The Lion Symbolism : Secret and Example

The symbolic significance of lions, as one can imagine, is mainly about strength. The reason that it is a nocturnal being means that the lion is a symbol of authority and command over subconscious thought (just as the night is an ancient symbol of the subconscious ♌️- or dream states). It is interesting to note that the lion is considered by many ancient cultures as a solar animal symbol. In fact, the lioness is seen as a lunar animal.

The lion sends a symbolic message of balance and good judgment. In that it shares the world of night and day, the lion sends us a message of caution. In other words, the lion asks us not to do too much in certain areas of our lives. It asks us to keep a balanced mind and an overall balance in our life activities.

What Does the Lion Symbolize?

In addition to the symbol of strength, the lion has these symbolic attributes :

• Authority.
• Justice.
• Dignity.
• Ferocity.
• Power.
• Courage.
• Wisdom.
• Dominance.

To respond to the query of what the lion symbolizes, I reviewed ancient histories, spiritual implications and the main features of a lion.

Legends attribute magical powers to his gaze. A silver lion on a green field would symbolize temperance. The representation of the lion is often used by orders of knights, which for them means courage and valor. Stone lions, called Koma-Inu in Japan, act as protector and warning, representing the separation between the profane exterior and the sacred interior. In Middle Eastern civilizations, the lion guards the temple and some represent it fighting man or each other. The lion is an animal that is polysemic; it has several valences, several senses.

What does the lion symbolize in psychology?

If it appears as a powerful symbol for you, it can interpret your trust or power. It symbolizes strength, affirmation, courage. It represents the assurance of overcoming strong emotions such as anger or aggression. The spirit of the lion is usually linked to inner strength. It is the symbol of power, domination, pride, wisdom, generosity and vigilance. In antiquity, it symbolized colossal strength and only heroes and gods could master it. It is also found on flags, banners and coins of all eras. It symbolizes the knight, the king, or protection. At the beginning of the Christian era, it became the emblem of Christ: it is “the lion of Judah”. It is represented by a halo in the shape of a cross, and sometimes by a scroll or a book. These accessories represent his role as master and judge. The winged lion is also the symbol of Saint Mark. It may also represent Satan or the Antichrist. In fact, St. Peter describes the devil as follows: “Your adversary the devil, like a roaring lion, prowls about, seeking whom to swallow” (I Peter, V, 8). Ancient tales often emphasized the ferocity of the lion. From the twelfth century onward, its image in the tales became positive. It was from this period that he began to surpass the bear as the king of animals.

Very recurrent in symbolism, the Lion evokes majesty, monarchy, strength, supremacy. It is a solar symbol of strength, power, sovereignty and royalty. Its mane has often been compared to the rays of the Sun. In Egypt, it was the symbol of vigilance, and Ra, the sun god, was represented by a lion on whose head the sun rested. It is also a symbol of resurrection. The mythical symbol of the lion is the sphinx, a lion with a human face whose gaze constantly scans the point on the horizon where the sun rises. It underlines us thus; if a new day did not succeed the night and if the Sun did not announce it every morning, no life would be possible on Earth. Thus the sphinx was considered a symbol of regeneration, of quiet strength, of absolute mastery of the elements of life and matter. For its characteristics, the lion was also a symbol of predilection to represent Venus. The importance of the lion in mythology is very ancient: in Sumerian it was called “Urmah”, “Ur-mah” meaning “powerful dog”. The birth of Venus is often depicted on temple walls and Egyptian tombs by two lions facing each other. The birth of Horus is also symbolized by a sun, Venus, emerging from the primordial hills between two lions.

What is the lion symbol in the tarot cards?

The symbolism of the lion, a sovereign wild animal, imposes its laws and its limits. King of the animals, he allows growth from “below”. Sometimes associated with the agricultural world (transformation of matter), it is linked to the fire element. He embodies strength, power and domination. It is the transition from adolescence to adulthood which allows to work the matter.

What does the lion symbolize in astrology?

The sign of Leo ♌️ represents, in Roman mythology, the Lion of Nemea, a monster slain by Hercules (or Heracles in Greek mythology) during the first of the famous twelve labors that we no longer present. But why this drawing? Because it illustrates the head of the monster positioned downwards and the very curved body of the animal. The graphic representation of the sign Leo freezes the moment when the demigod stops the attack of his opponent by grabbing him by the neck to better strangle him.

A Chinese legend tells that it was part of the Chinese zodiac before it was hunted by the tiger. It is the national symbol of India. Tibetans use lion masks to represent demons. The lion dance, native to India, is a traditional dance performed on Chinese New Year to scare away demons and bring good luck. It is the symbol of Africa. Belgium is also represented in the form of a lion. The figure of the lion has always been used to decorate thrones, the entrances of sanctuaries and palaces and when the sculptor could not place the whole animal, he decorated the furniture with his claws. It is said to be incipient, when it appears halfway on the field of a shield. It is said to be dull, if it has neither teeth nor tongue. It is said to be hungry, if it is presented without a tail. Coming out, when being on a chief or a fess it shows only the head, the tip of its front legs and the end of its tail. It is said to be leopard like, when it seems to walk. When its tongue and claws are of another enamel than its body.

What Does the Lion Mean in Egyptian Theology?

If we turn to Egyptian theology, the lion is considered the head of the goddess Sekhmet. The Sekhment was seen as the lioness, and she was feared by the Egyptians. She was worshipped to protect herself from war. The goddess was known to be fierce. There are many statues in Egypt, such as the Sekmet found in the Mud Temple at Luxor. The lion is a sacred animal to the Egyptians in this regard – and Sekmet was considered the mother of the miysis. It was prohibited to hunt the lion on feast days. In Tibetan art, the culture around the lion is symbolized by a white lion. This is called the snow lion. The lion is one of the most powerful animals in the animal kingdom and in Egypt it was no exception. Egyptians see the lion as a representation of the sun, and that is because the lion stands on the Egyptian goddess also known as the Eye of Ra. She is believed to protect good and kill evil.

Tefnut is an Egyptian goddess represented as a lioness or an anthropomorphic figure with a lion’s head. She is wearing a sun disk or only a uraeus (cobra in fury).

She appears in Heliopolitan theology.

The hot ardor of Tefnut makes it the hand of Atum, creator by masturbation; a creative emanation (humidity) which, with Shu (atmosphere), is at the origin of the appearance of the sun. In the myth of the distant goddess, she is the irascible lioness in the desert, the eye of Ra sent against men. If in the myth she finds a kindly aspect after being immersed in the waters of the Nile, this daughter of Ra-Atum placed in the forehead of the god remains his defense in the form of the uraeus. In the sarcophagus texts, she is assimilated to Maat.

Her main temple is in Leontopolis, but she is worshipped throughout Egypt and in Nubia. In the Late Period (1085-333 BC), she is associated with life, ankh, and her brother Shu with big strength.

What are the symbolic messages of lions?

One of the meanings most associated with lions is strength, as one might imagine. The fact that it is mainly a nocturnal creature makes it a symbol of authority. It is interesting to see that the lion has been considered by many ancient cultures as an animal also associated with the sun and not only as a nocturnal creature, as we have just mentioned (since it is an animal that hunts mainly at night). This is why lions are also associated with the lunar element. We can see here a rather marked duality.

This can serve as a symbol of balance, as the lion shares the world of night and day. It sends us a message of caution, showing us that we must be mindful of all the elements in our lives and keep them in constant balance.

What does the lion symbolize in ancient Greek mythology?

In Greek mythology, lions appear in various functions: the lion of Nemea, represented as a man-eating beast with an impenetrable skin, was killed by Heracles, during his twelve labors. In the story of Androcles, one of Aesop’s fables, the hero, an escaped slave, pulls a thorn out of a lion‘s paw; when later, to punish him for his escape, he was thrown by his master to the lion to be devoured, the animal recognized him and refused to kill the man.

What Does the Lion Symbolize in Hinduism and Buddhism?

The lion is the personification of Vishnu while in Buddhism, lions represent strength, wisdom and coherence. The lion is also a symbolic meaning in alchemy. It is associated with the very idealistic and highly prized characteristics of gold.

What does the lion mean in England?

In England, the symbolism of the lion is often present in heraldic art and symbolizes honor, loyalty, courage, strength, leadership. The lion is the common symbol of English rulers because of its power traits. A famous king of England known as Richard I was called the heart of a lion because of his bravery in wars. In England, lions have represented strength and appear on the English coat of arms and on the currency ??.

What is the spiritual significance of lions?

As I said before, the spiritual significance of lions is associated with strength, courage and the ability to overcome difficulties. The lion’s presence can also symbolize wilderness and the inability to control one’s natural instincts, or in other words, the inability to tame the wild side of one’s personality. In addition, lions symbolize intense emotions that are difficult to control such as anger, fear and aggression. As a spiritual animal or totem, the lion represents the following: Personal power, strength, assertiveness. Domination – feelings of predator such as aggression. Personal problems and struggles to cope with feelings. The ability to sense danger and threatening situations.