Linda Goodman's Sun Signs

by Linda Goodman

  If love is missing from his life, the fiery lion will simply pine away—dramatically, of course. He has to be worshiped or die, and you can just about take that literally. Leo males seldom spare expenses when they’re courting. You’ll be taken to the best restaurants, showered with perfume and flowers, proudly escorted to the theater and you’ll tie a ribbon around some pretty fantastic love letters. To tell you the truth, you’d have to have a heart made of stone to resist.

  By now, you’re probably thinking you’ve got it made. Think again. That leonine romance won’t be completely trouble free. You might take a lesson from the pampered favorites of royalty. Leo will invite you into his den and warm you at the hearth of his big heart, but the lion’s lair can turn into a plush, luxurious prison. Is he jealous? The answer is “Yes,” and you can spell it with big, electric light bulbs. You belong to him, body, soul, and mind. He’ll tell you what to wear, how to part your hair, what books to read, which friends are best for you and how to organize your day better. He’ll want to know why you were gone for two hours shopping when you said you’d be back in one hour, who you met on the way, what they said—and he’ll even pout if you don’t tell him what you’re thinking as you stare out the window. After all, you could be thinking of another man. Just don’t ever forget the force of his impulsive temper when it’s aroused. Teasing him by occasional flirtations to prove to him you are still desirable is absolute folly. He knows you’re desirable. He needs no proof whatsoever. Besides, your Leo man is liable to flatten your innocent masculine friends to the floor—if not put them in the hospital—when he’s pushed too far.

  All is not roses and honey in a love affair with a lion, and that includes the quiet pussycats along with the flashy torn cats. There’s no difference in the basic nature. Every woman in love with a Leo should get a copy of Anna and the King of Siam and study it well. The Siamese monarch was a typical Leo and you’ll get invaluable tips from Anna’s technique. First the provocative challenge to interest him, then final feminine submission after you’ve taught him you won’t be completely devoured. Truly, her story is a must. Sleep with it under your pillow.

  Be prepared to balance his great enthusiasms with calm reason and willing to soothe him as he blows up problems into huge dimensions. The gentle Leos do this quietly, but what’s the difference? Whether he roars and rages because his employees refused to obey him, or pouts on the back porch because the neighbors snubbed him, the end result is identical. He needs your stability to balance his irrational pride. If you don’t possess it yourself, your love may turn into a constant battle royal. You’ll be breaking up and making up with such speed that your astonished friends will ask, “Where’s the fire?” Where? Why, right inside your cozy lion’s den.

  He’d prefer you not be a career girl. He’d prefer it if he took all your time and attention. If you do work, you’d better make it clear the job comes last, after him and the home nest. He won’t tolerate competition from a male or an outside interest. If you’re brave enough to accept these challenges, go ahead and buy your wedding dress, but be sure it’s stylish. In fact, make sure your whole wardrobe is stylish. He’ll want to show you off in his own Easter Parade, in December as well as in April, so make sure not to embarrass him by appearing in public looking anything but queenly.

  After you’re married, mated, and deeply loved, count your rewards. Your Leo husband will be as kind and goodhearted as King Arthur, provided you let the family revolve around him. If he gets the respect he demands, he’ll repay it generously. You may be told how lovely you look repeatedly, he’ll probably buy you surprise gifts, and—wonder of wonders, with his romantic disposition—he’ll be likely to remain faithful. There’s always a better chance of that after marriage than when he’s single, and I’ll tell you why. The lion is usually too lazy to chase pretty faces, once he’s found a lioness who fits in with his kingdom where he luxuriously snoozes in the hammock. He’ll play affectionately with his cubs, protect his mate from all danger, and thrill her with his ambition to rise to a position of impressive superiority in his career.

  You will lead an active social life with your Leo husband, as long as he gets his beauty sleep. But there will be a few nights out with the boys, and there may also be some juggling of finances, due to sudden gambling urges, or a chance investment he thought would pay off. A Leo man I know once bought ten shares in an oil well. Although he was only one very minor stockholder among thousands, about twice a month, he would visit the site of the drilling and look important. When anyone asked him what he wanted, he would tell them, “I’m just checking to see how things are going with my well.” The drillers treated him with great respect. They thought he was a member of the Board of Directors.

  Take it all in stride—there are compensations. How can he scold you for buying those new earrings after he lost the price of a pearl necklace in a little game with the fellows or after he spent your savings at an auction on two box cars of folded cardboard cartons in assorted sizes, when he took a notion to go into the mail order business? (Then he couldn’t use them because it turned out that they were stamped all over with the words “Rat Poison” and a large skull and crossbones.) Keep him away from auctions if you have to lock him up, because he has an irresistible urge to bid higher than anybody on anything at any time. He’ll be quite the check grabber in public too, cheerfully saying, “The treat’s on me,” with the money for the new freezer. Leo would be right at home in Texas or Las Vegas, where he would instantly be recognized as a high roller (unless his Moon or ascendant dictates economy).

  There’s one thing about the lion you may find very handy. Almost all Leos have a marvelous knack for fixing things. It can be anything from a broken door knob or a stubborn bathroom faucet to a washing machine or a complicated sound system. If he’s a typical Leo, he won’t be able to resist trying his hand at making something work when it’s on the blink. If all else fails, he’ll give the offending machine or whatever a resounding kick in splendid leonine anger, and suddenly the door knob will turn, the water will spray like Niagara Falls, the washing machine will hum and the sound system will surround. There seems to be something mechanical about this Sun sign. Lots of Leo men can take engines apart and put them back together again, hardly soiling their hands in the process. He’s not the type to let a hinge hang for months unscrewed or a carpet lie on the floor untacked. A surprising number of lions are experts at making their own furniture and building an extra room on the house with no professional help. He may have his own workshop in the basement. Don’t complain about a little sawdust on the floor. It keeps him contented—and home at night.

  The lion is the life of most parties, but he’s no fool. He wears the jester’s mask to get attention, and his audiences usually sense they’d better respect him during his temporary playful spells. Regardless of appearances, there’s nothing easygoing about the inner nature of your Leo man. He’s far more steadfast and tenacious than he seems. He knows what he wants, and he usually gets it. He’s pretty good at keeping it, too.

  If you expect him to be faithful during the courtship, be sure you keep him well nourished with romance and affection or his huge need for love and admiration will make him stalk all over the jungle in search of it. If your relationship is real and deep, he’ll probably be true to you, but his eyes may wander a bit. Other than keeping him blindfolded, there’s very little you can do about that. Leo appreciates beauty, so if you’re the type to get jealous over an appreciative glance at another female, you’d better get tolerant fast. A Leo man whose lady love leaves him because of his flirting will be honestly hurt and astonished. He’s entirely capable, then, of faking anything from a heart attack to a tear-stained farewell note, to get you to sympathize and run back into his big, warm arms, and he’ll be so convincing you’ll feel like a cruel monster. Unless you enjoy emotional, dramatic scenes yourself, it’s much less trouble to understand him in the first place. His capers will probably be innocent and harmless anyway, if you’re treating
him right. Never overly sensitive to the feelings of others, in spite of their basic kindness, most Leo men are so wrapped up in themselves that they can be brutally frank and untactful. But his dazzling smile soon clears the air. The warm lion doesn’t have a malicious bone in his strong, graceful body. He may blow off terrifying steam, yet malice is not a part of his make-up and he can’t cope with real cruelty (unless there’s an affliction in his natal chart). He will enjoy sports, but as he grows older, he will prefer to watch them from the comfort of his padded throne, while you wait on him.

  Not always, but very often, there’s an odd twist to Leo males. Unlike the Capricorn, who seeks to rise socially through wedlock, the lion sometimes tends to marry beneath him. He has as much desire for social status, but he just can’t resist acquiring a “subject” to whom he’s superior. Sometimes he makes a wrong choice, and the shrinking violet who sat adoringly at his feet makes a surprise move to grab the sceptre away from him. When that happens, the dethroned Leo is a miserable husband, who wears the tragic expression of an exiled monarch.

  It’s sad, but true, that Leos seldom raise large families. Many of them have no children, are separated from them, or raise an only child. Too bad, because they make warm, wonderful fathers, perhaps somewhat too permissive between stern talks about proper behavior. Your offspring may chafe under his demands and be bored with his long lectures, but they’ll soon learn how to flatter him into submission. He’ll insist on their respect and get it, but they’re liable to wheedle him out of anything by the clever usage of “Yes, Sir. You’re right, Sir.” Therefore, the real discipline may be up to you. The children may resent his arrogant ways, but Leo fathers are almost always remembered with affection in later years. One tip. Don’t give the youngsters more attention than you give him, or you may end up with quite a lot of trouble on your hands in the form of a giant bruised ego, which will be nearly impossible to heal.

  How can you size up the puzzling male Leo? Is he kind-hearted or dangerous, generous or cruelly selfish? Is he really a sociable fellow, who loves people? Does he gain his reputation for superiority under false pretenses, or does he, like the real lion, deserve to be called King? Obviously, by his own standards at least, he does deserve to be the Lord and Master in his love life and his career. You have to admit that he’s usually highly successful in both romance and business.

  Whether the Leo man is truly a king, or just a pretender to the throne, we may never know. But there are several things you do know about your own lion. He has insatiable appetites, and he’s as proud as a peacock. He has an enormous need to command and to be loved by those he rules. Remember that Leo secretly fears he may fail and be ridiculed. It’s a constant inner torture, and the true source of his vanity and exaggerated dignity. Yet, when his nobility has been aroused by a great cause, he knows no fear. Only then does the lion learn that the magnificent strength and courage he’s been pretending to have has really been there all along.

  Your Leo may drive you wild by his antics during courtship, but he’s not at all a bad mate for a long term possibility. If you don’t mind submerging your ego, and building your life around his, once you’ve tamed this man, you’ll be adored and you’ll never be lonely again. Besides, he can fix those bathroom faucets.

  The LEO Woman

  “ ‘Tis an honor to see me, a favor to hear:

  ‘Tis a privilege high to have dinner and

  tea Along with the Red Queen, the White Queen

  And me!”

  There’s one thing the Leo woman probably owns that you won’t like. A scrapbook of pictures and mementos from all her old boyfriends. It’s no use trying to get her to burn it, because the lioness is sentimental.

  She’s not a wallflower. She’s a sunflower. Chances are she’s ridiculously popular, and you’ll have plenty of competition if you want her to descend to using your name for the rest of her life. You will be a few leaps ahead if your name is St. Hoyme or Mountbatten, Cabot or Lodge. Anything that sounds royal or noble or important. I honestly can’t imagine a Leo woman marrying anybody with the name Carbunkle or Smith. It’s possible. Anything is possible. But she’ll probably change Smith to Smythe.

  Most likely, she’ll be the social leader of her group, lording it over lesser women like a queen, but with such disarming warmth and such a beautiful smile, no one really minds. Perhaps the other girls sense she was born to rule and dictate styles, customs and manners. Anyway, it wouldn’t do much good to try to usurp her authority.

  Nature seems to have shown some prejudice when she fashioned the lioness with enough vivacity, cleverness, grace, beauty, and just plain sex appeal for at least three women, with some left over. If you’re the victim of an inferiority complex, you’d better set your sights on a bird with less brilliant feathers. Don’t expect to tame her into a docile little maid, who hangs on your every word. The man who expects a Leo girl to worship at his feet is living in a fool’s paradise. Consider yourself lucky if she meets you halfway, respects you, is willing to be your partner and allows you to possess her emotionally. By the very act of permitting you to love her, she’s practically knighted you, for heaven’s sake. Seriously, you could do a lot worse. A lioness is a lot of woman. She’s rather a luxury item, not available in the bargain basement.

  It pays to remember that the Leo female can act up a storm, and pretend to be as sweet and harmless as a bowl of jelly beans. She may have a voice like a whisper, gentle, courteous manners and big, soft eyes that sparkle delightfully when she bats her lashes. A Leo female can appear to be as smooth and calm as a cool and placid lake. On guard. That’s just a role she assumed because it got good reviews. Remove her as the star of your love production, cast her in the part of the understudy or second lead, and you’ll soon find out just how shy and submissive she isn’t. Of course, most of the Leo women to whom you pay homage will openly make it clear that they’re too proud and dignified to take any nonsense. I’d just hate to see you stumble in case you get involved with the other kind of lioness, who hides her claws, but sharpens them every day just the same.

  The first step when you’re courting this girl is to go prepared with gifts. It doesn’t make much difference what they are, so long as they’re expensive, in excellent taste, and you’re dressed properly when you offer them. Then you should practice different ways of complimenting her. Please be original and creative. Phrases like “You send me, Baby,” and “You’re really hot, sweetheart,” will get you thrown right out of the palace, back with the peasants. Vulgarity and slang both leave her ice cold. Remember, you’re wooing royalty. She can’t exist without flattering appreciation, but keep in mind that she admires your masculinity, and she has no desire to turn you into a henpecked weakling. A Leo woman couldn’t love you if you weren’t strong. It’s just that she won’t permit you to insult her with a condescending attitude. In her mind, she is definitely not the weaker sex.

  Lots of Leo girls are athletic and enjoy sports, but you’d be smarter to take your lioness to the theater than to the ball park. The stage and footlights will never fail to magnetize and transfigure her. (Better buy orchestra seats. Forget the balcony.) Choose a play in which the heroine behaves the way you want her to behave that night, and your chances are better than average that she’ll act the part unconsciously and never miss an inflection. After the festivities are over, don’t take her to a hamburger stand and expect her to sit at the counter munching french fries because she’s so much in love with you. You’re better off to take her out less often to more glamorous places. She’s not necessarily a gold digger; in fact, she’s usually generous—she won’t object to frequent Dutch dates and she’ll probably shower you with almost as many gifts as you give her. But she’s just plain uncomfortable in shabby surroundings. The poorest Leo woman in the world will manage to accumulate enough pennies to buy draperies for the windows, rings for her fingers and bells for her toes. Now and then she may go slumming, out of curiosity, but only as a spectator, aloof from the crowd. Poverty depre
sses her and makes her physically ill. If you dress like a slob and offer her a shack, you haven’t got a chance.

  There’s a story about a noble Frenchwoman, who turned to her lover in the gardens of Versailles and asked, “Darling, do the common people know this exquisite emotion of love?” When she was assured that they did, she cried out in injured surprise, “It’s entirely too good for them!” She was probably a Leo.

  Don’t blame the lioness for her occasional arrogance and vanity. It’s her nature to feel herself above the common masses. People seldom resent it, because the Leo woman who’s warmly loved and respected can be the kindest and most generous of females, with a womanly compassion for children and for the helpless and the forsaken. You can’t really expect her to step down from a throne that’s her birthright. If she’s a typical Sun child, she’s so gracious and dazzling that most people gladly give her credit for being out of the ordinary. Truthfully, she is. She’s intelligent, witty, strong, and capable, yet deliciously feminine at the same time. No one in his right mind could call that common.

  A little flattery will get you everywhere with your Leo lady. You’ve already found out it’s her secret weakness. And here’s another secret, if you plan to marry her: eventually, she’ll tire of her gilded cage and want to roam the jungle to see what’s doing with all the other cats out there. Confinement inside four walls and under one roof can soon rob her of her sparkle. Let her have her career. She’ll wither on the vine if she’s forced to be just a hausfrau, unless you have enough money to allow her to be a constant hostess and an extravagant home decorator.