Leo Solar Festival 2011:
Leo the Magnificent!

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“I am That and That am I”
“I Am That—the Word of the Leo subject who is rapidly gaining
the higher consciousness and preparing for fresh and universal expression in Aquarius.”

“Self-rule through initial conflict, carried to a successful issue and blessed by the
beneficence of Jupiter, is the true history of the advanced Leo aspirant…”

Leo the Magnificent!
Leo and the Fixed Cross
Leo’s Connection to Revolution: World Civil Unrest
Louis XIV, The Sun King and France
France and the Leo-Aquarius Axis
Leo and the Ongoing World Economic Crisis

Leo the Magnificent!

Leo is the sovereign ruler, the king or queen who rules over their domain or kingdom, whether that is the immediate ‘domain’ of the three-fold personality or a nation. The ‘magnificent’ sovereign is one who shines resplendent like the Sun, the ruler of Leo – and who radiates benevolently upon the kingdom for which they rule. A sovereign, is one who ‘reigns over’, who exercises supreme authority and of course it was in more ancient times the name for gold coins, like miniature Suns.

The magnificence and resplendency of Leo also derives from Jupiter, the ruler of the middle decanate of Leo, referred to above - ‘blessed by the beneficence of Jupiter’. Jupiter has a stately, ceremonial aspect to its nature. Both the Sun and Jupiter are the rulers of the second ray of love-wisdom, the major ray of this solar system and prime qualitative goal for most of humanity.

There are many words that connect to Leo through the word root ‘mag’, notably,

1. Magha - The Sanskrit word meaning ‘grand’ or ‘noble’. It is the Indian ‘nakshatra’ corresponding to the star Regulus, found in Leo – in both the Indian and Western zodiacs.

2. Magnificent 'marked by stately grandeur and lavishness';'sumptuous in structure and adornment';, ‘strikingly beautiful or impressive’, ‘great in deed or exalted in place’ – describing for instance, ‘Lorenzo the Magnificent’.

3. Magus - magician, who controls the lower elementals and who can direct the higher daevic forces. The Magician tarot card illustrates the forces that the Magus invokes from above and anchors below. It is also the first card of the major arcana, hence has a connection to the first ray force that pours through Leo. The five-pointed star corresponds to the fifth sign Leo, the fifth ray that pours through Leo and the mental strength of Leo. The seventh ray of Ceremonial Order or Magic is associated with Leo, as described later.

4. Magistrate - one who administers the law, just as a king was originally the one who decreed the law; it corresponds to the star Regulus in Leo, the one who ‘regulates’ universal law. Regulus is from ‘reg’, (king) one who ‘reigns’, rules etc.

5. Magnus,  magnate – great; a person of rank, power, influence, or distinction.

6. Magnesium – Produces an intense white light when burnt – similarities to the Sun and an important factor in magic and alchemy.

7. Magnetic - possessing an extraordinary power or ability to attract. The charisma of Leo.

Burning Magnesium
(Alchemists used the metal magnesium in the form of 'Magnesia alba'
(white magnesium), also was known as 'mild magnesian earth.')

Leo has a magical and alchemical quality that may not be immediately obvious at first glance. Yet when the power of the Will working through Leo is considered, along with the force of the fifth ray mental pentagram and the magical ray of Uranus, a potent mix is created; combine all that with Leo the Lionheart, a synthesis of head and heart is possible.

Leo is ruled by the Sun at a personality, soul and monadic level, veiling Neptune and Uranus at the two higher levels. These latter planets bring in the energies of the sixth ray of devotion and idealism, plus the seventh ray of ceremonial order or magic:

“In the perfected Leo, the loving self-conscious soul (2nd ray) carries its power of expression straight through from its own plane to the plane of exterior manifestation, but preserves at the same time its interior control (Uranus) and from that point of achievement, proceeds to make its ideal objective (Neptune) a fact in consciousness, through sensitivity to the higher vibration and directed intelligent service of the Plan.

When Uranus controls, the Leo person is significantly the true observer, detached from the material side of life, but utilising it as he pleases. His spiritual consciousness is capable of great expression and he can be (as has oft been pointed out by astrologers) both an electric, dynamic leader, a pioneer in new fields of endeavour and also a magnetic centre of a group whether the group is small, as in a home, or vast as in a nation.

He is then polarised above the diaphragm, for the lower more material aspects of life have really no great appeal to him; he is then profoundly conscious of his own identity, and this makes him dwell definitely in a state of self-awareness, with its consequently abstracting powers.

He is instantly aware, once he is spiritually awakened, of his motivating impulses, and this leads him to an imposed self-discipline—the thing the Leo subject sorely needs and which must always be self-imposed and self-applied for he brooks no disciplinary measures which others may seek to impose.

Discipline imposed by people upon the Leo person leads invariably to revolt and rebellion and the expression of that which the discipline is intended to eradicate. Discipline imposed by himself leads to the perfection of which he is notably capable.

… The "lion must emerge from its lair," and this injunction is badly needed by Leo aspirants. It will, when followed, lead the self-centred Leo consciousness into the decentralised, selfless Aquarian awareness. It will alter the self-service of Leo into the group service of its polar opposite, Aquarius.”

… Leo in its consciousness is the dominant self-aware agent and has therefore the control and can—because of this—remain uninfluenced. This fact will be increasingly understood as the advanced Leo subject makes his appearance. He will be distinguished by his personal freedom from outside control. He knows innately that he is king of himself, the ruler of his own life and, therefore, no planet is exalted and likewise no planet falls.

The power of the mind, as symbolised by Uranus, is lessened, for it is not the mind which in reality controls but the Self, or Soul, using and controlling the mind. The man is not then conditioned by his surroundings or life events but rules them with deliberation, bringing out of circumstances and environment that which he requires.”[1]

Leo is a prominent sign in the world at this time for the following reasons:

1. The fifth sign Leo has a close association with the Fifth Rootrace where the development of mind is reaching its acme; hence there are many powerful integrated personalities, yet their expression is still selfish and/or tyrannical.

2. Leo is the polar opposite of the sign Aquarius, the age into which the world is moving. Hence the opposites of the individual and the group are emphasised.

3. The world is emerging from the mass consciousness of Cancer into the individualised consciousness of Leo and the intense self-awareness that accompanies that. Hence everyone wants to be a star, an American Idol, have their 15 minutes of fame – caught up in all that comes with the Leo package, narcissism and pride, attributes hard-wired into the Fifth Rootrace. The paradox: That which is developed to distinguish it from the mass (the developed ahamkara), must be extinguished at some point many lifetimes further on.

4. Leo rules generically the first initiation (the birth of the Christ consciousness within the cave of the heart), and through which a large proportion of Humanity are now passing.

Leo and the Fixed Cross

Leo is part of the fixed cross that includes the signs Aquarius, Taurus and Scorpio. It is outstandingly the cross of the soul; once it is mounted there is no turning back to the many lives that were led upon the mutable cross of matter. One is ‘propelled upon the upward way’, has embarked upon a bullet train that is moving too fast to hurl oneself from. The spiral of lives approaches its completion. The aspirant ‘sends forth the call for fire’ embodied in the words,

“I seek the Way; I yearn to know.  Visions I see, and fleeting deep impressions.  Behind the Portal, on the other side, lies that which I call home, for the circle hath been well-nigh trod, and the end approacheth the beginning.”[2]

Ruled by the Sun, Leo is a sign connected to light and illumination, the purpose and effect of the fixed cross, the cross of light:

“This can be clearly seen if we contrast the energies of the four arms of the Cross as they are demonstrated ... both before and after the long and drastic experience upon the Cross.

     1.    Taurus.—The Bull of Desire. The light of aspiration and knowledge.
     2.    Leo.—The Lion of Self-assertion. The Light of the Soul.
     3.    Scorpio.—The Agent of Deception. The Light of Liberation.|
     4.    Aquarius.—The Chalice of Self-service. The Light of the world.

The Fixed Cross is the cross of light. And playing through this Cross all the time, and emanating from Leo, are the "fires of God"—cosmic, solar and planetary—producing purification, the intensification of the light and eventual revelation to the purified man who stands in light.”[3]

World Civil Unrest: Leo’s Connection to Revolution

“Leo is the polar opposite of Aquarius, and the interplay of energies between these two is far more potent than at any previous time in racial history.”[4]

As mentioned earlier, the world is emerging from mass consciousness and humanity is learning to think more independently. Hence the continual conflicts in nations, as many ideas jostle for attention. Uranus’s connection with Leo was mentioned earlier – and it is the ruler of the opposite sign Aquarius, where it is well known as the revolutionary and reformer.

Hence the revolutionary nature of Uranus and its rulership over both Leo and Aquarius is currently influencing civil unrest, from the middle east to Britain and Europe. It has also affected misguided mass murderers such as Aquarian Anders Breivik from Norway.

Currently, during the annual solar Leo period in Britain, many of the disaffected have been rioting in the streets. Most of their reasons lie in the vast social inequalities that exist all around the planet - low wages versus large corporate profits, the high cost of university education and health, the tax burdens upon the middle classes, etc – an endless list created by self-serving greed and ignorance.

It is not helpful for these people to be branded as ‘troublemakers’ and ‘criminals’ by establishment governments, who have belittled and trivialised the plight of a greater population from whom the demonstrators have emerged.

The major astrological factors behind the current civil disobedience and disruption are Uranus in Aries square to Pluto in Capricorn. Transiting Mars was the short term trigger for the longer cycle, entering Cancer, opposing Pluto and squaring Uranus. Mars set off the conflagration.

The Sun was passing through Leo, sign of assertiveness and a personal integrity that will ‘brook no discipline’ from uncaring and dysfunctional governments. A collective line in the sand is emerging amongst the middle classes, who, in the words of Peter Finch’s character in the movie Network, ‘are not going to take it anymore’. For several years, astrologers have been predicting the very outcomes of these transits (particularly in Britain); they are only just starting to unfold and will continue through until 2015. I hear the refrain of ‘bring it on’!

Uranus in Aries, and the revolution of new ideas, has been extensively commented upon in past newsletters.[5] Transiting Uranus in Aries is activating the entire cardinal cross of Aries-Libra, Cancer- Capricorn. Old institutions and the state (Capricorn) are being severely challenged. The larger Aquarian cycle of 2,160 years looms ever larger over crumbling, bankrupt and corrupt institutions, bringing reforming Uranian forces to bear. Transiting Pluto aids and abets the entire process. Both planets produce the temporary outer effects of conflict, violence and death, yet the inner renovations proceed and governments are forced to take notice.

An instance of this, though rarely reported in mainstream media, are the demonstrations occurring in Israel over the unreasonable and unjust cost of living, the people have had enough. The Israeli government has come up with an economic plan in response to the demonstrations; whether this is a cynical ploy to quickly assuage the immediate pain - or a genuine long term plan, only time will tell. Israel has the Moon, Pluto and Mars all in Leo!

An estimated 150,000 people took part in demonstrations in twelve cities
prompting Binyamin Netanyahu to consider cancelling parliamentary recess.

Louis XIV, The Sun King and France

Louis XIV (The Sun King) had Moon and Venus conjunct in Leo; in his long reign in the seventeenth century, he was 'able to utilize the widespread public yearning for law and order resulting from prolonged foreign war and domestic civil strife to further consolidate central political authority and reform at the expense of the feudal aristocracy.' Louis was an adherent to the theory of the 'divine right of kings'.

Louis XIV, the Sun King - in all his splendour.

Later in the eighteenth century, during the reign of Louis XVI, and in the horoscope of the first French Republic, Uranus is in opposition to Pluto (similar to the aforementioned Uranus square Pluto), reflecting the underlying causes behind the French Revolution.

In those times, Pluto was transiting through Aquarius and the aristocracy knew no tomorrow, submerged in their luxurious lifestyles and alienated from their fellow citizens:

“France in 1789 ... was one of the richest and most powerful nations in Europe; additionally, the masses of most other European powers had less freedom and a higher chance of arbitrary punishment. ... Louis XVI ... as well as the nobility had become clearly unpopular. The Ancien Régime in France was brought down partly by its own rigidity in the face of a changing world and partly by the ambitions of a rising bourgeoisie, allied with aggrieved peasants, wage-earners and various individuals of all classes influenced by the ideas of the Enlightenment. As the revolution proceeded and power devolved from the monarchy to legislative bodies, the conflicting interests of these initially allied groups would become the source of conflict and bloodshed.”[6]

France and the Leo-Aquarius Axis

“… coloured and dominated, by her Leo personality, a large part of the happenings in Europe during the Middle Ages and for centuries; … her definitely Leo personality — self-conscious, self-centred, brilliantly intelligent and individual — conditioned Europe.  It is this Leo personality which is responsible for the intensely nationalistic spirit of the modern French and which negates in them the more Aquarian tendency to universal consciousness … France comes before the world.  … the self-interest of Leo precipitates conflict — one to which France is slowly awakening. … the fifth zodiacal sign, Leo [and the 5^th ray soul], has given the French people their intellectual brilliance and their scientific bias.

… France then stands free some day to lead the world spiritually as she has effectively in past history from the more political and cultural aspects, but this can only happen when the personality ray is subordinated to the soul ray and Leo can respond to the Aquarian influence in the coming new era when Aquarius is dominant. 

The Sun, as the ruler of Leo, made France what she was, irradiating Europe for centuries; but it was the personality and not the spiritual aspect, and her influence at no time was spiritual, as that word should be understood.”[7]

It is interesting to note that the current French president Nicolas Sarcozy, is an Aquarian Sun.

Leo and the Ongoing World Economic Crisis

Leo’s colour and metal is gold (sovereigns), hence it is no surprise that, with Saturn in Libra’s complementary influence, the world economic crisis took another dive during the Leo period – and the price of gold went up! Leo is part of the fixed cross, of which Taurus is a member, also associated with gold and money through its ruler Venus:

“Again, gold is the symbol which today governs man's desires whether national, economic or religious; it is connected with this sign [Taurus] and this is one of the indications that today the conflict in the world economic situation is based upon the upwelling of desire. In an esoteric way, therefore—quoting from a very ancient book of prophecy:

"The golden eye of Taurus points the way to those who likewise see. That which is gold will some day, too, respond, passing from East to West in that dire time when the urge to gather gold shall rule the lower half (i.e., the personality aspect of men and of nations—A.A.B.). The search for gold, the search for golden light divine, directs the Bull of Life, the Bull of Form. These two must meet; and meeting, clash. Thus vanishes the gold...."[8]

The world economic situation is still based upon ‘the upwelling of desire’ and fear, which drives the markets. Saturn’s once in a thirty-year transit of Libra is forcing greater awareness in world financial affairs, through the Libran themes of fairness and equality. The staggering degree of debt that all western nations have sunk into is screaming for a remedy but no one knows how to cure the patient - or is too politically fearful to perform the necessary surgery.

Pluto and Uranus are also playing a major part in transforming the way the world creates and uses money. It is of note to consider that the soul ruler of Libra is Uranus which also rules the sacral centre, connected to those two great survival themes – money and sex.

The Alchemist

Our long term goal as aspirants upon the way is to bring about the alchemical transformation of the base metals of the personality into the soul’s gold. We are all still carrying conditioning and attitudes toward money, instilled from society all our lives; transiting Uranus and Pluto are providing a point of tension for everyone to divest themselves of all these old patterns and thereby create a better relationship with money based on true productivity and generosity.

Gold’s Lustre

“Each Pilgrim on the Road must carry with him what he needs: a pot of fire, to warm his fellowmen; a lamp, to cast its rays upon his heart and show his fellowmen the nature of his hidden life; a purse of gold, which he scatters not upon the Road, but shares with others …”[9]

Phillip Lindsay © 2011.

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