You hear nasty things about pride, but having Venus in Leo I think it’s attractive. This is the soldier talking.
“Do you know that when we met, I was making $312 a month? My kid can’t believe that. He can’t believe that was all I made but that was what I made all right. I was a private, P. And I was a slick sleeve! I didn’t even have my first stripe when I met you. Do you realize this? I had no stripes when I met you. Not a one!”
Having no idea why this would matter, I laughed. I am so removed from the military, it’s not even funny. I know he’s been awarded virtually every medal they make since. I’ve seen pictures things of a types drip from his uniform.
“And boy when I got that first stripe… I was crazy. Remember this? Of course I had to get it sewn on right away and then I went walking around like I was some kind of big shot. I did. I went around the base with that one stripe… my mosquito wing it’s called, and I went looking for people who didn’t have one. I went looking for slick sleeves and made them call me sir.” He laughed. “Yeah, I’d go up to some slick sleeve, point at that one stripe… I’d point at my mosquito wing and say, you see that? Do you see that? You better call me sir! I’m not a private anymore, that’s Private First Class to you!”
I roared.
“Yeah, hell. I was nineteen. I had that low rent red bike. I had an Italian girlfriend. I had that mosquito wing. I had pants so starched they’d stand up by themselves and that was it. I thought I’d done it. I was a success in this world!”
He had transiting Saturn conjunct Pluto at the time.
Have you ever felt this kind of pride in yourself?
8 Responses to “Pride… It’s Attractive”
A long time ago: me and my neighbours/friends playing “therapy”. One question I got was “on a scale of one to ten, where would you rate your intelligence?” Without hesitation, I gave myself a ten. (There are so many things I´m insecure about, but my brains are not among them.) The others then had to guess how I had rated, and it turned out that none of them had expected me to rate myself quite that high. “Nobody gives HIMSELF a ten!” my friend said. “What´s the question about, intelligence or modesty?” I asked. “Good point!” he had to admit.
I´ve got no planets in Leo, and after years of silent suffering in modesty while all around me those Leo divas popped up, shamelessly displaying their talents (or what they thought of as talents) to their worshipping crowds, I decided that I´d have to be a Diva by my own right, and be proud of the things I know I have done and can do well. No bragging, no showing off, just telling it like it is. I´m still working on it up to now, and occasionally you can see all those little medals of honor I rewarded myself with over the years…usually they´re invisible, but I know they´re there, and that I´ve earned them. They chime and tingle when I walk, and remind me to keep my head up high, despite the circumstances. Nice sound…some notice, some don´t, but so what.
(Sag rising, Venus in Cancer.)
When a little child beams with pride at an accomplishment well done, I smile. How can that be bad?
Pride is definitely attractive. My friend has a very smart boyfriend who is full of intellectual pride, which Aristotle considers the highest virtue, being good and knowing it. Some people are attracted by his confidence, some people are repelled and call him cocky.
Pride gives me mixed feelings. It’s a good warm glow, but if someone has to brag, I tend to think they’re protesting too much, compensating for something. Even if it’s genuine, I’m well aware that pride can get in the way sometimes. (Cause rentment and whatnot).
Mars in leo. I like feeling like a gracious winner – and tend to feel hurt if people make fun of me.
I have lots of Aquarius and no Leo so expressions of pride don’t quite register with me. They seem so over the top… like almost too much. When I talk to someone who shamelessly brags about himself/herself (prime example: My Leo dad, who brags about his status and achievements in every single email) I am at first amused then I chuckle and tune out. Let’s move on.
Could also be because I have Saturn exactly conj. my Sun that I am hesitant to accept even my own pride.. Like, geez, “can I safely brag about this? Am I embarrassing myself? Will I jinx myself?”
yeah. when i was a kid i’d win nearly any academic competition they could throw me at. (besides, uhm, debate, or anything that involved significant teamwork…)
after awhile it seemed like i was proud of the wrong things, though. school is such an artificial reality (and now i’m a teacher??)
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I have, usually in connection with something I’ve made. I try to keep obnoxious displays of pride to a minimum, but I have been known to bring a piece of knitting or cross stitch to work and accost my coworkers so they can admire it. :blush:
I do find that kind of thing obnoxious rather than attractive, even when I’m the one doing it. I have Venus in Libra, and nothing at all in Leo.