How to Lavish a Leo

Real Life Guidance on How to Get Along and Be Friends with the 5th Sign of the Zodiac

By Mary English

John Hunt Publishing Ltd.

Copyright © 2013 Mary English
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-78099-977-7

Contents

Acknowledgements…………………………………………………..xIntroduction………………………………………………………1Chapter One: The Sign………………………………………………5Chapter Two: How to Make a Chart…………………………………….18Chapter Three: The Ascendant………………………………………..21Chapter Four: The Moon……………………………………………..28Chapter Five: The Houses……………………………………………36Chapter Six: The Difficulties……………………………………….42Chapter Seven: The Solutions………………………………………..48Chapter Eight: Lavishing Skills……………………………………..53References………………………………………………………..77Further Information………………………………………………..78Astrological Chart Information………………………………………79

CHAPTER 1

The Sign

I believe that the Principle which gives life dwells in us and withoutus comes from the Supreme Intelligence through the Rays of theSun.

Alan Leo

Leo is the fifth sign of the Zodiac. To call someone a Leo theywould have to be born between a certain set of dates that aregenerally 23rd July to 23rd August. I say generally as it doesdepend where in the world you were born and also what time ofday. And if you were born during those dates mentioned above,you would really need to check with a good astrologicalprogramme or Astrologer to make sure your Leo actually is aLeo.

If they were born very early on the morning of the 23rd July,the Sun might not have quite changed sign into Leo, and youmight have a Cancer on your hands.

No need to worry though, as we’re going to use a reliableSwiss Astrological website that Astrologers use.

Each sign of the Zodiac has a planet that ‘looks after’ it, wecall it their ‘ruler’ and the ruler to Leo is the Sun.

That vast ball of burning flame that we can see in the sky isconnected spiritually (not literally) with our friend the lion.

The Enormous Burning Star

If I had to choose a religion, the sun as the universal giver of lifewould be my god.

Napoleon Bonaparte

In astrology, we call all the celestial beings ‘planets’ which isn’ttechnically correct. The Sun is actually a star, and while there arethousands of millions of other stars in our own Milky Way, ourSun is special because we depend on it for our survival. Itprovides us with heat and light, which are rather necessarythings for us on Earth. Imagine what life would be like if it wascold all the time and dark. No plants would be able to growbecause they depend on light to convert carbon dioxide intooxygen via photosynthesis … and if there was no oxygen, we’d allbe dead in less than 10 minutes. Not a fun thought is it?

So for us, the Sun is jolly important.

The Sun is called a ‘great powerhouse’ because it is like a giantnuclear furnace. It is 1,392,000 km across its diameter, big enoughto swallow up our Earth a million times, and produces 7,000million tons of hydrogen every second. This enormous energyrelease makes our Sun shine and it’s been doing this for morethan 4.5 billion years and hopefully will continue to do so for asimilar length of time.

The Sun isn’t actually yellow. This is an illusion as it’s really anenormous white ball of gas with no solid edge, with a temperatureof 5,500°C. Astronomers think the temperature at its corecould be 15,000,000°C. Bit too hot for sunbathing!

There’s a lot going on, with sunspots and solar activity andthings called ‘coronal mass ejections’ hurling electrically chargedparticles out into space. These cause the celestial light showscalled northern and southern lights when they hit the Earth, buttoo many of them can pose a threat to satellite electronics andpower grids.

Like everything, too much of a good thing can be a problem.

I asked a few Leos about their thoughts on the Sun. Here isHelena, a young 30 year old English lady who works for a mediacompany in Portugal:

I couldn’t live without the sun. It makes EVERYTHING better! I goa nice caramel brown, and feel sooo happy when the sun is out. Afterliving in Portugal, I would struggle living in the UK again, purelybecause of lack of sun!

Clarissa is a full-time Mom who lives and works in Canada:

I love the sun as far as lifting my spirits – I can achieve a nice tanbut also have to be careful to not burn.

Laura is in her late 20s and lives and works in New Zealand as agraphic designer:

I love the sun. I like to be warm. I dislike being cold or wet, preferwarm/dry. I have fair skin and don’t tan easily. Summer is myfavorite time of year.

I feel like I have more energy when it is sunny and happier. I likered sunsets especially over water.

Julie is in her 70s and lives in middle England and is a housewife.She loves the sun too:

I love the sun, I am out in it all the time. I have my meals outside.The windows and doors open wide so the fresh air can come in. I amfair skinned but have a good tan. The sun makes me feel charged up.

Margaret is a holistic practitioner and lives in the USA:

I am not sun sensitive and I tan nicely. I’ve always loved the sunand thrive on it. To me it feels that I am alive, it makes me happyand I can be outside. The sun is our life giver and I feel it gives melife. If it gets humid I deal with it. I could call myself a sunworshipper in a sense that I just love the sun, not that I lay outsideall day to get a tan, which I don’t do. Without the sun we wouldhave no life.

Only one of the people I asked wasn’t quite as positive about ourburning star. Diane is an Astrologer and lives in South Wales:

I don’t like the hot weather, I burn easily and so avoid sitting outwhen it is very sunny.

Notice, how all of them (except Diane) have in their answers ‘Ilove the Sun’.

I remember my lovely Leo nephew, who used to live in Bristol,bemoaning the lack of Sun here in the West Country. Our weatheris very temperate, a bit like Irish weather and we do have lots ofrain, which is why it’s so green here. But he was gettingdepressed that the Sun hadn’t been out much and eventually hemoved abroad.

The Sun is such a majestic and magnificent planet (rememberit’s actually a Star) it can’t fail to have an influence on our friendthe Leo who was born during the Summer months, when the Sunis at its zenith.

Qualities and Element

Each sign of the Zodiac has a quality and element that describesit. Leo is a ‘Fixed’ quality, doesn’t like change, prefers things tostay the same (with them being worshipped and loved) and likescertain things without much alteration. Its Element is ‘Fire’ (moreof this at the end of this chapter).

So what other qualities do astrologers say that Leo has?

Let’s ask Colin Evans in The New Waite’s Compendium of NatalAstrology, 1967:

This sign is of the element Fire, and of fixed quality. Leo individualsare proud, passionate, ambitious, masterful, honourable,irrepressible, delighting in all that is really big in life.

Here is Linda Goodman in her Sun signs:

These men and women never lean on others. Instead, they prefer tobe leaned on. Responsibility towards the weak and helpless appealsto them. Leo may roar theatrically that everyone depends on himand he’s forced to carry the whole load, but don’t pay a bit ofattention to his complaints. He loves it. Try to relieve him of hisburdens or lend a helping hand, and you’ll see how quickly Leo willdisdainfully refuse your help.

How about asking AT Mann (who is a Leo) in his: The Round Art:The Astrology of Time and Place:

Leo governs Self-consciousness, pride, the affections, love of the selfand others, creation, acting, confidence … self-glorification,leadership, courage, extroversion, fun-loving, arrogant …

Here is Christopher McIntosh in his book Astrology, the Stars andHuman Life: A Modern Guide in 1970:

The person born with his Sun in Leo is almost invariably a strongpersonality with a taste for leadership. The sign has always beenassociated with monarchs and rulers. The faults than can afflict thesign are conceit, vanity, pomposity, and a lust for power. At hisbest, however, the Leonian is a thoroughly likeable person, warm,and out-going, with a great capacity to attract the friendship,loyalty, and respect of others.

What does Rae Orion say in Astrology for Dummies?

The sunny side

You’ve got flair. If you’re a typical Leo, you are generous, outgoing,loyal and likeable (most of the time) …

The sorry side

Beneath your flamboyant personality, you would be humiliated ifanyone ever knew how hard you try or how vulnerable you actuallyare. You desperately want people to like you …

What about Marion D. March and Joan McEvers in their The OnlyWay to Learn Astrology:

Key phrase I will … dramatic, idealistic, proud, creative, dignified,generous, self-assured, optimistic, vain, boastful, pretentious.

Here is another astrological team. Felix Lyle and Bryan Asplandin The Instant Astrologer say:

self-assured, sincere, generous, optimistic, constant, dignified,spontaneous … also arrogant, intolerant, sloppy, demonstrative,domineering, self-obsessed, pompous, lazy and autocratic.

I think we can safely say that the main keywords for a Leopersonality are warm and demonstrative, dramatic, optimisticand vain.

Warm and Demonstrative

There is no doubt that being warm and demonstrative are typicalLeo traits. They are playful and childlike (not childish, see below)qualities and make being with a Leo fun rather than draining.

Leos love to show their affection by buying carefully thoughtoutgifts. Here are a few examples:

Here is Laura again:

Best presents I have given people have been things that came fromthe heart, like paintings I have done for friends just because I knewthey would enjoy the surprise.

One Leo lady I asked had a very simple answer:

The children’s first pony.

Margaret also likes to give things she has made:

Being able to give things that are unexpected, handmade or bought,to family and friends and see their surprised faces.

Jenny is a Virgo and an author and is married, second-timeround, to a Leo. She talks about her husband Patrick:

He’s one of the most caring men I’ve ever met. He’ll go far out of hisway to help a friend. You’ve heard the saying: ‘He’s in touch withhis feminine side.’ Patrick definitely is. While absolutely secure inhis masculinity, he will cry, even in public.

He’s also so very supportive of any of my endeavours. I’d neverhave written/published my books if it weren’t for his ‘go for it’.

I know Leos who are excellent at making people feel a warm,fuzzy glow of happiness just by being in their presence. It’s as ifthey are radiating some concealed energy that we love to have.They also won’t hold back in telling you, or demonstrating toyou how much they like or love you. You can guarantee that theperson you know who has arranged a surprise birthday party, ormade a collection for a charity, or written ‘I Love You’ in the skywith a jet contrail is probably a Leo.

Dramatic

I always thought I should be treated like a star.

Madonna

My dictionary defines ‘dramatic’ as ‘of drama, sudden and excitingor unexpected, vividly striking.’ I think this quite sums up part ofthe Leo character.

The drama that a Leo enjoys can be literal, as in enjoyingbeing on radio or TV, or figuratively in being a ‘dramaking/queen’ and wanting everything and everyone to revolvearound them.

Here is Isabella describing her son Harry when he was small:

There is something about drama here. Harry was a dramatic littleboy and he wanted to be noticed. He was never ever shy and wasvery confident with adults. He loved parties, especially ones wherehe got a lot of attention. When he was about three we were out forthe day and we had tea in a village hall with a stage. Harry got onto the stage and started dancing about so that everybody could seehim. It was very funny and he made everybody laugh. In fact it washard to get him off the stage when we were leaving …

As Leo is a Fire sign, they’re swifter to react to things and alsoquicker to take offence. They prefer an appreciate audience, nomatter how small that might be. This isn’t meant in a negativeway. They genuinely can like or enjoy all eyes on them. I know aLeo Dad that sadly died of cancer. Even on his deathbed, heenjoyed a quartet of musicians serenading him in the hospitalwhere he was a patient. Compare this to a Virgo, who wouldmore likely curl up inside if you so much raised your voice in ahospital ward, let alone had four young ladies playing violin,viola, cello and flute.

On the literal side of drama, there are endless amounts of Leoactors, singers, dancers and creatives, who like to bring theirtalents to amuse and entertain.

When I asked my Leo volunteers how they’d prefer to belavished, not one of them suggested a quiet, domestic scenario:

Helping people, particularly in creative ways – I am currentlyvolunteering for my local Arts Centre and totally love it! I also lovewalking my dog, walking in nature and doing anything creative.Just did the Race for Life and that made me very happy – both thefundraising and the taking part. I would like to be surprised by atrip to somewhere in the country or by the sea to have a lovely dayout with great food and not have to worry about money.

Optimistic

I don’t think I’ve ever met a truly sad Leo. I’ve seen depressedLeos but that’s not the same as gloomy or sad. That’s not to saythat they don’t exist, but, as yet, they haven’t made anappointment to see me. The Leos I have seen, even if they’re in areally bad way, will want to talk things through, and go awayfeeling that what they’re going to do, or have done, is validated.

Unlike an Air sign, I don’t have to come up with billions ofideas to help them along. No, they just want to know that whatthey’re doing is ‘right’. Which can be a little subjective. Like allfixed signs, Leo doesn’t like change, and as long as what they’replanning or involved in is legal and decent, I’m not going toargue.

Their optimism mostly centres around their outlook on life,which is generally positive.

Alan is a Leo Homeopath and author who lives and works inthe USA. He also edits an online Homeopathy newsletter andmakes funny little homeopathy cartoons to keep us all smiling.

Here are his views on optimism:

For me, optimism is not the idea that fortune always smiles on us,but the belief that problems can be solved and crises endured, aslong as we stay present, keep our courage and be open to all thepossibilities. It helps to understand that good fortune and badfortune are deeply connected, and one always leads to the other.

They view life as a playful place, with lots of fun things going on,with everyone getting along and helping each other out. When Iwas a child, a popular author was Leo Enid Blyton. She onlywrote children’s books and created Noddy and the Famous Fiveseries with motivating titles like Five on a Treasure Island and FiveHave a Mystery to Solve.

In one of her books she has a character say:

The best way to treat obstacles is to use them as stepping stones.Laugh at them, tread on them, and let them lead you to somethingbetter.

Which could almost be a call sign for Leo.

Vain

My dictionary defines vanity as: ‘conceit and desire foradmiration because of one’s personal attainments or attractions.’

The downside to the Leo character is a tendency for unevolvedLeos to be self-obsessed. They can think that the wholeworld revolves around them, which isn’t entirely true, as weknow that the Earth revolves around the Sun …

I remember a song from my teen years called You’re So Vain byCarly Simon (who is Sun sign Cancer) which had the catch-line,’you probably think this song is about you,’ and that nicely sumsup the sort of problems we can encounter when the Leo ego getstoo big.

They can construct, in their mind, that they are the mostimportant person in their family, their city, their country … and ifyou’re really unlucky, the world. This self-inflated issue onlyarises because of a deep need to feel acknowledged and admiredby others.

There are Leos who are aware of this vanity. Leo Poet LaureateTed Hughes wrote a poem called “The Decay of Vanity”:

Now it is seven years since you were the Queen That crownedme King: and six years since your ghost Left your body cold inmy arms as a stone …

I loved the way the poem has a King, a Queen and Vanity all init, and it is written by a Leo!

There are some lovely Leo quotes attributed to NapoleonBonaparte:

I am sometimes a fox and sometimes a lion. The whole secret ofgovernment lies in knowing when to be the one or the other.

And

The herd seek out the great, not for their sake but for their influence;and the great welcome them out of vanity or need.

Makes you wonder if Napoleon’s welcome was for vanity orneed!

Childish vs. Childlike

Leo has a wonderfully childlike view of the world. They see it inrays of shining light and love to go ‘wow’ at things. They enjoythe company of their admirers, to be the centre of attention, tofeel as if everyone is a friend.

This child-like view can sometime swing into being child-ish,which is a completely different story.

I once worked with a Leo lady. Her father was an alcoholic,and she and he lived the most awful life. She still hadn’t lefthome, even though she was in her late 30s and she told me(constantly) that she wanted to get married and have children ofher own, except she just couldn’t grow up.

To ‘grow up’ she would have to leave home, but her fatherwas convinced she had a personality disorder, when in fact hisdrinking must have clouded any judgement he could make.

He was an ex-psychiatrist, and was violent and verballyabusive. This poor woman would tell me about how unreasonableher father was, and how he told her what to do … buttheir relationship seemed to be codependent and impossible tofathom.
(Continues…)Excerpted from How to Lavish a Leo by Mary English. Copyright © 2013 Mary English. Excerpted by permission of John Hunt Publishing Ltd..
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