Sabians: Leo 23* " IN A CIRCUS THE BAREBACK RIDER DISPLAYS HER DANGEROUS SKILL."

[piercethevale]

Sabians: Leo 23* " IN A CIRCUS THE BAREBACK RIDER DISPLAYS HER DANGEROUS SKILL."

Howdy. The Sun has just entered this degree and already I've noticed some blogs and posts on the internet from people that are perceiving the 'negative' from this symbol...as for example the adage, '"Fools rush in where Angels fear to tread."
Far from it...if one were to have this degree of the Zodiac for their Part of Catastrophe, well, then that would apply. But, It 's a most auspicious degree in a birth chart as it symbolizes more than just adeptness, or dexterity, but rather an inimitable skillfulness...
[from Rudhyar's book on the Sabians...]

"(LEO 23°): IN A CIRCUS THE BAREBACK RIDER DISPLAYS HER DANGEROUS SKILL.

KEYNOTE: The audacity and perseverance required to control and play with the powerful energies of the vital realm in human existence.

The horse has always been the symbol of the vital energies. In a wild state the horse represents the magnificent, raw, impetuous energy of the libido in all its forms. When tamed, this energy is put to man's service. There are men who have dominated their natural energies so well that they can perform spectacular feats. Here these achievements are seen within the context of a social function and expressing a flair for dramatics.

At this third stage, the ego is in control; he is a great showman, but he serves a purpose. The performance stirs the imagination of the young consciousness. It raises the mind above the commonplace. The Keyword is VIRTUOSITY."

 

[sdh3]

Re: Sabians: Leo 23* " IN A CIRCUS THE BAREBACK RIDER DISPLAYS HER DANGEROUS SKILL."

Howdy. The Sun has just entered this degree and already I've noticed some blogs and posts on the internet from people that are perceiving the 'negative' from this symbol...as for example the adage, '"Fools rush in where Angels fear to tread."
Far from it...if one were to have this degree of the Zodiac for their Part of Catastrophe, well, then that would apply. But, It 's a most auspicious degree in a birth chart as it symbolizes more than just adeptness, or dexterity, but rather an inimitable skillfulness...
[from Rudhyar's book on the Sabians...]

"(LEO 23°): IN A CIRCUS THE BAREBACK RIDER DISPLAYS HER DANGEROUS SKILL.

KEYNOTE: The audacity and perseverance required to control and play with the powerful energies of the vital realm in human existence.

The horse has always been the symbol of the vital energies. In a wild state the horse represents the magnificent, raw, impetuous energy of the libido in all its forms. When tamed, this energy is put to man's service. There are men who have dominated their natural energies so well that they can perform spectacular feats. Here these achievements are seen within the context of a social function and expressing a flair for dramatics.

At this third stage, the ego is in control; he is a great showman, but he serves a purpose. The performance stirs the imagination of the young consciousness. It raises the mind above the commonplace. The Keyword is VIRTUOSITY."

Ptv, you make a very important point here about "negative" Sabian symbols. As Jones and Rudhyar both note, no symbol is inherently positive or negative, good or bad. Jones went to great lengths to make this point. Every one of his interpretations state aspects of the symbol that are positive AND negative. One of the problems that he noted with his longer formulation of the symbols--what many know as the "mimeograph" set--is that they opened the door to this line of thinking. It's one of the reasons that he withdrew them and later released the more abbreviated forms, forms which were 3-5 words in length on average and much closer to the words he initially wrote down on the 360 note cards.

 

[sdh3]

Re: Sabians: Leo 23* " IN A CIRCUS THE BAREBACK RIDER DISPLAYS HER DANGEROUS SKILL."

FYI, here's my etymological interpretation of Leo 23: A bareback rider.

The word bare descends from the root bhoso- which means “naked.” Only one other derivative of this root is provided in the American Heritage Dictionary of Indo-European Roots—ballast.

The word back descends from the Old English baec meaning “backwards, behind” and the pre-Germanic bakam.

The word rider descends from the Indo-European root reidh-, “to ride.” Other derivatives include palfrey (a saddle horse, especially for a woman to ride), raddle (to twist together, interweave), ready, already, raiment (clothing, garments), array (to lay out in a line), and curry (to groom a horse).

COMMENTARY: There is a definite geometrical or spatial theme here. The word raddle means to twist together or interweave. This implies lines that are not parallel and at angles ranging from +/- 1 to 90 degrees relative to one another. The word array means to lay out in a line. This implies a straight line. The keyword back obviously implies a backward or reverse direction. Finally, the derivative ballast means weight or any other substance that provides an object (e.g. a ship, a plane) with stability. This implies the prevention or limiting of motion in one or more of the three planes of motion—pitch (up/down), roll (side-to-side), and yaw (about the vertical axis).