Dr. Vanessa Strauss
Therefore, the lion archetype has been endowed and embraced by many spiritual leaders, is depicted in symbols, statues, and stories across the globe.
From Saint Mark, whose famous winged lion peers down on humanity from high in Venice's St Mark's Square; the Babylonian goddess Ishtar, who rides mighty lions, betokening her feline potency; the lion of Judah; Vishnu's lion-man incarnation in the form of Narasimha; the charming children's story "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe;" and, of course, the cowardly lion in "The Wizard of Oz" who seeks a courageous heart; we can see that the lion is deeply rooted in our collective unconscious as a friend that protects and supports the evolution of humankind.
The lion is also representative of a bringer of light, and in Traditional African Folklore as well as Ancient Egypt, the lion is the soul of great heroes and kings. For example, the pharaohs were believed to be embodiments of Horus, the solar lion God, and returned to the stars when they died.
Geographically, Leo relates to the site of Giza, humankind's oldest leonine monument, the Sphinx. Its surrounding territory of Memphis is the principal site of the worship of the lion-headed goddess Sekhmet. Great Zimbabwe is "the sacred site of the lion", and Timbavati holds a sanctuary for the rare white lions. Interestingly, all three sacred sites on the African continent – Giza, Zimbabwe, and Timbavati – are consecrated to the lion.
The Leo archetype is that of Royalty, King of Kings, Light bearer of consciousness, solar Logos and is the connection between the stars and the Earth. As the symbol of the heart of humankind, they are here to teach us the power of being brave and genuinely lionhearted. We as a species can evolve – not only physically but ultimately also spiritually. We can overcome fear by summoning courage, faith, and love principles. Love, in shamanic understanding, is faith in a divine presence. It is the knowledge that we are not alone, that we are all connected, and we are all One.
Transits
"The trick is to face your fear and look into it as if it is the face of your lover." Credo Mutwa - Lion Shaman.
The archetype of Leo wants us to connect with bravery, courage and to be utterly fearless. So fearless that we can express our heart's radiant light without hindrance from the surrounding environment. With this, we can see a correlation between Heart-Kidney communication in Traditional Chinese Medicine.
The Sun is domicile in the sign of Leo, meaning it is at home. The Sun has rulership over Leo; therefore, the attributes of the Leonian archetype are amplified as it's a double signature of the same principles.
The Planetary transits that we face for Leo season are indeed ones that shall genuinely challenge us to shine our light. But if we take the challenge and the tension as an opportunity to refine how we express ourselves, then we may launch into a new paradigm of Self-expression. One beyond Ego expression (Solar Centre) into that of Leonian heart expression (Heart Consciousness).
Let's take a quick look:
23rd July: The Sun entered Leo and is in opposition to Pluto, indicating a time of intensity and subconscious material arising to our awareness for integration.
9th August: Sun Trines Chiron, who is the planetoid that correlates explicitly to the Wounded Healer archetype.
The White Lions are an archetypal symbol of the wounded healer. They're without camouflage, and trophy hunters pay a much higher price to be able to kill these rare, majestic animals. As a result, the white lions are being exploited as a commodity (trophy hunting and entertainment) rather than being seen for the heart-healing message.
11th August: The Sun will make a 90-degree angle to the Lunar Nodes: The hands of Fate and Destiny will be at play and cause tension in our expression and require bravery for change.
This transit also involves Uranus, the planet of change, upgrade, and transformation. It is the breakdown for the breakthrough. We may start seeing more patients requiring support for their nervous systems due to shock and trauma at this time. 11 August is the peak, so allow a week on either side.
12th August: Aquarius Full moon. This full moon will be conjunct Saturn with a somber and grounding quality. The fixed cross is also a force to be reckoned with, indicating that energies may be relatively rigid at this time.
14th August: As the Sun comes off the square to Uranus and the Lunar Nodal axis, we move straight into an opposition with Saturn, the planet of constriction and delays. We may be required to apply a mature attitude to our creative expression. The questions to ask are:
Does it serve me, or does it serve humanity?
Am I being responsible for what I create?
Does it have wisdom?
Am I committed to this creative expression and manifestation?
Do I have the endurance to see it through?
19th August: 5th September: As we move off the opposition to Saturn, we move into the Square with Mars. This transit can represent frustration and anger arising due to those restrictions and delays felt during the Sun-Saturn opposition. Often the Sun-Mars square indicates that we are acting against ourselves, thus giving greater weight to working with the Sun Saturn opposition to be in integrity with what we are creating and expressing.
17th August: The Sun then moves into an inconjunct with Neptune, creating confusion and potential for naivety. At the same time, the Sun builds in an inconjunct to Pluto (19th August), further indicating that our connection to feeling empowered is compromised somehow. The Sun forms the tip of a yod, known as God's finger, meaning that there is a potential for Mastery when confronting our karma consciously.
As we can see, the aspects are not indicating a time of ease and flow but rather a time of challenge and change. The planets being aspected by the Sun require us to look deeper (Pluto), be wiser (Saturn) and transform the old ways for the new (Uranus). Growing pains are never easy, but they often bring about an evolutionary growth that we are truly ready for at a soul level.
In addition, there are two Galactic transits to consider during the Sun's passage through Leo: the 8/8 Lions gate portal on th August and the Sun Regulus conjunct on 22nd August. Both transits indicate an influx of celestial energies flowing to our planet to support the ascension of human consciousness. As therapists, we want to make the most of these light codes from the stars to support our work. For this article, we will solely focus on the Regulus Sun conjunct.
The Heart of the Lion Constellation: Regulus
On 22th August, the Sun will cross the heart of the lion, also known as one of 4 Royal Persian stars, located in the chest of the Lion constellation.
In Old African tradition and Ancient Egyptian mysteries, it is believed that lion kings are connected to the heart of the sky lion known as Regulus (Little king). Horus has been identified with the Sun's passing through the Leo constellation; specifically, the moment it joins with the heart star of Leo.
Archeo-astronomer Adrian Gilbert had been investigating the astronomical factors about the birth of Christ and relating them to the Horus–Osiris mysteries. He identified the moment when the Sun conjoins with Regulus, the heart star of Leo, as the heavenly moment associated with Christ's birth. This astronomical conjunction was considered of paramount significance in Egyptian mythology. The Egyptians "hold the lion in honor," and they adorn the doorways of their shrines with gaping lion's heads because the Nile overflows "when for the first time the sun comes into conjunction with Leo."
Baba Credo Mutwa states that "the moment when the Sun conjoined Regulus, it symbolizes the birth (or death) of a great king. In Africa, according to Mutwa, the lion priests looked to Regulus to determine the destiny of kings on Earth."
Below is an extract from Linda Tucker's "Mystery of the White Lions". She is referring to her personal Lion Guardian, Ingwumva, who is a flesh and bone living tawny Lion, the dominant male of the Timbavati territory. Known by the local Sangoma (Shaman), Maria Khosa, as a bearer of the white gene and who was prophesized to father the anticipated return of the sacred White Lions - Children of the Sun God in Timbavati. Ingwumva had a spiritual name which was not disclosed, but the meaning of it was shared. It is the "wise one, the one which carries great knowledge."
"On 22nd August 2000, Ingwavuma, the male lion for the territory, was hunted as a trophy. After an extended period of roaming in the wilderness, Ingwavuma had returned to his kingdom, where he was shot. The imagery I received was of him walking right up to the trophy hunters, proudly and defiantly, offering humankind a choice."
"They paid $35,000 for the pleasure of killing him. My feelings on this matter are not easily describable. It was as if the light went out. My important family member had been shot, execution-style."
"He died in the late afternoon as the Sun set over Timbavati, on the last day of the month of Leo at the turn of the millennium. The shot was fired shortly before 6 p.m. The timing is profoundly poignant. From my studies in ancient astrology, I could now determine that on this day, and this day only, at this very time, the setting Sun was in perfect alignment with Regulus, the heart star of the Leo constellation. Regulus is the star that Credo Mutwa tells us is the heart of the great sky lion. Regulus is the star that Adrian Gilbert identifies with Christ. Both Mutwa and Gilbert pinpoint the unique moment when the Sun passes through Regulus as symbolizing the birth, or death, of a lion king. And, consequently, with the birth or death of a kingdom on Earth."
To highlight a few takeaways:
- The annual Sun-Regulus conjunct (22 August) is a potent transit to resurrect the 'lion's heart' in your treatment offering.
- There is an intriguing connection between Regulus and the constellation of Leo, with lion kings and humanity.
Treatments for the Leonian Heart at the Regulus Sun conjunction.
You can start applying this treatment as of 16th August, as the Sun moves one degree per day, till 28th August, when the Sun is 6 degrees past Regulus. Treating during this passage of time will give you significant leverage of the celestial energies.
The stars Mutwa identifies as representative of the lions are Sirius, the Orion constellation (specifically the central star in the belt), the Leo constellation (specifically Leo's heart star) and, not surprisingly, our nearest star, the Sun. While the lion–Sun association is so familiar across cultures, the other stars identified by Mutwa's great knowledge are precisely pinpointed by the Giza monuments themselves. Therefore, I am using the Solar 7th tuning forks for the treatment and doing the treatment on significant Sun-Leo-Regulus and Sirius alignments.
In lion shamanism, the first principle is "overcoming fear through the power of faith."
Use the following treatments during Leo season or when your patient's natal or progressed Sun is under the influence of a significant transit. I also evoke this treatment:
- On a Solar Return/Birthday.
- On the Sun/Sirius Conjunct as Sirius is considered the Spiritual Sun.
- Use for Lion’s Gate portal on 8 August, which correlates to the Sirius Helical rise in Giza.
- Sun/Regulus Conjunct
Step 1:
Have the patient lay on their side. Trace out the Lion constellation in the auric field of the patient. I like to use the high-frequency Solar 7th.
UB 6, Receiver of Light is the first point
DU 20, Gateway to the ancestors is the second
For the following two points, I use one fork on the posterior and one on the anterior:
DU 16: Mouth of God and Yin Tang (Extra point for the all-seeing eye and Upper Dan Tian)
REN 22 (Celestial Chimney) and Governing Vessel 14
Bring the forks back together for the following:
REN 20 Flower covering (To protect what is coming into manifest)
REN 17 Alter of the Heart (Middle Dan Tian) As the Royal Star Regulus
REN 6 Influential point of Qi
REN 4 Origin Pass Lower Dan Tian
DU 4 Ming Men Fire/Life Gate
DU 14 to seal the constellation
Step 2:
Open the Du Mai Meridian with Solar 7th Layering.
Opening point: SI 3 Black Ravine
Balancing point BL 62 Extending Vessel.
Activating the sea of Yang.
After activating with the tuning forks, then tape a sunstone onto the Du Mai opening and grounding points.
Step 3:
Touch down on the Acupoints themselves with Solar 7th (Layering).
For light and consciousness, apply the geometry of a fire/air triangle on the top of the head (tip pointing up) with the following points:
UB 6 Receiver of Light, Du 20 Shambala of the Crown Chakra.
Use the forks on one point at a time, starting on the right with UB 6, then the left UB 6, and then working up to DU 20.
Step 4:
Apply the fire/air triangle to:
KID 8 (Intersection of Faith) and REN 6 (Sea of QI)
Apply the Solar 7th forks on right side KID 8, left side KID 8, then ascend to the tip of the triangle at REN 6.
Step 5:
Cosmic capstone with solar 7th high-frequency tuning forks.
Continuing in the form of triangles and the alchemy of the fire element, which Leo rules, we can apply the cosmic capstone taught in Acutonics level II to tap into Higher consciousness and Devachanic realms. The Cosmic Capstone is a multi-dimensional geometry that expands our multi-dimensional potential. Perfect for Leo season!
At the top of the apex:
- DU 20 (Celestial Fullness)
- P 8 base of the triangle (Portals to the heart)
- REN 17 (Alter of the Heart).
(See Carey, "Acutonics: there's no place like OHM", p133)
Step 6:
Ground the treatment with Ohm Unison KID 1, Gushing Spring.
I intend for this treatment protocol to serve your patients through Leo season. If your client is sensitive to Solar Energy, it is important to adjust accordingly. Work with clear intention for the highest good, you might work off-body, and consider the use of Ohm Jupiter, or Sun Jupiter, and other tools as appropriate.
Please take the opportunity to learn the fascinating history of the white lions by reading Linda Tucker's book, "Mysteries of the White Lions." Or going to the website whitelions.org
I would love to hear your feedback on how you go with some or all of these treatment protocols and if you have been inspired to read the Mysteries of the White Lions.
With heart,
Dr Vanessa Strauss
Vanessa has been a registered Chinese Medicine Practitioner with Aphra and a member of AACMA since 2002. She has been in clinical practice since graduating with a Bachelor of Health Science/Acupuncture in 2006. In 2012, she completed her Master's Degree at RMIT University, travelled the world as an acupuncturist on Steiner Transocean, and lectured at Endeavour College of Natural Health. Vanessa started training in the Acutonics Integrative Medicine system in 2013 and continued further studies in Western, Evolutionary, and Medical Astrology systems.
Vanessa has a unique approach to her clinical practice marrying 17 years of clinical experience in Chinese Medicine with mythology, astrology, astronomy, psychology, sound, and Daoist Stone Medicine into her treatments. She resides in Byron Bay, Australia and is available for online Astrology readings and in-person healings. She can be reached at vanessa@centreforlife.com.au.