ON THE FULL MOON IN LEO
On February 5th at 11:28 (MT) the Full Moon takes place at 16 degrees of Leo. As stated last month, The Star, the card of Aquarius, can be seen as a higher manifestation of Strength, the card of Leo. Both cards, in the the Rider Waite Smith (RWS) and many other decks and traditions, feature maidens on them. The maiden on The Star is nude, balancing between land and water, pour water from two jugs. The maiden on the Strength card is wearing a white gown with flower garland draped around her waist and encircling her head, above her head there is an infinity sign or lemniscate.
Strength is the card of Leo, the sign of the lion, because the maiden on the card is said to be “taming” the red-orange lion on the card, with one hand on either side of the lions head. Rather than the dramatic lion taming you might have seen at a circus, the maidens face is placid and the lion appears docile, as if he is putty in her hands. Strength being represented by a woman means that it represents something other than penetrating, masculine, brute force.
The maiden of the Strength card’s white gown resembles the robe of the Angel of the Temperance card. Where the Angel’s head is encircled by a heavenly light, the maiden of Strength’s head is encircled by earthy flowers. Much in the way that the Angel combines and balances the waters in the chalices, Strength represents a balance and mixing of the forces between the maiden and the lion.
If you’ve ever tried to do yoga, you know that balance requires an immense amount of Strength. Yogis may not look like the classic idea of a Western Muscle Man, but they could certainly beat a bodybuilder at in a competition of balancing, whether on one hand or one foot. This kind of balance is the type of strength represented by the Strength card.
Temperance is the card of fellow fire sign Sagittarius, therefore both Temperance and Strength can bee seen as a conservation of that physical, fiery energy. As Aquarius is an air sign, thus The Star more closely represents a mental fortitude (Strength is also called “Force” or “Fortitude” in some decks) as the air signs, represented by the sword suit, relate to mental activity.
As discussed two weeks ago, The Star cards most immediate meaning is that of “hope” coming after the crushing defeat of The Tower. Hope in the face of defeat takes immense strength, thus The Star represents a sort of mental calmness like equanimity. Equanimity is said to be a more appropriate goal of mental health counseling rather than the goal of “happiness.” One cannot be happy ALL of the time, its not a realistic goal. Equanimity is embracing all emotions and meeting them with calmness. The waters of The Star flow freely and endlessly, rather than having to be conserved and contained like the waters of Temperance. The Star greets all the emotions (often represented by the cups cards or water) and let’s them flow through her.
In an interesting twist, the hermetic title of the Strength card is “Daughter of the Flaming Sword.” If swords represent ideas, then a flaming sword (elemental fire + elemental air) represents and idea so powerful you do not let go of it. The earthy maiden of the Strength card is sometimes compared to the imagery and archetype of Virgo. Virgo season corresponds to sowing season and thus we can think of the “flaming sword” as a seed we plant at the end of summer that sleeps under the soil for winter and germinates at the beginning of spring.
Leo and Aquarius are two of the four fixed signs, representing the height of their respective seasons. Cardinal signs, following the equinoxes and solstices represent the beginning of new seasons, where as Mutable signs precede and prelude these seasonal shifts. Fixed signs hold steady, and represent the most concentrated energy of their respective season. Therefore, Leo corresponds to the height of Summer (in the Northern Hemisphere) where as Aquarius represents the height of winter.
This relation can also be seen in their traditional ruling planets. Leo is ruled by the radiant and powerful Sun, which gives birth and sustains all life on our planet; Aquarius is ruled by the cold and distant Saturn (the furthest of the traditional planets) as its season is in the coldest part of the winter. We know now that our sun is just another star in an immense, inconceivably huge universe, but to the ancients the Sun differed from the fixed stars. The Sun appears to move through the zodiac, and is obviously closer, warmer and gives more light than the frigid realm of the fixed stars, which reside in the firmament (represented by The Star), which is beyond that of even the distant sphere of Saturn.
Strength and The Star represent having the wisdom to know when to hold on to an idea and when to let it go. The fixed signs ask us to consider if we are directing our will or letting our will direct us. It asks us to consider subtle difference between being willful and stubborn. Are you holding on to ideas that will germinate, blossom and be fruitful in the seasons to come? Or are you holding onto ideas that will inevitably lead to ruin (à la the Tower)? Are the ideas and emotions you are attached to worth holding on to?