Leo Rising – Joan Porte

Quintessential Leo Chart

I have a theory that people achieve fame in their lives because they have very sharply defined charts. They do not have any wishy-washy planets or aspects. On July 29, 1929, Jacqueline Bouvier was born with one hum-dinger of a pronounced chart.

With her South Node or karmic identifier in Scorpio in the first house she lived many lives addicted to drama, and passion – she saw the barriers of life – emotionally and sexually and insisted that they were there for her to break. Scorpios love living on the edge – and coming into life with this Scorpio memory, she was not interested in settling into a “normal” life.

Scorpio also sat on her first house, the house of personality. (Those dark glasses blocking out the world are a dead giveaway for someone who is trying to keep the prying world out – a very Scorpio trick.) Her life of intensity, life and death drama – and passion started with that South Node and Scorpio first house. In the eighth house, the one ironically linked to Scorpio was her Venus, the planet of love and Pluto, the planet of death and transformation. That she had a karmic relationship with her husband’s and they both ended with dramatic, Scorpio deaths was indicative of this placement. As I said, there was nothing wishy-washy about this chart at all.

Her need for money and security comes from her retrograded Saturn in the second house, the house of money and stability. Anyone with a retrograded Saturn has “daddy issues” – and she adored her wayward, womanizing father and we can say – married him twice. She needed old men with money to fill that retrograde.

With her North Node in Taurus – her goal in this life was to find inner peace and stability that I would argue she did at the end of the life – of course, with the help of her second husband’s millions but she did get there.

Jupiter on the MOVE

On July 16, that enormous planet Jupiter that is astrologically the sign of expansion and growth is moving out of Cancer, the uber Mommy constellation, into the fire sign of Leo, the sign of creativity and self-expression. What a great time! Think of it – we are combining the sign of seemingly never ending growth and discovery with the fiery Leo energy. We should all be running around working on making our most creative impact!

A wee bit of caveat here folks. When I began my study of Astrology, many people thought that Jupiter was the most beneficent sign in the Zodiac – it could bring no shadow. However, all of that expansion – all of the bigness – does have a downside. When Jupiter was transiting my sixth house, the house of health, I was as sick as a dog. I even have a good friend who was born with Jupiter in the sixth and she gets every weird illness going and gets it longer and worse than anyone else. It is a classic case of too much of a good thing.

Jupiter rules Sagittarius, a fire sign, and it is now transiting a fire sign constellation – so there is a danger of too much, “me first, you later energy,” where every way is emoting and no one is listening. Leo starts her journey in the ninth house – the house she naturally vibrates too – and in conjunction with the Sun (ruled by Leo.) The ninth is the house of foreign affairs – so hold onto your hats – that arena will get even goofier in the weeks to come.

As always, please remember we can use this energy for benefit too. Be creative, make those contacts, work on that book, paint that scenery, – go the extra mile to make the world a prettier, more creative place!

Chris Christie

Since “Bridge-gate,” a couple of people have asked me to look at the birth chart of Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey. That sent me a on a search for his birth time which alas seems not to be made public. Without that little fact, it is hard to draw an accurate chart. However, we can get some information, such as his South Node.

Christie was born with a South Node, his past life indicator, in Aquarius. Aquarians are very difficult to pinpoint – they love being the rebel, love-bucking authority. Most unusual about the Aquarian personality is that they truly do love humanity but individual people bug them. There is a bit of exclusivity that surrounds the Aquarian personality – a standoffishness. They want to help humanity just not be a part of it. (We see Aquarius rising President Obama demonstrate that too well.)

Christie’s South Node is conjunct a retrograded Saturn. Saturn turned backwards on the node is a screaming alert that he had issues with his father in the past –and possible in his current life – and real issues with authority. The pugnacious Christie exemplifies these qualities very well.

However, it was those qualities that made him buck the current Republican mantra of “do not interact, touch or in any way get near that President” to seek Federal aid for his State after Hurricane Sandy. His actions clearly stated his Aquarian desire to help his people despite the demands to do otherwise by Party leaders.

With his North Node – his current soul’s path – in Leo, Christie needs to learn in this lifetime to get into his heart. Aquarians are great at theory but feeling real emotion is their Achilles heel. Did he know about “Bridge-gate?” I cannot imagine how an intelligent, engaged Governor could be in a fog about something like that for four days. Does that really pass the test of reality? The saddest part of that for him astrologically is that by at-least appearing to be the pugnacious rebel, whether he was involved or not, he was not moving in a forward motion to Leo.

It would have been so easy to build on the great success he had with Sandy and become the efficient, caring, and feeling Governor. It also would have helped him politically to appeal to the middle left.

That South Node is tough, especially when we have a retrograded planet so close to it. To paraphrase the movie line, it keeps dragging us back down.

Diana Nyad – a Lion in the Water

I HAD to do this chart today! Diana Nyad, who at 64 years old has successfully reached the Florida shore on her fifth attempt to swim from Cuba to Key West. I have been trying to find her birth time but that doesn’t seem to be public information however, we do know that she was born on August 22, 1949 in New York City and while her rising sign, which is contingent on knowing the time of birth, is unknown there is a lot to be gleaned from her chart. The thing that is cracking me up totally right now is that she was born with a South Node conjuncting the planet Neptune, God of the Sea! While there is absolutely no astrological correlation between past lives linked to Neptune and swimming ability it does make me smile. All you need to know about this gutsy woman can be found in the stellium of Sun, Pluto, and Juno all in the fixed fire sign of Leo with her Leo Moon hanging on close-by. Signs fall into three categories, the fixed signs that are the stubborn folks, the mutables who are the go along and get along people and the cardinal signs – the leaders. She has her Sun, her Juno (the goddess of loyalty), her Moon and Pluto all clustered together Leo – which as I said is not only fixed but fire! Nothing was going to stop that determination especially with Pluto the planet of transformation and change kept her glued to that goal with determination. What do I mean by fire? Well, again the signs fall into categories, the water signs are emotional, spiritual and deep, the earth signs are sturdy and stable, air are mercurial and intelligent and fire people are seeking prominence – they have to make an impact. Diana is all fixed fire! If that wasn’t enough fuel for her, check out her Saturn, Pallas conjunction. Saturn is the task master, the planet of “doing things right and following the rules.” When it is combined with Pallas Athena, the androgynous warrior goddess a person has a “pit-bull mentality.” Her North Node, where her soul is intending to go in this lifetime, is in Aries, the uber-determined, cardinal and yes, fire, signs. It is ruled by Mars which in her case is in Cancer – another cardinal sign. No matter her chosen career she would have exceled and exceeded. So congratulations Diana – you certainly used your planetary “gifts” to the maximum today!!

The Tale of Two Leo Presidents

Two recent Presidents were born under the Sun Sign of Leo. But just to show you how little the Sun Sign means to a full chart analysis let’s look at these two men, President Clinton and President Obama to see how that Leo energy manifests in their chart.

First, President Clinton whose birthday is later this week. His Leo Sun is in the eleventh house, the house of group and social interactions – well yes, he does excel at that, don’t you think? However, look at his first house, the house of personality. It is opened by Libra – the sign that demands interaction with other people – it is a people sign and Libra rising people can even exhibit co-dependent traits. Libra loves human interaction! Mars right on the ascendant! Holy Cow – the god of war – the raw energy of Mars also in the sign of “other” – and one degree away from his rising sign. I have to make myself heard and seen not only in a crowd but to everyone. Love me please, love me! (Chiron also in the first, the wounded warrior shows how much he really needs to be love and accepted by others.)

Neptune sits on Mars – well you know Neptune – the obfuscater – that helps that President well shall we say distort his version of things from time to time! Adding Venus to the mix – the goddess of love and romance – oh let’s not rehash that. You get the picture.

All in all he has a stellium – more than 5 planets and asteroids in Libra in or bordering the first house. Even if his talent was in shoe sales and not politics he would be the town’s best known, most affable and most avuncular show salesman. He can’t help it. Is a a person who needs people.

President Obama, also a Leo Sun, has a vastly different first house. His rising sign is not people loving, people needing Libra, but aloof and cool Aquarius. Aquarius loves all Mankind but he isn’t too interested in getting down and dirty with people every day – he feels your pain but doesn’t want to learn too much about it. Where Libra is all about other – Aquarius is a very cerebral, very detached sign – they are smarter than the average bear – know what needs to be done and expect everyone to just do it without any fuss or muss.

His Sun is in the 6th house the house of work and service. So he firmly believes if he keeps his head down and keeps working the noise will dissipate. Unfortunately, the noise of opposition is too determined to just go away but since they are illogical to the Aquarius mind he just doesn’t imagine that he has to address them as serious.

President Obama’s South Node is in the first house – and like Clinton, the Chiron, wound issue. (I wonder how many people who carry a deep wound in the first turn to politics for acceptance?) So he is carrying a lot of deep issues inside him that are just below the surface – which again translate to caution.

To Leo’s – two Presidents – vastly different men!

The Astrology of Lobsters – Part 2 – The Real Lobsters….

Courtesy of Arlene Weinstock

So I am up in Maine making my annual escape from the Virginia heat and I am trying to think of a blog entry. Maine is conducive to many things including deep introspection but for some reason my imagination is failing me…. what to write what to write? My mind wanders. I had a lobster Cobb salad last night – very yummy. Lobster – that is it – I will write the Astrology of Lobsters. Now that is silly, Joan, I hear my subconscious saying. How can you know the exact day and time that lobsters came into being on Earth? I can’t of course but I when in doubt – heck, make things up. It works for the news media, why not me?

So with the help of Wikipedia I present to you the real Astrology of lobsters. “Lobsters…have blue blood due to the presence of haemocyanin, which contains copper.” Blue blood? They must have Leo rising. After all, Leo is the king – the ruling lion of the Zodiac. Think about it – even though they often wind up on our dinner plates, they do demand a king’s ransom before allowing us to eat them. There is nothing cheap and tawdry about them. How Leo of them. Besides, how do you think they got that big claw? It had to be from preening their shells!

Again thanks to Wiki I learned that, “Recent research suggests that lobsters may not slow down, weaken, or lose fertility with age. In fact, older lobsters are more fertile than younger lobsters. This longevity may be due to telomerase, an enzyme that repairs DNA sequences of the form “TTAGGG.”
A ha – they must have Venus in Aries! Aries is the masculine, fire sign – if you want an aggressive lover find an Aries. Go Lobsters.

As for Moon sign – I have to go with Pisces. After all, for all of their airs, they do wind up on your platter more often than not, a martyr to Man’s insatiable appetite. They might even jump into the traps to save another – cuter – species – now that would be a very Piscean move.

So the next time you are pouring butter over one of these crustacean friends, remember his Leo and give him due homage, remember his Aries and keep the antacid close by in case his fire burns in your stomach and don’t forget to thank him for his sacrifice.

Gotta go – there is a new restaurant on Goose Rocks Beach that has oven roasted lobster on their menu. I can’t miss that.

Trapped in the Lion’s Den

You know that old adage, “the shoemaker’s child has no shoes?” Well sometimes the astrologer doesn’t use astrology!

Once a month three friends of mine meet for Saturday breakfast to discuss books of a spiritual or metaphysical nature. It is a great social and educational activity which we have been at for almost two years. The members of the little group are M, a beautiful Libra Sun – Leo rising healer who I would highly recommend to any of you interested in any form of energy work; C, a warm and wonderful Taurus Sun – Leo rising business and personal coach and D, a fascinating and fantastic double Gemini (Sun and rising) who is also an amazing coach. (Anyone looking to further their professional or personal goals needs to see these two. They do wondrous things!)

This month I brought another friend into the group. K is a very spiritual, deep and compassionate facilitator (and yes I would more than highly recommend her too.) She makes a great contribution to the group. However, as I sat around the breakfast table last Saturday I suddenly got a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. K is an Aquarius Sun but Leo rising. That makes three out of five people who are, in essence, Leos! Oh what was I thinking? To make my situation more dire, I was without D – my other rising air sign. D had some housing problems and couldn’t join us. It was just me, poor defenseless Scorpio Sun, Libra rising, against three lions!

Remember, your sun sign is inner force what makes you tick inside. For instance, my Scorpio Sun gives me a desire to get to the core of mysteries; it makes me basically secretive and private (no really.) It is a person’s rising sign, the sign on the Eastern horizon at birth, also called the ascendant that gives us the persona we project to the world. Sun is inner – ascendant is outer.

Leo is ruled by the Sun and vibrates to the 5th house, the house of creativity and the projection of creativity. Leo’s gravitate to the spotlight; they feel comfortable in the warmth and light of the Sun. In meetings past it was never uncommon for our two Leo rising ladies to spontaneously burst into song during breakfast. D and I, the two air sign rising people just sit back and thoroughly enjoy the show provided by our 5th house friends.

Because the rising sign is our persona, it often dictates how we physically look. You can always spot a Leo the Lion by their manes! I remember one meeting, C arrived with her hair looking as stunning as always but she ran into the bathroom, pulled out her dryer and curling iron and proceeded to work on it until it met with her satisfaction. Now I am thinking, geez, I don’t take a hair dryer to Europe no less down the street for breakfast. My entire line of hair “product” consists of a bottle of Vo5 shampoo which is on sale at CVS this week for $.77 a bottle. I got three bottles, thank you very much. My hair styling ritual consists of wash, towel dry; take three fingers plump the hair for 20 seconds or until boredom sets in, which usually wins, and walk out the door. Libra – air sign – hair flies in the air. Leo the Lion, mane must obey.

So I go around the table. Next to me is M, coifed to the core. Across the table C sits. Can I find one hair our of place? I would have a better chance finding a sane person in Congress. And there next to her sits our newest lion, K, her stunning mane pulled back and perfectly framing her face. Note to self: maybe I should find my brush one of these days.

Someone mentions Aquarius and the alleged “Age Of” and that is all it takes for the lions to revert to the 70s and begin to sing “The Dawning of the Age of Aquarius.” Ok, this is good. I like lion serenades. Then someone says the dreaded words. “Let’s dance.” Dance! Dance! I am air and water (and with a heavy amount of water as I have a Pisces Moon.) Dance! I have not one Earth sign in my chart. I fall down while asleep in bed. However, they are off. M finds her CD of “Hair” and now there are three dancing lions and one Libra rising wishing for her Gemini rising friend to come to her aid.

Ok now here is the battle the Sun and ascendant often play out in our bodies. Scorpio Sun is saying you can’t join in they would know the extent of your klutziness – another secret revealed. Libra rising is saying you are a natural leader* and you can’t lead in dancing so you can’t do it. One of the most overlooked explanations for the bizarreness of human nature is the conflict between Sun and rising signs. If someone is rather contradictory, if their actions can’t be understood easily, check those two signs. If they are vastly divergent, particularly if the Moon is in a contrasting sign, that person is going to be difficult to pin down and often won’t understand what makes them tick.

What made me think it was a good idea to put three lions together? They are dancing around the living room! So I grab my blackberry and text my AWOL Gemini rising compatriot saying basically forget your house, come rescue me!

Seriously, it was a wonderful time and K is a great addition to our group. I just have to pay more attention to those rising signs so we Air signs don’t get burned in the fire!

*Libra is one of the cardinal Signs. There are fixed, mutable and cardinal signs. Fixed gives someone tenacity, mutable more amenable to change and melding and cardinal likes to lead. Mutables are Gemini, Virgo, Pisces and Sagittarius. Fixed are Taurus, Leo, Capricorn and Scorpio. Cardinals are Aries, Libra, Cancer and Aquarius