The horoscopic sign of Leo is symbolized by a lion in full health and glory, and this is not a freak coincidence. This sign is ruled by the Sun, which is no accident either. When one looks at Leos and learns more about them, all the pieces of the puzzle come together. A Leo is a strong, magnanimous, sunny personality, that is equally capable of throwing boisterous tantrums, sulking sullenly for attention, and bringing out their usually sheathed talons to protect their massive egos. Yet, with all their pompous hot air, Leos definitely have substance. They are spirited, organized, and talented, and they top these with an ability to inspire people to reach for things beyond themselves and still achieve them. This article will highlight a few Leo characteristics, and I hope my fellow Leo brothers and sisters will not object to a few exposés. We shall begin this article with some general features found in Leos of both sexes. After this, we shall move on to the characteristics displayed by the two genders, as male Leos are quite a distinct species than the female ones. No matter what your birth chart is afflicted with and no matter where your planets are housed, if your sun sign is Leo, you cannot hide its features, at least not for long and definitely not from those well versed with astrology. The Leo horoscope dates are between July 23^rd and August 22^nd. General Characteristics Leos just love showing off, whether it is their writing, their prizes and medals, or even their houses. And with a Leo, by God's grace, there is always something to show. You see, nature has fashioned them with a little bit of extra effort, taking care that they always have something to feed their egos. Coming to egos, well, that deserves a separate paragraph. That Leos have massive egos is not hidden from anyone, but did anyone tell you that their egos are far larger than what they have let you in on? Simple things like ignoring them in a conversation, failing to ask their opinion or advice, and not calling them when you are supposed to will hurt them as badly as being cheated on, being lied to, or being left out of the loop. Most of them, though, take it in their stride. Their egos sometimes prove to be their biggest motivators. That will be a very rare Leo that will go about asking for help, money, or advice. If they fail, and they often will, they will get up and rebuild the pieces. They will dare one and all to stop them from winning and no one will, dare that is. Success for them is a result of continued attempts (despite failures), and since giving up is a loss not quite easily handled by their egos, Leos never give up and will never fail as a result. The astrological sign of Leo is a fixed fire sign. As with all fixed signs, expect your Leo friends to be dogmatic, a tad too staunch, and even a bit stubborn. They tend to be in natural alignment with everything that is traditional and historical, but they are not as obstinate about it as the other fixed signs. They are known to give way to progress if a rationale behind it is explained to them. Leos are amazingly rational and logical, and except in the times where they are deeply passionate about something, they are fairly malleable if they find logic in a situation. Mind you, I have always stated that they will support a cause if they find logic in it and the problem lies there. It is not always easy to convince a lion about the necessity of something, especially when he starts off giving negative vibes. The trick to winning is to go armed with facts, figures, and an unflappable debate speech. You will get him to say yes in the end. A fire sign always comes with a bit of madness, and the Sun gives Leo its fair share of clownish antics. They do fool around like all other mere mortals and have a flair for comedy. You will even find them doing the stupidest and funniest of things just to cheer someone up, or just for the sake of it. Yet, Leos are only jokers when they want and choose to be. You would be safer to not play pranks or make jokes with a Leo at the butt of them. If you value your friendship or association, and your life and health even, you should be wise enough to understand this. A lion, however playful and indulgent with those close to him, is still a lion. He has sharp teeth and sharper claws, and more importantly, he is carnivorous and you are his food. Leos symbolize the goodness in mankind. They are planners (but not plotters like Scorpio), they are the champions of the underdog (passionate, not foolhardy like Aries), and they are do-gooders (in a royal, high-handed way, not in service like Pisces). They want everyone to be rich, happy, and content, so does it matter if they wish the same for themselves in a little more quantities? You could say they are communists, for they want good things for all, but what would be there to achieve, if people did not have role models to look up to. Leos consider themselves as that and wish that they get a little more riches, a little more happiness, and of course, a little more credit than others, to inspire them to do better of course. The person that coined the term sarcasm was most surely exposed to a Leo, for they are the original masters of this true art. There is no one better that can make you feel inconsequential, puny, and even non-existent. If you get on the wrong side of a Leo, that is how you will be leaving. Your scars will stay and burn a lot longer than any battle wounds that you would get on the battle-field. Arrogance is also something that you cannot detach from a Leo. It comes naturally to them, just like it does to the spoiled heirs of blue-blooded families. You could say that these monarchs of the zodiac sometimes take their astrological roles a little too far and can be quite irritating. In other cases though, they are just the kind of rulers one would want leading their household, their nation, or even the world, for they are magnanimous, attentive, and sensitive to others' problems. They are unorthodox and creative enough to come up with the most unlikely solutions that benefit all. Characteristics of the Lion Our Leo lions are unfortunately just like the lions we find in the jungles; lazy, lazy, and lazy. The only job of a male lion in the wild is to mate and protect his ever-growing family. All the hunting, child rearing, community building, etc., is done by the females, who are even expected to wait in attendance to his every beck and call. Somewhat like that, if you are in love with a lion, married to one, or even related to one, I cannot help you with the constant nagging feeling in the back of your mind that asks you if you are his personal hand-maiden. Another downside with the Leo males is that while they are all for female emancipation and all that, they would rather see it outside their house than inside it. If you are married to one, you might have a problem with him regarding your work. If you manage to rebel the regime of the evil king, you will still have to juggle with his massive ego regarding your income and his, your money and his, etc. Leo males are very jealous and so you will also have to cope with a million intrusive questions that you cannot even dodge. Yet, what is sauce for the goose is not sauce for the gander, and I advice you to not ask him the same questions and expect an answer. Even if you get one, be careful not to trust it blindly for many a Leos are known to lie, not to hide something, but to avoid unnecessary complications (in their own words). Leo males though comes with some extremely distinct advantages. For one, you will never be starved of romance and love. Nothing will ever be monotonous, repetitive, and non-spontaneous, if you get my drift. You will also never be starved of adventures and excitement. You will never miss out on a single happening party and you will never be stopped from going to your spa, gym, or beauty salon. You will even have a permanent driver! If there are any leaking taps/faucets or any malfunctioning machinery in the house, there will still never be a reason to call a mechanic; you will have a homemade one that obviously also comes for free. Last but not the least, you can spend as much as you like (for most likely, he will be spending more anyway). Just between you and me, he will love the babies too and be a good daddy. Characteristics of the Lioness Leo ladies are tough cookies, for they fit in perfectly with the song, "I'm a bi***, I'm a lover, I'm a child, I'm a mother, I'm a sinner, I'm a saint ...". This all in one package deal is independent, live wire, ambitious, and eccentric. She will be a regal you-can-see-but-you-can't-touch till you get to know her. Once you are in her inner circle of friends, she will tolerate much more from you than she will from anyone else. Anyone who has ever tried a cheesy pick-up line on a Leo lady will know how it feels when you are getting scorched with the sun's harmful UV radiations with no shelter in sight. She will look stunning and will even give you the come-hither look, and I do feel for you, because how could you have known that she is a Leo lady? Well, you should have, and since you did not, you deserve the punishment. Most Leo ladies love fashion and will have some bit of it unique to them, even if it is on a meager spending. All Leo ladies will have beautiful homes and beautiful kitchens (though they would prefer never to be use them). They usually excel at everything they undertake, be it sports, academics, or careers. With maybe just the exception of Aries women (for there is tough competition between the two), these women are capable of beating men hands down in their chosen fields. If you thought you had mastered the art of romance and seduction, here is a lady who can teach you a thing or two (maybe not Libra and Scorpio, for they are in a different league altogether). With Leo ladies, it is all about class. If you are wooing one, be prepared to uplift yourself to her level. If you are married to one, know that you are in for some high maintenance. You are in for the ride of your life if you are game for adventure, spontaneity, and luxury. If you are not, you will see her wilt like a flower in harsh sunlight. There is nothing worse than a wilting Leo, for all she is really is starved for love. She is extremely sentimental (even if some hide it well) and if you give her that, she will make you proud. There woould not be a single boss, colleague, or friend who will be immune to her charms and there is no one alive that she would not dazzle. Leo ladies make wonderful girlfriends, but may not make the best wives if you are expecting chores like housekeeping and cooking done. The only way your expectations can match is if you give her a lot more leeway than you would give anyone else and never starve her for love. She will do anything for you then. That is the only trick with her (of course you cannot let her know you are using it). Leos alternate between prickly/touchy and sweet/charming. Though one cannot be sure that the bark (in this case, roar) will be worse than the bite, for a Leo that is hurt or vindictive can stoop to any levels. Most Leos have a strong (sometimes irritatingly heightened) sense of ethics and morals though, and stop themselves from crossing an invisible line. After all, all royalty must be careful of public image, for they are the role models for society. Even if you disagree, please do not tell them so, for a happy and loved Leo is truly very warm-hearted.