Exploring the Symbolism of the Leo Glyph

Here's the symbol for Leo that most of you should recognize.

It's curvy, has an open space in the middle,

and usually has a

closed loop on the left. There are, of course, variations like

this

or this. It's not uncommon to see the right side

dip lower than the left

or to have the loop be significantly smaller.

But sometimes the loop isn't closed, but open like this.

Symbolically, the glyph is most commonly said to represent the

head,

mane, and tail of a lion from a sideways

perspective.

It's less common, but I've also seen variations that

are symmetrical like this

one. With this design, I think it looks very similar to the North

Node

symbol, which looks like this. I find this fascinating because there's a

deep

symbolic connection between felines and serpents and the nodes,

especially further east, as they're often referred to as the head

and tail of the

snake or dragon. And curiously enough, some cobras have

a mark very similar to the South Node symbol on the back of their hood.

This variation also looks like an upside down vessel or vase,

which reminds me of Aquarius, the water bearer, which is the polarity of

Leo and sits on the opposite end of the ecliptic.

Sometimes the loops or hooks were way more subtle, like in this

older version of the glyph. And speaking of older versions,

according to the

Dictionary of Symbols, this glyph right here was once

used as the Leo symbol, which looks strikingly similar

to the number nine. Notice that the closed loop and curviness

is still

retained. I also find this version intriguing

because it's often said that cats

have nine lives. Sometimes the Leo glyph is represented by

Omega, the last letter of the Greek alphabet.

And when you look at it, there is a similarity between this shape and the

shape of the common Leo symbol. This letter is connected to the ultimate

end, which

ushers in new beginnings. It's also been linked with spiritual

evolution,

enlightenment, and gateways, which it looks very similar to.

There's also the theory that the shape of the symbol

is an ancient reference to the

sickle formation found within the head of the constellation, which you can see

here. The sickle implies harvest, which makes sense because according to the

Wheel of the Year, August first, which falls within Leo, is

Lammas, which represents the first harvest.

Lastly, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the fact

that some suggest the glyph

for Leo is actually a representation of a sperm cell, which shares some

similarities. And there you have it. As always,

I'd love to know what you think.