(excerpted from An Esoteric Journey through the Zodiac, he Inner Meanings of the Signs,
pp 22-23, copyright 1996 Adele Barger Wilson)

The Sun rules Leo on both exoteric and esoteric levels. Esoterically, the Sun has three aspects: the physical Sun, the Heart of the Sun, and the Central Spiritual Sun. The agent of the Heart of the Sun is Neptune, and the agent of the Central Spiritual Sun is Uranus. This means that the energies of the Heart of the Sun and the Central Spiritual Sun are distributed to Earth via Neptune and Uranus, respectively. According to the Tibetan Master, the Sun “veils” both of these planets. (See pages 8-9.)

The Sun symbolizes the personality, and in Leo the personality undergoes an evolution in self awareness from the personal to the transpersonal. Selfishness, egotism, and personal will must be conquered and replaced with Universal Love and World Service. In this process, not only the Sun, but also Uranus and Neptune, are involved.

Leo represents the development and expression of self consciousness, which proceeds in stages which parallel the stages of the first three initiations. At the First Initiation, one realizes that there is Something greater than just the physical body, Something which binds all Humanity together. At this birth of Soul awareness, one begins to respond to the physical Sun. At the Second Initiation, presided over by the Heart of the Sun whose agent is Neptune, the  lower self-centered emotions have given way to the impulse to somehow help make life better for one’s brothers and sisters in the Family of Humanity. In the long period between the Second and Third Initiations, the concrete mind becomes increasingly responsive to the Soul and becomes the dominant component of the personality. When all three parts of the personality are functioning as one unit, the personality comes totally under the influence of the Soul, and the Third Initiation is taken. The Third Initiation is ruled by Uranus as the agent for the Central Spiritual Sun.

Thus, knowing where the Leo is on the Path lends greater insight into chart interpretation. If the Leo is between the First and Second Initiations, use the Sun itself as Leo’s esoteric ruler. If between the Second and Third Initiations, Neptune should be substituted for the Sun. If the Leo has taken the Third Initiation, the Sun should be replaced by Uranus.

To view another excerpt from this book, see Esoteric Meaning of Scorpio Rising.