  |
  |
 |
|
|
|
The LionThe king of beasts, but also the beast within who must be subdued and civilised. |
The fifth sign relates to the fifth house in meaning.
“I EXPRESS and I STAND OUT”
“Whatever creativity may be about, I feel that Leo's great creation is meant to be himself"
[Liz Greene, The Astrology of Fate, Weiser 1995, p.204]
Body part: heart, spine.
Concept : “I seek myself through what I create,” establishing and expressing the self [being]; vitality and confidence; leadership/rulership and recognition of the self by others, the supreme ruler of his own group of followers; the heart that shines forth from the true self; the creating of an individual “mark” on all one does as one learns to stand out from the herd.
Qualities : concerned, loving and loyal nature, affectionate, warm and sincere, faith and inspiration, will, courage, dignity, self-respect, leadership, creativity, confidence, radiance.
Liabilities : arrogance, drama, over-dependence on recognition, vain, dictatorial.
Need to learn : the true leader is the servant of all; divine love and compassion. Cannot live for self alone.
Handling Leos : Be yourself, stand up for yourself.
KEYWORDS
| creativity self-expression limelight pride confidence affection loving dignified dramatic self-assured |
warm loyal generous joyful inner child leadership nobility hearty
|
How is Leo fixed?
They are at the centre of a group as leaders, - a group which they must sustain and preserve. They are determined to assert themselves and seek recognition to increase their self-knowledge.
Leo psychology
Self expression is Leo's central task; through the act of creation Leo finds his identity and builds his selfhood. Leo generally exhibits great determination and pride, and is seldom swayed from a task or an opinion. They are positive thinkers and accomplish a lot because of this. Often found in the public eye, Leo's love of recognition leads to feedback about himself, and thus to self-understanding and enhanced identity. There is a lot of generosity in Leo's heart and they shine in love, enjoying the give and take of a relationship. Because recognition is natural for them, they can accept leadership. Leo is the sign of the child, or the inner child, and the natives maintain a childlike freshness and innocence right through adulthood.
Mythic Leo
Herakles [Hercules] and the lion.
As one of his twelve famous labours Herakles had to kill the Nemean lion with his bare hands. Hera, who often pitted herself against Herakles [see Cancer's myths], sent this great lion from the Moon to vex our hero. Herakles' task was to kill the lion without weapons. But he did not honour this requirement in the beginning. At first, when an old man led him to the lion's cave, Herakles tried to kill it with an arrow, then with a club – violating the tenets of the task.
But this did not work, and the lion retreated into his double-entry cave. Herakles blocked up one hole with stones, and entered via the other. He engaged the lion in a mortal combat with his bare hands, and after great difficulty subdued the beast and killed it. Herakles then flayed him and cured the skin, which he wore ever afterwards.
Note that the lion is a warm-blooded beast, one which is actually capable of being tamed, at least to a degree. We might say that it represents the lower ego or the bestial aspect of man, which – with care – may be brought into submission, provided that one remains masterful.
Parzival is the adventuring knight who sought the Holy Grail. This 13 th century European legend is rich with chivalry and honour. It starts with a description of Parzival's parents, who are regal. His father dies in battle before the lad is born, and his mother takes him away from the chivalric environment to raise him safely, where he is not exposed to the constant jousting and battling of the knights, for she does not want him to meet the same fate as his father.
In spite of these precautions, Parzival eventually sees a procession with knights in it, and is utterly captivated. His true blood comes forth, and he leaves his mother, stricken with grief unto death, to set off on a life of adventure.
What follows is a metaphor for the development and awakening of the ego.
Parzival learns the ways of chivalry so dear to his dead father. He wins many combats, the heart of a beautiful queen, and eventually gains King Arthur's favour. At one point in the myth he can go no farther of himself, and is guided to a castle where lives a sick king. Parzival falls in love with the princess there, and they marry. But when he is presented with four mysterious symbols, he fails to ask the essential question as to what they mean – and in so doing, fails to heal the kingdom or the king. To atone for this error, he must undertake his greatest quest – a search for the Holy Grail – which had slipped out of his grasp when he failed to ask the question.
It takes him many years before he realizes that all his worldly success is devalued by his own sins: killing a man and causing the death of his mother. Even the ideal love he feels and receives from his wife does not take the place of spiritual peace.
In the end, Parzival succeeds and the king is released from his wounds.
It is significant in this myth that
1) the royal blood always comes forth, even when concealed.
2) the man in his youthful ignorance loses his great heritage [the grail] which had been freely given to him, and must regain it through his own conscious efforts and maturing process.
3) the old king is wounded and cannot procreate [Leo rules children and also the inner child] – this is a common theme in Leo lives, relative to the father.
All content Copyright © Orion Academy of Astrology 2004 info@academyofastrology.com.au | Website by Vizability