The Lion
July 24 - Aug 23
ruled by The Sun
Fixed Fire
birthstone: opal
key: power
slogan: "I will"
The Sun rules Leo, and their individuality usually shines forth like an inner sun.
Leo's positive qualities are a loving warmth, generosity, nobility, integrity, strength, loyalty, leadership, optimism, and a soothing, gentle, tenderness - the protective charisma of the older brother or sister, of the strong towards the weak. They are proud, passionate, and powerful.
The negative side is arrogance, egotism, willfulness, false pride, haughtiness, vanity, tyranny, forcefulness, and romantic promiscuity. Leos can be temperamental.
Leos tend to live life to the full, and generally live larger than life. Everything has to revolve around them, and they never get tired of being the centre of attention.
Basically organizers, they tend to organize other people's lives as well as their own, and would happily make slaves of everyone around them, if they thought they could get away with it.
Their clothes are often glamorous, expensive, and fashionable, and their appearance is leonine, walking upright with a certain dignity and style, and an aristocratic, superior, or royal, air about them. They prefer gold jewelry to inexpensive junk. They always want the largest, grandest, and best out of life, and intend to get it.
The Leo is strong and dignified, but also warm, emotional, and romantic, with a special magnetic charm that is irresistible to the opposite sex.
They have an endearing optimism, which never lets them down, and an infectious enthusiasm for all they undertake. They thrive on optimism.
The ego is the key to the Leo psyche - they adore flattery above all things, and can easily be swayed by honeyed words and subservient gestures. If they are treated kindly, they will do anything in return. They believe every word of flattery. Praise and devotion are their meat and drink, and they become childish and temperamental if they don't get what they want. They delight in arousing envy in others, and expect abundant gratitude from friends and lovers - if this is not forthcoming they will become bitter.
Leos are ambitious and born to lead. If their need to boss is not fulfilled, they become bullying and domineering, and push others around with unbelievable arrogance and disdain, trying to exert their will over those they consider inferior. They always take the upper hand in business, and take all the credit. Leo believes that some are more equal than others. Those who fail to pay homage will be cut dead, and nobody can do this with such completely devastating contempt as a Leo. Arrogant pride is their downfall.
There is a natural generosity about them that is shown in many ways to others, and when they are in love they are as passionate as they are faithful.
Somewhere in every Leo is a creative streak, and this needs positive expression. Given the sheer vitality and life-force they embody, this should be an easy task.
Life for Leos is a sport to be played and enjoyed. They are pleasure-lovers at heart, and want everything to be full of smiles and happiness.
They remain a bit child-like, whatever their actual age. They hate to see things less than perfect. They know in their heart that a single cloud can blot out the sunshine, and similarly they can plunge from happiness to despair with a single stroke of bad news. So they are apprehensive about the future, scared that it will frighten them. Of all zodiac signs, they are the one which most wants good news, or none at all.
Although often represented as a showy extrovert, Leos are motivated from within by a deeply spiritual urge, though the individual Leo may remain unconscious of the meaning of their existence. They have an alchemical task to perform: there is a fiery passion inherent in Leo, but the Lion is not permitted to remain in his bestial form, but must give way to something other.
Life tends to teach Leos rather forcibly that a lion cannot roam loose among men without some retaliation - Leos can be harshly treated by their fellows, either avoided as a lion would be in the jungle, or whipped and goaded as an animal trainer might treat a caged lion. This is a painful process for Leos, whose childlike hearts are deeply injured by such reactions.
More creatively, Leos can choose of their own volition to undergo a quest for a sense of personal destiny, spirituality or other meaning. This often comes early to Leos, and not through labour, but through their natural gifts and intuition. But then it is lost, because it has not been understood consciously, and the ego claims the success for itself. The goal must be found again in full consciousness, and often through much hardship.
Leos are pure theatre: they dramatize life in order to impress. They choose a partner who will share the limelight but not too much. They are always in love, but care more for appearance and worldliness than for character. If they are not entertained, they will look elsewhere.
Certainly their personal magnetism and fantastic charisma attract many lovers, but they become aloof and stony-hearted if they don't measure up by endlessly praising Leo's virtue, and worshipping their charms.
