INTRODUCTORY ESOTERIC ASTROLOGY

INTRODUCTORY ESOTERIC ASTROLOGY

LEO 2008

Labor of Hercules
Slaying of the Nemean Lion

Chase Lion in circles to Cave, block one entrance, leave weapons behind, and strangle Lion, unseen by the people.

Motto: I am That and That am I.

(Leo seeks release in Scorpio)

Leo and the Sphinx
Leo represents identity and identity-construction. It starts with a natural self-centered self-interest until this self-interest causes the outer personality blundering and painting oneself into corners through aggression, self-confidence and self-satisfaction (satisfaction with personality methods). In other words the forceful personality, finally beginning to integrate, forces the environment to react and respond in return.

At this point Leo represents tough Love, but tough love towards oneself first. The generous and outgoing instincts of Leo meet all kinds of responses through which the individual becomes more self-conscious with each experience, primarily the negative and painful ones (those that affect pride and self-worth). Initially, this encourages the Leo to attempt to take control of his environment (and friends), but it is beginning to dawn on the ego that it is a high degree of self-control and mastery that is required to optimal results.

Hercules in his labor with the Nemean Lion which was terrorizing the provinces, first had to find the Lion and his lair. He then had to block the entrance to his cave. The Lion, of course, is the personality aspect running wild and amok in society. This blocking of the cave entrance symbolizes the first stages of yoga, where the senses and mind are both turned inward for self-examination and self-mastery. This involves the disciplines of non-response to the lower planes of energetic expression and to the centers below the diaphragm. Lower psychism of the solar plexus must become the higher psychism and sensitivity of the Heart. Raw intellect must become Intuition (not instinct, which is basically lower psychic in nature).

The ongoing tension of poise and self-restraint, as well as the heat and smoke generated, force a direct confrontation with the Lion — one’s past self-centered instincts which must be strangled to death or left to die from neglect. Leo as a Soul is called upon to operate from a higher, more group-conscious point of view. Getting a glimpse of the Whole involves altitude of mind and line of sight as well as breadth of Heart. In another version of the Hercules myth, the third eye symbolized by the Unicorn (Capricorn) must skewer the Heart of the Lion and lift it up as a Chalice. All these inner experiences involving transformation of consciousness occur in the Cave of one’s heart and inner life, unseen by the public.

Outwardly and individually this process seems to demand the sacrifice of all one has apparently achieved as a self-oriented personality, including one’s real accumulations, material and psychological. But basically this is how Leo gains his Soul — attachment to those factors that facilitate true group service and detachment from those that feed the lower personality complex. This is Leo and its individualized self-consciousness beginning to utilize the opposite sign of Aquarius (where Neptune is now in 2008). Leo and Aquarius (with Sagittarius) rule the 5th Ray. The 5th Ray is the ray of the Light bearer and of Esoteric Psychology. Esoteric psychology is the search for a scientific basis of the soul and addresses major distinction between personality and soul values and interests. Because we’re entering 2000 years of the Aquarian Age, science and spirituality are beginning to merge. Leo needs to invoke Aquarian group and universal consciousness in order to grow. It calls upon Aquarian transformative power to turn vices into virtues. There is always a better way, and Leo has the light of Being to illuminate that Path.

Ray One is ruled by Aries, Leo and Capricorn. Ray One represents Will — the will-to-Good, to move forward, and with Leo especially, to Reorient upward and onward. Leo (with Virgo) represents the mystery of the Sphinx, the union of the Trinity with the Quaternary (making the Seven of manifestation). This is the mystery of lower and higher mind, not body and soul. Higher mind is related to the triple Soul, Atma-Buddhi-Manas, or Will, Love-Wisdom, and active Intelligence. Lower mind relates to the threefold Personality — mental, emotional and physical — and the psychological complexes that result from outside conditioning when we are not centered in our Souls. Leo has the choice of identifying with either. If Leo identifies with the Soul, Leo still needs the personality to interact with the outer world, so it’s not really lost. Leo rules the evolution of consciousness by the radiant energy of Being, whether he likes it or not. Evolution can still take place on a more primitive or undeveloped level through facing the results of lower personality desire, control, and use of force and coercion instead of energy and persuasion. The Quaternary is just the threefold Personality with the physical body divided into the etheric energy body and the physical substance adhering to it — what we usually call the physical body. Leo has another choice here — between simple personality expression, or working in group or social formation to manifest the sacred four-square Temple not built by hands, but with human stones by the divine nature within — the outer individual or group Form perfected by Spirit.

In esoteric astrology Leo is ruled by the Sun on all three levels — personality, soul, and planetary/solar or Universal Life. But the Sun has three Aspects, a Trinity. Leo is ruled by the Saturn-Jupiter Trigon (the physical sun) on the personality level, by Neptune (heart of the Sun) on a soul level, and by Uranus (the central spiritual Sun) as a perfected Spirit. The conjunctions of Jupiter with Saturn every 20 years (forming a Triangle or Trigon in the sky each 60 years) rules the status quo establishment of any given society. Neptune is said to be the Heart of the Sun, and the storehouse of Souls, or solar Flames. Neptune rules Leo when living as a Soul. Neptune rules Leo when self-consciousness and sensitivity is developed enough for the person to see individual responsibility, duty, or Dharma. Uranus is related to pure Spirit and to all the schools of thought and religion that promote manifesting the god-nature within, whether Brahman, Krishna, Christ or Buddha nature. Uranus rules Leo when Leo is truly group-conscious and can demonstrate Dharma instead of Karma.

In other words, Leo is a major sign for Humanity, ruled by the Sun which governs all the Solar Mysteries — the mystery of pure expressive Being, and the magic that this brings into Life. The mystery and the magic only increases with time, consciousness, and growth.

Inspiration: Alice A. Bailey, Esoteric Astrology, and her 24 books on esoteric philosophy. NY: Lucis Publishing Company – website (http://www.lucistrust.org/en/publications_store).
Source: Alice A. Bailey, A Treatise on Cosmic Fire. NY: Lucis Publishing Co., 1925, 1962 ed., 1982 pr.
Source: H.P. Blavatsky, The Secret Doctrine, Centennial facsimile ed. Los Angeles. Theosophical University Press, 1988.