At a Glance
- Symbol
- “A formally dressed elderly man stands near trophies he brought back from a hunting expedition.”
- Degree
- 4° Leo (124th of the zodiac)
- Jones Keyword
- Morale
- Element
- Fire
- Modality
- Fixed
- Ruler
- Sun
- Decanate
- 1st, sub-ruled by Sun
- Phase
- Courage
The Image
What was received for 4° Leo is a small, complete picture. “A formally dressed elderly man stands near trophies he brought back from a hunting expedition.”
Because the symbol is a picture rather than a definition, the work is to stay with what is literally happening before deciding what it says. Here is the method for reading any Sabian Symbol, step by step.
What 4° Leo Means
This degree falls in Leo, a fire sign ruled by Sun, which gives the image a charge of initiative and self-assertion — energy that moves before it explains itself. As a fixed degree it sustains — it holds a position and deepens it rather than starting over.
Its place in the larger cycle is the phase of Courage — Stepping into visibility; willing to be seen. It is the register the symbol operates in.
The Gift and the Shadow
Every Sabian degree has a bright reading and a difficult one — the same image shows both. At its best, 4° Leo expresses morale as a real gift, offered at the right moment.
Its shadow is the same energy out of season: the image used to avoid something rather than to meet it. Holding both at once is how the degree is read honestly — most people live somewhere between the two.
The Keyword: Morale
Marc Edmund Jones assigned every degree a single keyword as a compression of its meaning. For 4° Leo that word is Morale. A keyword is a handle, not the whole reading — but it points at the register the degree works in and confirms a reading you reach from the image itself. More on how Jones keywords work →
4° Leo in a Birth Chart
The same degree reads differently depending on which placement sits there. If 4° Leo is your Sun, the image describes how you express and act. On your Moon, it describes your inner life and what you need to feel safe. On your Ascendant, it describes how you arrive — the version of you that walks into rooms. How Sun, Moon and Ascendant symbols differ →
Where This Degree Sits
4° Leo occupies the 1st decanate of Leo, sub-ruled by Sun. On the wider wheel it belongs to the Individualization hemicycle and the act of Stabilization: Consolidation of personality and capacity to function. Its polarity is yang.
Is 4° Leo your Sun? See the image at your degree free — then go deeper. No account.
Start free →- Sun, Moon & Ascendant — three images, not one
- The pattern that runs across all three placements
- A written action plan, mapped to your chart
- Saved as a link for 7 days · download as PDF
- A 12-month forecast from your real transits
- ~25 key moments, each mapped to its Sabian image
- Organized by quarter, with one throughline
Common Questions
What is the Sabian Symbol for 4° Leo?
The Sabian Symbol for 4° Leo is: “A formally dressed elderly man stands near trophies he brought back from a hunting expedition.” Its Jones keyword is Morale.
What does 4° Leo mean?
4° Leo is a fire, fixed degree ruled by Sun, in the phase of Courage: Stepping into visibility; willing to be seen. Its keyword, Morale, points to its core energy.
Is 4° Leo a good degree?
Like every Sabian degree it has a gift and a shadow — the same image shows both. At its best it expresses morale consciously; its shadow is that same energy out of season. It is read as a working tendency, not a verdict.
What is the keyword for 4° Leo?
Marc Edmund Jones's keyword for 4° Leo is Morale.