The Lion · Fire sign
Leo zodiac sign
Leo is the fixed fire sign, the only sign ruled by the Sun. It is associated with warmth, creativity, leadership and the wish to be seen and appreciated.
July 23 to August 22
Fire · Fixed · Lion · ruled by Sun
Leo dates
Leo covers birthdays from July 23 to August 22 in the conventional tropical table used on this site. The exact moment the Sun enters Leo changes slightly each year, which is why people born on July 23 or August 22 sometimes find different answers online.
From 1950 to 2050 the Sun entered Leo on July 21 in 2 of those years, July 22 in 74 of those years, July 23 in 25 of those years in US Eastern Time. For a birthday on a boundary date, the birth year, time and time zone decide the sign.
| Year | US Eastern Time | UTC |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | July 22, 3:44 AM EDT | July 22, 07:44 UTC |
| 2025 | July 22, 9:29 AM EDT | July 22, 13:29 UTC |
| 2026 | July 22, 3:13 PM EDT | July 22, 19:13 UTC |
| 2027 | July 22, 9:04 PM EDT | July 23, 01:04 UTC |
| 2028 | July 22, 2:53 AM EDT | July 22, 06:53 UTC |
Leo personality traits
Astrologers describe Leo as expressive, loyal, generous and theatrical, with a natural pull toward center stage. Because the Sun is its ruler, Leo is read as radiating energy outward: encouraging others, performing, creating and leading.
Traditional strengths
- Generous and warm-hearted
- Confident in front of others
- Loyal protector of friends
- Creative and playful
Traditional challenges
- Needing recognition
- Pride that makes apologies hard
- Dominating a conversation
- Sensitivity to criticism
Keywords: creativity, warmth, confidence, generosity, self-expression.
Leo in love and compatibility
In love, Leo is traditionally romantic, affectionate and generous, and enjoys grand gestures in both directions. Loyalty and genuine admiration are the traditional foundations.
Traditionally, Leo gets on most easily with Aries, Gemini, Libra, Sagittarius, Aquarius. Signs described as more challenging are Taurus, Scorpio, Capricorn, Pisces.
| Leo with | Aspect | Element · modality | Traditional reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aries | Trine | Fire · Cardinal | Most harmonious |
| Taurus | Square | Earth · Fixed | Challenging |
| Gemini | Sextile | Air · Mutable | Harmonious |
| Cancer | Semi-sextile | Water · Cardinal | Mixed |
| Virgo | Semi-sextile | Earth · Mutable | Mixed |
| Libra | Sextile | Air · Cardinal | Harmonious |
| Scorpio | Square | Water · Fixed | Challenging |
| Sagittarius | Trine | Fire · Mutable | Most harmonious |
| Capricorn | Quincunx | Earth · Cardinal | Challenging |
| Aquarius | Opposition | Air · Fixed | Complementary |
| Pisces | Quincunx | Water · Mutable | Challenging |
Leo in friendship and family
In traditional sign symbolism, Leo brings themes of warmth and self-expression. These examples are prompts for reflection, not descriptions of every person born under the sign.
Friendship
Celebrating a friend’s achievement fits the Leo theme. Giving someone else the spotlight is a useful way to turn enthusiasm into encouragement rather than competition.
Family and shared life
Shared occasions can be a place for creativity and play. Invite quieter family members to contribute in their own way, without making public participation the measure of affection.
A person’s actions, circumstances and boundaries matter more than a sign label. Explore the symbolism of sign pairings without using it to decide who deserves trust.
Leo at work
Leadership, performance, entertainment, teaching, design, events and any work that rewards visibility and creativity are associated with Leo.
Emotional needs and communication
Leo’s traditional emotional needs are appreciation, loyalty and space to express itself fully.
Leo speaks with warmth and conviction. Pride is the classic obstacle in the Leo story, so a Leo apology is often described as generous and wholehearted once it comes.
The Leo symbol and its mythology
The glyph ♌ represents the lion. Leo is the Nemean lion, whose hide no weapon could pierce. Heracles strangled it as the first of his twelve labours and wore its skin as armour.
The constellation Leo gave the sign its name, but the sign and the constellation are no longer aligned. Its brightest star is Regulus (Alpha Leonis). See when the Sun actually passes through each constellation.
Leo traditional associations
| Association | In Western astrology |
|---|---|
| Dates | July 23 to August 22 (conventional) |
| Symbol | Lion |
| Glyph | ♌ |
| Element | Fire |
| Modality | Fixed |
| Polarity | Positive (yang) |
| Ruling planet | Sun |
| Exaltation | None in the classical scheme |
| Opposite sign | Aquarius |
| Natural house | 5th house |
| Body area (melothesia) | Heart, spine and upper back |
| Tarot card (Golden Dawn) | Strength |
| Colors often cited | Gold and orange |
| Stones often cited | Peridot, onyx, sunstone |
| Constellation | Leo |
| Brightest star | Regulus (Alpha Leonis) |
Colors and stones vary between modern sources and have no single historical standard. The other associations are long-standing conventions of Western astrology.
A prompt, not a prediction
What would you create if nobody were keeping score?
Spend a little time on a creative activity for its own sake. Give someone else specific credit for something they contributed.
Leo questions
What are the dates for Leo?
Leo runs from July 23 to August 22 in the conventional tropical table. Between 1950 and 2050 the Sun entered Leo on July 21 in 2 of those years, July 22 in 74 of those years, July 23 in 25 of those years (US Eastern Time).
What element is Leo?
Leo is a fire sign, together with Aries and Sagittarius. It is also a fixed sign.
What is Leo’s ruling planet?
Leo is traditionally ruled by Sun.
Which signs are most compatible with Leo?
In traditional astrology the easiest matches are the other signs of the same element and the signs of the complementary element: Aries, Gemini, Libra, Sagittarius, Aquarius. These are symbolic tendencies, not predictions.
What is the Leo symbol?
The Leo symbol is the lion, written with the glyph ♌. Leo is the Nemean lion, whose hide no weapon could pierce.
More about Leo
Other fire signs
Continue around the zodiac
Sources
Updated · How we write and check this guide