I used to imagine that I was somehow unique in having so many Leo friends. I have come to understand that Leos are so outgoing and warm that they accumulate friends the way other people collect shoes. Fact is, I've met very few people who don't have a Lion or two among their closest companions.
The swirling glyph of Leo (see Figure 4-3) represents the lion's tail, the lion's mane, or the creative force of the Sun.
Figure 4-3:
The glyph of Leo.
The glyph of Leo.
The sunny side
You've got flair. If you're a typical Leo, you're outgoing, loyal, determined, cheerful, and likable. You're active, with an astoundingly busy social calendar and a pile of responsibilities. Whatever you may do for a living, your schedule is crammed full. You aim to live life to the fullest - and have a good time while you're at it. Even in ordinary conversations, you fall into the role of entertaining other people because you love to be the center of attention - and with the Sun as your ruling planet, you really do light up the room. Equipped with a lively sense of humor, vividly rendered opinions, and the ability to have fun even under adverse conditions, you present yourself with confidence and pizazz. Radiant and proud, you have charisma to burn.
You also have a king-of-the-jungle sense of dignity - and an equally regal sense of entitlement to go with it. You appreciate luxury and glamour in all their forms. (Your color is gold, your metal is gold, and your aura is gold.) Yet despite your aristocratic ways and your need to be pampered, you respect hard work and are willing to shoulder more than your share of the responsibility. Although you can be demanding, you value loyalty and return it in kind. You're helpful and generous, a staunch supporter of an underdog or a friend in distress. And you bring the party with you. Naturally, you want to be acknowledged. What's wrong with that?
The sorry side
Beneath your flamboyant exterior, you would be humiliated if anyone ever knew how hard you try or how vulnerable you feel. In your desperate efforts to get people to like you, you hog center stage, sometimes reducing everyone around you to audience members. (You should know that most people don't enjoy that role.) You're inclined to tell people what you think they want to hear, even if it means weaseling out later when the truth is revealed. You tend to exaggerate, partially because you want to tell a riveting story and partially because you want to cast yourself in a flattering light. It's a matter of strategy: You figure that if you play your cards right, you'll triumph.
You can also be arrogant, overbearing, vain, self-aggrandizing, and histrionic - a real drama queen. You can be dogmatic about the tiniest things - shampoo, say. Or barbecue sauce. Or what other people ought to do with their lives. I don't mean to be harsh, but your urge to give unsolicited advice gets old, even though your motivation is noble. An idealist of the first order, you know what life ought to be. If only you could figure out how to make it happen - and how to convince other people to play their parts. You're more demanding than you realize - and more controlling. And you find it difficult to admit mistakes. When you calm down and stop manipulating, your warmth and generosity come through, and you command the adoration that you crave.
Relationships
Your self-assurance and easy-going humor draw a crowd. The center of any social scene, you're an accomplished party-thrower and a sought-after dinner guest. Although you like to maintain the upper hand in a relationship, and you rely on the attentions of others to keep your ego in shape, you also know how to bestow affection and admiration. People feel privileged to be your friend.
As for romance, Leo loves to be in love and believes in everything symbolic of that state - from Saturday night (which is sacred) to flowers, phone calls, breakfast in bed, loads of sex, and plenty of bling. (I've known Leos to leave dog-eared copies of the Tiffany catalogue on the breakfast table, just to make sure the message comes across.) You're definitely high maintenance, though you undoubtedly think otherwise. When times are good, you're passionate, accommodating, supportive, and adoring. When things are falling apart, you do too, becoming domineering, arrogant, and jealous. Should a hot affair cool into dull predictability, you may even stir things up, just to keep life interesting. And when your beloved disappoints you, you're devastated, even if you don't let it show. For all your bluster, you have a tender heart.
Finally, I want to add a note about animals. In traditional astrological lore, pets aren't associated with Leo. But I have noticed that the people I know who treat their pets like family, cart them around in Louis Vuitton cases, purchase wardrobes for them, publish books about them, or appear on television with their squirming bulldogs on their laps to protest against puppy mills, are overwhelmingly Leos. Not every Leo has a pet, and some wouldn't dream of it. (They don't want to be upstaged.) But those who do value their four-legged friends invest themselves fully in the relationship.
For information on Leo's relationships with other signs, take a look at Chapter 15.
Work
Because Leos enjoy basking in the limelight, people occasionally assume that you aren't hard-working. This judgment couldn't be further from the truth. Leos are hugely ambitious and somewhat opportunistic. You're resourceful and productive, a skilled organizer with a sharp business sense. Many Leos speculate with abandon. You seek recognition more than most, fantasize about fame, and are willing to work at maximum intensity. If you're at the top of the heap, even in a tiny, home-based business, you feel powerful and magnanimous. You happily make room for others, both as partners and as employees, and you're not afraid to get your hands dirty or to share a pizza with the part-time staff.
But no matter how gratifying your job may be in other respects, you can't exist without a little razzle-dazzle. Ideal careers are musician (Madonna), actor (Halle Berry), clothing designer (Coco Chanel), politician (Bill Clinton, Barack Obama), and anything that's likely to put you in front of a group of people. Fifth-grade teacher? Fine. Lawyer? Sure, especially if you can strut your stuff in court. President of anything? Absolutely. Star of screen and stage? Now you're talking.
If you work for a Leo, be prepared to work intensely (except when your boss is in the mood to talk), to shower him or her with respect and compliments, and to step politely aside whenever the spotlight is turned on. Your allegiance and your skill will be privately recognized - and rewarded. Leo is warm and generous. But remember, Leo rules. The term of art here is "benevolent despot."
Classic Leos
- Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Andy Warhol, Jennifer Lopez (Moon in Aries)
- Bill Clinton, Mick Jagger, Kyra Sedgwick (Moon in Taurus)
- Amelia Earhart, Tony Bennett (Moon in Gemini)
- Emily Bronté, Annie Oakley, Sean Penn (Moon in Cancer)
- Charlize Theron, Halle Berry (Moon in Leo)
- Madonna, Dustin Hoffman, J. K. Rowling (Moon in Virgo)
- Fidel Castro, Belinda Carlisle, Julia Child (Moon in Libra)
- Alfred Hitchcock, Ben Affleck, Steve Martin (Moon in Scorpio)
- Herman Melville, Magic Johnson, Martha Stewart (Moon in Sagittarius)
- Napoleon Bonaparte, Arnold Schwarzenegger (Moon in Capricorn)
- Sandra Bullock, Beatrix Potter (Moon in Aquarius)
- Coco Chanel, Robert De Niro (Moon in Pisces)
- Polarity: Positive
- Favorable Colors: Gold and orange
- Quality: Fixed
- Lucky Gem: Ruby
- Element: Fire
- Parts of the Body: Heart and spine
- Symbol: The Lion
- Metal: Gold
- Ruling Planet: The Sun
- Key Phrase: I will
- Opposite Sign: Aquarius
- Major Traits: Extroverted, demanding
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