Once upon a time, the gods assigned different animals to be guardians of humans, to guide them and demonstrate the traits necessary so that humans might attain godhood. These animals were placed in the zodiac to honor their sacred duties. One of these animals was the lion, physical protector of humans and representative of courage. The lion was basically a lazy fellow; he preferred to sleep rather than do his job. Seeing that the humans were left unguarded, and that they did not have teeth or claws to protect themselves, the tiger often stepped in to help. After many years, the gods noticed that the tiger was doing the work of the lion, so they stripped the lion of his powers and removed him from the zodiac. In honor of the service the tiger, the gods gave to him the duty of protecting the humans. When you feel depressed or overwhelmed, call on the powers of the tiger by freely giving service to others.