saturn in leo and the "fixed" signs

this weekend i went to see the movie "Lord of War" starring Nicolas Cage. serious movie, very intelligent. i highly recommend it.

when the movie began the opening production company credits included saturn pictures which i guess helped produce this film.

i'd never seen this production company before. i guess its a sign of the times, now that saturn is in leo for 2 yrs. leo rules all sorts of thespian endeavors, actors of stage, tv, and screen are all covered until leo's rulership. although california is a virgo, hollywood, according to most astrologers, is definitely all leo, much to virgo california's chagrin.

the acting ability of those endowed with leo energy is legendary. people with lots of leo energy are dramatic in their communication style, and like movie stars, expect the floodlights always to be pointed at them, no matter what environment--family, career, friends, etc.

leo is all about chisling the individual out from the crowd. focusing on EGO, leo energy enhances our experiences with developing our own self-love, self-esteem, and selfishness. it is a necessary energy that everyone experiences at some time during their teens--you feel invincible, like your shit don't stink, that you're just better than everyone else, and deserve the "lion's share" of compliments, attention, and stroking from others. you "deserve" more, not because you've earned it, but because you really believe you're just better.

this feeling of entitlement is sometimes pronounced in actors and musicians. madonna is a good example of sun in leo energy. her belief in herself gave her the courage to focus on stardom, seeing only her good parts, she was able to overcome rampant criticism of her art to become an iconic pop music star. however, like all leos, madonna's sometimes overinflated ego also convinced her that she was academy-award material, as she went on to star in many films that were completely trashed by critics. still, leo energy is necessary, just like the energies of all 12 signs--used wisely and in moderation, it can get you far. pushed too far and foolishness or disaster can manifest.

like the teenager it represents, leo energy likes to have FUN! anything involving entertainment that results in fun is leo territory. fun, good times, 'dancing in the streets' parties--all leo. david lee roth, another famous sun in leo singer embodies this sort of "party" attitude--roth doesn't sing songs that make you want to cry--with him, its all about having a good time.

and that's why the saturn in leo transit is interesting. saturn is all about squashing fun. duty, drudgery, routine--saturn is conservative, old school. saturn is father time, and the restrictions that the dimension of time places on people, their relationships, and environment. saturn is a wet blanket for sure.

but saturn isn't just about misery, per say, its about learning the lessons necessary for improvement and survival. saturn is the professor you hated in high school or college--the one who gave extra homework, too many exams, never smiled, and wore the same gray suit everyday for the whole semester. you hated him, but admit years later that you learned more from that class than all the others combined--the challenges provided ended up benefitting you whether you wanted it or not. saturn places the steel bar in backbones, provides the naked truth in all its ugliness.

when saturn and leo combine, and helped along by another aspect, like uranus in pisces, you get the week of CNN's Katrina coverage we just had--all the misery, suffering, and ugliness [saturn] broadcast in dramatic fashion [leo] for all the world to see, courtesy of a failure of technology [uranus] and erosion of boundaries which caused the intense flooding [pisces]. the powerful images on CNN, FOX, MSNBC, etc caused dramatic reaction from the public.

and now where are we? we're learning heavy lessons about our security, disaster response, social inequities, racism--and if we really do learn these lessons, we'll all be better off for it in the end.

another aspect of leo is that it's a 'fixed' sign. one of 4 in the zodiac. taurus, scorpio, and aquarius along with leo make up the 'fixed organizer' square. fixed-organization is one of three modalities in the zodiac, the other two being cardinal-leaders and mutable-communicators. modality is the form an energy takes--does it take charge like a cardinal aries? disseminate ideas like a mutable pisces? or consistently perservere like a taurus? each of the fixed signs applies the energy differently--taurus for mundane things, scorpio for fermenting emotions and desires, aquarius for consistently pushing the future, and leo for bold consistent inspiration.

fixed energy is also referred to as "coiled" energy. like a loaded spring, fixed energy remains dormant most of the time. when called upon, its concentrated energy is released. the energy is not sustainable for long periods, and the spring must be reloaded to act again. fixed energy spends alot of its time just "being" itself. fixed energy is potent, but slow. it needs "buildup time" and never acts or reacts impulsively. every quality has two sides. those with fixed energy in their charts can be perservering--seeing things thru that others give up on. but this same quality can also become incredible stubbornness and avoidance of change. people with fixed energy can become stuck in a rut of their making. it may be a comfortable rut, but it stops the person from changing themselves for the better.

fixed energy is also related to a person's will. taurus, scorpio, leo and aquarius energy all contains tremendous will, and "won't" power. again, some things need tremendous will [or won't] power to be accomplished, but a tremendous will [or won't] power can also prevent these natives from doing things that are actually good for them. no one can make these sorts do anything they don't want to do. they cannot be coerced, charmed, pushed, if they do take action, it has to be because they will it to be so.

saturn causes actions to take place. it is an 'irrisistable force' sort of, and pushes and pushes or corners or pulls whatever it is attached to thru a series of uncomfortable circumstances all in the name of learning lessons and producing necessary changes.

the fixed sign dilemma is knowing when to "hold 'em" and when to "fold 'em". when to become flexible and invite change [as scary as it can be], and when to hold fast and dig heels in to wait it out. fixed types who refuse to acknowledge this and use it to their betterment are in for some poisonous karma. fixed sign experiences can produce the worst and most long lasting bad karma, of all the modalities and signs. so if you have much energy in one of the four [taurus, scorpio, leo, aquarius] you should choose to use your stubborn streak wisely.

although leo is the main focus of saturn's transit, the other three fixed signs will be called to take part as well. all four fixed signs will be challenged, pushed, pulled along for the next 2 yrs, and with all that fixed energy, saturn certainly has its work cut out for it. watch for many leo-ish dramatic stuff to play out in the public spector over the next two years.

i wonder what film that saturn production company will produce next.