Leo Sign Dates, Characteristics & Personality Traits

Leo Sign Dates - July 23 - August 22

Creative. Dominant. Confident. Intelligent. These are some of the adjectives that describe the people born under the fifth sign of the zodiac, Leo. Symbolized by Lion, the sign represents rulership, boldness, and stardom. Leos love to take the center stage. Not because they are attention seekers, but because their strength of purpose allows them to achieve their goals quickly.

Ruled by the fiery sun, Leo is generous, friendly, and often capable of bringing people from different backgrounds together for a common purpose, bigger goal. They are polite listeners and known for moving others with their smiles. Even though they may come across as arrogant, rude, and harsh, they display a deep love for life.

Leo Traits & Overview

Leos pride themselves on their enviable trait. Blessed with high self-esteem, they don’t believe in false modesty. They aren’t afraid to work hard, and therefore, form the leaders of tomorrow. Always known for putting themselves first, sometimes, it becomes difficult for Leo to retain close friendships.

Leos are extremely passionate about all things in life. On one hand, they are known for their sheer dedication and tenacity to achieve their goals. And on the other hand, they aren’t afraid to show who or what they love. They are all about grand gestures.

Leos are adventure seekers. The idea of settling down in life bothers them to the core. They often find themselves trying to strike a balance between personal and professional life. They are harsh in terms of judgment.

Leo Symbolism & Myth

Named for the stellar constellation, Leo (The Lion In The Cave), gained importance in Greek mythology. Leo, the Nemean Lion, was defeated by Heracles in a battle. Since then, the astrological symbol is synonymous with rule, leadership, and pride.

In Egyptian mythology, Lion was a complex symbol. A fearless animal capable of providing protection from the chaos and wreaking havoc. Pharaohs sometimes kept a lion as a pet because it was a symbol of power and kingship.

Leo Element, Mode, & Season

Element - Fire; Mode - Fixed; Season - Summer
Ruled by the Sun, Leo is also the representative of the element, Fire. The sign doesn’t think about the overall effects of the fire. It takes a fixed position and burns no matter what.

Summer

The Leo season begins in the middle of summer and marks the sunniest time of the year. It’s when the sun is burning brightly, continuously, not thinking about anything else.

It is due to the strong placement of the Sun that Leos exhibit strong, confident, courageous, bold vibes. They live life with their head held high, just like the Jungle King.

Fixed Mode

Being one of the four fixed signs, Leos display endurance and stability in their life. Striving to become better each day, they dream high but aren't the complaining type. They are confident and determined to achieve their goals. They are realistic and practical, yet manage to outshine others. No amount of drama dulls their shine.

Fire Element

Leo is represented by the lightest element, Fire. Giving light to the moon and the stars, Leos bring the ray of hope in everyone’s lives. They are the life of the room, always attracting attention and judgment everywhere they go. The fire element is all about courage, spontaneity, inspiration, and intuition.

Leo Planetary Rulership

Ruled by the Sun, Leos are inclined towards the acquisition of knowledge. The fiery planet lends a lively, energetic vibe to those born under the Leo Zodiac Sign. They possess a great degree of optimism, but sometimes focus on the individual flame, which is why they may become overbearing, aggressive, insensitive, and selfish. Pride and arrogance are also the Leo sign traits infused by Sun.

Domicile of The Sun

Sun is the sole ruler of the zodiac sign, Leo. Therefore, those born under this sign exhibit typical traits of the fiery star. Sun lends power, radiance, and courage to the natives. Not just that! It governs the self, power, strength, ill, power, and order, which also gives birth to negative traits associated with the zodiac sign.

Just like the sun takes the center stage in the solar system, Leos attract attention everywhere they go and come across as proud and haughty individuals.

The sun in Leo is often courageous, driving the creative side, but its tendency to be in the limelight seldom overshadows the gifts bestowed to the sign.

Detriment of Saturn

Saturn in Leo is said to be in detriment. This means the wise, disciplined Saturn isn’t able to express itself fully in a sign associated with vanity. Therefore, the natives with such a sign placement often struggle to express themselves. Since the typical Leo traits are repressed, these natives exhibit more drama and are often inclined to uncover their artistic potential.

Leo House Rulership

The house ruler is the planet ruling the sign located at the cusp of the respective house in the horoscope.

The Fifth House

Leo is assigned the fifth house of the birth chart. This house of creativity, entertainment, and the playful nature of the child is where the zodiac sign Leo finds its personal expression. These natives are lively, enthusiastic, and constantly striving to achieve their goals. Their form of expression makes them feel like the most important person in the world. Not only does the search for the self help them build a strong character, but it also nurtures their already existing qualities.

The Ninth House

The planetary ruler, Sun, finds joy in the ninth house of the birth chart. Which means those born with the sun in the ninth house are their most confident self. They become great leaders and work towards bringing a change in the world. Light is central to their growth and upbringing, and therefore, they become illuminators of the world.

These natives become great teachers, political leaders, and administrators.

Leo Characteristics

The zodiac sign Leo represents royalty, kingship, strength, and arrogance. People born under this sign aren’t afraid to steal the limelight. They like drama and are driven by it lifelong. Also, they are fun, ambitious, strong-willed, generous, loyal, and attractive.

In search of self-awareness, they constantly need to satisfy their egos. They bluntly put their demands on the table, but when someone else asks for something, they are quick to ignore.

Typical Leo characteristics - Stubborn, lively, courageous, and cheerful.

Personality

The ruling planet, Sun imposes masculine, active qualities to those born under this zodiac sign. Leo natives are radiant, energetic, and full of charisma. They are ambitious, willing to do everything in their power to attain a power title. No task is too big or too small for them. If they want something, they will cross all boundaries in order to achieve it.

Considering each day as a new challenge, Leos always set a new record. They are their biggest competitors and harshest critics. They are faithful and loyal, but once their trust is broken, the good books close for everyone around them.

Strengths

Passionate, generous, warm-hearted, cheerful, Leos emit joyful vibes everywhere they go. Being born under the rule of the Sun, these natives are optimistic and confident. They consider themselves the smartest people in the room, but more so because they are. Leos are extremely loyal and kind. When loved truly, they reciprocate the love and make their partners feel the most blessed soul on the planet. Governed by strong leadership instincts, Leos are known to support causes important for the human race.

Weaknesses

Leos pride and vanity become their biggest weaknesses. Undoubtedly, they are smart but often lose touch with reality. Expecting people to worship them, Leos pedestalize themselves until they see things falling apart, that the center cannot withhold.

Leos are stubborn, self-centered, and egocentric. Their dire need for the limelight can make them insensitive to other people’s feelings. Their exhaustive urge to be at the top often gives birth to their deepest pitfalls.

Leo Compatibility

The most compatible signs with Leo are Aries, Gemini, Libra, and Sagittarius. The least compatible signs with Leo are Taurus and Scorpio.

When in Love, Leos aren’t scared to showcase their feelings. Sometimes their over possessiveness awakens their jealous soul.

Leo Health

Strong headed, Leos usually experience a lot of stress and anxiety. Their stringent ideologies take a toll on their mental & cardiac health. Although Leo natives have a strong physical build, they must exercise regularly to keep their circulatory system running at peak speed and maintain mental stability.

Leos must also keep their diet and cholesterol levels in check so as to stay away from any kind of heart disease. Lastly, deep breathing exercises can do wonders for these restless souls.

Esoteric Leo

The Three Decans of Leo

According to traditional astrology, each zodiac sign forms a 30-degree piece of the 360-degree band of constellations. The thirty degrees of each sign are further divided into three decans of ten degrees each. Each decan contains a slot of 10 days, and every decan is governed by different planets and different characteristics are attached to it.

First Decan of Leo: Saturn

Born from July 23 to August 01 (Degrees 120 through 129)
Saturn is the ruler of the first decan of Leo, which makes the people born in this range disciplined yet angry. These natives live a challenging life, and often feel helpless and frustrated.

Second Decan of Leo: Jupiter

Born from August 02 to August 12 (Degrees 130 through 139)
Jupiter is the ruler of the second decan of Leo, which makes the people born in this range highly enthusiastic and optimistic. They are fun-loving, social, free-spirited, and inquisitive by nature. They don’t shy away from adversities, rather face them with their heads held high.

Third Decan of Leo: Mars

Born from August 13 to August 22 (Degrees 140 through 149)

Mars is the ruler of the third decan of Leo which makes the people born in this range extremely daring, driven, and ambitious. Mars displays courage, fearlessness, and dynamism in these natives. Leos born in the third decan are often impulsive and short-tempered.