantheon. The Sun was one of the most popular deities among the Indo-European peoples; it was a symbol of Divine power to them. Surya is glorified in the Vedic hymns of ancient India as an all-seeing God, who observes both good and evil actions. He expels not only darkness but also evil dreams and diseases. In medieval Iran, Sun festivals were celebrated as a heritage from pre-Islamic times. The Indo-European character of Sun worship can also be seen in the symbolism of a solar deity who moves across the sky in a carriage that is generally depicted as drawn by four white horses. This image was common to many Indo-European peoples; it was also known in Indo-Iranian, Greco-Roman, and Scandinavian mythology.
During the later periods of Roman history, Sun worship gained in importance and ultimately led to what is known as ‘solar monotheism.’ Nearly all the Gods of that time possessed solar qualities, and – almost certainly through these beliefs the idea arose that both Christ and Mithra had traits of solar deities. The feast of Sol Invictus, of the unconquered Sun, on 25th December, was celebrated by the Romans in those days with great joy. This festival was eventually taken over by the Christian Church; they called it Christmas and declared that this was the day the Christ child had been born.
Probably the most famous solar cult of all is the Sun Dance of the Plains Indians of North America. The Sun occupied an important place in the Pre-Columbian civilisations of Mexico and Peru; Sun worship was a prominent feature of their belief systems. In the myths and rituals of the Aztecs, the Sun Gods Huitzilopochtli and Tezcatlipoca demanded large amounts of human sacrifice. Peru’s ruler was believed to be an incarnation of the Sun God Inti. In the ancient mythology of Japan the Sun Goddess Amaterasu was considered to be the supreme ruler of the world and the Divine teacher of the imperial clan. To this day, the Sun is the symbol of Japan. Last but by no means least, the Native American tradition has long recognised and worshipped as the giver and maintainer of life the spiritual Sun above and behind the warmth, the love and the light of the golden disk in the sky, which is one of its physical manifestations.
From all this is clear that over the ages the great importance of the Sun as the Creator of all life was explained to humankind, time and time again and in many different ways. The birthchart of the human soul is a reflection of what was happening in the Heavens at the moment it drew its first breath on the Earth plane. The chart is a snapshot in time and the Sun is its central planet around which all others revolve. It represents the symbol of the love and the passion of the sacred creative fire that flows without disruption from the heart of the Divine Father into all life; the Moon is a symbolism for the loving care and protection of the Divine Mother.
Recommended Viewing:
• Videos showing that the religions of our world have their origin in Sun worship ancient astrology:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Characteristics
Leo is the fifth sign in the zodiac and the fifth house represents its natural abode. This is the house of creativity, risks, pleasures, love and children of body and mind. The Sun in the sky above us is a metaphor for the all-powerful spiritual Sun behind it. This is an extremely dignified being and during the time of the Sun’s transit through its own sign, its energies are felt more powerfully on the Earth plane than at any other time of the year and its warmth and light have extra strength. This influence endows those born during this period with some of its great dignity, as well as its vitality and the pure enjoyment of life. The fixed nature of their sign reveals that Leos are extremely strong willed and stubborn. As their minds may be surprisingly closed to new ideas and concepts, the wise ones among them take care not to become too dogmatic, rigid and crystallised in their outlook and approach to life.
No matter how advanced and right for us the opinions we formed earlier in life may have been at the time, they are unlikely to remain the same throughout a whole lifetime. That’s why the wise ones make a regular habit of taking stock of their lives and reassessing and updating the conclusions they come to. Consciously discarding on a regular basis any beliefs that have been superseded by fresh insights and learning is an excellent habit that needs to be developed by all of us, as we move through life.
Leo has two keywords: ‘I will!’ and ‘I rule!’ They are by no means particularly speedy thinkers but as their thought processes are constructive, they are good at steadily arriving at firm conclusions. That is why, until they have made up their minds, they may be reluctant to commit themselves to anything. This is a reflection of the characteristics of the Great Father of life, who thinks matters through thoroughly, before he brings any new creations into being. First he plans and organises everything by thinking about it. Only when he has done so sufficiently does he ground his ideas in co-operation with and through the Great Mother, his feminine wisdom aspect of the Divine Trinity of Father/Mother and Son.
Leo represents the fire of the heart as well as that of the hearth for the whole of Creation. For as long as this kind of fire is left unguarded in young and inexperienced souls, it can turn into a highly destructive force that is capable of burning whatever comes its way with the heat of the passion of the Sun. Because of this, wise ones guard their inner fire and keep it under their control, so that it may give a warming glow to everything they come in contact. The Sun’s warmth and love is a physical manifestation of the Divine sexual/creative/spiritual energy of the purest kind that brings all life into being. Every human heart contains a spark of this Great Light and when the Sun moves through its own sign, this love flows more abundantly than at any other time directly into all life on our planet. Having been born at the time when this wondrous creative energy is at its greatest strength, for the whole of their present lifetime Leos have the benefit of more than their fair share of it. The human link with the highest Sun is stronger and more direct in Leo than in any other sign.
Just like their ruling element that all too easily gets out of control when it is left unguarded, souls born into each one of the Fire signs have a tendency of rushing headfirst and without due forethought into things. Leos are no exception to this. They seem to be courageous, just like their animal counterpart, but often this amounts to nothing more than foolhardiness, which should not be mistaken for real courage. Truly having guts means knowing that there is danger, but in spite of being afraid of what might happen, one is willing to take a calculated risk and still goes ahead and does whatever is necessary. Like in the other Fire signs, souls born into Leo stand to benefit greatly from developing at least a measure of self-control and self-discipline. This alone can help them to avoid constantly creating unnecessary difficulties for themselves.
The True Nature Of Love
The Sun rules the heart in the physical body. Ah yes, the Leonine heart! It’s a highly inflammable object that at the same time can also be exceedingly fickle and foolish. That’s why Leos are constantly falling in and out of love. It seems that as soon as their eyes fall upon someone who appeals to them, the fire in their heart goes ‘whoosh!’ and Leo once more is in love. Alas, they fall out of it again, just as quickly. Whether they are wise ones already or not, when the lion loves it does do so passionately with all its heart. Yet, the human heart is notoriously an unreliable customer, not just for Leos but for everyone.
To keep any flame of love going for a long time, human souls need to develop such essential ingredients as common sense and human kindness of the heart. Most helpful of all is a degree of spiritual awareness of the true nature of love and the reason why we are in this life together. To enable us to love steadfastly, truthfully and wisely and that in all our relationships, takes the wisdom and the light of the Highest Self to illumine our consciousness. It is always waiting to teach us how to love all our companions on their way through life, no matter what flaws and shortcomings in their character they may still have to overcome. When we have finally learnt to love people in spite of what they may say or do, then we discover what love truly is.
It stands to reason that a gift as precious as that of loving the way our Creator loves us is not going to be handed to anyone on a silver platter. Like all good things in this life, this one has to be worked at with serious intent and that over the course of the whole of at least one lifetime. Do not be discouraged by this. Bringing forth the highest and best character traits of any sign is every soul’s birthright, but this takes much hard work and dedication. Behaving in the desired manner needs to become second nature to us, a living reality that gradually fills every cell and every atom of our being.
I believe it takes a lifetime of tests and trials – as likely as not a great many of them – before any human heart has learnt to love with God’s steadfastness and strength. Our earthly education continues until the love of the Sun in our heart radiates from within through our whole being with such strength that no clouds can hide it and nothing can ever extinguish or destroy it. Like God, we shall then be able to love anyone who comes our way unconditionally and without judgment.
One of Leo’s greatest obstacles on the way to this goal can be their inner need to put their loved ones on a pedestal. As we all know, it is in the nature of pedestals that they reveal the feet of clay of those upon them all too easily. Each time this happens, poor Leo is so devastated that they promptly fall out of love again. In their disappointment, they seem to be incapable of remembering that the object of their admiration is as fragile and human as everybody else, including Leo. To my mind, what they can benefit from most is a renewed understanding of the purpose and meaning of this life, and that we are here together so that we may grow and learn together. One of Leo’s most urgent lessons for this lifetime is learning to control and master the passions of their earthly desire nature.
Recognising its drives and urges for what they truly are enables the human soul to rise above them and it starts to radiate the warming steady glow of the well-controlled fire of their heart into everything that comes their way. Like the Sun in the sky and the great spiritual Sun behind it, they can then pour – indiscriminately and generously – the warmth and the strength of their love and attention into everything that requires it. Their love is then no longer in danger of burning them and their loved ones to a cinder through misunderstood and over-heated passions. In this way, they are capable of slowly growing into the most wonderful channels through which the blessing and healing powers of the Highest flow increasingly into our world. During its lifetime in Leo the soul’s greatest potential is that it should slowly become ever more like a true Sun in its own right that acts as a go-between for the earthly plane and the Divine, to bring renewed life and hope to all.
Yet, this can only happen when the soul has become fully aware that nobody on the Earth plane has any real power. Only when it has finally grasped that the true reason for its being here is not for the seeking of power or dominion over others, but over its own – often highly bloated – ego of the earthly self, can it become an ever-purer channel for the Highest. What a sad sight Leos are when they are still full of their own importance and magnificence, even if they would not dream of proving through their actions on the Earth plane that such a high opinion of themselves is in any way justified. The spectacle of Toad of Toad Hall in the ‘Wind in the Willows’ by Kenneth Grahame comes to mind.
Love
Life has taught me this:
Everyday is new
And if anything is true,
All that matters when we’re through
Is how we love.
Faced with what we lack
Some things fall apart.
From the ashes new dreams start, but
All that matters to the heart is how we love
How we love, how we love –
From the smallest act of kindness
In a world of smart and hurt,
In spite of our mistakes chances come again.
If we lose or if we win,
All that matter in the end is how we love
How we love, how we love.
I will not forget your kindness when I needed it so much.
Sometimes we forget trying to be so strong
In this world of right and wrong.
All that matters when we’ve gone,
All that mattered all along,
All we have that does live on –
Is how we’ve loved.
Beth Nielsen Chapman
Edited by Aquarius
Leo’s Symbol – The Lion
The lion in its role as the king of the animal kingdom is Leo’s symbol. Astonishingly enough a study of the big cat’s behaviour can provide us with surprisingly good insights into Leo’s behaviour patterns. Like the big cat, they are self-confident and self-assured creatures. This may change considerably if their ascendant is in one of the shyer signs of the zodiac, for example Cancer. Should this applies to you, seek to develop the Sun’s highest and most positive aspects, all will then be well and your confidence will increase and develop, as your life progresses. Wise ones take care to avoid using the sexual/creative/spiritual energy, which the Universe so freely puts at their disposal for selfish purposes. Focussing their efforts on operating only on the highest frequency of the Sun’s creative energy helps them to tap into the Sun’s strength, so that it can be shared with everybody around them, especially timid and shy souls.
The Lion is the epitome of regal dignity, and Leos certainly have a touch of stateliness and a flair for decorum about them. Like the lion of the animal world those born into this sign anger easily. When they do, they leave you in no doubt about the state of affairs and that something is amiss. Leos are show-offs who love swishing their tails – metaphorically speaking – and doing their share of blustering and roaring, whenever the chance for doing so arises. Fortunately, they soon calm down again. Young and inexperienced Leo souls seem to believe that their natural and rightful place is at the top and that everybody is somehow below them. After putting offenders into the place where they belong, namely somewhere down there, they happily and graciously forgive.
In the physical body, Leo rules the inner centre, the heart and the spine. It is particularly important for Leos to exercise regularly and to pay special attention to keeping their spines as supple as possible. Flexible inner attitudes reflect themselves on the outer level in the spine’s suppleness. Leo is the royal sign of the zodiac and Aquarius is its opposite sign. The further we proceed into the New Age, the clearer we shall see that earthly kings and queens are anachronisms and leftovers from the past. The true royalty and the spiritual aristocrats of the New Age are the wise ones, who serve the highest good of the whole and who function without the need for pomp and circumstance in the outer world and instead with great simplicity give from their loving hearts and souls wherever the need arises.
Two of Leo’s greatest gifts are simplicity and the ability to penetrate into the inner heart of things in order to make them whole. Keeping things as simple as possible, Leos have a wonderful knack for getting to the heart of any matter, subject or enterprise by stripping away the non-essentials. This is also how the Father works. Whenever a human soul’s life is in danger of becoming over-complicated, too full of people and things that detract its attention from the true purpose of its present existence, the Father in Heaven helps the child of Earth to re-focus and re-orientate is life. For this purpose he strips away, time and again, that which has outlived its usefulness; relationships and things alike are thus taken from the soul, to create time to think and take stock and to remind it of its own mortality.
In times of great suffering inner doors of understanding open up, to encourage the soul to make its own enquiries and start asking questions about its existence and where the loved one may have gone. All of that should eventually lead every soul to the discovery that there is a great deal more to Earth life than that which can be seen on its surface. During each lifetime in Leo, the soul finds many opportunities for integrating more of the Father’s qualities, until they have become a permanent part of its character make-up. All characteristics that have been honestly acquired and truly worked for by us are our soul’s property; no-one will ever take them from us again.
Leo's Return To The World Of Spirit
Can you imagine what kind of a shock we, as young and inexperienced Leo souls, must have suffered at the end of every lifetime when we returned into our true home, the world spirit, and found out that the learning for the human soul continues on this level of life? We soon made some very sobering discoveries, for example: there is a great deal more to life than that which we used to observe on its surface. Understanding what we just left behind us was merely the experience of one lifetime, it came clear to us that our splendour was not going to be of the lasting kind. There would be many more still ahead of us, which would teach us lessons of a very different kind. After death had stripped away the illusions of the outer world and with it the one of the great splendour and glory of our being, as some kind of king or queen in our own little Universe, we discovered that because before God every soul is of equal value, in truth we were not all that special, after all. How disappointing!
What of our nobility? None of that remains either, unless we already have developed some genuine nobility of spirit and soul, which reflects itself in all our thoughts, words and actions; and that takes many lifetimes. Such things are great blows to our big earthly Leo ego; yet, they teach our soul some exceedingly healthy lessons. Our disenchantment will spur us on to do better next time another lifetime in Leo comes round. On all levels of life, the most painful experiences always teach us our best lessons, because our soul never forgets them. That is why during our next lifetime in Leo we shall work much more seriously on behaving like a truly wise one.
When the outer shell of the physical body has been taken from the soul, all that is left are the qualities it has thus far developed, throughout all its lifetimes. No-one suddenly turns into an Angel. However meagre or rich, positive or negative, destructive or helpful its character qualities may be, they are all there. Naked it stands before itself and takes stock. Later it decides, together with the wise ones in charge of it, which future soul lessons it should seek in its next lifetime. Yet, while it is on the earthly plane the soul has no option than getting on with the lessons of its present lifetime. And this is your chance, dear Leo friends, for practising and integrating the best ones of the Father’s qualities and for learning to love the way the Father does, namely wisely.
This means loving with open heart and hands, without expecting anything in return; loving for love’s sake and giving for the sheer joy of giving and the blessing of having something to give and share with others. Every soul is specially gifted in some way and giving of our talents, however small and insignificant they may seem to us, freely and willingly wherever there is a need for them, we learn to love ever more wisely and divinely. Part of this is forgiving magnanimously and magnificently, even the most miserable sinner who comes our way, and loyally sticking to our loved ones through thick and thin, no matter what may befall them. These things must eventually come to the human soul as naturally as breathing in and out. Whenever the going gets rough – as it must for every soul at times – do not forget that nobody ever pretended the spiritual pathway was an easy one!
Leo – The Sign Of The Conscious Self
The sign before Leo is Cancer, the sign of instinctual consciousness where the soul still behaves and reacts to life mostly from its instincts and through its emotions. Up to this point of its journey round the zodiac, the soul is busy with building itself a personality. Yet, so far it remains unconscious of itself, its actions and reactions. This changes dramatically when it reaches the next sign, Leo, the Sun’s own sign. Starting with its first lifetime and increasingly so during each subsequent one in this sign, the soul begins to become conscious of itself and starts to integrate and develop the energies and the qualities of the Father. It discovers its God-like qualities and creative drives and urges, and awakens to its role as a co-creator with God. As the Creator’s ideas flow through it directly from the spiritual fire of the Sun, the highest levels of life, while the soul is still young and inexperienced it may grow ever more bigheaded and arrogant over its artistic achievements. It takes the soul many times round the zodiac before it acquires sufficient humility to realise that all it can do in its earthly existence is to act as a channel and an instrument, through which the Divine pours its inspiration to make the Earth a better and more beautiful place for all.
Leo’s opposite sign in the zodiac is Aquarius, one of the Air signs. They are the thinking and communicating signs of the zodiac. All types of technology and especially computers, in particular as a means of communication in the New Age, come under the rulership of Aquarius. Leo’s polar opposition with this sign explains why many Leos have quite a natural aptitude for computer work. Whenever Leo aims to work lovingly and for the good of all, they are consciously or unconsciously tapping into and making use of the energies of their polar opposition. In Leo, the same as in all other signs, through integrating the best qualities of our own sign and its sleeping partner, every soul can speed up its own process of wholeness and healing, and that of our whole world. To grow into the truly great and splendid being, which up to the time this comes about Leos only think they are, they have to master the following aspects:
• Learn to serve the highest good of the whole and work hand in hand with God and the Angels.
• Stop using their considerable gifts for selfish purposes and self-aggrandisement and start singing the praises of the Highest instead.
• Serve all life with true humility in their heart and that, to a Leo, may well turn out to be the tallest order of all.
Seeking Dominion - Over Whom?
The human soul is a microcosm of the macrocosm, and each one of us is a miniature Universe in its own right. The giver of all life, the spiritual Sun and Great Light of the whole of Creation, dominates everything it contains and that in life on all its levels. And just like the Father, each one of his human children is also required to take possession of and rule over all parts of its being and in particular its lower earthly self. We are all here to seek domination over this aspect of ourselves, never over the people around us. The Father is the masculine aspect of God; his elements are Fire, creative ideas, and Air, the power of thought to express them. He sustains and nurtures all life through his feminine counterpart, the Goddess and Mother of all life, who is also the soul of the whole of Creation. Her elements are Water, the soul and the world of feelings and emotions, and Earth, matter. When Water and Earth come together, they are the clay from which the outer form of all living beings and whatever else is in our world are moulded into shape. They are held there, for as long as it is required, by the willpower behind the thoughts of the Father.
All of that brings us to Leo’s second keyword: ‘I rule!’ or to put it a different way: ‘I seek dominion’. To help us understand the true meaning of this it is necessary to reach into the spiritual background of life. The human soul on its pathway round and round the zodiac, each time it reaches Leo becomes that bit more aware of itself and its inherent Divine powers of the great Father of all life, who creates, nurtures and sustains it everything that exists. To enable him to do this, he must have control over the whole of Creation and dominate it.
As a spark of the Divine, every soul – not merely those born into Leo – contains the same powers and forces that are in God. When less experienced souls sense this inside them and misinterpret what they find as something of a God-given right to dominate and rule over those around them and their lives, it spells trouble and disasters. And because we all have everything inside, the question of dominion arises for each one of us. Yet, it may take a long time in evolutionary terms until we are spiritually mature enough to recognise that the only thing we are in this life to learn to control and dominate are the drives and urges of our own lower earthly nature and personality.
The only one for whom it is essential to have dominion over others, including you and me, is the Great Father himself. He is the one who keeps planets in their orbit and brings whole worlds and everything that is in them into being, maintains and nurtures them, and destroys them again at his will, when they have outlived their usefulness. He rules over and dominates all life and everything is under his loving control. What an amazing feat! It is not hard to see the necessity for keeping a firm grip on it all and for organising the whole enterprise exceedingly well, because otherwise chaos would reign and nothing would ever work. How good that it is not someone human who is in charge! One shudders to think what that would be like, at our present evolutionary state.
All of this makes all too understandable how it comes about that the urge to dominate and control others in Leos is so strong and hard to resist by young and inexperienced souls. The wise ones, however, who are aware of this have the advantage of making every effort to let go of their desire to meddle and interfere with the lives of others. Appreciating that they themselves are the only person in the whole wide world they can change, they get off other people’s backs, focus on taking charge of their lower nature and work on improving their own character. Great progress becomes possible for Leos when they place their Highest Self on the throne of their lives and submit themselves to it, instead of their small earthly ego. In inexperienced Leo souls, the most highly inflated part and therefore most of all in need of conquering is their massive ego.
Recommended Reading:
• ‘Let them have Dominion’
Generous, Creative, Magnanimous
Leos are good and broad-minded organisers and altogether impressive personalities. Deep down at heart they will always remain big pussycats, generous, creative, magnanimous, enthusiastic as well as romantic and highly sentimental souls. Their abilities and character traces reflect the Father’s energies and attributes, which in every one of His miniature versions, the human soul, in the course of a great many lifetimes have to be brought forth by us, until they have been developed to their highest potential.
The Sun in our birthchart is a symbol of what the Christian tradition calls ‘our Father in Heaven’. At the beginning of the Aquarian Age, it is coming ever clearer that in truth this means the triune Godhead on the highest level of life, the Great Father/Mother of all life and their only born Son, the Universal Christ Spirit. The Christ Spirit is the Sun, the spiritual Sun behind the Sun in the sky above us, the source of all wisdom, knowledge and truth. The masculine Father aspect of the godhead is the Great planner and architect of the Grand design for all worlds and beings, who organises the whole lot and keeps everything in its predestined place.
All aspects of the Godhead are part of us and we are part of it. However, for simplicity’s sake let us stay with the term ‘the Father in Heaven’ who is directly and actively involved in every life. We are his creations and he loves us so much that he refuses to interfere with us unnecessarily and allows each one of us to learn from our own mistakes. When our soul has been round and round the zodiac a great many times, we no longer feel the need for acting like some kind of a meddlesome busybody and interferer. We then prefer to do as the Father does and let others learn from their blunders, staying in the background and helping only when those in our charge invite us.
As Leos have a highly developed sense of showmanship and drama, and are naturally at home on any stage, it comes as no surprise that show business people frequently have this sign strongly configured in their charts. Always happy to take centre-stage, no matter how small or large it may be, Leos are the natural drama queens and kings of our world. You may rest assured that one way or another, they are sure to find themselves a stage on which they can perform. Should there be none, they simply create one. ‘Look at me, how I suffer! See, how I love!’ This does by no means always happen consciously. Leos just cannot help themselves; to be true to their nature – remember they are Suns – they must shine. Shakespeare’s Duke in ‘As you like it’ says: ‘All the world is a stage, and all women and men merely players.’ Maybe this was written especially with Leos and Sagittarians in mind, because for them any stage is the place where they feel truly at home.
Recommended Reading:
• ‘Sun in Sagittarius’
Big Downside As Well As Upside
Before the soul can bring forth the positive and highest qualities of any of the Sun signs, it first has to experience and become thoroughly familiar with their lower and negative aspects. Only when this lesson has been imbibed satisfactorily can any soul begin to reach for and aim to bring forth the higher and highest qualities, which the Universe wishes to bestow upon all souls. To fulfil the highest potential that can be reached in any of the signs, it is essential to pay attention to both its negative and positive aspects.
The trouble with Leo is that everything about them is big, the downside as well as the upside, but undoubtedly their greatest obstacle in the way of progress and success in the life is their massive ego. Awakened souls no longer put it on the throne of their being, but ask their Highest Self to guide them into action and to help them with changing the negative characteristics of their sign into positive ones. Less experienced souls, however, can be a real pain in the neck with their bombastic, pompous, snobbish, dogmatic, bullying, patronisingly meddling and interfering, power mad, selfish and conceited, as well as intolerant and opinionated behaviour. Oh dear! Take heart, dear Leo friend, at whatever evolutionary level you may presently be and let us now consider what happens to Leos when they become more highly evolved. Their natural dignity, self-respect, courage, warmth and integrity then come ever more to the fore. They then turn into very lovable creates who are honest, direct and dependable in all their dealings.
If you are not a Sun Leo yourself but want to get along better with your Leo relatives and friends, you and they are likely to benefit greatly from reading this. Leos are surprisingly easy to gel with when one understands and knows how to handle them. Two of the most precious gifts this sign can bestow on human souls are great simplicity and the ability to get straight to the heart of things. When you get to know them better, you will find that everything to do with Leos is simple. Once you can see through their blustering and forgive them their occasional bombastic outbursts, you will recognise easily that at heart they are very simple creatures. When you think about it, all truly great ideas are always simple. Can you see why simplicity is thought to be such an excellent trait? Incidentally, the simplest way of ensuring that Leos are happy and in their element is to accept them as Kings or Queens of the castle, as bosses and leaders. Difficulties can and will arise when this is denied. There is trouble when people stand up and refuse to bow to Leo’s wishes, providing the glorious lesson that not everyone is willing to accept their leadership.
Although it is true that they are natural leaders, who will and can take the lead in just about anything with considerable ease, being born into this sign does not automatically bequeath on anyone the God-given right to leading anyone – except themselves. The same as everything in this earthly school of life, leadership is something that can only be earned through sheer hard work. To help Leos do so, as they move through their lives, they will frequently find themselves in situations where leadership possibilities arise. Each one is a test to establish how far the leadership abilities have been developed thus far. Such tests can be quite subtle and wise ones seize each one that comes their way. By showing their willingness and working very hard on growing ever more into the role of good leaders, they have excellent potential for developing into first class leaders before their present lifetime is over.
Like the Great architect and designer, Leos are fine organisers. Unfortunately, many of them have great difficulties applying their talents to themselves and their own lives. Organising other people is much more fun than getting one’s own life in order and attending to one’s own problems. For as long as those around them are willing to be organised, all is well and Leo is happy. Trouble however is sure to brew, as soon as they come up against the resistance of anyone who resents their efforts and recognises that behind Leo’s façade of self-assumed splendour there is nothing but an annoying, meddling and interfering busybody. That is why wise ones leave those around them in peace and focus on getting their own inner house and their lives in order.
Leo’s Bright And Sunny Side
This undoubtedly is Leos’ greatest gift. On top of that comes one of their most valuable assets and that is their natural, spontaneous and warm-hearted enthusiasm and charm. When they have developed these qualities to the full and use them to help others, instead of selfish pursuit of gain from others, they are cable of drawing others towards themselves like magnets. Playing the role of one those affectionate, enthusiastic, cheerful and optimistic people, who are the life and soul of any gathering is something that comes natural to Leos. With charm and ease, they can bring sunshine and warmth into the life of everybody they meet.
Take care though! When it comes to their pride, Leos are astonishingly touchy, prickly and sensitive. Wise ones who do not wish to be hurt constantly, avoid false pride and do not stand on too much dignity. But, even when less experienced souls have been hurt, they still have their magnanimity to fall back upon. To them openly displaying their pain is beneath their dignity. Yet, wise ones or fools, it is difficult for them to resist the temptation of acting out their regal side by putting those who wronged them in some way into their – in Leo’s opinion – proper, i.e. lower place. And whichever background they come from, one way or another, they will always ensure to have some sort of a kingdom where they can rule supreme. However small it may be, they will spend a great deal of time, effort and money on making their home into as luxurious a nest as they possibly can; make no mistake about it, the big cat is fond of its creature comforts.
As already mentioned, Leos have a wonderful flair for drama, which they never hesitate to act out on any stage that presents itself. If there is no stage to be found, they create one by making a scene that others will not forget in a hurry, just to draw attention to themselves. Yet, their theatrical bent can also display itself in positive and enjoyable ways, for example in the way they love to dress splendidly, flamboyantly and imaginatively. They usually are sociable and lovable creatures, who adore being entertained and entertaining. When they do, it is always a bit as if they were holding court, and only the finest and the best they can afford will on such occasions be allowed to grace their home and table.
As they enjoy doing things in a big way and are good organisers into the bargain, they are also excellent when put in charge of other people’s social gatherings and outings. There too they will ensure that not only they themselves have the very best of everything, but also that everybody else has the same. This no doubt is one of the reasons for their popularity, which can be considerable. Appreciating their flair for extravagance and over-fondness of luxurious things and environments, wise ones take care to household with their resources, so that money no longer slips through their fingers like water.
Leos also have breadth of vision and a knack for immediately recognising the general shape of a scheme or project, but they sometimes lack an eye for detail. This is alleviated when their Mercury is placed in Virgo. Leos are hard working creatures who are always willing to set a good example to others. They like being in charge so much that they may find it hard to delegate authority, when the time for doing so has come. That is why quite a few of them die of a heart attack at a young age. Work can and should by rights be a highly creative process. When Leo’s work is creative enough, so that their heart is in it, they are excellent workers and perfectionists, who take great pride in their work, i.e. their creations.
Working Life
When working together with others, they may come to the conclusion that nobody can do the job in hand as well as they can – they may even be right. Because of this, many Leos develop the habit of handing out responsibility with one hand, only to take it away again with the other. Wise ones, however, who prefer living to enjoy the fruits of their labours to an early departure from this plane, when in charge of people, as early as possible take care to delegate what can be done by others, instead of doing everything themselves. Leos are good teachers and to avoid wearing themselves out prematurely, they need to share their expertise with those around them, so they can learn the ropes from their own mistakes, the same as everybody has to do, including Leo.
Acting, dancing, teaching, youth worker, managing director, professional sportsperson, creative writer or any other occupation that offers sufficient opportunities and scope for using and showing off their many talents are suitable careers for Leos. They are ambitious but, unlike the soul in Aries can be, they are not ruthless. They are willing to toil and slave unstintingly for a good master, who treats them kindly and with respect, and to whom they can look up. It is vital for their wellbeing that they find work that is congenial and creative, because they are capable of a great deal of suffering in jobs that are too dull or boring for them. The one thing they can tolerate least of all is a small-minded or stupid superior; when Leo has to encounter one of those, it will not take long until one of them leaves the scene.
To find their work enjoyable, Leos have to be allowed the freedom to express their natural exuberance and enthusiasm through it. When this is the case, their professional lives can become so absorbing that they feel no longing for leisure pursuits. If what they do is sufficiently creative and interesting, they are willing and capable of moving mountains, should this be necessary. Perfectionists at heart they loathe amateurism in any form, and whatever they get involved with, they will always work to their own, exceedingly high standards. They can be good teachers, though probably better with older children and young adults rather than with the very young. Theirs is a happy and creative knack, which no-one can quite emulate, of goading the unwilling in playful ways into action, gently guiding them into doing what has to be done. This kind of creativity and leadership can provide Leos with much happiness and satisfaction.
They are capable of planning on a large scale, sometimes too large, but then largesse is a vital part of their personality. They are not the worrying kind by nature and in spite of not being intellectually inclined, they can be fond of intellectual discussions. They are not such good actors for nothing. What they lack in knowledge, their great acting talent helps them to hide. It is rare for them to get deeply depressed, but when a low does hit them, it may take them so low that they are in need of learning to take good care of themselves. The good news is that due to their built-in resilience, their lows usually never last all that long. Their own personal Sun usually always comes shining through quite quickly, helping them to lift themselves out of the doldrums.
Creativity
As a chip of the old block – if I dare use this expression in this context – we are all highly creative beings. Like God, we are constantly in the process of creating something. Not surprisingly, this moves especially into the foreground during the lifetimes our souls spend in Leo. The creative urge in us is then every bit as strong as it is in the Father. This reflects itself in Leo’s strong urge to express themselves in their own unique ways, be it through children of the mind or of the body. Most Leos love children and have a good way with them, because at heart they always remain a bit of a child themselves. They have a wonderful knack for communicating with children on their own wavelength, and children love them for that. There is a childlike and somewhat naïve quality about Leos, which can be endearing to those around them, but this may at times also come across as more than somewhat childish. Leos love to play with anything, the way cats do, especially when young.
Creative inspiration from the Source is constantly flowing through them and they have a special aptitude for giving shape to the ideas that come to them with the greatest of ease. However, to make the spiritual progress that is potentially possible for every soul in this sign, living purely for itself, going after what its heart desires on the earthly plane, and fulfilling its own selfish wishes is no longer good enough. The gifts that have been bestowed upon Leo with such generosity by the Universe are meant to be shared with everybody, to make our world a better and more beautiful place for all.
Wise ones appreciate that giving in to their urge to dominate other creates nothing but problems for them in partnerships and marriages. Life itself has taught them that unless they find some suckers who are willing to be led by them and bossed about, things are highly unlikely to work out in any of their relationships. Proud and romantic by nature, Leos have visions of the ideal partner who is waiting for them somewhere, and of being successful with that person. They want people to look up to them and notice them in all their splendour. But they also need someone to look up to themselves, someone to admire and adore, to be proud of at all times. Leo souls are saved many disappointments in their affairs of the heart when they have learnt that such high expectations of any other human soul are unrealistic and impossible to live up to.
Having reached such a degree of spiritual maturity, they no longer put anyone – including themselves – onto any pedestals. Instead, they accept that the object of their love is a mere mortal, with shortcomings, the same as everybody – oh yes, even Leo. As you can see, awareness is the key that can – and is meant to – help us unlock all our problems, especially those we all encounter in our human relationships. Before making a final commitment, wise souls pay attention to the pitfalls of their sign and look deep within themselves to see whether they are spiritually mature enough to handle a long term relationship to the satisfaction of both partners. Knowing that the answers to all our problems lie within ourselves, when something does go wrong, they no longer look towards the other one for the why and how, but check their own behaviour and sweep in front of their own door.
Leo’s Love For Children
When they have children of their own, wise ones take care not to expect too much from them. They save themselves and their children many disappointments by accepting that their children are not extensions of themselves. They get great comfort from knowing that human children merely come through their parents and that they are not of them. Aware that each one is a complete and unique human being, in its own right, such wise ones refuse to dominate their children and they do not swamp them with their exuberance. In general though, Leos either launch themselves into parenthood with gusto or leave the matter well alone. If they decide to have a go, they are likely to become good parents. Wise souls, who already see their loved ones in a realistic way and bring up their children without spoiling them too much, are sure to get lots of fun out of the whole process.
As you will be able to see for yourself by now and as mentioned before, in truth Leos are no more than big pussycats. It’s just that one just needs to learn how to handle them. Like all cats, they are lazy by nature and would rather lie in the Sun than chase after and catch mice and goldfish. However, they are also highly ambitious creatures. And then one fine day someone comes along to show them a tasty mouse that can be caught somewhere, or someone shows them a pond that abounds with those delicious golden morsels which any self-respecting cat relishes and cannot resist. Yet, should that person ask: ‘Shall I catch them for you?’ pussy’s hunting instincts and ambition come alive and it thinks haughtily: ‘Ha, whatever anyone else can do, I can do too! I’ll have no-one catch my mouse or my goldfish for me!’ As our pussycat is also a perfectionist, it gets far more satisfaction out of catching things for itself, if only to ensure that they are at the peak of their tastiness and perfection.
Leos are extremely self-centred and listening to them, one sometimes gets the impression that they and their loved ones are the only ones that matter in this life. Proud souls that they are, they adore having something and someone to be proud of – other than themselves, because that goes without saying. They love children and if they have any of their own, it is likely that they will sing their praises loudly, whenever someone cares to listen. Wise ones, who are aware of these traps, watch out carefully not to fall into them. When someone asks them how they are, they resist the temptation of hurling themselves into long descriptions of their own and their offspring’s wonderful achievements, and singing their praises. They stay with the important points and then enquire about the other’s wellbeing, because they know that not boring the pants off people goes a long way towards keeping one’s friends; being very sociable creatures, Leos need them like the air they breathe.
If there is nothing else to be proud of in their lives, having the most expensive and sophisticated heart-pacemaker in the world will do instead, or having undergone the most complicated operation ever or having recovered from the most dangerous illness anyone ever suffered from. With amazement and slowly increasing sadness one listens to such tales by inexperienced souls in Leo. To them such things seem to count as achievements. This is particularly pronounced if there is a strong Virgo somewhere in their character make-up, which may be reflected in their birthchart, their date of birth or their name, sometimes in all of them. And if one adds to this a touch of Scorpio, they will then tell you in great detail and depth all the gory details – regardless of whether the other one has got a stomach for such things or not.
Understanding why people behave in certain ways helps me to rise above just about any situation and saves me from sitting in judgement over people. Human beings tend to jump to conclusions about each other far too easily. Souls who are revealing through their behaviour that so far they have no idea of their own true nature and what this life is truly about, to my mind, deserve nothing but compassion and love. This applies particularly in the case of illness. The suffering such souls experience in their physical bodies reveals that for a very long time, their soul on a deep inner level has been suffering and struggling to get the attention of its earthly counterpart – in vain. Souls who have not yet consciously taken charge of their character cannot help many of their behaviour patterns, because they still are what is commonly known as ‘ruled by their stars’.
Should you ever decide to study astrology more seriously, I promise you firmly that as time goes by you are sure to find human beings increasingly delightful and much more lovable creatures. Knowing people’s motivations much better makes all the difference in the world. Viewing our world through the eyes of an astrologer it grows into a much more enjoyable and interesting place. To me, understanding changes everything. The more it develops, the more one gets the feeling that one is watching our world through the eyes of God. From this there slowly grows kindness and compassion for the suffering we all have created for ourselves and each other, and one understands why it has been said: ‘Love understands all and love forgives all.’ Because one loves, one understands and because one understands, one loves. Having reached that level, forgiving is a reaction that follows quite naturally. More than that! Because one understands, suddenly there no longer is anything to forgive. That does not mean that love has to blind itself; there is no need for that when one understands.
None of these realisations takes long; with time it becomes a spontaneous response from the inner self that says: ‘Ah yes, Virgo, Leo, Scorpio – whatever!’ It is at such moments that you feel your oneness with the great and loving heart of God and the Universe, and that is an experience I warmly recommend to anyone.
Recommended Reading:
• ‘Mysterious Illnesses’
• ‘Ruled by the Stars’
• ‘Be your own Astrologer’
Our Character Is Our Destiny
There are two sides to every coin and good qualities are no exception. Unless we learn to use them with caution and discrimination, they can sometimes turn out to be a mixed blessing and in some cases they may even works against us. This is especially true for Leos’ noble and magnanimous character. If Leos are not careful and unless they set firm boundaries for themselves and others, the world around them will unashamedly take advantage of the lion’s good nature. Because they appreciate that no brownie points can be gained from martyrdom and there is no point in suffering in silence for too long, wise souls either withdraw from such situations or they speak up for themselves. The toughest bit about all experiences of Earth life is that nobody can learn our lessons for us. Each soul must do this for itself because that alone develops its character and brings forth its inner strength.
The above is a demonstration of how, when not handled correctly, a potential strength can all too easily turn into a weakness, which the world very happily exploits – if we allow it. Saying: ‘No’ in the right place and at the right moment is the most difficult word to learn in any language. To protect ourselves, our space and time, we must learn to discriminate what is important for us and our spiritual progress in life, and what is not. It is important to become aware that only on the surface of life is anyone ever the victim of circumstances. In truth, the only thing that determines the outcome of our destiny is our own character. Whenever we suffer – although it may often seem to us unduly – it is usually because of some hidden character flaw of ours. Our soul is constantly trying to help us move forward on our evolutionary pathway and if we ignore its early signals, the discomfort that comes later is then the only way it can attract our attention.
The Universe lays a great deal of power into everybody’s own hands. By consciously working on integrating ever more positive qualities into our character, we not only take charge and learn to control our earthly self, we can also positively influence the flow our destiny. Each lifetime is given to us so that we can turn any of the weaknesses we discover within us into truly well handled strengths that support us and make our life easier and more enjoyable. We ourselves create our world and our circumstances through our thinking and behaviour patterns. By taking charge of them, it is possible to turn our lives completely round, and our role changes from that of a victim into a victor. And that surely is something worth battling for!
Recommended Reading
• ‘Transforming Weaknesses into Strengths’
For a better understanding of yourself and your pathway through life,
I recommend the reading of all Sun signs and:
• Introduction To The Sun Signs
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The above is a chapter from ‘My Interpretations Of The Sun Signs’.
If it has whetted your appetite to read more, please follow the link below:
‘My Interpretations Of The Sun Signs’