Leo
Symbol: 
Ruling Planet: Sun
Tarot Key: The Strength
Sun in Leo: from about 23rd July until 22nd August
Time of Year: the parching heat of high summer, inexhaustible energy
Cultural: holidays, relaxation, a time to play and have fun
Part of the Body: spine, heart, circulation
Star constellation: Leo
Mythology of the constellation
Liz Greene[2]: The lion has many faces in myth, traversing a spectrum from the most vengeful and savage to the kingliest and most noble. In Leo, the second of the fire signs, the creative power of fire is banked and concentrated, producing ferocious self-centeredness or the radiant and generous warmth of the Sun, which is Leo's planetary ruler.
In Egypt, the lion-headed goddess, Sekhmet, known as the Eye of Ra, symbolized not only foresight but also the terrible anger of the sun god if his will was crossed. The rage of thwarted Leo is reflected in this ancient goddess, for in this sign the intuitive conviction of a unique destiny may produce not only great vision but also great pride and wilfulness.
The Nemean lion, which Hercules conquered, is also a symbol of Leonine intensity which, unchecked by human reason, can trample over everything and everyone in its path. Yet after the battle, Hercules wore the lion's skin as his emblem, suggesting that Leo's powerful sense of personal destiny can be a source of immense strength and creativity.
The great Anatolian earth goddess, Kybele, was invariably portrayed with a pair of lions, reflecting the creative potency of nature itself. Although savage, the lion in myth is always noble, never mean like the jackal or treacherous like the snake. Even at its most primitive, this sign possesses a magnanimity which raises it above the pettier dimensions of human nature.
The creative vision of Leo is nothing less than the conviction of one's inner divinity demanding expression through a life which is stamped with uniquely individual style.
However, in the end, Zeus, who admired the lion's strength, immortalised it with its own star constellation.
Interpretation
Leo is the fifth sign of the zodiac. It is here that the zodiac reaches its greatest splendour. It is a centrifugal force that radiates warmth.
Leo longs to give form to something. It wants to be creatively active and express its own being, whether in playful interaction with life, creative work or giving birth to children. Leo wants to make something of its talents, it wants to leave something to be remembered by. According to the psychoanalyst and astrologer Liz Greene "the greatest creation of the Leo individual should be him/herself".
Individuals with an emphasis of the sign of Leo in their horoscopes love to be the centre of attention and to allow others to bask in their glory. They like to be the Sun at the centre of their own universe around which everything revolves. For this they naturally need an audience willing to reflect back their greatness.
The danger is that Leo individuals may not be able to fulfil their own expectations. They can then resemble an elaborate facade with little substance behind it and can appear conceited, arrogant and hypocritical. As the Heracles myth shows, Leo individuals must defeat the wild animal within before adorning themselves with its attributes. Only then will they be bestowed their dignity and power. Leo individuals must earn authority during the course of their lives. The more they can achieve this, the more they can take control of their own lives and preserve their independence.
These individuals are open for the concerns of others who are less well-off than themselves. And they are ready to help whenever possible. The basis for this is their warm-heartedness but it also has the effect of reflecting back and making them aware of their own importance.
Axes or planets in the sign of Leo have an air of greatness and are dramatic and lively.
Leo shares with its opposite sign Aquarius an interest in the development of human potential. Leo is interested in personal development, Aquarius in the community as a whole. Leo also possesses, together with the other fire signs Aries and Sagittarius, a passionate energy. But whereas Aries channels this energy in a particular direction to initiate something new, Leo radiates its energy in all directions and warms its surroundings. Finally, Sagittarius uses its fiery energy to inspire others.
Leo can also learn valuable lessons from the two signs which stand in natural square to it. From Taurus it can learn to cope with world of concrete objects, and from Scorpio the power of transformation.
Pluto is exalted in Leo, whereas Saturn and Uranus are in fall.
See also
- The first of the twelve labours was to slay and skin the Nemean Lion. The lion was a powerful and fearsome beast that terrorised the inhabitants of the town of Nemea by constantly demanding new sacrifices. The lion was invulnerable to any kind weapon and the only way that Hercules could defeat it was by resorting to his own - subjective - physical strength. He finally managed to strangle the lion with his bare hands. He then used the lion's own claws to skin it. He used the lion's pelt to make a cloak and wore its skull as a helmet. In this way he absorbed the lion's strength.
Weblinks
- Leo the Lion (Deborah Houlding, Skyscript)
- The Zodiac Suite: "Leo" (by Rebecca Tripp; youTube - Video)
- Sound of zodiac - Leo (youTube - Video)