LionThe lion is the king of the animals, and because of his impressive mane, courage, and strength, he has been considered by many cultures a symbol of the sun. His masculine magnetism made him the quintessential opposite of goddesses. Many a hero had to overpower a lion in order to demonstrate his strength and the ability to defeat his animalistic nature. This is also quite often depicted in Christian art. As the king of the animal world, the lion stands for battle and power and was used as a heraldic animal as early as the Middle Ages. In Europe-for example, in Bavaria, Sweden, and earlier in Great Britain-the lion, as a symbol of power, is represented in many coats of arms. In Christian art, the most well-known image is a lion with wings-the symbol of the Evangelist Mark. The lion is also represented in the coat of arms of Venice. In Western astrology, the lion stands for fire, the sun, and gold. People born under the sign of the lion (Leo) love life, luxury, and wealth, and have a tendency to be vain and theatrical; they love family, have leadership qualities, and are domineering and autocratic. When kings and people of authority wanted to display their wealth, power, and prestige to the outside world, they would place sculptures of lions at the entrances to their houses or in the palace garden. The lions informed everybody entering that this was the residence of an important person who demanded respect. In China, the lion is a symbol of protection for the entrance to a building. The lion pair always stands outside the front door to protect against bad luck entering the house. Entrance gates that are guarded by lions are also called lion gates. Applications:
Ba Gua Areas:
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