The tiger is a symbol of power, strength and success, but at the same time it is a symbol of destruction, because the energy can be both creative and destructive.
In China the tiger is a symbol of the darkness and new moon. Associated with the darkness, it expresses the dark side of the soul. The Indians identified the tiger with tamas, that is an unbridled force of the instinct. According to ancient tradition the tiger "is associated with Dionysus as a symbol of strength, anger and cruelty." Today in China the tiger is identified with a lion as in the African and Western culture.
The characteristic of the tiger is that it has an allegorical meaning of strength and courage expressed in the concept of justice.
Five mystical tigers, taken together, constitute a symbol. They are the guardians of spatial order and dominate the forces of chaos. The reign of the Red Tiger in the south is associated with summer and fire (as an element). The kingdom of the Black Tiger in the north is associated with winter and water. The Blue Tiger in the East is associated with spring vegetation. The White Tiger prevails in the west (winter). And finally, the Yellow Tiger (solar color) lives on Earth, and governs all other tigers.
The Yellow Tiger is in the center, just as the emperor was placed in the center of China, and China (according to the Chinese) was in the center of the world. When the tiger is associated with other animals, its symbolic meaning varies according to the classification of other animals associated with it. For example, when a tiger fights with a snake, it stands out its superiority, the value of the tiger is evident in the battle with a lion or a winged creature.
