 Malvin Artley has been a practising astrologer for more than a decade. 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.
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Malvin Artley examines the esoteric meaning of the Full Moon in Aquarius for 2004. This is Leo's Full Moon, as the Moon is Full in the sign opposing the Sun. Malvin discusses the Divine Flames, the power of Leo and the beings of the Fire Mist, particularly in light of the upcoming Grand Quintile aspect. The Grand Quintile is a Venus aspect par excellence, so is relevant in the aftermath of the rare Venus Transit of June 2004.
Birthdays are always special days in a person’s life. Every year at the solar return (birthday), we are given a fresh perspective on our lives and a vision of things to come, if we know how and where to look. I just spent the weekend with several friends of mine over on the Yorke Peninsula (in South Australia) celebrating the birthday of one in our group. The weather was gorgeous, especially considering it was supposed to rain all weekend. In true Leo fashion, the Sun shone for us the entire time and we were able to get out and enjoy the beauty of nature surrounding us. Looking out over the cliffs and across the gulf the wind blew its greetings from the west. The salt air was a welcome change from the streets full of cars and the noise of the city.
There is nothing like the silence of nature to stir the Soul, and the communion with my friends was a blessed relief and change from the routine and busy-ness of recent weeks. As usual, the sea offered up its many delights to us, from simple walks on the beach, to the gentle lapping of the water on the shore, the birds flying about in their piscatorial pursuits and the occasional sightings of pods of dolphins. Then again, salt-and-pepper calamari from freshly caught squid never goes astray in a situation like ours, either—another of La Mer’s delights. In all, our Leo friend’s birthday was a great success and she felt suitably and rightly honored, as any Leo should have. And, we all felt privileged to have shared in such a great weekend with eachother in such a beautiful setting.
The first of August marks the next full moon, the festival of Leo for 2004. This full moon occurs at 4:06 Am AEST. I have called this festival “The Festival of Government” in the past, since Leo is so much equated with leadership and with governance.  It also marks a phase of the zodiac most noted for its emphasis on self-awareness, which can range anywhere from the most intense selfishness and narcissism on the one hand to the heights of self-sacrifice in the name of a cause on the other hand. There is some speculation that Jesus was a Leo, for instance. If so, his life would stand as a testament to the latter case, no pun intended.
Leo is loosely equated with the Chinese sign of the Horse, and it is said that there are more dictators born in Horse Years than in any other year. Whether dictator or public servant, royalty or commoner, the Leo type always seems to be at the center of their world and many times their world does revolve around them, whether they mean for it to be that way or not. Above all, Leo is a sign that confers synthesis and purpose, and it is this sense of purpose—coupled with a keen self-knowledge—that always puts the Leo at the forefront, no matter what walk of life in which they may find themselves. A Leo always knows where things are headed, at least in their own life, and they can make it pretty hard not to follow their lead, whether through sheer brilliance of insight or through pure brute force of will.
The Divine Flames
There are many fascinating aspects to this sign, many of which never get a mention in astrological literature, and we will cover some of them before we get into the planetary dynamics of this year’s Leo festival. To begin with, Leo rules a hierarchy of Lives called the “Divine Flames” or “Divine Lives”. This class of Lives has its abode on the plane (density) Adi, which is the most rarified plane of our physical solar system. The type of energy it confers or wields is known as Parashakti (Supreme Energy) and it is this energy that holds the key to all that we see in manifestation in our universe. It sets the tone for all existence in our local universe and it is the plane at which we finally merge with that mysterious state of being beyond all human comprehension called “God-consciousness”, or “Divine Consciousness”. Many readers will not be familiar with these terms, as they are from the Sanskrit and are thus of ancient origin, but the more esoterically inclined will know what is meant here. This plane “Adi” is also called the “Plane of the Fire Mist”, because it is formless. It is the plane from which is set the initial vibration in matter that causes all forms to take shape, for all forms are but vibrations in the fabric of space, as science is getting closer and closer to proving. I know this will mean but little to some readers, but the key words here are what are of main interest, since they form the subjective framework for the mundane expression of this most important sign: “God-consciousness”, Supreme Energy, Divine Lives, fire mist, “sets the tone”, etc. Perhaps we begin to see the subjective reason as to how this sign really gets its orthodox attributes.
The plane Adi has a correspondence and resonance with the highest level of every plane in our solar system. Hence, each plane is ruled by Leo, in a manner of speaking. The highest level of each material density (plane) sets the tone or key measure for that density and thus governs it. We looked at the abstract level of the mental plane in the last letter and the Uranian impact of that sub-plane upon all mental substance. The same analogy applies to every other plane. In the higher rulership of Leo (esoteric and hierarchical), the Sun stands as a veil for Neptune and Uranus. Therefore, the true esoteric ruler of Leo is Neptune, whereas the true hierarchical ruler of Leo is Uranus. The esotericist will know that Uranus rules the entirety of the physical plane (including the cosmic physical) and is the planet of occultism, unfolding the intellect and the spiritual will. Neptune is the planet that unfolds the mystical life and thus the sensitivity of one’s inner nature. With Leo, Uranus rules over these highest subplanes of each plane, particularly Adi, the mental and the physical, whereas Neptune governs more the evolution of sensitivity within the Leo subject, a point to be taken up directly, and consequently represents the “Heart of the Sun”—the astral nature and the Soul. We should note here that there are very many different ways of mapping out the correspondences between planets, signs, levels, centers, etc., and that each has its own validity within a certain framework. We simply need to be clear about what levels we are examining and which framework we are seeking to institute. All truth is relative.
Leo is ruled by the Sun, as has been stated. There are some fascinating considerations with the Sun and with stars in general that bear mention with regard to Leo. All stars are gigantic nuclear reactors, and all the natural light that we see around us comes from those great nuclear furnaces, either directly or indirectly. At the core of every star is a sea of fire. Science will say that sea of fire is caused by the nuclear fusion of hydrogen at the core of the star. In the larger stars, though, the pressure and temperature would be so immense that it would be doubtful that hydrogen would exist in its normal configurations. What would actually exist would be a soup of subatomic matter and what the esotericist would call “atomic matter”—matter that cannot be further reduced to smaller constituent parts. Science calls such particles neutrinos, according to current understanding. If one is familiar with occult chemistry and sub-atomic metaphysics, if I may be allowed to coin a term, then what we have in the core of stars is the stuff from which all matter is constructed, for in occult chemistry the neutrino is the basic building block of all that exists in physical form. This is the matter that constitutes the “fire mist”.
The Fire Mist
This fire mist has another very important function besides being the basic building block of the universe, though, because it is this type of matter that conveys the vitality upon which all life depends. To the Hindus it is prana. To the Chinese and other Orientals it is chi. To us it is simply vitality. No matter what we call it, without it all life ceases to exist, for the essence of this vitality, chi or prana is Life itself. Leo and neutrinos—now, there’s an interesting correspondence upon which to ponder!
Leo thus rules over the very fires of space, at least from our little perspective. From the greatest galaxies to the tiniest neutrino, Leo encompasses and synthesizes both. Perhaps a more apt description of Leo natives would be “Sons/Daughters of the Fire Mist”. So, we can add to the preceding key words the terms “vitality”, or “life-force”. Leo is said to have the greatest vitality of any sign of the Zodiac. It is most noticeable in the gaze, for the Leo gaze has a penetrating attentiveness and concentrative force. This comes through conscious use of this life-force from the solar fires. Leo is known for its shining countenance (aside from its prominent mane) and it is rare to see a Leo type (with either the Sun or the Ascendant in Leo) who does not light up a room and command attention. Whether the Leo type is conscious of this affect or not—and they almost always are—they always get noticed and they always draw people to them through their solar magnetism and the sheer life-force they exude. In the lower type of Leo this will be an overt grab for attention as they seek to form their unique sense of self through testing themselves against others, whereas in the higher type, people will be magnetically drawn to their self-assurance, their high spirits and pronounced sense of purpose. As well, it will be rare to find a Leo who feels no sense of purpose, either. Of course, “purpose” can be very self-serving or it can be high and noble. Leo encompasses both types and frequently both types will be seen in the same person.
In part two of this article, Malvin looks more deeply at the role of the Sign Leo, its relationship with the heart and leadership. The heart chakra lies at the mid-point of the ascending tantric cycle and the Sun, the planetary ruler of Leo, is the heart of the solar system and the ruler of the heart.
Read part two of The Festival of Government
 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.
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 Aries, the Ram
 Taurus, the Bull
 Gemini, the Twins
 Cancer, the Crab
 Leo, the Lion
 Virgo, the Virgin
 Libra, the Scales
 Scorpio, the Scorpion
 Sagittarius, the Archer
 Capricorn, the Sea Goat
 Aquarius, the Water Bearer
 Pisces, the Fishes
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