Leos, Gryffindors, Ginny… Is It All Purposefully Connected?
by Inzomnia_zombie
I’m an astrology nerd, and I must say that I was not all too surprised to hear that Ginny’s birthday (August 11th) landed under the astrological sign of Leo. I actually remembered telling a friend that it’d be awesome if that was her sign before I knew it was. And I was glad to be proven correct.
Anyways, as most of you know, the sign of the Leo is also Harry’s astrological sign.
Add to that, the fact that Harry and Ginny are the only ones to survive Voldemort in a big way and even have compatible personalities, I really don’t think it’s a coincidence that JKR had them be born under the same sign.
And then there is the connection that that sign could possibly hold some relevance to the Gryffindor house or to Gryffindor himself. Here are some Leo facts, now tell me – is it just a coincidence that the colors of the Leo are those of Gryffindor? Or that the Metal is Gold and the Gem is ruby (remember there were rubies encrusted in Godric Gryffindor’s sword, which in part helped saved Ginny in the Chamber). Also, the animal to represent Leo is the Lion… which is also Gryffindor’s emblem.
Element: FireNature: Positive
Quality: Fixed
Colors: Yellow, red, orange
Symbol: Lion
Metal: Gold
Gem: Ruby
Flowers: Sunflower, Marigold
Animals: All varieties of cats
Note that throughout Book Five, Harry made connections involving Ginny and cats.
Such as:
“The door opened and a long mane of red hair appeared.”
Lions have the most famous ‘manes’ known in the animal kingdom – it’s an ironic choice of words, don’t you think?
“‘What?’ said Harry in disbelief, as Ginny made a noise like an angry cat.”
I think that one’s pretty self-explanatory.
“Ginny was curled like a cat on her chair, but her eyes were open; Harry could see them reflecting the firelight.”
This also makes yet another reference of Ginny towards cats. Also note that it has been said for ages that cats can see in the dark and can reflect the light in their eyes. Also him ‘seeing the firelight’ in her eyes is another reference to the Leo sign… as their sign is associated with fire as well.
Another parallel is the fact that Ginny was the only one who wasn’t able to listen in when everyone was hearing about Voldemort and the Order of the Phoenix. In medieval times, cats were said to be a witch’s companion. Whenever important affairs were discussed, cats would be taken from the room and out of hearing range so they couldn’t tell any witches. Ironic, eh?
“…and Ginny, who had lured Crookshanks out from under the dresser, was sitting cross-legged on the floor, rolling butterbeer corks for him to chase.”
The above quote shows her playful nature and her Leonine love for cats.
Also, in Chamber of Secrets when Mrs. Norris (Filch’s cat) was attacked, Fred and George made the assumption that she (Ginny) was only upset because of her love for cats.
If we take a deeper view and read between the lines with Ginny and the history of cats, it’s rather interesting. In ancient Egypt, cats were worshipped. The Goddess Bastet had the body of a woman and a head of cat. She controlled dance, music, pleasure, family, fertility, and healing. (In the much-remembered library scene of Order of the Phoenix, Ginny gives Harry a chocolate Easter egg. In ancient times, a young man or woman would give an egg to his/her love interest. Eggs are also a symbol of fertility. And we see Ginny dancing and singing when Harry gets off scot-free at his ministry hearing. Ginny is the only one who can seem to bring Harry hope (see the library talk) when he’s feeling particularly gloomy. We certainly know how close Ginny is with her family and how fertile the Weasleys seem to be.
And it’s rather peculiar that Rowling would have them go on Holiday in Egypt… since the Egyptians worshipped cats and all.
It seems Rowling holds a high appreciation for cats as well (which is no surprise since she is a Leo herself). The whole series starts off with a cat sitting on a wall, which we later find out is Minerva McGonagall. She is likely one of the most powerful and fair adult witches in the book. Then we have Filch’s cat, Mrs. Norris, who is very watchful and can seem to communicate to his owner well (much to the students’ dismay) and was also the first to be petrified in CoS. In the third book, the cat relativity continues with Crookshanks, Hermione’s ginger-haired cat. He seemed to know all along that Scabbers was really Wormtail… showing his good judge of character. Book Four holds the appearance of the ancient Egyptian Sphinx in the Triwizard Tournament. And in Book Five, we meet Arabella Figg, who is basically a ‘cat lady’ and who looked after Harry. There are all the references of cats and Ginny… I don’t think it’s mere coincidence.
When Rowling was asked if there were more to cats than met the eye, she merely replied with:
“Ooh, another good question. Let’s see what I can tell you without giving anything away… erm. No, can’t do it, sorry.”
So what is the correlation between Ginny, cats, and the Leo sign… and what am I trying to get across? I believe Ginny will become an Animagus – more specifically, I think her Animagus form will be that of the lion. And this will be a way of defeating Voldemort somehow. Voldemort was a Slytherin, and his familiar, Nagini, is a huge snake… the sign of Slytherin. Also, let’s not forget about the Basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets. Gryffindor’s emblem is the lion. Going back to Egyptian cat worship, cats were revered because they have long been enemies of snakes. This was because they would witness cats kill deadly vipers and other serpents. I think there might be more to the Gryffindor/Slytherin rivalry than we realize. Throughout the series we are reminded of the rivalry… especially in the Chamber of Secrets. In the Chamber, we see the fight between the two on a more personal level. As we’ve come to learn, in the Harry Potterworld symbolism means everything. And I do believe Ginny will have a part to play in the end. Chamber of Secrets wasn’t pointless… JK said a lot of what happened in Book Two was key to the end of the series. Harry and Ginny are alike far more than their ties with Voldemort.
Moving back to Leonine personality traits. If you look up and read the Virgo sign’s description (Hermione), you’ll know that Rowling picks her birthdays and signs with precision. Don’t believe me? Read this Leo sign description and tell me that you are not reminded both of Ginny and Harry at certain points:
“‘I WILL’ is the motto for Leo. Some Leos even have hair resembling the thick mane of the Lion. But Lions are more than roar, for they are truly magnificent beasts. Leos are warm of spirit, eager for action and are driven by a desire to be loved for what they bring to others.They are good organizers and command respect. They are not easily daunted, and will persist through the most formidable of circumstances. They tend to be stubborn, fiery, and will hold onto a belief, or stick to a course of action through thick or thin.
They have a strong sense of pride and dignity and will defend both to the hilt. However, they are magnanimous to those less fortunate than themselves.
The Leo type is the most dominant, spontaneously creative and extrovert of all the zodiacal characters. In grandeur of manner, splendor of bearing and magnanimity of personality, they are the monarchs among humans as the lion is king of beasts. They are ambitious, courageous, dominant, strong willed, positive, brave, loyal, independent, self-confident there is no such a word as doubt in their vocabularies, and they are self-controlled. Born leaders, either in support of, or in revolt against, the status quo. They are at their most effective when in a position of command, their personal magnetism and innate courtesy of mind bringing out the best of loyalty from subordinates. They are uncomplicated, knowing exactly what they want and using all their energies, creativeness, and resolution to get it, as well as being certain that they will get whatever they are after. Leonians think and act bigger than others would normally dare; the ambitiousness of their schemes and idealism sometimes daunt their followers, their practical hardheadedness and ability to go straight to the heart of any problem reassures those who depend on them. If Leonians meet with setbacks, they thrive on the adversity.
On the whole they are powers for good, for they are strongly idealistic, humane, and beneficent. They have powerful intelligence and are of a broad philosophical, sometimes religious, turn of mind. However, their faults can be as large in scale as their virtues, and an excessively negative Leonian can be one of the most unpleasant human beings imaginable, displaying extreme arrogance, autocratic pride, haughtiness, and excessive hastiness of temper. Because of their positive nature, they tend to expect the best, and when things don’t turn out as they had expected, they react immediately and badly. Although, they may suffer from short bouts of depression when life doesn’t meet their expectations, they bounce back quickly and move on with their normal cheerful and demonstrative nature.
While Leo has a great deal of self-confidence, they also have a great fear of being ridiculed and made to feel disgraced. While Leos are very affectionate, they have a tendency to have things their way and may rapidly lose interest if they are challenged too often for the leading role. They will have to learn to discipline themselves against their overall enthusiasm for living life to the fullest, which is to say, dangerously on the edge. The creative urge in Leos should never be stifled, as to do so, a good deal of potential would be wasted.
They have an infectious vitality that lights up their lives like an inner sun and illuminates not only their lives, but the lives of those around them. Lack of fulfillment in life, professionally or personally, can destroy these bright and shining people and cloud their personalities. Leos need control in their lives to be really satisfied so organization is absolutely essential to their peace of mind.
Only when this trait is cultivated can the characteristic Leonine warmth, generosity, and desire to really understand others be fully indulged.
The lions love and adore children as they bring out the inner child. Leos are surprisingly sensitive and easily hurt, but they do have a tendency to dominate and this should never be underestimated. It is always meant well as they only want to bring out the best in the people they care about, or work with. They also tend toward impatience and they should make curbing these traits a lifelong objective. Born leaders, they can take command of a situation in any emergency and see it through to its completion. The enthusiasms they acquired in childhood will generally last a lifetime and may even dictate the career one would choose.
They can be too status-conscious, causing themselves much anguish when, or if, they cannot keep up with others in their immediate circle. They can also be quite overbearing and vain when they feel they are being challenged. On the other hand, the lions make great lovers and parents, giving more to a relationship than most of the other signs (since they rule the fifth house which is know as the house of romantic love). They are loving, strong-willed, honorable persons and great providers.”
Notice that Leos are deemed the ‘natural born leaders’ of the Zodiac? This is why I couldn’t see Ginny ever taking a back seat to everything now. She’s already involved and will continue to flourish. I think there is a reason why Rowling picked them to be under this sign together. It signifies that they will stand together as a leading pair – possibly to help each other in the defeat of Voldemort. I’d be rather surprised if Ginny didn’t get her chance to avenge what happened in the Chamber of Secrets.
Unlike some, I don’t believe Ginny will die. I am positive she has a much bigger role to play. Besides, her death would kill the books. Why introduce such a lively powerful witch just to kill her off? It’d devastate the Weasley family losing their youngest and the only girl and no matter what, they wouldn’t have a happy ending… even if Voldemort was killed.
I believe this is where I will conclude. Is there a deeper meaning to the Leo sign and Gryffindor? What does the reference of Ginny and cats really mean? Will it all come together in the end like pieces to a puzzle? Or is it all merely coincidence? I guess we’ll just have to wait and see…