Leo (Simha) in Vedic Astrology

Your ascendant, or lagna, is the sign rising on the eastern horizon at the moment of birth. It describes the body, the temperament and the direction a life tends to take. It changes roughly every two hours, so it needs an accurate birth time.

You carry a natural authority and warmth that draws people in. Recognition matters, not from vanity but because you need your work to mean something to someone. Generous with those you love, you are at your best when creating rather than competing.

With Leo rising, the Sun is your lagna lord, the planet that carries your constitution and your life's direction. Where the Sun sits in your chart shows where your energy naturally flows.

Your Moon sign, or rashi, is the sign the Moon occupied at birth. In Vedic astrology it matters at least as much as the ascendant, because it describes the mind and emotional life. It is also the sign used for daily horoscopes and for Sade Sati.

You feel most yourself when you are appreciated, not flattered but genuinely seen. There is warmth and drama in your emotional nature, and real generosity. Slights land harder than you let on, and dignity matters to you enormously.

The Sun owns Leo, so it is comfortable and free to act here. Leo is also the moolatrikona sign of the Sun, a placement nearly as strong as exaltation.

Every sign holds nine nakshatra padas (quarters), drawn from two or three nakshatras. A planet's nakshatra refines what its sign says about it.