Leo
Braveheart
Symbol(s): Lion, Serpent
Element and Modality: Fire, Fixed
Planetary Ruler(s): The Sun
House: V, Pleasure
Bodily Function(s): Heart, Sides, Back, Digestion
Tarot Card: Strength
Hebrew Letter: Teth
Leo is ferocious. Leo is valiant and brave. Leo is a gambler, a risk-taker. Leo is a Wild Card, and is, therefore, a Fool (Uranus). With Leo, you get a little bit of everything, and you get it in a big way. Fixed but expansive (Jupiter). The forces of Leo are so powerful that they dominate all of the lower Kingdoms and the majority of the Human Kingdom. So, the lion of the Zodiac appropriately has his crown in the heart, proudly radiating his solar vitality for all to see. And speak about, no less! Pleasure-seeking Leo would love nothing more than for one to stoke and stroke the fires of his glorious Mane (Ego).
It is at the level of the heart that the awakening of the consciousness is determined. This all depends on the individual's intentions, aspirations, and actions. What do they tune into? What desires do they harbor (and act upon)? What initiative do they take to set things in motion? How do they treat their fellow brethren? How do they respond to conflict?
That first question is an important one: "What do they tune into?" What are we taking into our hearts, our minds, and our bodies? Soul food or eye candy? What 'food for thought' do we select? Consumption and digestion are two of the activities that Leo oversees. We consume things on many levels: The food we eat, the things we buy (material), the books we read, the shows we watch, the activities we partake in, and the people we spend 'time' (energy) with. As the House of Pleasure, many are unable to pass the Lion's Gate because they have yet to cultivate the self-discipline of balance (Libra).
The quality of the food we eat (be it for physical nourishment or otherwise) says a lot about what our intentions are. While we all have days of overindulgence (which, if properly managed, relieves stress and actually promotes equilibrium), I am referring here to our long-term habits. Our daily habits surrounding food, activity (or a lack thereof), and pleasure. Quality of food reflects the quality of thought. This doesn't mean that you must be a vegan or lead a certain type of lifestyle to establish a healthy balance, but mindful habitations are the stepping stones of enlightenment.
Quality of thought can be easily veiled from others, but it can never be kept a secret from the heart. Don't go on autopilot. Don't let your thoughts and emotions zip past you unchecked. When something doesn't go our way, it is so easy to allow our thoughts to turn sour. We complain (sometimes expressing ourselves vocally) and we fantasize. We replay old scenarios in our heads, magnifying all the ways things went wrong and all the ways we were victimized. We give away our power to phantoms. Phantoms of the past. Phantoms of how we imagine others perceive us. We fantasize about how we could have done or said things differently during a confrontation. We also like to replay a particularly satisfying moment where we triumphed. Complacency sets in as we mentally and emotionally relive our 'glory days'. Or we become prideful and stubborn by refusing to forgive, refusing to take our share in the blame, and/or refusing to move on.
When we do this, repeatedly, we are not living in the present. We are not being conscious. Rather than be the driver (consciousness) of our vehicle, we become the passenger and allow, instead, the subconscious to take the wheel. This is the same as falling asleep at the wheel. While the phenomenal world is a manifestation of all subconscious/unconscious activity, we cannot consciously affect (Will) change (breaking old cycles) if we simply run on autopilot. This is what separates the Animal Kingdom from the Human Kingdom: Our ability to consciously influence and impregnate the receptive subconscious with higher thought-forms and values.
Complementary/Opposing Sign
The circulatory dual-chamber of the heart (Fire) receives all of the cellular waste and, with the cooperation of the lungs (Air, Gemini), filters it out through the expulsion of the breath. The inhalation of fresh air through the lungs is transmitted back through the heart. This allows the heart to push forth and circulate the purified blood. So the heart transmits toxins to the lungs, which the lungs expel. The lungs then transmit fresh oxygen to the heart, which allows the heart to expel the purified blood to the rest of the body. Here we see another giving and a receiving (Libra). We see, again, rotation and movement (Jupiter and Saturn).
The circulation (Jupiter) of the blood and the "catching and releasing" returns us to Aquarius. Not only is Aquarius another fixed sign, but it's also co-ruled by Saturn and Uranus. Uranus is traditionally said to have its detriment in Leo, but I have actually noticed a harmonious connection between the two. However, I must first discuss Leo's relation to Sirius, the Dog (God) Star. The light of Sirius represents Spirit, which steps down in vibration (sacrificing itself) for the sake of creation (Saturn; appearance of matter in 'time' and 'space').
For the longest time I kept receiving messages about the cat people from Sirius. Whenever I would meditate on this, I would see a cartoon representation of a cat fused with a dog. The cats were always warm (solar), like tigers or lions. As I probed into these visions deeper, I began to intuit the feminine nature of the feline and the masculine nature of the canine. So, clearly, another nod toward the fusion of opposites. The imagery is metamorphic as the opposites reveal that they share in each other's traits: Solar typically being masculine, but felines possessing the more feminine qualities. This eventually lead me back to Leo (and the heart).
In the constellation of Leo, there is a star named Regulus. Regulus is known as the heart of the lion, and is one of the Four Royal Stars (the other three belonging to the other Fixed Signs: Taurus, Scorpio, and Aquarius). In the Harry Potter stories, we see a character named Sirius who has a brother named Regulus. Sirius, the character, is an Animagus. An Animagus is a person that can transform into an animal at will. Sirius transforms into a dog. So, there again, is the relationship between the cat (Leo) and the dog (Sirius). This hints that Leo's influence is that of transformation. The Animal Kingdom entering into the Human Kingdom, and the Human Kingdom returning to the realms of Spirit (Sirius), which is filtered through the sphere of Uranus.
The Sun (Leo) veils Uranus, just as the Moon (Cancer) veils Neptune. Remember, also, that The Fool card is ruled by Uranus. In that card we see a dog, which represents the Lower Self. The Dog (Lower Self) veils God (Sirius).
These relationships only reveal that All influences All. This is why it is equally true to say that (the elevated influence of) Saturn is the Holy Spirit just as much as Sirius is. The separation doesn't really exist, but you may distinctly experience the influence of one more strongly than the other. The one in the forefront of your mind may actually be a veil or a lens for the other, which is a veil/lens for another influence (and so on). This is why the feminine can easily take on masculine traits and vice versa. The separation between the genders don't really exist, but we can see the effects of their influences (causes). The separation between myself (the writer) and you (the reader) also doesn't exist. I am you, reminding you of yourself. And all I am actually doing is reminding (writing) myself.
Sirius makes us think of the color blue. Blue is the color of emotions, water, and compassion (Mercy, Jupiter). Where do we find compassion within ourselves? We find it in our hearts. Compassion is an expression of love. When we get to the root of word, 'compassion', we find that it translates to: "To suffer with passion". Passion and desire, the roots of suffering. Suffering as the seed of wisdom. Wisdom is mental (air). This creates a coherency between the brain (wisdom) and the heart (compassion), and they, too, begin to share in each other's traits. Intelligence, then, arises from the heart, and the brain becomes an intuitive receiver. It is because of our own suffering that we can connect with others through empathy.
For the Animal Kingdom, Leo represents the point where the process of individuation (graduation into the Human Kingdom) begins. Cancer is the sign of the Mother, the Gate of Birth (into matter), and represents mass consciousness. Cancer (ruled by the Moon (unconscious), which is a veil for Neptune) is very mechanical. Cancer represents the lowest form of herd consciousness, which is necessary for the survival of the lower kingdoms. Aquarius is similar to Cancer in that it represents the larger body of consciousness as opposed to the individual (Leo, in this example) consciousness.
As the animals of the Animal Kingdom evolve, they begin to shift out of this herd mentality (Cancer) into the eventual realm of Man (Aquarius) for further individuation (Aries). The blood and its circulations can therefore be seen to fall under the dominion of the personality. With practice, one can learn to consciously influence and eventually control the pulse, just as the personality is subdued by the Soul and Spirit.
The blood also has its duality. While it is under the influence of the personality, it delivers oxygen and nutrients (individuals contributing information to the collective) to the rest of the body. Aquarius represents an elevated version of the group consciousness. This group consciousness differs from the herd in that it is self-conscious (solar (Leo)) but not self-centered. In Aquarius, the personality has been integrated, fully aware, into the Cosmic Consciousness. Although dissolved into the collective, the personality still exists but no longer dominates. Mass consciousness, represented by Cancer, is unconscious (lunar) and automatic. There is some individuality, but it is in early stages of development and is mostly selfish and driven by survival instincts -- with care and consideration limited to the personal self and close family and friends. Aquarius, through Leo, is infused with the all-encompassing solar warmth that extends its love and consideration to the All.
With the relation of the personality and the blood, and the influence of the individual within the collective, we can begin to understand how important our thoughts and emotions are. While an awakened consciousness has a larger degree of influence than an unconscious being, both still have a voice within the collective. When we purify our own thoughts, emotions, and actions, we are strengthening our own voice within that collective. In doing so, we are increasing the light of awareness in all beings, conscious or otherwise. To truly affect positive, lasting change, we must return inward and surrender to the Soul.
Sol and Mars
Leo is both the diurnal and nocturnal house of the Sun. The Sun veils Uranus, just as The Moon veils Neptune. Teth is the letter that is ascribed to Leo and is the ninth letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Nine connects with Yesod (Foundation), with The Hermit (Virgo, Yod), with Temperance (Sagittarius, Samekh), and is the number of completion. It is the number of completion because you have 0 (or 1) through 9, before you must shift back to 0 (or 1) again. After 9 comes 10, but 10 is really just the start of a new cycle (a recycle). Double digits can be broken down to single digits. but there is no single digit beyond the number 9.
Yod, Teth, and Samekh are the fiery forces that sustain, activate, and regenerate creation. Yod is the unknowable root that contains and sustains all of the archetypes. Why is it unknowable? Earlier I mentioned that Sirius represents Spirit, but now I am saying that Yod is the unknowable root of creation? Endless veils and lenses: Unknowable but omnipresent, with varying degrees of influence. Certain spheres seem to have a stronger influence because they appear closer to us, and are more widely known. But other spheres of influence that appear to be farther out (like Sirius) because they represent a loftier influence: The lesser known. Appearances can be deceiving. Objects in the mirror are always closer than they appear. There is no separation between the observer in the observed. Yod, then, represents the darkness (unknown) that veils the light we've not yet perceived. The unknown (unborn) wants to be known (shown, shone).
Teth (Fixed, Leo) and Samekh (Mutable, Sagittarius) both represent the ouroboros. It is only through the heart that we are granted the keys to ascend to the next level of evolutionary development. The heart triggers the fiery wrath of purification. The light trickles from the crown (Yod), through the heart, and condenses into the formative world. What descends must again ascend (return). So the serpent of temptation comes forth to test us. With Temperance and Strength, we persevere.
Equilibrium (Libra, Venus) is maintained through perseverance (Severity, Mars), patience, and mercy (Jupiter). The Tower (Mars) of destruction (correction) requires Strength (Leo) and persistence. With Mars, what imagery comes to mind? Redness, heat, fire, passion, tension, initiative, activity, and the Divine Masculine. Venus, its planetary complement, is passive, receptive, patient, sensuous, and Divinely Feminine. The passionate embrace of Mars and Venus can be seen in the pink and red lips of the flowers. Mars is like a red ink that saturates and excites the fertile Empress (Venus), as the golden rays of the sun christens their procreative union.
Exaltation: Neptune
Detriment: Uranus
Other Fire Signs: Aries, Sagittarius
Other Fixed Signs: Taurus, Scorpio, Aquarius
