Last night during game 5 of the NBA playoffs, there was a kerfuffle between Dwight Howard & Jimmy Butler — actually, there were kerfuffles throughout the whole game.
Fervent in their pursuit of another win, players of both the LA Lakers and Miami Heat got down and dirty — there were fouls, arguments, arguments about the fouls, and lots of tension between players of the two teams as they tried to outscore one another.
Some may say such heated exchanges are superfluous, as basketball — like the other sports — is just a game. True, it is just a game, but it’s also a performance.
In astrology, the 5th House, ruled by Leo & the Sun, has jurisdiction over both games, gambling, theatre, and sports. And in a very Leo-like fashion, you can see these worlds intersect in any sports game, be it basketball, football, baseball, etc. Players perform as they show off their athleticism for the crowd; and the audience — whether at home or in the stadiums — watch with bated breath to see these performances and witness their team win. (While also hoping to cash in, as gambilng and sports betting — another 5th House subject — is now legal in the U.S.)
Power plays, passion, dynamism, gambling, competition, fame, games/sports, and self-expression also fall under 5th House rulership.
Sports games often throb with passion, thanks to the competitiveness of the famous players and the excitement of the crowds. (Prior to the pandemic, people packed into stadiums like sardines in a can, an image reminiscent of the way Romans filled the Coloseum to watch people fight big cats.)
And as tension runs high from tip-off to buzzer-beating last shots, so too do the histrionics.
“Flopping”, a term used in basketball when a player fakes being hit in order to draw a foul, screams Leo-like histrionics and dramatic self-expression. Players fling themselves backwards or forwards to draw attention from the referee in hopes of being awarded the chance to shoot free shots.
It’s these types of dramatic performances that makes sports so entertaining. (Entertainment also falls under Leo & the 5th House.)
Indeed, sports are merely a live performance of athletic drama. There’s a protagonist and antagonist, and a plot that plays out right before our eyes, with twists and turns… And when a team or player scores, the crowd goes wild.
Featured image: Photo by Serge Kutuzov on Unsplash
