The flowers of heaven, stars are the backdrop to the movement of the planets. We can watch the constellations move around as the night sky ticks and as the seasons change in their annual circle. Using astrology to locate stars in relation to your own planetary placements is one way to choose an appropriate star remedy for yourself. Looking at current planetary transits, we can see when planets move into alignment with stars that are reflecting trends in our shared experience. Such an alignment is taking place.

Regulus, Queen of Stars
Glowing in the heart of Leo the Lion, the star Regulus is one of the four royal stars of the ancient Middle East that mark the four corners of heaven. Regulus has long been associated with royalty, king and queenship, fame and success.The constellation Leo is overhead several months of the year, shaped like a backward question mark. You can locate Regulus as the bottom dot of that question mark. Nearby you will see an even brighter "star" -- the planet Jupiter. Jupiter remains in this area of the sky for several months with its closest approach to Regulus in late August, along with a special grouping of the Sun, Mercury and Venus. The planet and star make for a strong combination of cosmic energies. Mythically, Jupiter as the King of the Gods has a natural association with Regulus, the star of kings. The presence of Jupiter amplifies energy. It can suggest expansion and opportunity, or exaggeration, overdoing things.

Leo, the Lion-Hearted
Leo -- with Regulus as its brightest star -- is a fire sign of self-awareness and self-expression, a sign of courage and nobility of heart. No matter the Sun sign, we each embody qualities of all the signs as part of universal human experience. Our Leo quality seeks to develop a deep core of self-love. As the heart opens, there is a gradual and natural shift from identification with the ego-self to a freer expression of the higher Self that exudes warmth, generosity and magnetism. This is the key to its leadership potential. Jupiter's presence will enhance that potential for those who have an affinity with this star. Jupiter in alignment with Regulus is calling for leaders with heart, and for the hearts of our leaders to be healed. In classical star lore, it is said in relation to Regulus that those who take revenge against their enemies fall from power. Such revenge is not true leadership. Regulus is located at the cusp of the signs of Leo and Virgo. This brings to mind the image of the sphinx, with the body of the Lion and the head of the Goddess, wisdom combined with power.

Healing Power of Regulus Comes from the Heart
Star essences contain the light energy of a star, each with its unique vibratory frequency. The light of Regulus has been researched by Smulkis and Rubenfeld and Drs. Paul and Mary Nash. These researchers find that Regulus can help us move beyond limiting patterns from the past. This seems to be an urgent quest in these times of collective misunderstanding, when war drums are beating so loud they threaten to drown out our heartbeats. Healing starts within our own hearts.

The Drs. Nash have seen such patterns to be largely conditioned by emotional traumas, physical limitations or feelings of isolation. True to the essence of Leo, the light of Regulus encourages a sense of Self that does not rely on the input of others. The undeveloped Leo quality looks for its reflection in the mirror of others and can be overly influenced by outside opinions, or discouraged by the bad news of the day. The development of self-awareness allows Leo to be centered more truly in the essence of Self, therefore more grounded and able to act from that heart-felt place. They have found that the Regulus vibration enhances the sense of mystery and joy in life, inspiring the imagination, especially in art and music.

The best of Leo has a natural creative urge, a playful spirit and a generous heart. The alignment of Jupiter and Regulus can double our pleasure and enjoyment of life. Enhance your joy by communing with these two bright lights in the night sky, or by using the star essence.

(Regulus Starlight Elixir is available from Pegasus; Regulus Star Essence is available from Paul and Mary Nash via the author.)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: M. Kelley Hunter is an astrologer, mythologist and amateur astronomer who works with flower and star essences. She lives in St. John, Virgin Islands, where she tells stories in the stars. She is working on a Ph.D. in world cosmologies and writing a book on the cosmic feminine. Inquire about personal consultations or her free monthly e-mail articles at kellhunter@earthlink.net. Here website is at www.heliastar.com. See her previous article in Vibration here.