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The 12 Natural Minor Scales = Melodic Minor Scales, Descending
Table 25 below shows all 12 natural minor scales, which are the same ascending and descending. These scales are identical to the melodic minor scales, but descending only (so, for melodic minor, you would only read this table from right to left).
TABLE 25 Natural Minor Scales, or Descending Melodic Minor Scales, All 12 Keys
So ... what’s with this “descending melodic minor” business?
The natural minor mode sounds pretty natural when you’re going down the scale. However, when you’re going up the scale, you don’t feel “propelled” up to 1 (8). Why? Because the interval between scale degrees 7 and 1 (8) is a whole tone, instead of a semitone.
Going up the scale, there’s no strong leading tone.