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Posts Tagged Leo

It’s Time to Find the Jewel

Mar 3

Posted by Ellen in Introduction to Astrology for Business, Mars in Leo, Retrograde Motion, What to do now | No Comments

Hello, everyone.

Next week, on March 10, Mars resumes direct motion.  Let’s review where we are so we can take full advantage of these last few days of retrograde motion.  Many people feel they are standing still right now, and it’s true.  When a planet is coming close to changing direction it does move very, very slowly through the zodiac in the days just before its reversal.

Was that gold?

Gold on Quartz “The Dragon” (Wikimedia Commons)

Gold on Quartz “The Dragon” (Wikimedia Commons)

We’ve conceptualized retrograde motion as a hiker who has covered a certain portion of a trail, but then stops, turns around, and walks back to a certain point.  Then she stops again, turns around, and moves forward again.  Why did she stop and turn around in the first place?  What was it she missed the first time that made her want to retrace her steps? 

Perhaps she saw something shiny and intriguing but then dismissed the thought:  oh, it was probably just some Fool’s Gold.  But as she walks on it starts to bother her.  What if it was real gold, or a diamond shining in the soil? So she goes back for a closer inspection.

Right now, a few days before Mars turns direct, is like our hiker just reaching the point she headed back to.  She is slowing down because she is nearing her destination.  She’s looking for that shiny object.  Can she find it again?  If she does, what will she discover?

A Second Chance

In the days before a planet turns direct, it’s important to ask these questions.  Mars has returned to the very beginning of the sign of Leo.  It’s like we’re being given a second chance, a chance to start over on some creative project we had in mind last October.  This project may have been stalled since December, but soon the energy will move.  Have we learned what we needed to learn?  Have we uncovered the missing clue?  Have we gained wisdom?  Are we more ready to face the challenges of self-expression that are the mission of Mars in Leo?

In these last few days of stillness, look around, listen, observe your instinctual responses and what is drawing your interest naturally.  These few days are loaded with opportunities for insight.  They are packed with possibilities if we can uncover them.  Whether you notice something bright and shiny or something more subtle, we have come back here to this point for a reason.  Now is the time of discovery.  Now is the fertile opening, the pause filled with potential.

When Mars resumes direct motion, our business lives will gradually become more and more busy and we will forget the stillness of this time.  So in these last few days, let’s find the jewel, the gift of this waiting period so it’s in our backpack when we move forward again.

Here are some earlier posts about Mars in Leo.  Reading them may reveal what you are looking for, or where you should be looking.  As you find the gems, share them in the comments with all of us.

Mars in Leo

Let Your Light Shine

The Creativity of Business

4 Ways to Benefit from Mars Retrograde

Life doesn’t stand still – how to work with Retrograde Mars

Retracing Your Steps – Retrograde Motion

Are You Stalled?

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The Creativity of Business

Oct 22

Posted by Ellen in Current Events, Introduction to Astrology for Business, Mars in Leo, The Planets, What to do now | 2 Comments

Hi, everyone.

For many years I didn’t link the word “creativity” with the word “business”.  I had creativity firmly in one camp, meaning all those activities that my artist friends engaged in – writing, painting, clay, film, music.  And business was what I engaged in – operations, management, accounting, marketing, training, mentoring, planning. 

As someone with many planets in the house of creative self-expression in my horoscope, I kept waiting for the time I would be able to express my creativity, whatever it was!  I knew it must be there because my horoscope said it was, but I thought it must be waiting for sometime in the future to reveal itself.Celestia_sun

When planets are in Leo I think a lot about creative self-expression, because Leo is the sign of letting our own light shine, exhibiting our own talents and unique place in the world.  It is also a sign of perseverance, of not giving up, of retaining enough confidence in our ability to achieve our goals that we keep applying our energy to the task.

Now I’m looking back on my long years in business and my present efforts to start anew after a ten-year hiatus immersing myself in my spiritual life.  From this vantage point I recognize the immense creativity that is required of any business person in any field.

Just thinking about my current clients I can see how each day they bring their full creative selves to their businesses.  I think about one client who is a Real Estate Broker, how she constantly must think of new and creative ways to market her inventory, especially in this environment.  Or another client who, after years as a nurse, is embarking on realizing her dream of starting a sustainable farm.  The hot-dog vendor who expanded her business into a thriving delicatessen.  The physical therapist transitioning her business to teaching and writing.

In fact, I had a client tell me the other day that she had spoken to an astrologer who had admonished her for not pursuing a more creative career.  As a successful businesswoman in a major industry she said to me, “What made him think there isn’t creativity in developing teams, and strategies, and business plans, and in figuring out how to remodel organizations?”

All of these are creative acts.  And acts of courage, which is hand in hand with creativity and another aspect of the sign of Leo.

In astrology the house that rules creativity is also the house of children:  children of the mind, children of the body, children of the soul.  For every business person, our business is like our child, an entity we created out of our own fervor and passion and that we constantly guide and protect as it grows.  It is our work of art, and we continually shepherd it through outer and inner cycles of change.

Creativity, courage, perseverance, inspiration – these are the qualities of any business person.  Let’s own our art – the art of risk-taking, innovation, recognizing opportunity, and developing talents in others.  The art of pursuing day after day our own vision of what can be.  The art of finance and honing our own field of knowledge.  The art of leadership.  The art of conversation and negotiation.  And all the myriad other creative acts that are part of our daily business lives.

Toot your own horn.  Let us all know in the comments section how you express your creativity in your business.

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Let Your Light Shine – Mars in Leo

Oct 21

Posted by Ellen in Current Events, Mars in Leo, The Planets, What to do now | 18 Comments

Apparent retrograde motion of Mars in 2003. (Source:Wikipedia)

Apparent retrograde motion of Mars in 2003. (Source:Wikipedia)

Hi, everyone.

After last week’s post on Mars in Leo, one of my readers asked me, why is Mars in Leo for so long, when it was only in Cancer for two months?

Mars’ orbit around the Sun takes two years, which leads us to think of an average of two months in each of the twelve signs of the zodiac.  But every two years, Mars spends 72 days in retrograde motion.  Retrograde motion occurs when, from our vantage point here on earth, a planet appears to move in the opposite direction from its normal path.

This retrograde motion plus the normal direct motion causes Mars to spend a considerably longer time in one sign every two years.  Last time Mars was in retrograde motion was in 2007 in the sign Cancer, this time it will be retrograde in Leo, and in 2011 it will be retrograde in Virgo.  So every two years we get to spend an extended period of time diving into the energy of Mars in each subsequent sign.

During this cycle, Mars will be in the sign of Leo from mid-October 2009 until the beginning of June 2010.  Then it will resume its shorter and less effective stays in each sign.  So let’s look a little deeper into the meaning of this cycle to ascertain how to best use the energies in our business.

Mars, the Warrior

Mars is the energy of desire and will.  Mars is that within us and within all of life that reaches out to take what we want.  As a pure energy it is not tempered by caring for others or societal expectations.  Every action of your day is infused by the energy of Mars, from the impulse to rise from bed in the morning, to leaving your desk for a cup of coffee, to putting energy into your latest project.

Mars has been likened to the young warrior, the member of the tribe who needs a challenge, needs a fight, needs a hunt in order to expend its energy in productive ways.  In our times it is the energy of the entrepreneur, the energy to start something, the virile push that takes action and makes things happen. 

In the best case scenario, when Mars is in Leo, the young warrior has matured and become the king.  The impulsivity and action for action’s sake has been tempered by nobility of purpose and caring for others.  In our business lives, this may translate into young warriors of either sex moving into leadership positions, which they hold with dignity.

The other end of the spectrum may also exhibit itself.  This is the young warrior plotting to usurp the throne before he/she has the wisdom to handle the position well.  Mars in a fire sign, Leo, can indicate a fairly ruthless climbing and striving to overthrow the established authority.

This will lead to a heightened competitive atmosphere that will be with us for the next eight months.  How will you handle it?  As the wise and benevolent monarch who rules because of his innate poise and self-esteem or as the young warrior trying to prove his right to the throne?

With Mars in Leo, nothing will be done in the dark.  The spirited drives from the warrior elements around us are not underhanded; all of the actions are out in the light.  So as long as we are paying attention and noticing what is going on around us, it’s not easy to be fooled.

The Warrior in You

And of course, the warrior energy may be coming from you!  We will all feel the influence of Mars in Leo.  It will be more comfortable for some and less comfortable for others.  Some of us, especially those with their natal Mars in Fire or Air Signs, like to take on challenges, whether from within or without.  Others of us, those with our natal Mars in Earth or Water Signs, prefer a more passive or more relational arena for action.  (If you don’t know what sign your natal Mars is in, see the sidebar to request your chart.)

It’s worthwhile for all of us to at least try to take up the energy of Mars in Leo, especially since it will be with us for so long.  It will be the modus operandi for the activity around us, so we should try taking up the torch.  What is the torch when Mars is in Leo?  Making our own light shine with dignity and strength.  Leading with steadiness and authority.  Throwing ourselves into creative activities.  Securing and enjoying the limelight.  Harnessing the power to move ourselves to the top of our field of endeavor.

Some Goals and Objectives

Take some time to set a few goals and objectives that will help you take advantage of this cycle.  Some examples may be:

  • I will enter my design into the regional competition
  • I will take a course in Leadership
  • I will pick an up-and-coming employee and promote and mentor her
  • I will undertake a project that will push me into the limelight
  • I will toot my own horn, knowing that my competitors are tooting theirs too

Enjoy this cycle.  I look forward to hearing from you as we all learn to take advantage of this energy of Mars in Leo.  Let’s inspire each other by listing a goal we’re setting in the comments section.  Let’s see – mine is:  I will look for an opportunity for an article I write to be featured on someone else’s blog.

What’s yours?

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Mars in Leo

Oct 16

Posted by Ellen in Mars in Leo, The Planets, What to do now | 4 Comments

AUDIO VERSION:  Mars in Leo

 

Hello, everyone.

Today, the warrior planet, Mars, enters the sign of Leo, leaving the sign of Cancer where it’s been since late August.  Mars will remain in Leo until June 2010, spending some time in retrograde motion.  So we’ve got a good long time to learn how to work with its energy.

Tracking cycles

Let’s briefly revisit what we are tracking when we follow the planets through the signs.  We’re all familiar with the cycle of the Sun through the signs; we call it the seasons: Spring, the season of renewal; Summer the season of growth; Autumn the season of withering; and winter, when the life seems to die, only to be reborn in Spring.  We’re also generally aware of the “seasons” of the Moon, as it waxes to Full Moon and wanes back to New.

The planets also have their own seasons; we just don’t stay as consciously aware of them as we do the Sun and Moon.  However, they are operating and affecting everything in our lives.  Astrology is the study of bringing to our awareness these more subtle cycles and pointing out how these cycles are supporting our endeavors and how we can align ourselves with them.

250px-Lion_waiting_in_NambiaMars in Leo

So what can we expect now that Mars is moving into Leo?

Mars indicates the ability to take action, to assert our will, to accomplish our goals.  Mars represents ambition and the competitive nature.  It indicates how a person becomes inspired to act, and how or whether they are able to inspire others to act.    The strength of Mars in a chart shows the level of physical energy and the healthiest way to express that energy. 

Leo is a Fire sign and like all of the fire signs expresses heightened energy and enthusiasm.  The Fire signs are inspirational and they carry a forceful, ardent, and sometimes impulsive energy.  Leo’s fire tends to be controlled and steady, with more discipline than the other fire signs.  Leo knows what it wants and goes after it steadily and earnestly.

When Mars is in Leo our assertion of will power becomes focused and controlled.  We can access great courage and confidence which others recognize and are willing to follow.  Mars in Leo loves to lead and gives faithfully and generously to those who follow.  Mars in Leo is honest, direct, and fully dependable.

Sharing the Stage

The sign Leo is also creative and artistic, and loves to be on display.  Mars in this sign may incite us to competitions and overt displays of our talents.  Since Mars in the business chart indicates the second tier of leadership, your lieutenants may desire their own limelight and it would be a good time to share it with them.  The best creative initiatives may come from them and the rewards will be for all to enjoy.

The Yajur Veda is an ancient scripture of India.  I read a passage this morning that I thought expressed Mars in Leo, as well as a key to using this time well:

           

             O supreme Lord, you are full of fiery spirit.

            Give me fiery spirit.

            You are vigor; give me vigor.

            You are strength; give me strength.

            You are discipline; give me discipline.

            You are conquering might; give me conquering might. 

 

I’m sure you see the key:  discipline.  Mars in Leo has a natural sense of discipline.  What discipline is needed when Mars is in Leo? 

Mars in Leo hates to be wrong.  During this time we can become so fixed in our convictions and opinions that we can brook no opposition.  We’re certain we’re right!  When Mars is in Leo we need to remember humility and service, so our righteous passions and desires don’t become too overbearing to our employees and coworkers. 

Mars in Leo has a natural sense of dominion that is an assurance of success but if dominion becomes domination we will lose the loyalty of those we lead.  We must assert our authority as well as delegate authority to others.  We must share the stage and celebrate the achievements of others.  In this way we will stay in tune to the overall energies of the time.

Have a fantastic, fabulous, successful Mars in Leo cycle!

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The Zodiac and the Business Life Cycle – Growth

Sep 9

Posted by Ellen in Astro4Business Basics, The Zodiac Signs for Business | 6 Comments

Business Life Cycle

Business Life Cycle

Today we’ll continue looking at the zodiac and the business life cycle.  In the last post we examined Aries, Taurus, and Gemini and the start-up phase of the business life cycle.  Today we’ll look at the next phase, the growth phase.

Cancer

At the Cancer stage, which corresponds to the solstice point in nature, we reach a major “make or break” point in the business cycle.  No longer in the start-up phase when we’re intent on fulfilling our own dreams, in order to grow our business  we have to begin to respond to the needs of our customers in order to generate additional revenue.  We may revise our original business plan based on feedback from our clients and customers to develop into areas that serve the customer and are profitable to us.  We may hire new employees to meet the demands of the business and this presents a major test in the business.  When employees begin to represent the business to others the business begins to develop a separate identity from the owner.  The Cancer qualities of receptivity, flexibility, and response to the needs of others are important at this stage.

Leo

In this phase we’ve made it through the first growth crisis and have arrived at the point where a more formal structure of leadership is needed to consolidate and perpetuate the growth of the business.  It is time for a leader, presumably the owner, to take charge and structure the business to deal with increased sales, customers, and employee issues.  With growth comes the challenge of steady profitability and at this stage there is a constant array of challenges bidding for time and money.  Effective leadership is critical to make decisions and stay on course.  In the Leo phase, the traits of courage, leadership and vision are important to pilot the business to success.

Virgo

At the Virgo stage the company needs to professionalize management and develop consistency, training, and customer service.  More administrative elements are necessary and more complex accounting and management systems need to be set up.  Leadership should focus on training and delegation to free them to plan and prepare for the expansion to come in the next phase.  Formal business analysis is necessary to make sure the business is on the right track and can sustain itself without hands-on guidance from the owners.  To increase efficiency, documentation of business processes, policies, and procedures is important at this stage.  The Virgo’s penchant for analysis, order, organization, and detail are critical to the business in this phase.

We’re now half way through the zodiac, and ready for the next transition in the business cycle.  In the next post we’ll take the next step and move into the expansion phase.

 

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