Leo in a garden in Wensum Park, Norwich, Norfolk, England, UK - Photo by Leo Reynolds (Flickr)
Astrology: Leo the lion Firstly, why am I doing this on a cat site? Answer: because it is of interest to people and it contains the name of a very well known wildcat species, the lion - and it is a nice diversion from discussing cats; just for a while.
There are a thousands of examples of the use of wildcat names and the word "cat" (usually in the form of "wildcat") in products, teams and sportsman. In this instance the lion has been used in astrology. I am guessing but I suspect that the word "tiger" is the animal name most used by people and "lion" is the second most used name. The current most well known usage is the nickname of "Tiger" given to Eldrick Tont Woods, the golfer.What is astrology?
It is the belief that the position of celestial bodies (natural objects visible in the sky usually referring to the planets and stars) and information relating to their positions, can tell us something about ourselves including our character. The concept is that the position of these stars and planets have an effect on us generally and on individual people. Astrology is not considered a true science. Some people debunk it as rubbish while some believe in it wholeheartedly. However, even the skeptical can often see a correlation between character and their astrological sign which brings me nicely to the sign of Leo the lion.
Astrology: Leo the Lion
First some definitions:
Zodiac - this refer to a 360° circle around the earth, where each of the twelve Zodiac signs contains a 30° portion (30 x 12 = 360)2. It is a celestial mapping system based on coordinates allowing astronomers (scientists) to mark the positions of the celestial bodies.
It was created and developed in the 1st millennium BC by Babylon astronomers. Babylon is in what is now Iraq (50 miles south of Baghdad the capital).
Constellation - A constellation is an area of the sky for astronomers or in more scientific terminology: an internationally defined area of the celestial sphere4. For laypeople it is both an area of the sky and a formation of stars that form a vague shape. One of the zodiac signs is called Leo. The shape of the stars in the constellation Leo form the vague shape of a lion. "Leo", incidentally, is Latin for lion. This constellation is between Cancer and Virgo. The brightest star in Leo is called Regulus. The constellation contains named stars, bright galaxies and a cloud of helium and hydrogen called the Leo Ring.
The constellation Leo has a history stretching back thousands of years across many civilisations. The ancient Egyptians worshiped the stars of Leo because the rise of the Nile coincided with the sun passing through the constellation. To the untrained eye it is hard to discern how the shape of the lion is made out by the stars. Apparently, it is fairly easy to see in the spring north sky (face north and look up on a clear night).
The above representation7 of Leo the lion is an alternative method of joining the stars in this constellation.
Astrology: Leo the Lion
The sun is in the constellation Leo from roughly July 23 to August 23 (western astrology). It is the 5th astrological sign of the Zodiac. People born between these dates are, in astrological terms, Leos. People with this astrological zodiac sign have a character that, as expected, is based on what we think is the character of the lion. The lion does not think it has a certain character but we see the lion's character based in its behavior in relation to ours.
Leo the lion3
Typical Leo positive traits are:
- Generous and warmhearted
- Creative and enthusiastic
- Broad-minded and expansive
- Faithful and loving
The negative traits are:
- Pompous and patronizing
- Bossy and interfering
- Dogmatic and intolerant5
The underlying character is that of a person who is, dominant, creative, extrovert, spontaneous, ambitious, courageous, strong willed, independent and self-disciplined. I think you can see the personality.
With whom are they compatible? Well the Leo has a strong sex drive! This may lead to unfaithfulness. They dislike small mindedness and meanness. They like children, lavish living and speculative ventures. They are considered compatible with fire signs Aries, Sagittarius and other Leos and the air signs, Aquarius, Gemini, and Libra.
These are the birth dates for these signs
- Aries - March 21 to April 19
- Sagittarius - November 22 to December 21st
- Aquarius - January 20 to February 17
- Gemini - May 21 to June 20
- Libra - September 23 to October 22
However, birth dates are not the only factor in working out compatibility. This site (link broken now sorry) has a form that can be filled in and which includes information such as:
- birth time
- the exact place you were born
to work out compatibility between people based on astrological signs
Notes:
1. - top image: Constellation Leo - Hevelius' drawing of Leo, 1690 published under Wikimedia® creative commons license license = Attribution-ShareAlike License.
2. http://www.horoscoper.net/astrology/zodiac.htm.
3. published published under Wikimedia® creative commons license license = Attribution-ShareAlike License -- user: Fulcanell.
4. Wikipedia.
5. www.astrology-online.com.
6. Image of Leo on blue background: licensed download from http://peperonity.com/go/media/1755730!3.
7. Licensed for use by Wikipedia - see license.
