Fire Family: Part 2 Leo
Fire Series
Part Two: The Leo Family
The lion versus the ram. Imagine these two creatures for a moment. When I think of a horned ram, I imagine the horned beast with his large curled horns doing what it does best- ramming shit! Maybe he was provoked, but maybe not. The lion on the other hand is somehow more majestic, more elegant, more refined. Make no mistake, one would not want to provoke the lion, but somehow this beast has a bit more class compared to the ram. The lion is the king of the jungle after all, and to hold that title one must be powerful, yet classy. The lion is not better than the ram, but on his best day he may look a bit more refined and elegant.
The SUN-It is a Huge Deal
We can’t talk about Leo the lion without first talking about the Sun as the ruler of Leo. Most people, even if they know nothing about astrology, will at least be able to tell you their Sun sign. Me, I am a Taurus sun and I feel like I’ve known this fact practically all my life. I can recall all the way back to middle school days reading my own sun sign horoscope. Sometimes it seemed to fit me, other times not so much. But the point is that knowing our sun sign is often common knowledge and depending on the company you keep maybe even dinner table speak.
The sun is a huge deal. Think about it. In nature, without the sun, all life will eventually wither and die. This is an effective way to think about our natal sun sign. Steven Forrest teaches that if we learn to feed the needs of our natal sun, then we will live a meaningful life. This is a profound statement considering all the valuable information your natal chart holds. Yet, this is true of the sun because he is truly central to our being. Learn to care for the needs of your Sun and if nothing else, you will at least have some kind of meaning in your life- and meaning in life is sort of the point right?
If you consider the Sun as the big deal he is, then think about how this translates to the sign of Leo that he rules. Leo is fixed fire, and although the same element as Aries, Leo is a very different vibe. If Aries is the infant, then Leo takes us somewhere into our late 20s-early 30s. For most, this is a pivotal time in life where we are really coming into our own paths and journeys and discovering a lot about who we truly are. We have lived a little bit by this point in our life and with the challenges of living comes some wisdom.
Summer
Remember that astrology is about seasons and not stars. So when we talk about Leo….you guessed it…. We are talking about Summer! The sun is in Leo from about July 23-August 22, the peak of summer in the Northern Hemisphere. So, image for a moment a hot early August day. For me, the term “dog days” comes into mind (what does that even mean?). It’s hot, maybe humid, the sun has seemed relentless. Oh, and your air conditioning is broken…… Ahhhh yes, Leo. Ok father Sun, we know you are there and perhaps you could dial it back to 75 and partly sunny. His warmth can become almost relentless in the peak of Leo season.
The Late 20s-Early 30s
If Aries (our first fire element) is the infant of the zodiac and Leo represents somewhere around our late 20s-early 30s, then what does this mean in terms of how Leo gets his needs met? We know that the infant screams out when he needs something. Take a childhood example of Leo’s energy at work. Imagine a six-year-old who has just done something awesome! They were able to finally tie their own shoe, or just created an amazing work of art. What does the child say? “MOMMY,DADDY LOOK AT WHAT I JUST DID!”
That is a fine example of pure Leo energy. Leo wants, and in fact needs the acknowledgement for their great act. In the mind of a child this praise is validating and makes their big event a reality! A good parent or caretaker is of course going to praise their child when they are excited about something! But, what if in that moment mommy is busy, and mutters something unexcitedly like “nice job honey.” A little piece of that child’s Leo energy has been stomped out. Leo thrives on the validating attention for their performance, especially when they are in their truest expression of themselves, like we are naturally as that six-year-old child.
Ego
You may have guessed it by now, but if the Sun is the center of the universe, then certainly our natal suns are central to our existence as we understand it. We are all the center of our own universe. Well now, that sounds a lot like our ego, and frankly it sounds a lot like ego because the Sun does represent our ego. Unless you are deep into the journey of a spiritual practice or an enlightened Buddhist, then you have an ego. But, the term ego has gained a bad reputation, especially in the new age where practices such as spirituality, meditation, yoga and oneness are becoming more mainstream. The ego; however, is a natural process of human existence. We can only see the world through our own lens of existence. Yes, the mind can be trained otherwise, but the ego is a basic point from which we all operate.
There is a far more benign part of ego that often gets overlooked. Knowing who we are, what our needs are, acting in alignment with our core values…these are all ego themes too, and I would say there is certainly nothing bad about these things. We need a healthy degree of selfishness to be who we are meant to be! Yes, our ego can go haywire and lead to a lot of dysfunctions, but every sign and planetary energy has it high side and low side.
Leo On a Good Day
By now you can imagine a Leo type in your mind. We are dealing with the center of the solar system. How does that look for someone who has strong Leo placements in their chart? You have met the type. The person who is super outgoing, fun, creative, maybe a little flashy and super confident yet not arrogant. The person who can “grab the mic” and speak out about anything. Personally, the thought of public speaking makes my underarms perspire instantly, but that is not so for the strong Leos of the world. They jump on an opportunity to be in front of the crowd. Like Aries, Leo has a way to get what it wants, but it is not the cries of the Arian infant. Leo gets what he wants by being charming, even a touch on the dramatic side. Drama always gets the attention, right?
Shadow
So, what happens when the ego goes unchecked? You have met this type as well. You can simply look to mainstream media or politics if you need some good examples of the unchecked Leo energy! Leo on a dreadful day will feel unheard, unseen, and uninspired. I am not sure about you, but when this has shown up for me, it has manifested as condescending energy. I am not going to stop showing up because the fiery Leo will not quit- but if you don’t recognize me for “it” (whatever “it” is) then I am going to eventually get kind of shitty with you. Period. Now, consider that this energy will not show up the same for everyone, your Leo dreadful day may look a lot more like pride, vanity, or arrogance (yep been there too!) but you get the point. Leo on that bad day looks like the ego unchecked.
Medicine
The beauty of evolutionary astrology is that you are never doomed to a life on the low side of these energies, even if you have hard placements in your chart! Signs in opposition are always striving for balance and if you can strike a balance, then you have found your remedy to Leo (or any sign/energy) on those bad days. Think of this as your homeopathic elixir to get out of whatever funk you might be in. Leo rules the fifth house of the Zodiac. The opposing sign is Aquarius which rules the 11th house. Aquarius is complex as all the signs are, but something that Aquarius loves is groups, and humanitarian type work. Aquarius can be emotional and has an earnest heart for service.
If you have ever had the chance to do any kind of humanitarian work or serve others less fortunate than yourself, then you understand exactly how this would be the elixir for Leo’s arrogance and pride on his bad days. If you don’t understand, then I encourage you to find someone less fortunate to help! If Aquarius is about groups and Leo is about self expression, then striking a balance here would look a lot like being clear on who we are and showing up in the world as our true authentic self. This means showing up in a way that we are not worrying too much (or at all) as to how we will be perceived by larger groups. Afterall, Leo is happiest when he can perform for an audience authentically himself and the crowd goes wild with delight!
What Now?
The Sun is a vast topic in Astrology. There are astrologers who only do Sun stuff! Here we have only scratched the surface. But, if you are curious about learning more about how Leo energy shows up for you, I encourage you to get a copy of your natal chart. There are several websites where you can generate a free copy. Look to your Sun sign and any planets in Leo. Any placements in your fifth house will also be key here. If you are ever feeling off balance, uninspired, lacking, even insane then there is a strong chance that you are not feeding the needs of your Sun!
Even if you know very little about astrology you can get a good idea of how to feed your Sun by simply knowing your Sun sign. A full natal chart reading by a trusted evolutionary astrologer would also be incredibly helpful. Stay tuned to learn about the rest of the fire family. Up next….Sagittarius the Archer!