Over the past few years I have been addicted to The Tudors– the lavish production loosely based on the reign of Henry VIII and starring oh so cute Jonathon Rhys Meyers as Henry the 8th and the very shaggable Henry Cavill as his best friend the Duke of Suffolk.
Depending on which data you read, old Henry had a Cancer Sun, which explains his absolute obsession with ensuring the extension of the family line, though possibly not his penchant for doing away with his wives- although he apparently did have an Aries Moon…
Cancer rules the stomach, and Cancer households are always full of food, so this probably also explains his weight gain later in life… although that was probably the fault of the tables which on TV always seemed to be groaning under the weight of way too much food.
Have you ever noticed how all TV shows & movies which depict royalty have great long banquet tables and multiple courses on offer, yet when was the last time you saw a fat royal? Which leads me nicely into Leo, the sign of Kings.
Leo loves to eat out and be seen in all the right places- with the right people wearing the right brands, drinking the right wine and eating good food. Yet Leo rarely carries too much weight. This isn’t to say that Leo can’t get fat- all sun signs have the potential to- just that Leo is one sign that is less likely to. Essentially Leo has way too much pride in his appearance to let his standards slip too far. This is particularly true of the Leo Ascendant.
Not only does the Ascendant tell us a lot about how a person presents to the world physically, but knowing the Ascendant also can tell us a lot about that persons tastes in food (2nd house) and what their dietary habits are like (6th house). The sign that is on the cusp of the 6th also says loads about how you like to eat, who you like to eat with and your diet mentality. Seriously.
If you are interested in the theory behind this, and a lot more about Medical Astrology, and biochemistry, check out Astrology, Nutrition and Health by Robert Jansky. I have been doing a load of research on this of late as part of a book I am endeavouring to be brave enough to finish writing (let alone the fear of trying to get it out there…), but enough of the theory, back to Leo!
With Virgo on the cusp of your 2nd house* your taste in food and the way it is prepared will be very much influenced by the earthly criticality of that sign. Yes, you are fussy. There, I said it. If you ordered your steak medium rare, it had better be melt in your mouth and medium rare- not under, and certainly not over. With Virgo on the 2nd, you seem to instinctively enjoy the foods which your body needs.
And before you ask, Leo, this is not the way it is for everyone- our tastebuds may know what they like, but more often than not this is a very different thing to what our body needs. My taste buds have a particular penchant for Kiwi Sauvignon Blanc, but my body certainly does not need it. Oh to be so discriminating…
You also probably prefer your meals to be smaller in size, cooked impeccably and easy to digest. A Chefs Table Degustation of 8 teeny weeny courses (naturally with matching wines) in a fashionable restaurant would be just perfect.
With Capricorn on the cusp of the 6th house, you do tend to be good at self- regulation. Gluttony is certainly not a sin attributable to either Leo or Capricorn! You are able to clearly and firmly say “no more, thank you” when you have eaten your fill. Eating to excess simply because it is there is not a Leo trait. Nor is eating to avoid waste, or filling up on junk because you have paid for it. Leo only eats as much as she needs of what it is she wants. She is happy to leave the rest on her plate. This is one of the few signs who could tackle an All You Can Eat buffet without it being a slippery pole to dieting disaster.
Not that Leo particularly enjoys such a place… with Virgo on the 2nd you are extremely careful about the conditions in which your food is prepared. Also, with Capricorn on the cusp of the 6th you do like to frequent restaurants where it is of benefit for you to be seen.
For this reason, Leo is able to easily mix business with pleasure and has no problems at all negotiating a sale or finalising a business deal over a good meal. With Leo’s pride, comes an enviable ability to keep himself tidy, so you will rarely see Leo over-indulging in food or alcohol when out and about.
Unless the Moon falls in one of the signs prone to emotional eating (hello to all the water signs and Taurus), Leo tends not to eat for emotional reasons. Nor does he tend to attach to his weight (as the water signs and Taurus do). But Leo does like to do things in a big way, and with the love of pleasure he has, coupled his heart, every so often all those parties and business dinners will take their toll.
On the occasions when Leo does need to rid himself of a few extra kilos, it is taken care of stylishly and with a minimum of fuss. He zooms straight into the root of the problem and before you know it, the buttons of that designer suit are doing up very nicely again.
With Earth signs on both the 2nd and the 6th, Leo is able to set a goal and achieve his targets without a lot of effort. Generally speaking, he has good regulating habits, good vitality and the ability to concentrate his energy towards a goal. A well lit gym, some great exercise gear and a colourful diet with plenty of lean meat (preferably prepared by someone else) will do the trick.
*For Leo Rising. The information in here will also be pertinent to Leo Suns, however you should also read the post relating to your Rising Sign when I get around to posting it (or email me for a really brief description)