Leo & Scorpio

In this article Leo has nothing to do with anything real about factual lions. Neither has Scorpio anything to do with real scorpions. Leo and Scorpio in this article symbolise two different personalities, and the symbolism is inspired by the Zodiac. The astrological connection is merely inspirational though, this is not an interpretation of astrology.

Human Aesthetics as a Function of the Impression of Wealth

It is peculiar how fashion in looks has so often been linked to what at a certain time at a certain place has been considered by people to be a sign of wealth. The most striking example is obesity. As long as a lack of food was (or is) a major problem, and starvation a very real threat, fatness was a sign of wealth. It was a sign of someone who can afford to eat - not only sufficiently, but too much - and can survive the next famine. Being fat would also be a sign of not needing to work so hard. In their eyes, being fat is beautiful! It gives prestige.

When a lack of food is no longer a problem, when the majority of the lower classes are not occupied by hard physical work any longer; obesity loses its power as a symbol. Bad eating habits and too little exercise suddenly become signs of the lower classes, of not being able to afford to eat healthy food or have time for exercise. Obesity becomes ugly, slimness becomes the ideal.

Women with long fingernails show that they do not have to do rough work. At certain times, in some cultures, men, too, grew their nails - sometimes to a level which left them more or less disabled - to show that they did not need to work.

And then we have tan. While most people had to work outdoors (and where this is still the case), being pale and untanned gave or gives prestige and is considered beautiful, because it shows that a person can stay indoors and does not have to work out in the fields all day long.

Along with the development of the employment society, where most people are working indoors in factories and offices during the day, perception changes. Suddenly having to stay indoors the whole day (trapped at work), indicates lower class and less wealth. People want to show that they can afford to be free and outdoors even during daytime. Tan becomes beautiful!

I am sure there are more examples of human aesthetics as a function of the impression of wealth, and certainly some exceptions as well, but I think these examples will suffice to illustrate the point. A generalisation, of course; it is about general attitudes, the mainstream, a sort of average. Certainly there are other factors affecting the ideals. And at all times, in all places, there are always some individuals cultivating their genuinely own taste in these matters, rather than following the majority (the herd). But in human society at large, the impression of wealth is a dominant factor for setting the standards for what is beautiful in matters of human looks. But it is not only the human body.

Why are people wearing jewels? They are beautiful, yes, but is that the only reason for women to wear rubies, emeralds, or diamonds? No, definitely not. They want to boast about their wealth, that they can afford such expensive decoration. Here, again, we find the connection between beauty and wealth. People want to expose their wealth. That's the main reason behind expensive clothes, cars, brand names, and a lot of other material things people expose to their environment. But why is that so essential? If wealth, in their minds, is a measure of success, there is still the mystery of why that success must be measured and exposed to others!

The explanation is found in the herd mentality. It is a matter of competition in the herd, a competition between equals or what is roughly perceived as equals. That is also the root of envy, inferiority complex, and, I suspect, urge for publicity for publicity's sake.

However, there is a difference between those who really are something and those who merely appear to be. This is an important distinction that deserves some elaboration.

Leo & Scorpio

In the Zodiac there are two signs associated with power: Leo and Scorpio. While Leo is often considered a leader, this is not true. Leo desires not power, but the attributes of power. Leo doesn't want responsibility, just to shine in what is seemingly power. Leo wants to be admired. He wants others to perceive him as a leader, but are just pleased if someone else does the actual leading – that is, as long as Leo himself takes the credit.

The real power dwells with Scorpio. Not at all interested in the attributes or the admiration of others, Scorpio desires creative power for the purpose of using it. He gladly lets others stand in the spotlight and take the admiration (or hatred) of the masses. Scorpio is also the typical puppet master who secretly dwells in the shadows, controlling the puppets we see on the stage. Scorpio is not a herd being, not disposed to envy or competition. He is pleased by enjoying the fruits of his own creativity or power. This is the man that is, and he knows his own value without comparisons with others.

Leo, on the other hand, exists only in comparison with others. He doesn't even care for what is, he is pleased by appearing to be. Notwithstanding all his desire to be seen at the top, he is an extreme herd animal. After all, you cannot be at the top of nothing.

Scorpio likes to be wealthy, he likes to use his resources in order to achieve results, but he also hides his wealth. He has no urge to expose it to others.

Leo likes to appear wealthy, whether he is so or not. He is not interested in results, only in advancing his position of prestige in the herd. Consequently, he likes publicity, which Scorpio does not.

While it is possible to be a pure Leo or Scorpio, it is more common to be a mix of both, but Leo tends to dominate the mixed personality. Personalities being entirely Scorpio are rare, but it is also in their nature not to be seen, so they might be less rare than they seem to be.

The Moral of the Story

Something general can be learned from this. There is always a difference between what is and what appears to be; don't let yourself be deceived by mere appearance.

Epilogue

Already in my teens, top-lists, such as “The Ten Richest Men in the World”, amazed me. Not because it interested me in the least who were rich and not, but for the folly of it all. I saw these men as perhaps the stupidest men in the world, since they exposed their wealth to an extent of making their listing possible. But richest in the world? I always doubted that. Certainly there were others, more clever, who hid their wealth better, and owned or controlled considerably more. Today, older and hopefully wiser, I know it is so.

In the same way, I always doubted the actual power of those apparently in power. Efficient power can only be held secretly.

Finally, I want to take my hat off for the currently actual and elusive Scorpio, Satoshi Nakamoto, the creator of Bitcoin, who, against all odds, has preserved his privacy by applying a conscious strategy from the very beginning. This is obvious from the way he has covered his tracks. A contemporary illustration of what another privacy-minded and creative man, B. Traven, once wrote: “The creative person should have no other biography than his works.”

(This article is based on material previously published in Meriondho Leo.)

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