Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Moonwalk: Leo

© 2010
by Joyce Mason

"The man on this card doesn't need to speak
to communicate strength, passion and commitment.
Sometimes he is robed like a priest or shaman.
Intense and intuitive, he is a force to be reckoned with."

 ~ Interpretation of the King of Cups,
 parallel to the King of Hearts, tarot.com



As I started thinking about this post, I had a royal epiphany. I realized that four out of five of the most significant men in my life all have—or had—Moon in Leo. (Thought bubble: Wonder what that says about me?) Leo Moons are the Kings of my heart, and the King of Hearts card reminds me of them.

My father, brother, first boyfriend/now husband, plus the man who had the most lingering impact on me from my late teens and for decades afterwards—all Leo Moons. I never thought about it till now (and I wonder why not.) Or if I did, I forgot. (I hate to admit I’m getting to an age where I forget a lot of details and am happy to leave their cataloging to much younger Virgos and Capricorns.) Sometimes I have actual moments of clarity about my Neptune conjunct Mercury square Moon and how it explains why I can miss the obvious about myself.

On investigating this mystery further, I noticed that my men’s Moons lie essentially between 13-18 degrees Leo, the tiny arc of Leo where my Pluto (14) and Saturn (18) are placed. Eek! I only recently managed to figure out why I tend to have a tumultuous inner growth cycle during the summer, especially in August. That’s when the transiting Sun is lighting up my 4th house and those particular planets.

I share this with you because we’re taking a Moonwalk, and I think it’s only fair to tell you what I’m finding on the my own lunar surface, so you can check to see if you have a similar phenomenon going on. This will give me plenty to do all summer, figuring out what gives with this den of Lions in my life. Back to you:


It says a lot about your own Moon to discover the Moon placement and nurturing patterns of the key players in your life.

If you have your own den of Lions, flock of Rams, pen of Bulls or whatnot: you might want to look at how they’re alike and different. My pride of four is split right down the middle, as far as how they’ve supported me emotionally—two did and do a fabulous job (husband and father). The other two brought me the greatest majority of my pain (brother and great love/boyfriend). Obviously, something “colored” these Leo Moons differently.



What Color’s the Moon?

Both my Leo Moon Men who’ve nurtured me well have Saturn aspecting their Moons—by square (dad) and conjunction (husband). My anti-nurturers—“Keane” [1] (the boyfriend I barely ever got over) and my wild, flamboyant brother (he was both a hoot and hell on wheels): They have Pluto and Mars closely conjunct their Moons respectively. Keane’s Pluto/Moon is right on my own Pluto. This explains why love tended, at least in my early life, to be a big, sticky ball of wax, a goo of enmeshed pain and pleasure.

It also explains why I, personally, love the Leo energy most when it’s “toned down” to a certain degree. After all, I have Capricorn Moon, Saturn ruled—I learned at my daddy’s knee how to keep my Moon from taking over the land. As an ultimate irony, I was at the library recently and a history video on Greece caught my eye. I had been showing my husband how his Leo Moon conjunct Saturn might work in his life with the use of the Astrodeck. [2] When we watched the movie on Greece, it had a scene with a caged Lion. “That’s your Leo Moon conjunct Saturn!”


This Leo Moon

Now that I’ve digressed a lot (in other words gone wherever the Moon lured me), let’s talk about this New Moon on August 9, 2010 and how it rules the Kingdom of Feelings. The Sun/New Moon conjunction is at 17 degrees Leo 25. (Glad I’m writing this ahead because, as you know, I’ll be “processing” while the Lights are shining in my usually dark Pluto/Saturn Zone.) I’m using a chart from my own general geographic perspective. While Sacramento might be the Capitol of California, San Francisco is the Capitol of the Left Coast. It has a resonance with the Uranian energy of astrologers, so it feels like the city to use. Click chart to enlarge:





As you can see, not much can escape the Big Change Line-Up in the Sky, including this lunation. The closest aspects to the Sun/Moon are sesquiquadrate Jupiter and Pluto and semi-square Venus and Saturn. The semisquare (45 degrees) and sesqui (135 degrees) are geometrically related as 1/8th and 3/8ths of the zodiac circle. They have similar qualities: irritation, frustration, delays, testing, impeding, constricting or resisting. (This sounds more like a hazing by my brother and ex-beau than a hug from my father or husband.)

This is a good time to remember that growth comes from discomfort. Not too rocky aspects mark this lunation— more like pebbles in your shoe. Efforts to expand or transform are not likely to come easy this month. Relationship issues may be scratchy and feel stuck. Of course, these aspects do come with the backdrop of the Cardinal T-Square. Don’t let them become the straw that breaks the camel’s back. Leverage them as another exercise in not resisting change or enforcing your own timing or outcomes.

Here’s where the Leo warmth can suddenly make it all seem all worthwhile. (Is someone watching a Mary Tyler Moore rerun in the background out there?) Same with the Leo sense of humor. There is nothing like a Leo’s acting goofy in the middle of a fierce “discussion” to diffuse the heat completely. If this month seems a little annoying in parts, draw on these talents brought to you by Leo Moon:


Cool Leo Qualities

Adopt some of these positive Leo qualities in this month’s endeavors:

Warmth, charm, charisma, childlike, fun, entertaining, generous, sincere, paternal, enthusiastic and creative.

(Where do I buy a gallon of that?)



It’s not too late to sign up for my first New Moongram for more information on this month’s Leo New Moon! Click on the top of the sidebar to sign up or click here to learn more .


Living on the Upside of Leo


As I state in Living on the Upside of the Zodiac #2:

“Look at me!” Leo says, as she exudes the rays of the Sun and selfhood with no Ray-Bans or sunscreen. Here is both the danger and the cure. Leo must avoid believing she is the Sun itself with all its power—and around which the rest of us mere earthlings are lucky to revolve, if she deems us worthy. Creative spark is the ultimate drug, and if Leos hold onto the Sun energy with possessiveness, they become mean kings of the jungle: self-centered, proud, overbearing, bossy, intimidating, grandiose, and demanding of constant flattery (kiss my ring or whatever!).

Now that I’ve covered some ideas about Lion lunation do’s and don’ts, here are some ideas to optimize your experience this month.


A Few Leo Moon Rituals and Experiments

In addition to your usual Moon rituals, like looking where 17+ Leo falls in your chart, here are some special suggestions for Leo Moon:

• Become a Leo Moon for a Day by dramatizing your feelings. Be creative. Put on a play for your family. Deliver a singing telegram to the door of your beloved. Be showy.

• Shine your feelings on issues like a solar search light. How does “feeling like the Sun” (the Moon in the Sun’s sign) bring light what’s hidden in a situation?

• Buy or make a lion’s mask. What does it feel like to be a lion?

• Ask yourself every day, until the Full Moon, how does the Moon in the Sun’s sign turn life on its ear? (Examples: It brings the inner outward; it is a male archetype in the most feminine of planets, the Moon.)

• Watch a movie about lions, and imagine feeling part of the pride. What do you learn from “feeling Leo?”


The King of Hearts

Did you know that the tarot is older than playing cards? Playing cards were derived from the tarot, not the other way around. (One of the first psychics I ever saw used a standard playing deck to “read.”)

Leo Moons will always be the Kings of my Heart. (I keep finding more of them!) Their positive qualities of smoldering strength, playfulness, and air of self-confidence have lit up my life in its darkest corners. I’ve been able to overlook most of their less desirable qualities, such as attention getting, bossiness, pride, and the ability to intimidate because their gifts are so great.

And so may it be for you during this Leo New Moon cycle.

~~~

Photo Credits: Jeu de Cartes 56© Nathalie P - Fotolia.com and African Lion © Riaanvdb ~ Dreamstime.com


NOTES

[1] I like to change the names to protect the innocent and guilty alike—and people's privacy.

[2] Astrodeck by Soliton is a fabulous deck of “flash cards” with key words for the planets, signs, houses and aspects. It is sadly out of print, and the company is out of business and thus far untraceable. If you can find one on eBay or at a used book store, grab it! And if you have one you don’t want, I’m collecting spares. I’ll happily buy it from you. What makes Astrodeck such a great reference is having a reminder of the full-range of keywords. We do get stuck on our faves, especially when we've been doing astrology a long time. Here’s to variety, my favorite spice.

8 comments:

Michelle said...

I thoroughly enjoyed this post- little wonder- I have Leo Moon conjunct Saturn in Cancer :D

Joyce Mason said...

Glad to know this post hit home, Michelle. You know what a fan I am of Leo Moon conjunct Saturn! :)

msfullroller said...

Another Leo Moon here lovin the post from the 12th house quincunx Saturn in Pisces.

Joyce Mason said...

Hi, Ms. Full Roller! Glad to see my Leo Moon Magnet is working well on this post! :) I'm really enjoying these Moonwalks myself.

cjwright said...

The Leo Moon conjunct Saturn as the caged lion is just brilliant, Joyce. I love that imagery. Caged is tricky. My Uranus wants so badly to bend those bars and let the lion run. But he might not go at all.

Joyce Mason said...

Thanks, CJ--or thank my muse that "beamed in" that association when I saw the caged Lion! Yes, we can't always assume the Lion will want to leave the safety of its cage, even if other parts of us break down the bars.

astronlogia said...

Fellow Leo Moon conjunct Saturn checking in. Hope you're still doing well and posting somewhere :)

Joyce Mason said...

Thanks for checking in, Astronlogia! You have my hubby's Moon. :) I'm still posting here on radicalvirgo.com--and all posts are available on my Facebook page, Joyce Mason - The Radical Virgo. Happy Weekend!