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COURAGE
LEO 1 - 5 It is a joy to reveal what we feel, what we think and what we have learned. By doing so we encourage others to do the same for themselves, so a mutually supportive atmosphere of communal improvement occurs. There is buoyancy associated with this, and all the forces of Nature conspire to validate the enterprises of those who trust in themselves enough to express who and what they are openly. As we thrive, so we look to find others to share with, and seek recognition for our attainments and character. A healthy individual, who has been raised and nurtured within a supportive family, will find no need to compromise in order to find their place, and fulfil their dreams – and it is central and essential to the human psyche to be courageously free of inhibitions, and to brim with individuality. There are some dangers of over-reaching, yet this speaks of our enthusiastic, imaginative willingness to be involved in anything the desire-nature conjures up. The evolutionary expansion of self takes place at the edge of reason, a dangerous arena of uncertainty that calls us to risk comfort in order to win adventure. The risk cannot be managed well by using either intellect or feelings alone; both are needed in mutual empathy – our feelings need to be understood, our thoughts embodied, so that conscious spontaneity can direct our lives. Here we go beyond the earth-bound concerns of survival to the highly spiritual alignment that is capable of consolidating a disparate number of people into a unified whole. Eventually, by sharing day-to-day trials and celebrations over the years, we somehow become part of one another – in every sense, whether practical or spiritual. This is the goal of Cancer – to be an integral part of a higher organism, to belong legitimately to something held together by a level of rapport so deep that it is prayerful. |
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COMBUSTION - ACTION
Creativity is the primary activity of Creation, and the prime purpose of the Creator. It is enacted as an individual acts upon their own unique vision of how things could be. There is no greater force than this and it is concentrated by a creative person to the level of combustion - the transformative operation that breaks apart and pulls together the elements of life. It is dangerous and can spread uncontrollably like wildfire, yet we must engage with this force and if we are to be safe we must do so by taming our animal instinct. It helps to remember how awesome is the Original Source of this force. |
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IMPACT
Leo 6 – 10 The ‘push of the past’ and the ‘pull of the future’ are equal and opposite forces that need to be creatively handled in order to optimise our happiness. If we feel content with the way things are, then we may need to exert influence to maintain the status quo; if things need to change then we need to expend energy in the direction we choose. Either way, we have impact upon what transpires. Indeed, we cannot fail to have impact simply by being alive, so we need to honour that gift of living by creating outcomes that not only reveal but proclaim who we are. Wisdom guides us, and we are cautious not to surrender the known for the unknown too readily. Yet life has no meaning without involvement, and full participation in life is clear evidence of a confident soul thirsting for further experience. Vitality is of itself a healing force, so that all opportunities to engage may be passionately grasped without fear of exhaustion. There are rewards for making the most of past experience; we learn a lot by observing the cyclical course of events, and can manage to avoid the pitfalls a second time. The knowledge and skills that come from such careful concern provide the necessary equipment to use our influence to deal competently with whatever comes up. |
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COMBUSTION - CULTURAL IMPLICATIONS
Inevitably, unavoidably, society must evolve and must go through the stages of evolution - new becomes old, old is challenged by young, we project neediness upon false permanence, and yet what seems permanent is rattled and shaken by Shiva energy - the life-giving force of destruction seen in autumn and winter. Yet above all else we know that Creation itself has creativity as its essence-principle. There will always be a creative spark and it will always feel like the joy of a new day. |
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GENEROSITY
Leo 11 – 15 Some of us are lucky enough to come to understand that success itself is a personal quality, one which grows the more it is trusted. This is true of all qualities, and illustrates the mystery of how to live well. Our open-handedness and open-heartedness are naturally expressed aspects of who we are, and they lead to a pleasing reciprocity. As we show our easy generosity of spirit, so we attract abundance, kindness and gentleness of disposition in the people we meet; we are treated well because we treat others well. |
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COMBUSTION - INDIVIDUAL IMPLICATIONS
It takes time to mature. Our childlike urges to be free and easy come up against society and its demands that we restrict our spontaneity and develop social skills. Not until we have found the calmness and poise that so often comes with old age do we genuinely realise that it is foolish to curtail soul-expression in order to fit in with others. The recognition allows for the possibility as experienced, culturally-aware adult to reconnect with the innocent enthusiasm associated with youth. Such a combination can make us very influential. |
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STRAIGHT-FORWARDNESS
Leo 16 – 20 When the appropriate cause, and its time, is upon us, then we act with fullness, and we inspire others to rally round. We love to participate in shared events, and this exuberance has a profoundly warming effect upon others – so that it lifts the mood, and sponsors greater collective accomplishment. All around us we find others with whom we engage, and these co-participants in our adventures form the community to which we offer loyal allegiance and enthusiastic sponsorship. We readily acknowledge the mutual benefits between self and community. One rewarding outcome – of such an energetic directness and broad interaction with life – is that hidden knowledge is somehow revealed. What are seen as mysteries to some become working principles to us and we can piece together the secret mechanisms, which govern us all, into a comprehensible map of the nature of reality. Then it falls to us to help others understand; we take up the influential position of teacher and guide, thus inspiring others to deepen their own involvements with life and all its mysteries. |
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RELEASE - ACTION
Leo has to come to terms with its own power, the creative power that is analogous to the Sun itself. At times the force of combustion is required and appropriate; at other times these potentially dangerous energies need to find release rather than application. A five-fold process is suggested for this release. After any storm there is always access to the freshness of a new opportunity, we then need to tune in deeply to others in sacredness and bring old knowledge to bear upon new challenges without feeling any need to conform or limit our self-expression. We then find that the power of combustion can be equally relevant when applied in devotional release to a higher ideal. |
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NOBILITY
Leo 21 – 25 Sufism teaches us of two attitudes of activity and it takes great sensitivity of intuition to recognise which of these two attitudes to employ. The one, Rasul, is easy and flowing, where it is entirely appropriate to do exactly what we feel we want to do, so that the truly creative message of who we are is expressed and developed. The other, Abdullah, is a challenge – when the right thing is not at all comfortable; we are fundamentally tested, and by working with limitation we grow in stature and add depth of character. In other words, there are times when the task in hand must be confronted and overcome, and times when it is better for all concerned for us to relax and let it all flow – when involvement is tantamount to interference. This is no small matter. It is an enlightened being who always knows when to act, and when to refrain from action. If we choose to act, then we act with full intention and the expectation of good outcomes. No lack of courage is shown, no absence of clarity – heart and mind are in alignment and completely committed to see the matter to its conclusion. Through this is developed nobility of being, a quality that earns and commands respect. People are inherently drawn to one who has dignified their life through the constancy of their appropriateness both to act and to exercise restraint. |
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RELEASE - CULTURAL IMPLICATIONS
To gain freedom we must find a way to let go of emotional neediness. This is a truly formidable task and separates the many from the few. Most seekers approach the path without sufficient diligence and commitment, almost as an entertainment; yet of course it is exactly the opposite of that. It is confusing, dangerous and difficult and we must lose all of our attachments to the comforts of society including acceptance and approval. |
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OPTIMISM
Leo 26 – 30 It is a central aspect of being human that we can make things out of thoughts. When these are divinely-inspired ideas, then the fruits of our enthusiasm are easily and abundantly made real in the physical realm. Thus does spirit become matter – through the agency of inspiration operating with dexterity and creativity. We are guided by optimism to see the bigger picture – that when we trust in life, and trust in ourselves, we can look for, and expect, outcomes that sparkle and shine. There is no need for us to accept less than enough, to put up with a compromised version of our lives – this is the application and result of pessimism. From an expanded perception of life, all things have their place and time, and nothing is inappropriate – although a more blinkered outlook cannot see this. Pessimism is blinkered; it creates difficulties, and interprets challenges as problems rather than opportunities for growth. It is always helpful to look for the best in any person or situation – such an approach is a creative force for the good and transforms darkness into light, lesser into greater. We know we are good and deserving and we feel capable of rendering that into our life circumstances. The radiance of such confidence inspires others to do the same so that an energy vortex of spiralling trust in life is presented to the world. |
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RELEASE - INDIVIDUAL IMPLICATIONS
The path is a journey of struggle and surrender, first one then the other in a never-ending cycle of reversals. We must spend half of our time making claims and perhaps feeling a little important to have created a personal masterpiece, then the other half releasing our grasp - on things, on ideas, on self-love and on the security of limitation, in order to feel the grandeur of participation in the real Masterpiece, to quote Leonard Cohen. To feel humbled by our pride is no more appropriate than to feel pride in our humility - both can be seen as silly by the one who is in wonder on the shores of realisation gazing out at the oceanic vastness of Manifestation, tickled pink to be a speck of dust in it all. |