Leo New Moon (Part One)
Listen on audio (about 5 minutes) or read the story below:
Inside the lion’s lair, the old King of the Savanna had rooms full of mirrors. It was almost like a fun house with crazy mirrors that distorted everything… they made the frail look buff and the old look young.
But the miserable old lion wasn’t having any fun. His mane was thin and scruffy, his eyes looked dull and droopy, and when he roared everyone could see that he was almost toothless.
He spent his days gazing into the mirrors of illusion trying to convince himself that he was a handsome, virile force to be reckoned with. “I’m the grrrrreatist!” he’d roar with feigned confidence. But the frightening truth was that he felt weak, worthless, lonely and impotent.
The lionesses were weary of fluffing up his mane and showering him with praise. The oldest lioness once confronted him boldly, “You’ve become a grumpy, growly, grouchy old curmudgeon. Your heart is so shriveled up… it’s a miracle that it’s still beating at all!”
The King of the Savanna was enraged by her disrespect, but he knew that she spoke the truth.
One day the old lion was watching a group of young cubs. They tumbled over one another and made wild leaps into the air. They danced in a circle and took turns going into the center, shaking their booties and showing off their best moves. The cubs laughed and played and shrieked with joy. But the king was not pleased. He noticed that all of their games were based on cooperation. They were working as a team, helping each other and cheering each other on. There were no winners and no losers.
“You have to fight to see who’s the strongest… to see who comes out on top,” the king shouted to the cubs.
“That’s the old way. The reign of kings and queens is coming to an end,” a cub shouted back, “It’s the dawn of a new day, a new era. It’s time for power to be shared and for love to lead. Everyone is special in their own unique way. Everyone is valuable and everyone is needed. The power of love will take us much farther than the love of power ever did.”
The old lion grumbled at this nonsense and went slinking back to his lair, hoping the magic mirrors might brighten his spirits. As the lion king stared at his false image and tried to believe it, a small group of cubs came bursting in.
“We worked together to make a very special mirror for you. We think you’ll like what you see,” said one of the cubs.
“Oh yeah, what’s so special about it?” asked the grumpy old lion.
Another cub spoke excitedly, ”It’s a heart mirror!”
“I don’t need to look at my heart,” the old lion growled, “My heart is just fine.”
But the truth was that he didn’t want to look at his hardened heart and he certainly didn’t want these persnickety cubs to see the fear he kept hidden deep inside. “Go away and take your stupid mirror with you!” he yelled.
The smallest cub courageously declared, “We’re not leaving until you try the mirror.”
“Come on. Please. Just try it. You’ll like it. We promise,” urged another youngster.
“Who do you think you are, you little whippersnappers?” shouted the old lion, infuriated by their impudence.
But before he could kick them out, one of the cubs quickly grabbed the mirror and held it up in front of the king’s withered heart. The old lion was shocked by what he saw… His heart was radiant. Brilliant rays of love-light shone forth as brightly as the sun. What surprised the old lion most of all was that he could actually feel his heart for the first time in many, many years. A warm glow filled his chest. His eyes softened and his lips curved into a gentle smile. It felt so good to feel the love flowing through his heart that he reached out and began hugging the cubs.
“This is the most powerful magic mirror I’ve ever seen,” the old lion said, “What’s the secret behind this trick?”
“It’s no trick. The heart mirror reflects back the love that is already in your heart. The love is real and it’s always been there, but you couldn’t see it or feel it because it was clouded over by fear,” said the cub holding up the mirror.
“Love is what you are,” said the littlest cub with a wisdom and assurance beyond her years.
The old King of the Savanna felt his heart swell with love and appreciation for these little cubs. Though his mane was thin, his body wasn’t as big and strong as it used to be and his teeth were few, he now had a vibrant glow about him. His eyes sparkled and a joy-for-no-reason bubbled up from deep inside of him.
“I’m done with being King of the Savanna. I don’t care about the crown or the throne. I’m done pretending to be something I’m not… Now I see who I really am… I am love. I am joy. I am free. I love you each. Let’s go outside and dance!”
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Read Part Two, “Leo New Moon: The Lion’s Shadow” to understand how this story about the old lion king relates to YOU and the liberation of YOUR lion heart.