Zodiac Signs: Leo Symbolism & Personality
Leo, the lion, is the king of the zodiac. Ruled by The Sun, Leos exudes the light of the sun wherever they go, shining light into the lives of those around them. Can you tell that I’m a Leo?
Leos possess innate creativity, a love for artistry and have a warm and generous heart. They love sharing with others; things or experiences and enjoy having an audience. Allegedly, Leos can have a bad reputation for being a bit annoying, a wee bit egotistical and sometimes ostentatious, but a little self-love can’t hurt, right?
Courageous and bold, Leos have an open mind and a big heart. They’ll be your best friend, your hype man or woman, and will sing your praises behind your back.
Read more about Leo the lion and why they’re the best sign in the zodiac.
Leo
- Dates: July 23rd to August 22nd
- Ruling planet: The Sun
- Natural house: Fifth house
- Element: Fire
- Quality: Fixed
- Symbol: The lion
- Motto: I will
- Keywords: Self-confidence, endurance, regal, pride, drama, attention, loyalty, generosity, opinionated, playfulness, overbearing, enthusiasm.
Leo season
Once Cancer season comes to a close, Leo season starts, and the shift in energy is almost palpable. Cancer season is a great time to rest, recoup, tend to homely affairs and assess emotions. Once that inward and emotive process is complete, Leo the lion seeks out Cancer the crab and encourages it to come out of its shell.
The time for tending to the home is over. Now, in the light of the sun, it’s time to live loud, bold and have some fun. Leo season is a great time for socialising, picking up a creative project or just having a good time. Be confident, wear red, go wild.
Leo Symbolism
The myth of Leo is the myth of the king. The ruler, the overseer, the king would tend to the kingdom, making executive decisions, passing law and looking after their subjects. This display of personal power was a task that requires the balancing of obligations and duties.
The age of kings is over, but Leo’s regal nature remains. The challenge is to bring in this kingly approach to life in a way that dominion is not exerted over others or the self, but instead that royalty is a function of one’s heart and soul, not authority. Authentic leadership requires service. When Leo learns this lesson, he or she will be unstoppable.
Ruling planet: The Sun
Leo is ruled by one of two luminaries, The Sun. In Greek mythology, Helios the Sun God would drive a chariot across the sky, pulling the sun behind him to illuminate the day.
Sun Sign Leo: Personality and Traits
If you are born between July 23rd and August 22nd, your sun sign is Leo.
The sign of loyalty, drama and flair, those born with their Sun in Leo have a natural tendency toward creativity and creative expression.
With a big heart and immense courage, Leos can live a big life and make a huge impact; however, if they lack responsibility and discipline over the negative traits of their personality, they can bring hardships to themselves.
Leos are generally pleasing and pleasant people, but they can have a difficult streak to them if they are not given the space to expand and express, or are not valued or rewarded correctly. Leos can be constructive or destructive, depending on whether the self or the Self is in the driving seat.
This is their battle: between the ego and Self. If they act too much from their ego, letting this human identity rule, they’ll be arrogant and pompous. When Leo learns that their will is God’s will, they’ll live aligned with their Higher Selves and embody amazing qualities bestowed unto them by the sun.
Leo personality positive traits
- Ambitious
- Affectionate
- Generous
- Loyal
- Confident
- Leadership qualities
Brimming with self-confidence, people born under the sign of Leo are courageous, bold and big-hearted. They have tremendous energy, vitality and a lust for life. They have a strong sense of dignity and pride and are eminently suited to positions of authority and leadership.
Leos possess immense creative energy and have great abilities. While many Leos are drawn to the arts, this creative expression isn’t strictly in painting or music; it comes out in creative cooking, interesting approaches to strategy, beautifully curated social media feeds and so on. If their creativity is not expressed, a great deal of potential could be wasted.
With a flair for drama, Leo loves making an appearance and standing out. They’ll often dress interestingly or wear bold colours, particularly red and gold. I heard from another Leo once that Leo women always have big and wild hair, that this was symbolic of the Leo mane.
Leo looks at its family as a pride of lions. Family and loyalty are key concepts to Leo, who will protect and defend all who they love. With an open heart, love is expressed openly, and if Mercury is well placed, communication will be open and expressed easily too.
Their general outlook on life is one of open-mindedness, optimism and kindliness. They are charismatic and have naturally high energy levels. Leos have confidence and assurance that can rub off on those around them, lifting others up. Others may be envious of the power inherent in Leo. Leo days should be full with not a second wasted. Hard work, socialising, creative time and some rest, there is plenty of energy and enthusiasm for life in Leo’s heart.
Leos are natural-born leaders. They can command a group with ease while also being able to interact on the one-on-one level with great intensity. They often assume leadership or top management positions in companies or are self-employed.
Once Leo has mastered their challenges of self versus Self, they have self-respect, integrity, honey and are fully dependable. They are open-hearted, honest and direct.
Leo personality negative traits
- Domineering
- Arrogant
- Pompous
- Stubborn
- Overbearing
In some cases, Leo’s large personality and love for affection can express itself in somewhat negative ways.
When Leo’s courage and boldness fades, they can become somewhat tyrannical. In this case, an air of ego, ruthlessness and arrogance can form. While they have a natural tendency toward leadership, Leos may elect to put themselves in authoritative positions, whether they have the abilities or not. One of their worst qualities is assuming they know best, so they need to develop a flexible mind and listen to others’ opinions. Glory hogs, they may also take credit for a job done by another.
A little drama can’t hurt, but in the case of Leo, it could be a hindrance. If there is too much of an emphasis on attention and drama, Leo may become pretentious, showy, or vain. Lovers of flattery, Leos may thrive too much on compliments and find themselves moving away from others who do not compliment them enough.
Leos love having an audience. They love being the centre of attention and commanding glory and respect for their efforts. Leos with excessive confidence may come across as vain and pretentious, while even shy or quiet Leos will make small plays to make an impression.
Loyalty and love are big concepts for Leos. They have the ability to love deeply and have immense faith in those they love. The downside to this feverish loyalty is that Leo may come across as too attached. It may be difficult for the Leo to let go and offer the other space. One of the lessons of Leo is detachment. Love must be shared. Love must go from oneself to another, and then to all. Being a bit impersonal with love and attention means that Leo can spread their warmth and affection to all.
Leos may find certain jobs challenging. If they are not given enough space and freedom to express themselves or find themselves in teams that listen to and appreciate their ideas, they may struggle. Often, Leos will be drawn to careers in the performing arts or media as they can express their dramatic edge.
Leo and health
In medical astrology, Leo is associated with the spaces in the body that are concerned with vitality. This includes the heart, the spine or back problems and also the circulation system.
Heart problems are prevalent, and Leos suffer greatly from issues such as heart palpitations, heart disease and fainting. It is paramount that Leos keep stress levels low and use their energy correctly or else heart-related trouble may arise.