Week 4: Beyond The Mask Online Seminar: Leo Rising
Fixed Fire/The Sun (on 2 levels) as Instinctual and Esoteric Ruler
This week we have a major symbolic shift from Moon-Ruled Cancer Rising to Solar Leo. On the mundane or instinctual level, we leave the feminine qualities, feeling and emotion, nurturing, receptivity, imagination, poetic gifts, etc, to consider a strong, masculine, willful Rising Sign.
Even the approach to spirituality changes as we move from the Path of surrender, passive trust, devotion, and blind faith (waiting for intuition to make things clear to us) to the Path of Will, discipline, striving, perseverance in study of spiritual texts and/or practice of techniques. As a previous workshop a participant said, “it’s as if the Moonchild Archetype is about Being, while the Leo/Solar Archetype is about Doing, about actively engaging in Life.”
That’s a good analogy. Physically, the Moon reflects the light of the Sun, but the Sun generates heat and light, without which none of us could exist here on Earth. The ancients had a better understanding of this essential fact, living as they did before electricity, furnaces, oil and coal refineries etc. In our times, power outages lasting 8-10 days temporarily make us aware of our dependence on the Sun, but unlike the ancients, we can purchase generators.
In astrology, what do we really mean by the two levels in which the Sun is said to rule Leo? While I was in Pondicherry, India a North American (possibly a double Pisces) asked someone who’d lived 20 years at the Aurobindo Ashram about the Ego, “it’s a Bad Thing, right? We need to get rid of the Ego in order to find God?”
“No, no, no,” said the Sage, “that’s a common error. In Sri Aurobindo’s philosophy, the Ego is simply an instrument of the Divine. The more you develop your individual personality and your talents, the better. If you do that, when you reach Self-Realization you’ll have a lot more to offer the world. Of course, we must apply our will to conquer our lower nature, we cannot give in to every distracting desire.”
Aurobindo Ghose had Sun /Jupiter conjunct on his Leo Ascendant, who better to understand and explain this than he? (As to “serving the world,” he also had Venus- in- Virgo in his First House.)
For the Leo persona, please read the quotations, p.95, on Zelda Fitzgerald, 98-99, The Fixed Mode, The Fire Element, Solar and Lunar Creativity, and The Mundane Ruler.”
Question 1) Match the following Leo Rising people with the following statements. Michael Moore, Maya Angelou, Henri Matisse. Edouard Manet Zelda Fitgerald. Sting. Maud Gonne.
a) An attorney, I became interested in painting while recovering from appendicitis, then decided to pursue a career in art. I overcame the objections of my family and teachers who insisted I had no talent. I had Sun in Capricorn, with Exalted Mars, and 3 other planets in my 5th House.
b) I have Sun/Saturn in Libra in the versatile 3rd House, enjoy several types of music. I’m a singer, guitarist, actor and former teacher (Mercury in Virgo.)
c) A double Leo with Sun in the 12th, I danced professionally, painted, wrote short fiction and enjoyed entertaining famous American ex-pats in Paris.
d) A Sagittarius Sun Sign orator, I was surprised at W. B. Yeats including me in his poem, “Beautiful, Lofty Things,” then furious when he described me as a tired, fading beauty outshone by her sister! (“The Arrow.”) Men!
e) An artist with Sun in Air in the 6th House, I needed to paint in order to feel well.
f) I have Sun/Jupiter in Aries on my 9th House cusp, trine the Rising Sign; Neptune is on my Ascendant. Actress and prize winning author, I speak 6 languages, have lived abroad and toured around the world.
g) A modern filmmaker, I take on controversial topics and defend my position on TV talk shows. Forty percent of my planets, including Sun, Moon, and Exalted Mars are in Earth. In spite of my public persona. I consider myself an introvert
Question 2: The three Leo Rising women (above examples) disliked being thought of as “muses” to great men. Why do you think this seems to bother Leo Rising women more than women with other Rising Signs? In past centuries, women were seen as reflections of their husband’s personalities, whose duty it was to support his career. Would this have been easy for them to fulfill society’s expectations for women?
Question 3 How does the Fixed Mode aid Leo Rising in consciously creating the persona? From what you’ve read of the examples, does success come more easily for Leo Rising than Cancer Rising? Would Sun-in-Fire help bring out Leo Rising’s charisma? In youth, might the Mask of Leo Rising seem more macho than that other men's masks?
Advanced Question for Astrologers:
Question 4: please read pp. 113-114: “Leo Rising in Youth.” Aquarius is the Sign on the 7th House Cusp for Leo Rising (Marriage House.) A Fixed Sign, it appears steady, yet Aquarius is Uranus-ruled. In youth it sometimes features excitement over stability. If you know people with Leo Rising, would you say that marriage flows easily for them, or is challenging for the Leo persona?
Question 5: The Esoteric Journey. Please read, “The Sun as Higher Self,” pp. 105-113; 114-115 “The Leo Mask Over 50.” (Life’s Best Years?)
Edgar Cayce had the Sun in a Water Sign and a psychic House. an independent young man, he chose photography instead of his father’s profession, but what was his greatest personal challenge?
Question 6: Next, please read the German story, “The Ruined Dancing Shoes.”
After you finish, consider the older couple, the parents of the princess. What might they do with their freedom after she “wakes up?” (Their responsibility to her, and the Kingdom is over.)
Both CG Jung and the Indian Ideal of the 4 ashramas (stages of life) view life after 50 as different. The householder stage ends, the Ego’s ambition, competitiveness, and desires wane, while many people experience increased interest in spirituality.
The Indian (Golden Age) ideal: by 50, a couple’s children would be self-sufficient, so the husband and wife could retire to the forest for a number of years, living simply (at survival level), then, eventually, they’d become hermits. From 50 onwards, the focus is on Soul, with minimum attention to the body’s needs. As long as older people are healthy, these seem to be life’s most enjoyable years. Responsibilities dwindle. Few Westerners would embrace the forest or a hermit’s mountain cave! But what does life offer us, after 50 in the 21st Century?
Question: 7 Please read the progressed cycle and think about what it means for Leo Rising. Which of the progressions seems easier? If you have Leo Rising, would you like to share anything with us about the progressed cycle?
Replies
And I do you too Kathleen - it have been learning so much - its very exciting :D Thank you
You're very welcome. It's been fun discussing the book with you.
How I understand it though is that the Source was giving him information that would have made him more comfortable financially but he wouldn't follow it - his own beliefs prevented him from doing so - like if he had moved when source told him initially the property may have been bought for a lot less and then would gain in value tremendously in the future which may have had a financial impact on him.
Just my thoughts as I see it - I totally agree with you that we have to have money to live in this culture... I also feel Source will have been trying to help him in this regard, but as he disregarded much of Sources advice from himself this too got left by the wayside perhaps.
Thank you, Emma, I appreciate your insights.
Do you think (speaking in general terms) Pisces first job is to save the world and earning a living is second? I don't know, having only one planet in Water and only Chiron in Air. Everything else in my chart is Earth/Fire (Double Taurus with Leo Rising), and you can bet security would have been a major concern. I would not have been above bargaining a bit with The Source.
I enjoy your input.
Yes maybe - don't really know - I had a look at Edgar's charthere I wondered whether jupiter in 5th indicated playfulness being expanded rather than a financial drive in Edgar, also pisces is in 8th which is asspciated with the underworld and depths - perhaps this emphsised the piscean need to serve in a spiritual way and believe he would be ok even if things were tight...
I wonder what Kathleen has to say - I am just guessing really (and I think influenced by knowing two piscean sun friends who were good at manifesting money despite a strong interest in the spiritual and wider service.
Question 3 How does the Fixed Mode aid Leo Rising in consciously creating the persona? From what you’ve read of the examples, does success come more easily for Leo Rising than Cancer Rising? Would Sun-in-Fire help bring out Leo Rising’s charisma? In youth, might the Mask of Leo Rising seem more macho than that other men's masks?
The fixed mode keeps going when everyone else is tired and quits. Fixed can keep going even when they feel the same way: I'm tired and want to quit, but I will do one more thing, and then one more after that. I'll continue until it's accomplished, and then rest.
Cancer and Leo Risings can be successful, one as easily as the other. Leo might do it with pizazz and great looking hair, but Cancer can do it by winning friends and showing her/his skills in a quieter more likable way. They'll also be kind to the children, and every parent knows how many points that makes.
Regarding Leo Rising with a Sun Fire sign, I've only spent time with one, and his humor was just super as was his ability to imitate others. But I can only speak of one.
Leo Rising girls in youth can be tomboys. Even in an environment of frills and lace, they can be little princesses - that means in charge and macho.
Yes, it's "one more thing, and one more thing, and one more thing...!" As we get older, though, we might want to leave some of those tasks for tomorrow. If we fall, for instance the body takes longer to heal than it used to.
I'm so glad you mentioned this about Fixity's amazing endurance.
For example, at the yoga center, a woman in her mid 70's, with a Fixed persona and several planets in Fixity will have the airport shuttle drop her off, deposit her luggage behind the counter, and join an advanced class already in progress, (We're well past the warm-up phase.) This after her cross country trip, which included several hours walking through airports between connecting flights. And she'll finish the entire class. All she needs is a reminder to bend her knees really deeply while doing the first few forward bends, and time her movement with a long, slow inhale and exhale, so as not to be sore the next day.
A Mutable horoscope (40-50%) will try the same thing after a long flight. She's extremely agile, but unless the instructor has her stretch out along the wall first, line up her body with the baseboard, then swing her legs straight up the wall and rest awhile, she probably won't have the endurance leftover to finish the class. Even though her joints are flexible and her hips are loose, her feet and ankles need a break. She'll breeze through the poses for about half an hour, but her ankles will be wobbly in the standing poses. She needs a restorative class that night, not an intermediate or advanced group.
There's a major difference in stamina, and endurance, ffor the nervous system as well as the muscles, between Fixity and Mutabiity. This applies in many different areas of life, exercise, relationships, career.
To sustain subtle body work, like Edgar Cayce did, or live in the world of the Archeypes for a long time, a strong body is essential.
LOVED the "great looking hair!" Leo Rising's children tend to be independent, and often are quite successful. Leo parents are often remembered fondly for the days they played with the kids. The games, the county fair, the adventurous vacation.
That's a valuable comment on Leo Rising girls as tomboys. Their strong personality comes out very early, yes, they're every much in charge!
Question 5: The Esoteric Journey. Please read, “The Sun as Higher Self,” pp. 105-113; 114-115 “The Leo Mask Over 50.” (Life’s Best Years?)
Edgar Cayce had the Sun in a Water Sign and a psychic House. an independent young man, he chose photography instead of his father’s profession, but what was his greatest personal challenge?
It seems to me that he was challenged to trust the intuitive and wanted physical real world evidence to prove his intuition was trustworthy, he didn't follow his guides advice regarding moving until he could see a practical way to do it, and though he did begin to step out into following his intuition with clients he also wanted to see immediate results to continue down that line of thinking. I was surprised to hear about his lack of trust actually as I have read his books on channelling the higher self and now I think of it he is very grounded in his approach, but I think I had seen him as always being able to trust.
I also see he found it hard to turn people away and perhaps it was others allocades of how helpful he was with them that encouraged him to continue developing his psychic side. Also being open to the unusual would have helped him develop the piscean psychic energy.
I wonder whether the esoteric aspect of the sun is to shine for the growth of others rather than for the self - as I can see he found it difficult to turn people away, and didn't want to recieve money for his gift, in a sense he wanted to shine, be seen, but not for his own gain - more for the growth of the whole - I get the image of the sun as the nurturer of the whole world not just each individual within it for themselves - it is an energy we share at a primal level - am I thinking about this in the right sort of way here?
Perhaps this is also why he wouldn't trust advice for himself - he didnt move as shown, not initially, nor would he stick to the diet he was recommended.
As to whether he was grounded overall - I feel like he was in some ways and in others not at all... like there was a pendulum of I can do it all and create it all magically and oh no I can't, so won't really try and make the practical world work - Like he needed the logic behind things to do them himself for himself - with others it was different I would say.
Would you say that Cayce's was a well- grounded personality, or did he get by with a lot of help from supportive family and friends? (Swami Yogananda, who also had Leo Rising, used to say, "Keep your head in the clouds and your feet on the ground.")
Cayce was a healer. Were his own diet and health habits based on common sense practicality?
Do you think he was aware of time passing,of years going by, in the outside world? (Did he plan well?)
Did he act immediately on the personal advice he received The Source? Or wait for the outside world to open the door?
I would say he got a lot of help and support from his friends and in this sense wasn't very grounded, though as I suggest above in others he was.
His diet wasn't all that good - whether it was common sense or not for those times I don't know - I don't know how diet was viewed then - but he wouldn't stick to the diet spirit was telling him would benefit him - that diet advise seems common sense to me, yet he seemed not to be able to take it on. I have a feeling for him not actually trusting his own advice very easily. He did wait for the physical world to match the advice, perhaps he would have followed the diet if a doctor had recommended it after spirit had :D
No I don't think he planed well - ungrounded in this sense.
I am glad you have chosen Edgar Cayce, I know so little about people in the public eye generally - often I have never heard of very famous people at all, however I am more familiar with Cayce than other characters usually talked about in astrology. So from my personal point of view thank you :D
First of all, thanks so much for your input on the choice of Cayce as the esoteric example. An entire book could be written on the Sun as Esoteric Ruler, including horoscopes of many great souls, but even then, some would be offended that their teacher, to them the wisest and most spiritual of all, had been omitted. Impossible to find accurate birth data for everyone who deserves to be included in such a book!
You make many excellent points. First off: Cayce was a Westerner, Born in the West, he lived there his entire life. Readers, especially those interested in subjects like meditation, Tarot, astrology and psychology (as the study of psyche, or Soul) have heard of him and that helps! We share a common cultural background with him.
Yes, his major challenge was the balance between the Watery, (intuitive, psychic, imaginative, spiritual) world and the physical, the mundane, world here on Earth. His Earth planets include an Exalted Taurus Moon at the top of the chart, but that's as magnetic in its own way as Leo Rising, in the sense that both the Leo persona and the exalted Moon draw others to him. Many of his clients were powerful (Pluto was also in Earth, atop the chart) and/or wealthy, so he became accustomed to good things coming to him through them, as a result of the spiritual work he did for them, lying on his couch and transporting himself wherever he needed to go on their behalf.
He expected thngs to continue on that way forever, that the Source would continue to cared for him financially through the clients. He lived in the moment, which is very important for intuitive work, trusting in the Source, and living in the moment. He was fine until The Great Depression.
The Source, which provided mostly health-related information (though sometimes discussed peoples' relationships) gave him advice on his own health, and where to live. But when he woke from the trance, he didn't remember anything the Source said, those who transcribed the readings had to keep reminding him about the personal message. Yet he continued with dietary and other habits that weakened his body.
Here's the danger in constant travel between the Unconscious and Conscious realms: it can be debilitating to the body. We'll come to this again in the story, "The Ruined Shoes."
So, a balance (Between Water and Earth) . Another really important point you make in the issue of service to others, what we would call, integrating the opposites,
You're right, most spiritual teachers are insistant about the importance of giving back to the community.
Leo Rising has Aquarius on the 7th. Many married women seem to fulfil this by supporting their husbands' careers, entertaining their clients, for example, or their husband's literary agents and editors, as Zelda did for Scott Fitzgerald. But by midlefe, they may no longer be content with that outlet. They'll tell the counselor or astrologerr something's missing, something important
In Hollywood there are some reverse role model marriages, where the Leo Rising husband is a business manager for a celebrity wife, who is center stage.He's integrating the Leo/ Aquarius opposites by helping her, but after awhile, he'll feel the same need Zelda did, to use his own talents, to find a creative outlet, express himself and have his gifts validated. Even if his Sun's in the bottom hemisphere of his horoscope.
It's quite a delicate balance, for Leo Rising there's a need to individuate, just as for the Leo Sun Sign. The client will say, "I feel lethargic, I need something --a project--that's just for me."
CG Jung had Sun-in-Leo and really saw the importance of individuating! Again, though, what tends to get left out while wearing all these masks, playing all these roles, is taking care of the body. Years pass.
Those of us who work with the creative imagination, meditation, dreams, astrology, and so forth need to keep this in mind from now through 2025, when Neptune leaves Pisces. (For some of us, that''ll be the rest of our lives!) Pisces is opposite Virgo, the 12th House is opposite the Health House ( 6th) We'll have a type of counterbalance for the next 7 years,with Uranus-in -Aries, if we incorporate exercise programs that appeal enough to stick with them. We may try out several different types, hopefully in an age-appropriate way!
Another really important point you make in the issue of service to others, what we would call, integrating the opposites, Leo Rising has Aquarius on the 7th. Many married women do this by supporting their husbands' careers, entertaining their clients, for example, or husband's literary agents and editors, as Zelda did for Scott Fitzgerald.
Aquarius on the 7th draws Leo Rising into the outer world, through the spouse or some other voluntary activity--Jung's Eranos lectures are an example of "giving back" through knowledge. (Aquarius is about ideas and ideals.) He made time for the lectures around his client practice, inner work, and family life. He's discussed in the Aquarius Rising chapter (Part II).
I'll leave this for now. Anne will probably want to contribute something to this discussion.
Thank you for this Kathleen - very interesting especially about the Aquarius on the relationship cusp - so for each of the rising masks there is the compliment in how we relate to others there in front of us on the chart.. little clicks falling into place. :D
You mention the top of the chart - someone once said that is the area your aspirations are in - midheaven... would you say this is true?
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