 Malvin Artley has been a practising astrologer for more than 10 years. He is an
accredited member of the American Federation of Astrologers.
Malvin is the author of Bodies of Fire: An Exploration of the Lesser Chakra System. He has authored numerous articles and was a member of the faculty of the University of the Seven Rays, a non-profit organization dedicated to the teaching of the Trans-Himalayan tradition as expressed through the books of Alice Bailey, Helena Blavatsky and others.
His primary focus over the past 25 years has been on the sciences as they express occultism and with bridging work between the two. His
special interests are the human subtle energy system and all
the chakras, or energy centres, physics and technology, astronomy and all
aspects of Chinese occultism. He has done extensive work with Chinese
astrology and the cycles they use and seeks to synthesize the great
Western and Oriental systems on such matters.
Malvin lives in Adelaide, South Australia. He also works in the engineering trades and sends out periodic emails about astrological happenings and developments. Click here to subscribe to Malvin's periodic letters.
|
|
Leo's Moon:
The Leo Solar Festival
Subtle Meanings of the Full Moon in Aquarius 2006
Malvin Artley, our regular esoteric commentator examines the subtle meaning of the Full Moon in Aquarius for 2006, the Leo Solar Festival. This Festival of Nations is Leo's Full Moon, as the Moon is full in the sign opposing the Sun. The full moon of Leo (full moon in Aquarius) takes place on the 9th of August at 10:55 AM GMT.
Greetings, my Friends!
It has been a most unusual winter here in Adelaide this year. Normally our wet season, it has been dry and not excessively cold, either. As is the norm these days, neither people nor even the weather can seem to decide how they want to be. The weather, however, simply reflects the prevailing trends of human consciousness. (What does that say for humanity at the moment, then?)
Because of the lack of aforementioned rain, I have had many occasions to observe the night sky this winter, which has been a real treat for me. I recall one night in particular when I was out walking. The air was crisp and clear and there were only scattered clouds to punctuate the otherwise crystal clarity of the night sky. As is the usual case, nature gives in symbols what we ask to receive in response to our quests in life. This particular night was to be no exception. To say there has been a difficult energy in the world since the beginning of June would be understating things a bit. Everyone I have spoken with has felt it. Because of that, I had been asking – 'putting things out to the universe', as we are fond of saying here – what my next steps in life were to be. As I walked down the now-quiet street at midnight and opened myself for an answer I happened to look up at my familiar friends in the heavens and paused. There, stretched out along the setting asterisms, was the constellation of Scorpius – magnificent, and not a little unsettling, given Scorpio's reputation for 'transformation' in life. At that instant a sudden moment of stillness and clarity dawned upon me, and I saw a very viable course clearly opened to me. How that would work out would become clear in the weeks to follow, but the answer to my query had been given. Nature and circumstances are good that way.
What place does Scorpio have in a Leo letter, you might ask? Not much per se, but with regard to what is happening in the world and the tone of the full moon figure this month, the symbolism for Scorpio figures quite prominently. It is also the sign that most often rules the minds of people born when the Sun is in Leo. Back in the Goodwill article I stated that my friends and I all felt that something was about to happen in the world. A couple of major earthquakes and a little war later, we can see that there have indeed been 'things afoot' with planetary energies. Recent discussions with a mentor of mine who is very much in the know about earth-energies have verified for my friends and I that what we had been feeling has indeed been true.
Cosmic Energy Waves
So, what has been happening, energy-wise? According to my sources there has been a greater than normal pull upon the Sun with a resultant increase in solar flare activity, physical and subtle. This, in turn, has affected the weather patterns and the movement of magma in the Earth's crust. The motion of the liquid portions of everything in the planet have been intensified and there is a generalized pressure that has pushed up a great amount of emotional energy in people. When we look at world events of late then we can perhaps see that what has just been described is true. The astrological corollary to this phenomenon is the Saturn/Neptune opposition that has been with us for some time, along with the now-defunct Saturn/Chiron opposition. We will speak more of the Saturn/Neptune opposition later in this letter, for it is a key element of the energies of this full moon.
Many people with whom I have spoken have related sensations of pain and pressure in their bodies over the past months. The most common sites for this are the base of the skull, the low back and the legs, along with swelling in the limbs. Sleep has been fitful for many and there has been a general sense of unease from June to now. The original forecast was for the increased solar forces to last only the month of June, but it shows no signs of easing. The 'flares' just mentioned are as much subtle as they are physical. It is the psychic component of the Sun's activity that concerns us, and not so much the physical aspects. The conflagration in the Middle East and the earthquakes of the past two months are but symbols in the universal for what is happening for each of us individually. Relationships of all types have been strained as well. It is simply difficult for people to live together these days unless the relationships were strong to begin with. We are all being purged. And what will be the result of this purging? Hopefully, the Light of the Soul will shine through more clearly and the 'air will be cleared'.
The Will to Illumine
The sign of Leo transmits this Light of the Soul, which is a reflected point of the Light Divine. It is said that in Leo that Light is focused and it eventually reveals a point-a point which is the most intense sort of self-awareness. Leo also gives the 'Will-to-Illumine', which is the driving urge to self-knowledge through experiment. Leo is also one of the most materialistic of the signs and it is the battleground between the material forces and the Forces of Light. The chief thing that every Leo type needs is an enforced self-discipline in order to achieve their objectives in life and to cause the 'inner glory' to shine. From their struggles, the Leo native comes to know innately that they are king of him/herself. The aspect of inner struggle is to be found quite marked in the dynamics of this full moon figure.
A good friend of mine was talking with me about affairs of the heart once and about the painful choices we all have to make around love at times. Leo is all about the heart and about love affairs. He said “There are two great streams of energy in this world that have to go hand-in-hand if one is to properly follow one's destiny in life and fulfill it. Those two energies are Love and Truth.” I must say I agree with him. In the heart of every Leo type beats the fiery passions of two worlds – the emotional and the spiritual. Therein lies the proving ground for the Leo. The emotional side craves after human love, possessions, power, prestige, etc. The spiritual side seeks to serve others. There is always a battle in Leo between the two sides until the truth of the life is learned. Every seeker after spiritual truth (for Leo also represents the Seeker, the human ego and its perfecting, and the human heart) must at some point discover two things
- the passion that drives them and which brings fulfillment and
- the truth of one's life, as painful or as joyful as that may be.
Once those things are known, then the path before the Seeker stands revealed. The Soul imprints us with the truth our lives prior to our birth. How often we seem to fail to see it! Once we know that truth, however, in its living in every moment we come to know the fullness of love. It is a painful and/or hollow life when we fail to live the Soul's design for us and honor the truth that gives our heart its rhythm and fills it with life. Soul-searching is the bread and butter of every Seeker and Leo brings on the crises that cause people to search for the soul of their being. In the end, Leo is the Disciple on the Path with all the trials, discipline, striving for one's highest truth and loving service to others that represents.
The Lion in the Lair
There is another side to Leo that is less than desirable, and which should be kept in mind as we look for the meaning in this full moon. It is said that Leo can be an extraordinarily negative sign. Sometimes the Leo type believes that all that is needed in order to affect change in life is simply to Be. There is then a refusal to take action or to change and the life can be unexpectedly futile as a result. In esoteric parlance, this scenario for the Leo type is known as 'The Lion in the Lair.' Leo is meant to lead, to rule and to unite, most especially. This cannot be done when the Lion is retired into the lair. The old Chinese saying 'By doing nothing, all things get done' is anathema to the Leo type. Leo is the most dynamic and vital of all the signs, being ruled by the Sun at all levels. It is a sign that inspires both self and others to action and leads by the very intensity of its Light. Such an energetic expression can hardly remain still or simply not act when great need arises. To retire into inaction is death for the Leo type. Service must be rendered. 'Taxes' must be paid. Inspiration must be found in life. The Soul must be roused into full expression. Such is the task before every Leo. One can be certain that any Leo who is treated with coldness, indifference and neglect by others is 'in the lair' and is being goaded by nature to stand up and be counted.
Life in this world necessitates the fulfilling of certain obligations (which we might call 'karma') and our work toward something higher than our personal lives. It is said that the force of Spirit is the strongest force in a person's life. All too often, though, we seem to be mired in the necessities of our karmic obligations more than we do the work of our spiritual selves. In the end, the two are actually one in the same, but we should perhaps be mindful of the old aphorism from the Bible to “Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's”. These days we all seem to be in a cycle of 'paying Caesar' rather than aspiring to something higher, but in the payment of our 'taxes' we find that we have indeed fulfilled the design of our Soul in some way. The discipline of imposed circumstance draws out the Soul (if we can keep the right attitude) and invites us to love and to taste the sweetness of Life through the release of control when our little selves try to impose outcomes on people and events. The true Lion's heart is one that has learned to search for the soul of all events no matter what they are or how difficult they might seem, to seek self-awareness when everyone else seeks to impose their own 'truths' on one's sense of self and then to stand in the midst of the fray and state clearly and without fear or hesitation; “Let other forms exist. I rule because I am.” and then, finally, to be able to say “I am That, and That I am.” To know and to fully manifest the true Self-that is the task before any Leo type. And, in this full moon we see the story of Leo fully set out before us. With that, let us see what the full moon figure brings to us.
In part 2 of this article, Malvin examines the astrological meanings and the way the planetary factors interact in this Full Moon Festival.
Go to Part 2 of The Leo Solar Festival, 2006.
 Malvin Artley is an accredited member of the American Federation of Astrologers. His primary focus over the past 25 years has been on the sciences as they express occultism and with bridging work between the two. His special interests in those fields are the human subtle energy system and all the chakras, or energy centres, physics and technology, astronomy and all aspects of Chinese occultism.
He sends out periodic emails about astrological happenings and developments. These letters are sent out as a gift and a service. If you wish to be added to or deleted from the mailing list please let me know. If you feel inspired to pass them on please do so, but do so without alteration or charge. They are sent to people of many persuasions, not just astrologers. Blessings. Click here to subscribe to Malvin's periodic letters.
|
| Forum | Postcards | Glossary | Links | Site Map
