Sunday, December 22, 2013

READing Your Style: Legends of the Zodiac - Leo

Oh joy, to the internet and how it makes life so much more convenient! I have finally found a useful purpose for Pinterest! Now, I have had a Pinterest account for a few months and it has taken me a while to take a liking to it, especially considering all the other social media platforms I already have. But this month, as I was searching for jewelry to feature for this here series on 'Jewelry for the Holidays based on Zodiac Gemstones', I found Pinterest to be a great tool as an online buying guide, especially for all my last minute gifters. What I have been able to do is create a ‘board’ for each sign of the zodiac, and based on the gemstone that correlates with each sign, I was able to scour other Pinterest boards, and ‘Pin’ jewelry that I found to be great buying options based on the gemstone I wanted to feature for each sign. Please visit and follow my Pinterest if you have one, and create on if you don’t, for I have found jewelry of all price ranges from different sources ranging from Bulgari to Etsy.com. If perhaps your “ballin’ on a budget”, I include more reasonably priced look-a-like pieces of the gemstones featured for each zodiac that are made of crystal, and even plastic. In my fashion, it’s all about the look and what your jewelry means to you, not the price! I was pleasantly surprised at how good a resource Pinterest is for shopping and selling. I say, if you are salesperson, consider Pinterest to display your product, especially if you have unique items. I can just imagine how many people want interesting, one-of-a-kind pieces, but don’t know where to go to shop for just what they want. For consumers, Pinterest is a great way to find those pieces, and for sellers, it’s a great way to market your pieces to the worldwide market.


As I promised in my December Editor’s Letter, I hope you find the ‘Legends of the Zodiac’ stories from, ‘The Only Astrology Book You’ll Ever Need’, as entertaining as I did. They are intended to educate and inspire more intimate and intriguing reasons for adorning oneself with such gems inspired by the zodiac. As I have always championed on #IMFblog, items worn with a certain intention make for stronger individual style, and in my fashion, the items we wear provide their own energy in the same way our personalities provide/receive energy from other people. If you think about it, it is interesting how the jewelry we wear, or see others wearing, can affect our mood. Whether it’s more of a mental process, or that gems/jewelry radiate a certain “life energy”, there is something to be said about jewelry’s transformative qualities on our perceptions of ourselves or other wearers.

The energies of the ruby correspond beautifully to the best qualities of proud Leo the lion, and those familiar with the tarot cards will recognise the image of the lion in the strength card. No animal is as protective of it brood as the mighty but loyal lion. Think of a lioness with her cubs!! Similarly the ruby brings both physical protection and spiritual strength to its wearer. (Read more from Frank Pilkington)

Leo, fifth sign of the zodiac, is represented by the Lion, king of beasts. Traditionally, the mythology of the Lion is based on the story of Hercules and the Nemean Lion.

Hercules was the son of the great god Jupiter and the mortal woman Alcmean. Jupiter’s wife Juno, understandably jealous of Jupiter’s numerous love affairs, set herself against Hercules from the time he was a baby. When he was a young man Hercules was compelled to embark on twelve heroic and desperate undertakings, known as the Twelve Labors of Hercules.

The first Labor was to go to the valley of Nemea and there kill the savage and fearless Nemean lion. The skin of this lion could not be hurt by the weapons of man. Stone, iron, and bronze simply bounced off his pelt. Hercules tried to kill the lion with arrows, but they just fell away from the lion’s side. Finally Hercules wrestled with the lion barehanded. Because he possessed such great strength, he managed to get a grip around the lion’s neck and strangle him to death. In the process, the lion bit off Hercules’s finger, which by any measure would seem to indicate he got off lightly.

After he killed the beast, Hercules skinned the magical pelt. From the skin, Hercules made himself a breastplate, and from the lion’s jaw he formed a helmet. This new armor was to prove very valuable during his subsequent Labors.

The constellation of Leo is said to commemorate the bravery of combat between Hercules and the magnificent Namean Lion.

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