ZODIAC SIGN LEO

The only people you can be sure are "Leos" are those mortals whose parents endowed them with Leo as a first name. Those born between 23 July and 22 August (give or take a day) were born when the Sun was travelling through zodiac sign Leo. They are not necessarily Leos, as the term has come to be understood by fans of astrology. They may be Leo-types - or maybe not. A number of possible chart configurations could make such people Cancer-types, or even Aquarius- types, or Taurus-types or a type defined by common interpretations of any of the other signs of the zodiac.

True astrological Leo-types, as defined in astrology textbooks do exist, but I'd be willing to bet that they're fairly thin on the ground.

Keeping all of that in mind, here's what 20th century British astrologer Ingrid Lind wrote about the sign Leo in her long out-of-print 1962 little book Astrology and Commonsense. My battered paperback copy is rapidly disintegrating!

Quality: Fixed. Element: Fire. Ruler: the Sun. Positive.

The conflict or contradiction here is surely in the thought of fixed fire. The answer in terms of Leo characterised is in molten gold. Where Aries, the primitive Fire sign, rushes round in action, Leo is content to glow in one place; preferably a palace. We can imagine that the primitive community has grown and the population increased through the willing co-operation of Aries, Taurus, and Cancer (Gemini doing his part between journeys and debate) and now a leader has to be elected. Leo fills the bill. His natural self-confidence and upright bearing, combined with his ability to command as if by right and without aggressiveness ensures his unanimous election. He takes his place on the throne with no false humility. Like the king in the fairy tales he is noble, just and kind; his palace glitters with gold and crowns are worn rather than kept for special occasions, for he is only too happy to give a commoner a treat by his gorgeous appearance. He has a proper sense of hospitality and at his banquets food, drink and dancing girls arrive in sumptuous succession.

How do such glittering and regal qualities fit into the charts of everyday men and women? Upstanding young men with big, well-shaped heads who captain teams or lead their school are often found to have Leo rising or somewhere prominent in the chart. There is a big, sunny, warm-hearted quality and an infectious power of enjoyment that is very endearing when this sign can manifest without too much opposition. What is sad is to find Leo strong in an otherwise unhappy chart. In this case there will be a thwarted urge to greatness resulting in ineffectual swank and bombast.

Leo is a positive, masculine sign and women Leos have to be careful not to be over-dominating. It is essential that they should find some position where they can usefully take the lead; but they must learn to keep the Leonine urge in check in social circumstances where they will not be popular if they throw their weight about. (Note from your blogger: in 21st century life this applies to men also!)

Leo children can be controlled best by appealing to their sense of dignity and magnanimity.

Leo Qualities
Warm-hearted generosity
Leadership
Honour
Affection
Creative ability
Self-confidence

Leo Faults
Bombast
Overbearing manner
Pride
Sensuality
Boasting
Showing off.

From my own experience of people exhibiting Leo-ness, I'd add that people with this sign strong in their natal charts much prefer being their own boss, unless they have had an opportunity of putting their undeniable leadership skills into action. Not everyone who wishes to be a leader has the opportunity to be one. The next best thing is to be in charge of one's own version of the daily grind. I have an uncle and a cousin with natal Sun in Leo, both self-employed for all of their working lives....one has a garden center, the other spent his working life as a wallpapering/painting one-man business. Another old friend of mine from the 1960s, who is a good example of Leo-ness, was described in a previous post, along these lines:

Back in the 1960s, in Devonshire, the English south-western riviera...he had clear Leo tendencies - he wasn't wealthy - far from it, but he made it his business to have a flashy Jaguar car to make a good impression. Onlookers probably never guessed that the back seats were supported by a couple of old soda crates, and various other bits and pieces of the interior had seen much better days. He started his own business, a one-man affair which hadn't truly taken off at the time I knew him. He had dreams of building a lovely house on a Devon cliff-top, took me to see the site he wanted to buy. He was a sweet dreamer. He never knew his father, but suspected that he was the illegitimate son of local aristocracy. I often wonder how things turned out for him.

That post, and others on Leo, can be reached via Label Cloud in the sidebar - click on "Leo".

My husband has Leo Moon and Leo rising (Aries Sun) and in his working life he led via management. I have only generational Pluto in Leo, not closely linked to a personal planet, though it's in my first house, opposing Aquarius Sun to within around 7 degrees. I'm not sure how much weight to attach to that. The only truly Leo-related trait I can identify in myself is love of quality (not flashy) "stuff" - clothes especially. It's a pain in the rear really, and I've grown out of it a lot.

Of course, one doesn't have to have Leo strong to be a leader, manager, or a self-employed whatever, or to appreciate fine quality. The Leo-driven do have a desire to lead inbuilt into their psyche though, whereas folks with other emphasis in their natal charts possibly arrive in leadership through excellence in their chosen sphere, or by accident, or by coincidence, rather than leadership itself being their main aim and desire.