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One can almost hear the music “Pomp and Circumstance” playing as the Zodiac wheel sets its pointer to the sign of Leo, the Lion. This male polarity, Yang oriented consciousness, roars and purrs like a pussycat in Man’s fifth stage of development, the formation of a strong sense of ego and individualism. Eternally optimistic and cheerful, this Sun sign will simply light up a room.
The key phrase, “I Will” exemplifies the view of this sign as the ruler and king of his domain delegating tasks to all within earshot in order to make sure that the kingdom fairs well.
Being a “Fire” sign, meaning in touch with the fire and light of Spirit, Leo is able to tap into 7th dimensional reality, the Spirit Plain.
Literally having this enlightened view from above of the physical plain and all that goes on down here, this regal beast fundamentally maintains a broad perspective of what Spirit wants to manifest in the third dimension.
Leo’s governing body of consciousness, the Sun, which is a star rather than a planet, guarantees that the Source is always conferred with when considering what is to be created or manifested. Since that power of decision is a heavy burden, the “King of Beasts,” predominantly wishes to be universal in his approach to all important or even mundane matters of the flesh. Needing therefore a strong personality that wishes to be in charge, the ego of a Leo is often well developed. Ego is that part of human consciousness which feels unique and separate, but also alone.
The Sunflower, being its flower symbol, also illuminates the Leo’s almost desperate desire to be the center of attention to balance that sense of aloneness, wanting the spotlight that is reserved usually only for the king. Having been called the actor’s sign of the Zodiac, most performers find the sign of Leo strongly situated in the throne of their natal chart.
The part of the body which is governed by this sign is the heart, perfectly reflected in the name of King Richard I, the Lion-Hearted. Leo is all about compassion, being so heart oriented, but with a sprinkling of ambition just to spice things up. Often headstrong in his approach in dealing with others, the Leo tendency towards self importance can become at times corrupted with the power with which they are entrusted.
Men and woman born under this sign’s influence often have a large upper body and frame, powerful in appearance. And like the feline symbol too, the hair can be voluminous, mane-like and flowing with fiery, reddish, ruddy streaks running through it.
And particularly in women, the fingernails are often grown long, carefully filed and beautifully painted mirroring the feline’s pride in their sharp elegant claws.
The main prevalent fear of the lion king is that of being vulnerable. For if the thought is, “I can never let my guard down or my kingdom will collapse,” the Leo will find it very hard to cry or let go of his feelings, thus forcing the Will to go into denial with the male, mental controlling nature completely in charge of the inner feminine, Yin aspect.
The hardest thing for this ego-centric sign to admit is that of being wrong. For again, if the king is wrong, the whole kingdom in their view is in danger of destruction. Or so they think.
Taking way too much responsibility for everything that goes on in reality is also its “Achilles’ Heal”. An awareness of the whole is most present which tends to negate the conscious awareness of the personal self. Therefore, persuading a Leo to take personal responsibility for an error in judgment is next to impossible in some cases. For the Lion will innately look to others to fix the flaw rather than take it on themselves to humble and admit fault. The ego is simply in the way and in fear, thinking it must be more than what it is because of the inner belief of “I need to be the perfect ruler, because I have so much to govern!”
The myth of King Arthur of Camelot examples this type of ego flaw. Arthur’s downfall stems really from his inability to allow for the past adulterous relationship to have occurred under his watch between his wife, Guinevere, and his most loyal knight, Lancelot. Even though he forgives them both, as is the common ability of this very forgiving sign, he is unable to accept that his rulership had within it, such forbidden love, and therefore he banishes them.
Another classic literary symbol for this astral sign is the “Cowardly Lion” from “The Wizard of Oz”. Burt Lahr, who played the role, was in real life too, a Leo. This beloved L. Frank Baum character was to be the primary symbol for this astrological sign in archetype imagery for modern day human subconscious.
In the tale, afraid of the pressures of being the “King of the Forest,” Lion reveals the inner truth, when Dorothy, protecting Toto from his roar, raps him on his nose! Dorothy then realizes the boisterous roar is only the way Lion thinks he must behave as king, covering up a very insecure pussycat inside….And continuing singing about his Leo’s woeful tail….
In actuality though, it is his lion’s strength and courage which makes it possible for the Tin Woodsman and Scarecrow to make it up the mountain to save Dorothy from the Witch’s clutches. Mr. Lahr’s colorful and comical interpretation reveals the inner turmoil of fear that the Leo feels at times, when in the movie, frightened in the Haunted Forest, he desperately prays, “I do believe in spooks…I do. I do. I do!”
Leo’s frequent self-congratulatory behavior stems from this internal insecurity. The more insecure, the more the Lion wants to prop up and bolster his ego.
Again in the movie, while visiting the Emerald City, Lion does quite a boastful number showing that trait in spades. He cannot turn down an opportunity for spotlight to perform while waiting for his audience with the Wizard. This character loves the attention and is very brave to stand up in front of others to perform the song, “I Am the King of the Forest,” and then only but a few seconds later, is so terrified walking down the corridor into the inner chamber of OZ, he ultimately jumps through a window in essence to escape himself after pulling his own tail.
For the Leo is very brave but because he never allows himself to be seen in a vulnerable way, the pride of “It’s good to be the King!” almost always hides these inner insecurities. As a result, a dichotomy of “I am superior above all the rest” is partnered with “But I feel insecure about being in charge of everything”. This reflects a classic superiority/inferiority complex common to this sign.
Two recent presidents were born under the sign of Leo, Bill Clinton and most recently elected, Barack Obama. With Clinton, his inability to admit his mistake was again his downfall. In the case of Obama, who on occasion has been himself willing to admit having a strong ego, enabled his rise to center stage from obscurity in a very short period of time. Both men have the obvious talent and ability to see the broader picture in governing, like this Fire sign is so apt to do. They understand the art of willful delegation, bringing people of differing viewpoints together as one, keeping their kingdom happy and whole.
In fact, subconsciously, most Leo’s, who may get into a conflict with someone else in their domain, will always want to work out the problem rather than say goodbye. For if they do that, they believe that the population that they govern will not dwindle and the kingdom will remain strong. However, that may not be the better choice if there is true incompatibility.
Lovers of regalia and all that ceremonies offer up, the Leo will enjoy display in any form. Their home will be the finest and their preferences are for anything that is of quality. If presented with an inferior product, the Leo will instinctively insist it be taken back and improved. This type of individual makes for a very fussy pussy, but also an excellent CEO who can comfortably take command of any situation. For this sign has a great talent at delegating tasks and seeing the big picture of any enterprise.
Radiating warmth and goodwill, like the Sun’s ever pulsating light, Leo, at its best, is brave, confident and a powerful decision-maker. Always maintaining a broad perspective on life, he frequently brings out the very best traits in others, because, for the Leo, nothing short of that would be acceptable.
The main advice and suggestions for the rounding out of this consciousness is for the Lion to become more aware of others power and be willing to give them room for that to grow. The Leo will always want to give suggestions, yes, because of the Fire element so present in them. And they should share their wise words of advice. But they need to learn to not command, order or dominate weaker individuals simply for self gratification. If a more humble soul is smart though in dealing with the “Lord of the Manor,” a little flattery will go a long way to appease the Leo in order to get what one wants from them.
And most importantly too, this sunny individual needs to learn to allow for his own personal failings. For without looking at and admitting one’s own weaknesses, the Lion will pretend these flaws don’t exist, which is neither truth nor helpful in the daily maintenance of every aspect of the kingdom that he has within his sovereignty.
Really just a pussycat at heart, the Leo will always draw attention and adoration from others for the light and love it continually spreads out with its rays of sunshine that emanate from the Source. The trap to be avoided though is thinking that the “King of Beasts” somehow is more important than the rest of the creatures who live in the forest. For if this lesson is truly learned, the Leo will be even more the effervescent shining “Star of the Zodiac.”
End transmission.