Leo

Leo | Jul 23 - Aug 22

The 5th sign is Simha (Leo). Parashara describes Simha as follows:

"It is ruled by Surya and is Sattvic. It is a quadruped and a royal rashi. It relates to forests and rises with its head. It has a large, white body. It resides in the east and is strong during daytime."

Surya (the Sun) is the ruler and Simha is a fixed, fire, male sign. The Sun is a fiery Graha, so Simha is very fiery indeed. Add to that the male quality, and the sign's symbol of a Lion makes a lot of sense. Surya represents the king, and the lion is called the king of the animal kingdom.

People with a prominent Simha in their chart are territorial, and need to have some domain where they are in charge. They have pride and radiance and natural leadership qualities. The ego is pronounced, and questioning such a person is likely to cause a strong response. Leo is not very flexible, but can be very generous when it serves maintaining dignity. It thrives on being recognized for it's superiority in some area.