Happy Leo Season!
Leo is the fixed fire sign of the zodiac, meaning the most sustained expression of life-force energy that we feel all year long, and it is ruled by the most sustaining source of life-giving heat in our solar system – the Sun. As a fire sign Leo is yang, projective energy and it is considered a dynamic representative or masculine reproductive and creative force.
Leo is Latin for lion and we can see the physical similarities in color and shape between a lion’s mane and the Sun. The lion being the “king of the jungle” and the Sun with its corona or crown. Traditional key words for Leo are regal, royal, independent, competitive, and leader. And there are many Leo natives who have been dignified leaders in our country, such as: Barack Obama, Rosalyn Carter, and Jaqueline Onassis. But we also see other historic world leaders who have taken the confidence inherent to Leo and used it in a more dictatorial fashion such as Benito Mussolini, Fidel Castro, and Napoleon Bonaparte.
In the human body, Leo rules the heart and the spine, two very important body parts of connection and strength. In the chakra system the heart is the fulcrum of our bodily energy centers, connecting our upper and lower chakras. In the central figure of Hermetic Qabalah, the tree of life, the sphere of the Sun is the lion-yellow central sphere of Beauty, which joins eight paths, and is represented by the figure-eight infinity sign above the head of the lion tamer in the eighth tarot card of the major arcana, Strength.
Leo truly is a sign of infinity as it represents continual regeneration and we see this in several correspondences. Pluto, the planet of the shadow, the underworld, resurrection, and empowerment is exalted in Leo – showing that even the energy ruled by the Sun has a cyclical dark period, as the Sun is reborn again each new day. The Hebrew letter associated with the sign is Tet, or the serpent, representing constant shedding of outgrown skin, and like all cats Leo seemingly has many lives, and as such is the representative of the Christ consciousness. “Christ,” from the Greek “Christos” meaning “the anointed one,” or the one who has been protected.
Without the Sun in the galaxy, or our hearts in our bodies, we would die. This denotes Leo’s importance as the yang life-giver, the sign of fatherhood, children, play, pleasure, and performance. All themes which connect to Leo’s defining characteristic – service THROUGH the physical self – meaning that all Leo natives need to do is show up, and do what they do best, and by doing so they have already helped others – like royalty and rock stars making a personal appearance.
Leo is associated with drama, romance, comedy, music, and showmanship of every kind, and we see this in Leo natives such as actors like Jennifer Lawrence, Dustin Hoffman, Robert De Niro, Robert Redford, Sean Connery, Sean Penn, Martin Sheen, Lucille Ball, Madonna, Jennifer Lopez, and Mick Jagger.
Leos are often lifelong learners and influential philosophers, examples include Carl Jung and Helena Blavatsky. Creativity is also a Leo trait which we see in art and fashion icons like Andy Warhol and Coco Channel.
Leos can suffer from “overdoing it” or falling extremely off balance when leaning too far toward severity or too far toward mercy. As fixed fire energy they can become overly willful, stubborn or ego-driven, making Leo energy no strangers to addiction, disorders and surprising scandals, often involving a lack of accountability for their actions, or over confidence, like we’ve seen with Leo natives Arnold Schwarzenegger, Martha Stewart, Magic Johnson, Whitney Houston, and Elliott Smith.
Leo Season is an excellent reminder of the energy of both birth and rebirth, shadow and light, and the ancient Egyptians started their New Year in the sign of Leo, with the heliacal rising of the “dog star” Sirius – this is where we get the term the “Dog Days of Summer.” For a star’s rising to be considered “heliacal” it must undergo a rebirth – initially rising in the evening, then dropping out of sight, and later returning to rise with the Sun – a metaphorical resurrection.
May these long summer days of fixed fire help sustain your lifeforce through the process of rebirth – as your inner star of the divine spark rises from the ashes of the past like the phoenix and into a new way of being like a butterfly emerging from its cocoon. The 22 Teachings team is here with personalized services for those in need of assistance in navigating this transformation, simply call (323) 362-2615 to make an appointment for astrology, tarot, or energy healing
The Fall semester of the 8-week course “Understanding Astrological Energy” begins October 19 through December 14, 2019 (no class on November 23), and if you feel ready to become a student of astrology, or to deepen your existing understanding I hope you will join us. This class is a pre-requisite to the 22 Teachings astrology chart reading course that will be offered at the school in 2020.
In order to make magic accessible to all, I also offer a free astrological tarot insight weekly on Instagram at @tenth_house_sun.
Sending summer blessings, and so much love to you now and always!
L.V.X.,
A.M. Penn