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Happy Birthday, Leo!!
July 23rd through August 22nd
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(Rebecca's Note: My forecasts for the signs for the coming year are based on what is called a "Solar Return." This is a chart cast at the moment each year when the Sun returns – hence the name – to the exact spot in the sky it occupied at the moment you were born, thus also the exact spot where the Sun is found in your natal chart. Because of this, an "astrological year" encompasses the time from birthday to birthday, NOT January 1 to January 1. Thus when I speak of "this year" in the following article, please be aware of the distinction. I am speaking of the "year" between your upcoming birthday in 1999 to your next birthday in 2000, not the calendar year 1999 only.)

Happy Birthday, Leo!! You are the birthday child this month!! When you get done admiring the elegant refreshments someone who knows you well has undoubtedly provided to celebrate the occasion, when you need a break from gathering in the compliments, the congratulations, and all the other admiring attentions of your friends, relatives and any passers-by you can attract into noticing you . . . and all the fuss and hubbub . . . pull up a comfortable chair and sit down for a minute. I promise to be suitably respectful here amid the festivities while we talk about your favorite subject in all the world . . .YOU!!

Well, maybe with good reason you feel this way. A Leo soul is an interesting expression of life – the true showman and star of the Zodiac, and like all good actors he has a personality for all occasions and he does play his roles so well. He can be a delightful mix of youthful exuberance, playfulness, enthusiasm and joy . . . like a real-life Peter Pan, the kid who refuses to grow up. He can be an inspiring leader . . . able to rally followers and inspire confidence with his own dramatic displays of courage and personal charisma. He can be the elegant, creative artist and performer who knows how to charm his audience and hold the spotlight of attention like a well-polished jewel in the palm of his hand.

He can fool all of the people some of the time, some of the people all of the time . . . and, in fact, is famous for wielding that talent. Indeed, on occasion, there is nothing so rousing as a true Leo on full display – even with all the pomp and ceremony aside, which it rarely is, if he gets his way. But he can also be insufferable, arrogant, temperamental, over-bearing, self-involved, pretentious . . . and patently ridiculous, when finally his own pride topples him and his fondness for the sensational, attention grabbing gestures sends him way over the top.

Leos! Sometimes you just gotta love 'em. Other times you just want to strangle them. They don't seem able to walk much of a middle ground, either. You're either on one polarity or the other . . . with a lot of no-man's-land in between. You can get whiplash changing sides.

Mostly, though, Leos know how to have fun. They enjoy playing the game of life, and they enjoying having others watch them do it. They know how to take a risk . . . and how to "bet it all" on one turn of the card, one spin of the wheel, one throw of the dice . . . and trust their renowned, phenomenal luck to somehow, somehow bring them out on top, winners all with a spring in their step and a happy tune to whistle on their way out the door with their pockets abulge with their winnings. No kidding, the Leos do know how to entertain . . . themselves and everyone else in the process.

And when it comes to romance . . . oooh, la, la . . . there is nothin' like a Leo with courtship on his mind (or her mind)!! When you have a Leo lover on the line . . . you are in for one first class adventure. Everyone should do it at least once. (I myself have done it three times now. I even married one of you. Most of the time, it was worth the aggravation.)

Life for the past few years has been . . . well . . . challenging for the Leos amongst us, a roller-coaster of turmoil and change . . . and upset and uncertainty . . . enough to take your breath away in some cases. Enough to make you run for cover in others. Certainly enough to satisfy even the most hard-core adrenaline junkies in the group. Witness the trials (literally) of our Esteemed President, a man with four of his ten personal placements in Leo . . . and you'll see what I mean.

As in that example, most of the "stuff" happening in Leo's life right now are the consequences of his own choices and – in some cases, his downright goofy behavior – but this doesn't mean it's been an easy time for these folks, or much fun either. Moreover, the circumstances are also such that the sympathy of others is in conspicuously short supply . . . which, for a sign that thrives on pampering, applause and attention, can be one of the worst "results" of the whole situation.

As for the year ahead (don't shoot the messenger now!) . . . well, the fact is, the "complications" for this sign aren't over by any means. Indeed, the later you are born in the sign, the more the "fun" is just beginning. If you are born early in the sign, you at least have a different set of "problems" to cope with this year . . . which may not be much comfort, I realize . . . because, like that famous rose, "problems" also by any other name . . . are still not what this fun-loving sign wants life to be about.

So, let's get on with it, now, and talk about the issues upcoming for the year.

For those born early in the sign (the late July birthdays), some of the turmoil and "unpredictability" of the last few years is moving out of your life finally, especially regarding the behavior of other people in your personal relationships. (Notice that I use the word "some." Your association with erratic and strangely undependable partners as the rule rather than the exception will continue for another three to five years, but unless some specific contact between Uranus, the metaphor which represents this, and a personal placement in your Natal chart occurs, this will mostly be reduced to the level of "background noise" . . . and may even reach the point where you decide "that's how life is now.")

The lesson of these past few years' experiences, by the way, has been aiming to teach you to operate more independently in your personal relationships, to give you more freedom of choice, and – interestingly – to show you some of the ways in which you, yourself, are difficult, remote, and inconsistent in your dealings with other people and the problems you've had with "keeping commitments" in your prior personal relationships.

The odd (and baffling and sometimes infuriating) thing about projected energy, which is what you've been experiencing in these recent episodes, is that it feels very foreign, very unlike us, very done to us by other people. The less attractive truth, however, is that when this happens, one part of our personality has become dissociated from another part in ways that threaten our entire personal integrity.

We need, therefore, to rebalance the situation, to re-own those qualities we've cast away and decided aren't part of us any more, and we will do this by provoking the less attractive qualities of the renegade "sub-personality" involved in the people we magnetize into relationships with us, and in the way we conduct ourselves and thus experience the people in our already-established relationships.

It's the discomfort of that conflict that will finally drive us to reintegrate those lost characteristics back into ourselves. We do, after all, pay attention to what inconveniences and upsets us. Sometimes it takes tactics like that to really claim our attention. (If somehow we resist, or if this dissociation becomes too much a theme in our personalities, we get to re-experience it as a lesson to work out in another life, according to the theories of Karmic astrologers. But since I can't prove that one way or the other, I won't go much into that here.)

In the last 3 years, the early born Leos have been working to reintegrate their need for personal independence in and through their close relationships. Therefore, they have been drawing themselves into situations with people who either wouldn't get "too close for comfort" . . . or they have been provoking that response in order to create some of the distance they themselves wanted and needed. Either way, the dynamic has been one that created very unstable, unpredictable, erratic, volatile relationships – even with partners of long standing.

What follows for the early born Leos this year is a "relationship crisis" of another sort. In fact, there are two such things to consider this year. The first of these will be most apparent in the lives (and relationships) of those Leos born in the first 5 days of the sign. Those Leos who are born later in July will meet this situation as much as 5 years from now. Clearly this is a very long term situation I am describing, which can take three years or more to completely clear itself out and restore some sense of stability and "normal life," and it can sometimes be extremely difficult to see and properly gauge its effects while it is going on.

The energies involved here are very peculiar, vague, easy to misunderstand and are in some ways actually associated with "insanity." By its very nature you will not see your role in this experience clearly or objectively . . . because you are dealing, among other things with your capacity for unrealistic idealization and self-delusion. Because of this, it might be wise to find yourself a competent therapist to help you through this process if you find your life becoming dysfunctional or paralyzed (and that is the word that applies here) by what I am about to describe.

The relationships (even relationships of long standing and considerable personal "history," as I have noted) that you draw into your experience at this time do tap into your deepest capacity for expressing unconditional love, self-sacrifice, idealism, and the offering of altruistic spiritual support. That is the "positive" side of what you are trying to give, be and experience. Unfortunately (especially for you), the lack of balance I've also mentioned is very likely to take over the situation and start running the show, almost without you knowing it.

Under this influence, you will find yourself (eventually, you may understand this, but probably not right away) in relationships with people who fit one, several, or all of the following descriptions.

They will appeal to your strength, your very best capacities to care, your most idealistic nature, your most supportive and self-sacrificing beliefs regarding what "love" is all about . . . and in the less attractive manifestations of these above-listed behaviors . . . they will betray that at the worst possible time in the worst possible way.

Another effect of this situation is that they appeal to your doubts about yourself, your own neurotic fears and anxieties, your willingness to rationalize and "forgive,: and "be understanding," your desires to idealize another person, or follow some "impossible dream" . . . and your inability to clearly value your own efforts or see your worth in the context as it exists. What is operating here is your need to "re-own" the wounded part of your own spirit. It is, oddly, as exercise in self-healing that is unfolding in this strange environment. It may also take you years to understand this fully.

Because the problem is so elusive, and your own willingness to play along in this charade may seen even "noble" in its fashion, you're liable to get "taken" before you even know the game's begun. Other people may be able to see these things about you . . . so objective advice from others about how you may be wasting yourself or "not facing the truth" is to be valued. But part of this dynamic is that you may hide the truth from others as successfully as you do from yourself.

The pitfalls and dangers of this situation really cannot be overstated . . . and because it lasts for such a long time, the chances of avoiding it or even minimizing it are also minimal. But at least you've been warned. And if the warnings turn from whispers into shouts for any reason . . . you'd better pay attention.

Moving on (at long last) to the other relationship issue that will be taking your attention this year, new opportunities in your field of employment, profession, career aspirations and advancement . . . perhaps ones that involve teaching, writing, publishing, travel or arranging for more "academic knowledge" yourself . . . will have you in constant overdrive over the course of these next twelve months. But "problem" is . . . a need to take or accommodate some action or activity in your home, private life, and family situation (also the region of your own deep emotional needs) . . . runs headlong into conflict with this.

You're inclined to take on more commitments than you can possibly fulfill (in both areas actually, public and private) . . . mainly because your own optimism is unrealistically high and because the honor of the situation you'll be facing is powerfully seductive to your exhibitionistic soul. Then you'll wind up with a lot of anger and resentment from the additional stress that you'll have to discharge somewhere . . . and the privacy of your home and family seems maybe the safest place to do so.

At least that's where the most likely targets will be found . . . and you could get quite the reputation for being a petty tyrant amongst those whom you really hold dear, but who may not be up to helping you cope with all the stuff going on in your life, your world, and your innermost self.

On the positive side . . . money looks good for this year. And the work you'll be doing in the expansion of your public life and career will definitely be worth the effort from the standpoint of more income and supportive human contacts and resources for the future. And with Mercury Rx in your Solar Return (See Mercury Retrograde – Rethinking Your Present Direction and the article on Mercury Retrograde in Leo . . . both available here on the site.) you will be rethinking your personal direction, your personal presentation, your way of "taking on the world," and the ways you communicate yourself and your ideas out to best advantage.

As I say, this part at least is a year long process, and your convoluted relationship issues last even longer . . . so all this may not be something you notice every day, every day, every day. But it will be happening. And if you are self-aware (oh, yeah, like you can help but be that) and watchful, you'll see this process constantly in action, moving you toward some new phase of learning, some new temporary destination.

For those born in the middle of the sign (the early August birthdays), you are right in the thick of things . . . finding yourselves confronting the need for more freedom in your lives and personal relationships by attracting highly independent partners who are not much interested in things like long-term commitments and meeting mutual responsibilities. You will also be provoking responses that create greater distance, even in long-standing and "permanent" relationships, by your own erratic, aloof and unrestrained behavior – even though it may be extremely difficult for you to see or admit this is what is happening..

This is how projected energy works. Because it is disowned and denied, it creates situations where your own behavior returns to you in the mirror of other people and their actions, attitudes, and choices. Those with birthdays in the first five days of August are well into this process. Those with birthdays from the 5th to the 10th are just beginning to see these effects, and they will have the most difficult time with "events" and frustrations in their lives this year.

You are looking to reclaim and reintegrate the independent, unique, even eccentric parts of yourself that you have disowned – through denying that you are or could be distant, remote, and irresponsible. The more you have cast these qualities away from you, the more strongly they will return and the more uncomfortable will be the circumstances under which you meet them.

Other people will undoubtedly be able to see how your own willfulness and "flakey" behavior have created most of the conditions you'll be facing, but it may be extremely hard for you to understand what's happening here yourself. However, under this influence, you will find yourself in relationships with people who fit one, several, or all of the following descriptions.

You may also find the year marked by a feeling of extreme frustration between your career and professional responsibilities and conditions of turmoil and upset in your private life . . . symbols perhaps of tremendous resentments you will be working to resolve regarding your family members and your own requirements for emotional security. The sense of burden, obligation, limitation and the need to either uphold some public or professional status or establish one in order to establish yourself may be formidable.

Nor are you getting a lot of sympathy or assistance in this endeavor from either your professional alliances and contacts or your family members. There is a strong feeling of being stymied, blocked, hemmed in, and unable to make the kind of progress you want or were hoping for when the efforts that are now at a stand-still began. These conditions will be most noticeable in the lives of those with birthdays between August 7th and August 12th.

You may look back eventually on this year as one in which a lot of effort was spent without much benefit back to show for the investment. You may indeed spend a lot of time feeling criticized, angry, restricted and forced to deal with people who can't be depended on for anything from one minute to the next. It is certainly a year when you will learn what it means to show endurance. It will likely prompt a reorientation in your personal values as it draws to a close . . . and offer as its most substantial reward, the "learning experience" of just how much stress and frustration you can handle under very difficult conditions.

For those born late in the sign (the mid-August birthdays), you actually have an easier year ahead than the rest of your star siblings. True, you'll eventually meet all the challenges and situations I've described above regarding your personal relationships and need for establishing both a stronger career and a more satisfying home base for yourselves . . . but you get to spread out the endeavor over the next 3 to 10 years (especially those born right at the end of the sign) . . . instead of withstanding and coping with the one-two punch that's been dealt the very early borns.

This year at least, you are dealing with situations that seem a bit more manageable than those born in that cross-hairs position of August 7th to the 12th. For one thing, your intellectual energy this year is recessed back in what almost looks like a "research position." This marks the year as one in which you'll be thinking, planning and learning things that aren't ready for "public viewing" just yet . . . but which will get their time in the spotlight in the years ahead. Thus this year may be devoted to the creative production of some important new personal project that has application more to the future than to the present.

Also, the later born you are in the sign, the more likely it is you will be contacting new relationship possibilities that will be both personally and financially profitable this year – possibly with some kind of "work and service" connection involved with them. At least, you'll be in the mood to look, and that alone increases the chances of making contact.

You are also "reorganizing" your home base, private life and sources of emotional connections as a continuation of work begun quite some time ago, and continuing well on past this next year. This may also include some reorientation of your relationships and dealings with your family and a sense of "coming to terms with your past personal history." In fact, you may be in a "rebuilding phase" after a time of substantial upheaval and destruction in this part of your life.

The greatest sense of challenge and stress this year involves the drive you feel to vigorously assert some personal ideas and perspectives that might be called "revolutionary" . . . and which certainly carry a lot of weight with you for their originality, vision and passion. They may be very upsetting to a generally accepted "status quo" however, and run blatantly counter to someone else's "philosophy and rules for living." Trying to "put them across" may have, therefore, minimal success and keep you from feeling that you've made much progress of value to you on this front during this year.

There are several ways this may manifest in the real world. First, you may literally find yourself in arguments with people whose "superiority" (academic, social, religious, cultural, organizational, educational, financial) has the ability to contradict you and squash your points of view. Let's just admit right here that's not going to go over very well with you.

This could come through some variety of ongoing debate that seems to reach stalemate with neither side giving an inch. It could come through some "conflict with authority" over differing ideas and "agendas." It could come in some conflict with your father, father figures, government or professional authorities, or some relationship whose dynamics and problems have their actual roots in your relationship with your father – and which you are trying to bring to some better conclusion in this roundabout manner in which you assert yourself as you may not have in the past.

It could also manifest as some blockage in your desire to "move around" physically and intellectually because of limitations, restrictions, "laws," or other structures (or people who represent such authority and structures) that have the power to impose a feeling of discipline, responsibility, duty, confinement, qualifications and so forth on you – something you have to pay attention to, in other words. It could also manifest as some kind of cultural conflict that interferes with a personal ambition dear to your heart, and which has the power to limit or block your free pursuit of this.

It could appear as some theory, body of learning, personal knowledge, or intellectual concept you have designed that runs into problems getting a fair hearing because it lacks the "academic credentials" needed to give it standing or gain it adequate attention from people who have the power to nourish or destroy such things. In the broadest sense, "someone else's" agenda, philosophy, "rules for living," or "religious standards" interfere with and stymie something you want to do. I've listed some of the possible ways this could show up.

On a more mundane and earthy level, it could also involve some sexual conflict or frustration . . . due to limitations, rules, other perspectives imposed . . . or just a simple "lack of opportunity" because you need to meet other obligations in your life (especially professional or educational ones in the broadest sense) as you prepare yourself for other roles in your future. That you are dealing with so many opportunities for expansion in this area of your personal world, may indeed represent "too much of a good thing" where your love life is concerned.

The long term (7 to 12 years remaining) indication that you are seeking work (or to offer personal service) with a creative, selfless, even spiritual and sacrificial component, continues. This is an energy that draws an unusual number of needy or helpless people to you, offering you, therefore, plenty of opportunities to "give yourself away" as the years pass. This year will be no exception. It is also a symbol of your needing to feel useful by seeking more "moral" than financial satisfaction through the services you provide.

On the down side, this same energy can denote a tendency to not take care of yourself very well physically, and to suffer from maladies with a strong psychosomatic component. It also promotes a need for considerable solitude in your work situation . . . and points to some form of artistic therapy or meditative practice as being of definite benefit if you are, indeed, dealing with such issues in your life.

Peculiar responses to drugs, especially mood-altering medicines or other psychotropic drugs are especially possible during this time. It helps to be aware of that, even as the need for such to combat depression may be indicated. Again, it's a question of balance, and you need to judge your individual situation carefully.

Finally, the emphatic need for personal independence in your work and the opportunity to utilize your personal ingenuity through the kind of work you do . . . continues as well – up to 3½ more years for those born very late in the sign. You are more interested in intense, short term projects which provide you with a lot of latitude for accomplishing your assigned tasks as opposed to long multi-year projects.

This same energy can also indicate health conditions that are stress related, maladies that arrive quickly and acutely . . . and depart the same way, and a certain inclination to be accident prone – perhaps because you're moving around so much and so fast you don't watch your step or remember to look both ways at an intersection. This being another of those long-term influences, it's almost necessary that you make an extra measure of vigilance a way of life. But as this particular symbol is also a metaphor for rebelliousness . . . you probably won't listen.

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