Image adapted from a photograph of Tanzania's
Ngorongoro Crater taken by William Warby (April 2008)
When the Sun hits 0 Leo on Sunday, July 22nd (at 10:02 a.m. UT/+0) life will move from the emotional tides and variable ‘surf zone’ actions of Cancer into the brightly sunny ‘I know what I want to do’ quality of Leo.
Much like the namesake lion, any object transiting through Leo tends to be in one of several modes: either they’re on the hunt...celebrating the hunt...having their fill...reveling in a snooze...defending territory (right or wrong)...or contemplating whether they really HAVE TO to get up and do anything about anything.
Add to that one more idea: Leo isn’t an ‘airy’ mental sign like Libra, Gemini or Aquarius, there’s a whole lot of thinking going on with anything Leo...though we may not hear about it.
Sometimes that's fine and sometimes that's not so fine...my Leo brother tends to insist he's had conversations with me that we've never had. Lucky for him, I'm an astrologer. So I understand what's going on - he's so in his head, he's imagining the whole of the conversation, he's figured out how he's sure it's going to go...
...He just forgets the 'telling me about it' part!
So what do I do when he does such a thing? I do what you would expect me to do - I tell him he's being a total Leo.
Me: You're being a Leo again...
Him: Yeah, and...?
Add to that one more idea: Leo isn’t an ‘airy’ mental sign like Libra, Gemini or Aquarius, there’s a whole lot of thinking going on with anything Leo...though we may not hear about it.
Sometimes that's fine and sometimes that's not so fine...my Leo brother tends to insist he's had conversations with me that we've never had. Lucky for him, I'm an astrologer. So I understand what's going on - he's so in his head, he's imagining the whole of the conversation, he's figured out how he's sure it's going to go...
...He just forgets the 'telling me about it' part!
So what do I do when he does such a thing? I do what you would expect me to do - I tell him he's being a total Leo.
Me: You're being a Leo again...
Him: Yeah, and...?
As the second sign in the zodiac’s second quadrant, Leo takes the necessities and aims which Cancer's attention to the emotional 'basics' has defined and not only creates the plan, but generally makes the first stabs at bringing any plan to fruition.
After all, if Leo can be the hero, why not? Even with ourselves, we LOVE that moment when we can prance a bit and shake our tail (imaginary or otherwise) and say 'I did it! It's done!'
Through all this planning, trying, succeeding and (gasp!) not succeeding, Leo becomes the testing ground. And from testing comes....what?
Okay...so Leo can be a little testy, yes. But more to where I was going with this idea, Leo is the sign (and the 5th house would be the place) where we test and develop the plan and the basic abilities we think of as what we'll need to get us where we want to go. The tall hopes of Leo, the grand roars (of laughter and otherwise) which are so Leo, they're all about stretching our wings as individuals, about seeing who or what we think we can be or become.
Of course, all this is going on pretty much in our head. (Hence my brother's conversations with the me in his brain). Translating such visions to real life? That's another thing.
After all, if Leo can be the hero, why not? Even with ourselves, we LOVE that moment when we can prance a bit and shake our tail (imaginary or otherwise) and say 'I did it! It's done!'
Through all this planning, trying, succeeding and (gasp!) not succeeding, Leo becomes the testing ground. And from testing comes....what?
Okay...so Leo can be a little testy, yes. But more to where I was going with this idea, Leo is the sign (and the 5th house would be the place) where we test and develop the plan and the basic abilities we think of as what we'll need to get us where we want to go. The tall hopes of Leo, the grand roars (of laughter and otherwise) which are so Leo, they're all about stretching our wings as individuals, about seeing who or what we think we can be or become.
Of course, all this is going on pretty much in our head. (Hence my brother's conversations with the me in his brain). Translating such visions to real life? That's another thing.
..
.That Cancer (and the 4th house of the horoscope) are defined as ‘family, culture, nationality and childhood’ (obviously not put in order of importance…) and the 2nd quadrant in general is the realm of pre-teen/early-teen sort of development tells us that Leo is the sign (and the 5th house is the place naiveté initiates the effort to encounter reality.
Take dating. Dating is a Leo and 5th house subject - as is competition. (We'll throw that one in too.) Both dating and competition require a lot of 'personal preparation.' There's psyching up which gets done, there's choosing the venue (or the person) you're going to date or compete against...in the 5th we think we can 'control' the parameters.
That's a Leo dream. But we try, nonetheless.
And then comes reality: our date is mortal, the day of the race is dawg nabbit hot and humid and things don't quite work out as we thought they would.
You know...when we were having that conversation in our head?
A middle ages rendition of Leo the lion as an
astrological sign
And that...right there is the big challenge to Leo. Where the vision which motivates meets the reality which isn't the dream, the result is often disappointment.
.
.
Like the other two fire signs (Aries and Sagittarius), Leo is born to envision and imagine. Leo is the sign (and the 5th house is the house) of creating...the effort to make something happen.
Yet Leo is dangerous. Lions are magnificent creatures, to be sure. But let's not forget - a lion can eat you. Thus we come to the zodiacal dichotomy built into this sign - while life is a Leo picnic (carnival, vacation, buffet, etcetera...) to any Leo - and thus while the Sun is in Leo, there is a chance of "getting killed" not necessarily physically, but your hopes? Yes. Your plans? Yes. Anything which any sign is born to do that sign can also 'not do' or suffer in the 'doing of,' if you will.
And this is why the Sun's yearly transit through Leo can be so much fun...but can also spell such disaster.
You've heard me talk about Mercury retrogrades in Leo and how they can spell rocky times for the stock market. Mercury retrograde is a time of pulling back and 'reconsideration' and when that happens in Leo, we pull back on things which might be risky. Or which might not be the 'sure bet.'
.
And let's not even talk about solar eclipses. The last solar eclipse we had in Leo occurred in August of 2008. Anyone remember August of 2008 and all the economic chaos which ensued? Which we haven't cleared ourselves out of as yet?
But why is Leo so connected to economics? That's because Leo is one half of the Leo-Aquarius polarity, and Aquarius is the sign of all things social, systemic and societal, including the economy (and income, as a form of 'personal economy').
So...sunny and creative though the nature of Leo can be, the sheer strength of the Leo 'vision' can be so blinding that to call Leo ‘sun-struck’ (in honor of its ruling symbol, the Sun) would seem quiet sensible. When the Sun is in Leo, it's often hard time to see someone else's point of view. Or to even get any perspective on our own point of view.
(Or behavior, for that matter.)
Yet Leo is dangerous. Lions are magnificent creatures, to be sure. But let's not forget - a lion can eat you. Thus we come to the zodiacal dichotomy built into this sign - while life is a Leo picnic (carnival, vacation, buffet, etcetera...) to any Leo - and thus while the Sun is in Leo, there is a chance of "getting killed" not necessarily physically, but your hopes? Yes. Your plans? Yes. Anything which any sign is born to do that sign can also 'not do' or suffer in the 'doing of,' if you will.
And this is why the Sun's yearly transit through Leo can be so much fun...but can also spell such disaster.
You've heard me talk about Mercury retrogrades in Leo and how they can spell rocky times for the stock market. Mercury retrograde is a time of pulling back and 'reconsideration' and when that happens in Leo, we pull back on things which might be risky. Or which might not be the 'sure bet.'
.
//
Link to Blog Post: Mercury Retrogrades in Leo
..
. And let's not even talk about solar eclipses. The last solar eclipse we had in Leo occurred in August of 2008. Anyone remember August of 2008 and all the economic chaos which ensued? Which we haven't cleared ourselves out of as yet?
But why is Leo so connected to economics? That's because Leo is one half of the Leo-Aquarius polarity, and Aquarius is the sign of all things social, systemic and societal, including the economy (and income, as a form of 'personal economy').
So...sunny and creative though the nature of Leo can be, the sheer strength of the Leo 'vision' can be so blinding that to call Leo ‘sun-struck’ (in honor of its ruling symbol, the Sun) would seem quiet sensible. When the Sun is in Leo, it's often hard time to see someone else's point of view. Or to even get any perspective on our own point of view.
(Or behavior, for that matter.)
NATAL LEO COMMENTARIES: There are two symbols noted as being particular susceptible to both the strengths and weaknesses of Leo in the natal chart. They are Saturn and Uranus. Why Saturn and Uranus? Because they are co-rulers of Leo's oppositional sign, Aquarius.
With an orbital cycle of 27.46 years, Saturn appear in any sign more often than Uranus. Saturn’s latest Leo (ad)venture was from July 16, 2005 through September 1, 2007 and before that there was…
With an orbital cycle of 27.46 years, Saturn appear in any sign more often than Uranus. Saturn’s latest Leo (ad)venture was from July 16, 2005 through September 1, 2007 and before that there was…
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- Saturn in Leo: September 17, 1975 through July 25,1978 (less January 14-June 4, 1976 which had Saturn retrograded back into Cancer)
- Saturn in Leo: August 2, 1946 through May 28, 1949 (less September 19 1948-April 2, 1949 which had Saturn playing footsie with moving on into Virgo)
- Saturn in Leo: October 17, 1916 through December 6, 1916, then June 24, 1917 through August 11, 1919
//
Uranus is a different case. With Uranus having an orbital cycle of 84 years, the only time we’ve seen Uranus in Leo during the past century was from August 24, 1955 through January 27, 1956 and then June 10, 1956 through August 9, 1962.
A 'false color' photograph of Saturn taken by Voyager 1
(photo credit: NASA-JPL)
Saturn in Leo seems prone to 'reading it's own press' - real or imagined. (Yes, it's back to that 'in their head' sort of thing.) Lack of responsibility and timeliness can also be a problem. On the plus side, Saturn in Leo can be righteously creative; this placement often figures prominently in the charts of people who are successful in many, many fields. They require room to operate and an opportunity to have input.
On the down side, they can come off as 'full of themselves.' The person with Saturn in Leo who says 'I don't have to listen to you' (or who acts that way) is going to be accused of being arrogant.
Yes, they will deny it. Tell them anyway. Don't get mad, just notify them and leave them to have that conversation with themselves. (They're going to anyway, so get your two cents in!)
Uranus in Leo tends to be less than practical. Sometimes they're just 'ahead of their time' and goodness knows they can be feisty and impatient! At times loveable and clever, this combination needs to balance 'alone time' with social time and for Uranus in Leo people, that isn't easy. Inside, they wonder who they're working for and against - and whose interests are really at stake.
Such questions can provide insight - and such insight can lead to discoveries personal and valuable to others. But before that happens, there's usually a bit of chaos.
And that's the way of Leo, too. Where Leo sees not challenge they often make some, hence this signs association with 'drama.'
It's how Leo learns. In youth, Leo is the impulse which asks us to tests edges and limits...it's that thing which gets us to take chances so that we can see whether some 'danger' is real and whether life's 'rules' are really useful or merely some farce.
As we mature (mentally, emotionally or physically) we accept that some limits are there for a reason. We come to recognize the value of getting along with others for the sake of acceptance if nothing else.
It's a balancing act. If we give up our Leo spunk and individuality we sell ourselves out and end up hating our life. We we live totally for ourselves and our own will we eventually trip ourselves up.
Leo is about learning to try. It's not about being trying, but that does happen along the way!
Leo is about exploring and growing our Self - not at expense to others, but in their presence, learning through feedback.
Yes, Leo promotes a lot of mental activity. We generally only hear part of it. Those who funnel and sort out their Leo (and 5th house activities) often come across as brilliant - 'brilliance' being a clearly Aquarian term.
It's all about connecting the dots...first inside, then to the world around us.
As the Sun comes into Leo, Mercury is already in Leo and counting back through degrees, being in retrograde. This is an interesting 'doubling up' of Leo energy which promotes figuring things out and recognizing how to make things work.
With Dionysus (sacred celebrations) at 0 Leo as the Sun enters the lion's sign, life supports - even congratulates us for the mandatory we attend to and that we have done. Meanwhile, it discourages the frivolous...though yes, we may do that oh-so Leo thing and ignore all the warnings!
Given Mercury's Leo retrograde, some people will be thinking over how to do better, how to fix things which have gone awry and how to improve on plans going forward.
Will you be the self-willed one who does well? Or the person who ignores everyone? Do you really know what you're doing? Are you kidding yourself?
Sometimes - especially with so much Leo energy around - it's hard to know.
And what to do in that case...that's another Leo conversation to have with our Self...and yes, maybe others! Let's remember after all...though Leo is the sign of our innate internal ability to envision and create, Leo only triumphs when that creation or when that vision takes the opinions, needs and interests of others into account.
In other words, when you're in the Leo arena, others may well know (or know of) something which it would be potentially useful for you to consider.
Meanwhile...as this ingress occurs there's still a lot of energy (represented by South Node, Vesta, Jupiter, Ceres and Venus) flowing through the Gemini realm of last May's eclipse. So though people seem to have discarded their interest in that eclipse as soon as it happened, its kinks are still unfurling.
Or in some cases, kinking us to the brink!
Also worth bearing in mind: Venus was IN Gemini at the time of the eclipse. At the time, Venus was retrograde. Venus represents 'results' - that which comes of whatever we do or are. So the 'results' of that eclipse were delayed. At the moment of the eclipse, Venus was 'sitting' (zodiacally speaking) at 23 Gemini.
And do you know...? It hasn't gotten back to 23 Gemini yet! That moment will happen on Tuesday, July 31st. And when that happens Mercury will still be in (Leo) retrograde, about to slow down and go direct on August 8, the Wednesday after.
But why connect these two? Well, for one, Venus does represent results. And Leo is about wanting to do things which we would like to turn out well for us. Even if our plan is to lie around the back yard, we want it to be a nice day!
More to the astrological point, Mercury rules Gemini. So this whole May eclipse, Venus retrograde...ALL of it was about how we think. And what we've been thinking.
And if we're been thinking things through.
With Mercury in Leo, and Leo being ruled by the Sun, the Sun's entire transit through Leo (July 22 through August 21st) will be focusing on whether we know how life works. Whether we can reach our goals. Whether our goals are realistic. There are some hard moments to come where fantasy gives way to reality, but at some point realities must be dealt with.
And the sooner we deal with them, the better. Mercury will remain in Leo for the whole of the Sun's passage through the sign. Those who realize what needs to be done - even though it might not be delicious - can use this time to set themselves up for a better future.
Of course, you could just go to the beach (the mountains, the back yard, the park, the office) as well.
But wherever you go, you may be assured your brain will be thinking.
Your job is just to know what's real...and what's a fantasy. And what to do with, and about each.
On the down side, they can come off as 'full of themselves.' The person with Saturn in Leo who says 'I don't have to listen to you' (or who acts that way) is going to be accused of being arrogant.
Yes, they will deny it. Tell them anyway. Don't get mad, just notify them and leave them to have that conversation with themselves. (They're going to anyway, so get your two cents in!)
Uranus in Leo tends to be less than practical. Sometimes they're just 'ahead of their time' and goodness knows they can be feisty and impatient! At times loveable and clever, this combination needs to balance 'alone time' with social time and for Uranus in Leo people, that isn't easy. Inside, they wonder who they're working for and against - and whose interests are really at stake.
Constellation Leo, with it's famous Royal Star, Regulus
Such questions can provide insight - and such insight can lead to discoveries personal and valuable to others. But before that happens, there's usually a bit of chaos.
And that's the way of Leo, too. Where Leo sees not challenge they often make some, hence this signs association with 'drama.'
It's how Leo learns. In youth, Leo is the impulse which asks us to tests edges and limits...it's that thing which gets us to take chances so that we can see whether some 'danger' is real and whether life's 'rules' are really useful or merely some farce.
As we mature (mentally, emotionally or physically) we accept that some limits are there for a reason. We come to recognize the value of getting along with others for the sake of acceptance if nothing else.
It's a balancing act. If we give up our Leo spunk and individuality we sell ourselves out and end up hating our life. We we live totally for ourselves and our own will we eventually trip ourselves up.
Leo is about learning to try. It's not about being trying, but that does happen along the way!
Leo is about exploring and growing our Self - not at expense to others, but in their presence, learning through feedback.
Yes, Leo promotes a lot of mental activity. We generally only hear part of it. Those who funnel and sort out their Leo (and 5th house activities) often come across as brilliant - 'brilliance' being a clearly Aquarian term.
It's all about connecting the dots...first inside, then to the world around us.
As the Sun comes into Leo, Mercury is already in Leo and counting back through degrees, being in retrograde. This is an interesting 'doubling up' of Leo energy which promotes figuring things out and recognizing how to make things work.
With Dionysus (sacred celebrations) at 0 Leo as the Sun enters the lion's sign, life supports - even congratulates us for the mandatory we attend to and that we have done. Meanwhile, it discourages the frivolous...though yes, we may do that oh-so Leo thing and ignore all the warnings!
Given Mercury's Leo retrograde, some people will be thinking over how to do better, how to fix things which have gone awry and how to improve on plans going forward.
Will you be the self-willed one who does well? Or the person who ignores everyone? Do you really know what you're doing? Are you kidding yourself?
Sometimes - especially with so much Leo energy around - it's hard to know.
And what to do in that case...that's another Leo conversation to have with our Self...and yes, maybe others! Let's remember after all...though Leo is the sign of our innate internal ability to envision and create, Leo only triumphs when that creation or when that vision takes the opinions, needs and interests of others into account.
In other words, when you're in the Leo arena, others may well know (or know of) something which it would be potentially useful for you to consider.
Dionysos holding out a kantharos
(c. 520-500 BCE, British Museum - photo credit Jastrow)
Meanwhile...as this ingress occurs there's still a lot of energy (represented by South Node, Vesta, Jupiter, Ceres and Venus) flowing through the Gemini realm of last May's eclipse. So though people seem to have discarded their interest in that eclipse as soon as it happened, its kinks are still unfurling.
Or in some cases, kinking us to the brink!
Also worth bearing in mind: Venus was IN Gemini at the time of the eclipse. At the time, Venus was retrograde. Venus represents 'results' - that which comes of whatever we do or are. So the 'results' of that eclipse were delayed. At the moment of the eclipse, Venus was 'sitting' (zodiacally speaking) at 23 Gemini.
And do you know...? It hasn't gotten back to 23 Gemini yet! That moment will happen on Tuesday, July 31st. And when that happens Mercury will still be in (Leo) retrograde, about to slow down and go direct on August 8, the Wednesday after.
But why connect these two? Well, for one, Venus does represent results. And Leo is about wanting to do things which we would like to turn out well for us. Even if our plan is to lie around the back yard, we want it to be a nice day!
More to the astrological point, Mercury rules Gemini. So this whole May eclipse, Venus retrograde...ALL of it was about how we think. And what we've been thinking.
And if we're been thinking things through.
With Mercury in Leo, and Leo being ruled by the Sun, the Sun's entire transit through Leo (July 22 through August 21st) will be focusing on whether we know how life works. Whether we can reach our goals. Whether our goals are realistic. There are some hard moments to come where fantasy gives way to reality, but at some point realities must be dealt with.
And the sooner we deal with them, the better. Mercury will remain in Leo for the whole of the Sun's passage through the sign. Those who realize what needs to be done - even though it might not be delicious - can use this time to set themselves up for a better future.
Of course, you could just go to the beach (the mountains, the back yard, the park, the office) as well.
But wherever you go, you may be assured your brain will be thinking.
Your job is just to know what's real...and what's a fantasy. And what to do with, and about each.
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