Leo, The Lion
July 23 - August 23
"I Will."
Planet: Sun
House: 5th House of Pleasure
Element: Fire
Quality: Fixed
Colors: Gold, Orange
Animals: Felines, Lion, Wolf, Eagle
Metal: Gold
Gem: Ruby
Flowers: Sunflower, Marigold
Anatomy Rulership: Heart, Spine, Back
Countries: France, Italy, Peru, Romania
Cities: Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Prague, Rome
Leo is the fifth astrological sign of the Zodiac, originating from the constellation of Leo. In astrology, Leo is considered to be a "masculine", positive (extrovert) sign. It is also considered a fire sign and is one of four fixed signs. Leo is ruled by the Sun. Being the fifth sign of the zodiac, Leo has been associated with the astrological fifth house.
Individuals born when the Sun was in this sign are considered Leo individuals. The Sun is in Leo roughly from July 23 to August 23. Under the sidereal zodiac, it is currently there roughly from August 16 to September 15.
Personality
The Leo type is the most dominant, spontaneously creative and extrovert of all the zodiacal characters. In grandeur of manner, splendor of bearing and magnanimity of personality, they are the monarch's among humans as the lion is king of beasts. They are ambitious, courageous, dominant, strong willed, positive, independent, self-confident there is no such a word as doubt in their vocabularies, and they are self-controlled. Born leaders, either in support of, or in revolt against, the status quo. They are at their most effective when in a position of command, their personal magnetism and innate courtesy of mind bringing out the best of loyalty from subordinates. They are uncomplicated, knowing exactly what they want and using all their energies, creativeness and resolution to get it, as well as being certain that they will get whatever they are after. Their followers know where they are with Leonians. Leonians think and act bigger than others would normally dare; the ambitiousness of their schemes and idealism sometimes daunt their followers, their practical hardheadedness and ability to go straight to the heart of any problem reassures those who depend on them. If Leonians meet with setbacks they thrive on the adversity.
Leo has been represented as a lion by numerous civilizations for thousands of years. One explanation is that the Sun was among its stars in Midsummer, and during this time the lions of the Egyptian desert left their accustomed haunts for the banks of the Nile, where they could find relief from the heat in the waters of the inundation. Pliny wrote that the Egyptians worshipped the stars of Leo because the rise of their great river was coincident with the Sun's entrance among them. Distinct reference is made to Leo in an inscription of the walls of the Ramesseum at Thebes, which, like the Nile temples generally, was adorned with the animal's bristles, while on the planisphere of Dendera its figure is shown standing on an outstretched serpent. The Egyptian stellar Lion, however, comprised only a part of the modern constellation, and in the earliest records some of its stars were shown as a knife, whereas they now are as a sickle.
Occupations & Financial
Surprisingly, Leos sometimes have a problem settling into a career. This is because they know that they were born to lead, and therefore have little patience working up the ladder. If your Sun is in Leo at the time of your birth, realistically and obviously, you can't expect to just inherit the chairmanship of a corporation out of college (although Leos are known for their good fortune when it comes to this sort of thing).
You will have to bide your time for awhile, at least, until your talents and popularity become obvious to those in charge. If you simply do not have the patience to be an underling for awhile, try employing yourself. Quite a few Leos are entertainers; others have successfully created their own businesses.
If you choose the corporate route, use your organizing skills. Take advantage of those opportunities that arise when people begin to naturally come to you for advice, and make sure everyone notices how skilled you are at handling problems and challenges.
The situations you want to avoid are those dead-end jobs where you become one of the cogs in the wheel, or one where you're alone most of the day, or where you feel confined. Get out of those jobs quickly, and find one where you can rise to the top without too much competition, or one where you're entering as a big fish in a small pond.
Leos Throughout Time
The list of famous Leos is extensive, because the sign is so successful by nature. It includes Henry Ford, who popularized the automobile, the dynastic conquerors Alexander the Great and Napoleon, the dictators Fidel Castro and Benito Mussolini, filmmaker Cecil B. DeMille (who is famous for his grand epics, demonstrating the Leo trait for doing everything on a large scale), and the wonderfully generous Lucille Ball and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.
