Symbolic Degrees
Sabian Symbols
Explore the 360 Sabian symbols — one for each degree of the zodiac, channeled by Elsie Wheeler in 1925.
ⓘ How to read a symbol degree
Sabian degrees run 1°–30° and describe the degree you are IN: if your planet sits between 15°01′–16°00′ of a sign (e.g. 15°30′), read the 16° symbol. The degree always rounds up; an exact 0°00′ takes the new sign’s 1° symbol.
Aries
1°
A woman just risen from the sea; a seal is embracing her
2°
A comedian revealing human nature
3°
A cameo profile of a man in the outline of his country
4°
Two lovers strolling on a secluded walk
5°
A triangle with wings
6°
A square brightly lighted on one side
7°
A man succeeding in expressing himself in two realms at once
8°
A large woman's hat with streamers blown by an east wind
9°
A crystal gazer
10°
A teacher gives new symbolic forms to traditional images
11°
The president of the country
12°
A flock of wild geese
13°
A bomb which failed to explode is now safely concealed
14°
A serpent coiling near a man and a woman
15°
An Indian weaving a ceremonial blanket
16°
Nature spirits are seen at work in the light of sunset
17°
Two dignified spinsters sitting in silence
18°
An empty hammock stretched between two trees
19°
The magic carpet of Oriental imagery
20°
A young girl feeding birds in winter
21°
A pugilist enters the ring
22°
The gate to the garden of all fulfilled desires
23°
A pregnant woman in light summer dress
24°
An open window and a net curtain blowing into a cornucopia
25°
A double promise reveals its inner and outer meanings
26°
A man possessed of more gifts than he can hold
27°
Through imagination a lost opportunity is regained
28°
A large audience confronts the performer who disappointed its expectations
29°
The music of the spheres
30°
A duck pond and its brood
Taurus
1°
A clear mountain stream
2°
An electrical storm
3°
Natural steps lead to a lawn of clover in bloom
4°
The pot of gold at the end of the rainbow
5°
A widow at an open grave
6°
A bridge being built across a gorge
7°
A woman of Samaria at the ancestral well
8°
A sleigh on land uncovered by snow
9°
A fully decorated Christmas tree
10°
A Red Cross nurse
11°
A woman watering flowers in her garden
12°
A young couple window shopping
13°
A man handling baggage
14°
On the beach, children play while shellfish grope at the edge of the water
15°
A man with a silk hat, muffled against the cold, braves a storm
16°
An old teacher fails to interest his pupils in traditional knowledge
17°
A symbolical battle between swords and torches
18°
A woman airing an old bag through the open window of her room
19°
A new continent rising out of the ocean
20°
Wisps of winglike clouds streaming across the sky
21°
A finger pointing to a line in an open book
22°
White dove flying over troubled waters
23°
A jewelry shop filled with valuable gems
24°
An Indian warrior riding fiercely, human scalps hanging from his belt
25°
A vast public park
26°
A Spaniard serenading his senorita
27°
An old Indian woman selling the artifacts of her tribe to passersby
28°
A woman in middle life stands in rapt sudden realization of forgotten charms
29°
Two cobblers working at a table
30°
A peacock parading on the terrace of an old castle
Gemini
1°
A glass-bottomed boat reveals undersea wonders
2°
Santa Claus furtively filling stockings hanging in front of a fireplace
3°
The garden of the Tuileries in Paris
4°
Holly and mistletoe reawaken old memories of Christmas
5°
A revolutionary magazine asking for action
6°
Workmen drilling for oil
7°
A well with bucket and rope under the shade of majestic trees
8°
Aroused strikers surround a factory
9°
A quiver filled with arrows
10°
An airplane performing a nosedive
11°
Newly opened lands offer the pioneer new opportunities for experience
12°
A Negro girl fights for her independence in the city
13°
A famous pianist giving a concert performance
14°
Bridging physical space and social distinctions, two men communicate telepathically
15°
Two Dutch children talking to each other, exchanging their knowledge
16°
A woman activist in an emotional speech dramatizing her cause
17°
The head of a robust youth changes into that of a mature thinker
18°
Two Chinese men conversing in their native tongue in an American city
19°
A large archaic volume reveals a traditional wisdom
20°
A modern cafeteria displays an abundance of food, products of various regions
21°
A tumultuous labor demonstration
22°
Dancing couples in a harvest festival
23°
Three fledglings in a nest high in a tree
24°
Children skating over a frozen village pond
25°
A gardener trimming large palm trees
26°
Frost-covered trees against winter skies
27°
A gypsy emerging from the forest wherein her tribe is encamped
28°
Through bankruptcy, society gives to an overburdened individual the opportunity to begin again
29°
The first mockingbird of spring
30°
A parade of bathing beauties before large beach crowds
Cancer
1°
On a ship the sailors lower an old flag and raise a new one
2°
A man on a magic carpet hovers over a large area of land
3°
A man bundled in fur leads a shaggy deer
4°
A cat arguing with a mouse
5°
An automobile wrecked by a train
6°
Game birds feathering their nests
7°
Two nature spirits dancing under the moonlight
8°
A group of rabbits dressed in human clothes walk as if on parade
9°
A small, naked girl bends over a pond trying to catch a fish
10°
A large diamond in the first stages of the cutting process
11°
A clown caricaturing well-known personalities
12°
A Chinese woman nursing a baby whose aura reveals him to be the reincarnation of a great teacher
13°
A hand with a prominent thumb is held out for study
14°
A very old man facing a vast dark space to the northeast
15°
A group of people who have overeaten and enjoyed it
16°
A man studying a mandala in front of him, with the help of a very ancient book
17°
The unfoldment of multilevel potentialities issuing from an original germ
18°
A hen scratching the ground to find nourishment for her progeny
19°
A priest performing a marriage ceremony
20°
Venetian gondoliers giving a serenade
21°
A famous singer is proving her virtuosity during an operatic performance
22°
A young woman awaiting a sailboat
23°
The meeting of a literary society
24°
A woman and two men castaways on a small island of the South Seas
25°
A will-o'-the-wisp-like phosphorescence crowning the swamp gas over a vast marsh
26°
Guests are reading in the library of a luxurious home
27°
A violent storm in a canyon filled with expensive homes
28°
An Indian girl introduces her white lover to her assembled tribe
29°
A Greek muse weighing newborn twins in golden scales
30°
A daughter of the American Revolution
Leo
1°
Blood rushes to a man's head as his vital energies are mobilized under the spur of ambition
2°
An epidemic of mumps
3°
A middle-aged woman, her long hair flowing over her shoulders and in a braless youthful garment
4°
A formally dressed elderly man stands near trophies he brought back from a hunting expedition
5°
Rock formations tower over a deep canyon
6°
A conservative, old-fashioned lady is confronted by a hippie girl
7°
The constellations of stars in the sky
8°
A communist activist spreading his revolutionary ideals
9°
Glass blowers shape beautiful vases with their controlled breathing
10°
Early morning dew sparkles as sunlight floods the field
11°
Children play on a swing hanging from the branches of a huge oak tree
12°
An evening party of adults on a lawn illumined by fancy lanterns
13°
An old sea captain rocking himself on the porch of his cottage
14°
A human soul seeking opportunities for outward manifestation
15°
A pageant, with its spectacular floats, moves along a street crowded with cheering people
16°
The storm ended, all nature rejoices in brilliant sunshine
17°
A volunteer church choir singing religious hymns
18°
A chemist conducts an experiment for his students
19°
A houseboat party
20°
Zuni Indians perform a ritual to the sun
21°
Intoxicated chickens dizzily flap their wings trying to fly
22°
A carrier pigeon fulfilling its mission
23°
In a circus the bareback rider displays her dangerous skill
24°
Totally concentrated upon inner spiritual attainment, a man is sitting in a state of complete neglect of bodily appearance and cleanliness
25°
A large camel is seen crossing a vast and forbidding desert
26°
After the heavy storm, a rainbow
27°
The luminescence of dawn in the eastern sky
28°
Many little birds on a limb of a big tree
29°
A mermaid emerges from the ocean waves ready for rebirth in human form
30°
An unsealed letter
Virgo
1°
In a portrait, the best of a man's traits and character are idealized
2°
A large white cross dominates the landscape
3°
Two guardian angels
4°
Black and white children play happily together
5°
A man becoming aware of nature spirits and normally unseen spiritual agencies
6°
A merry-go-round
7°
A harem
8°
A five-year-old child takes a first dancing lesson
9°
An expressionist painter is making a futuristic painting
10°
Two heads looking out and beyond the shadows
11°
In her baby a mother sees her deep longing for a son answered
12°
After the wedding, the groom snatches the veil away from his bride
13°
A powerful statesman overcomes a state of political hysteria
14°
An aristocratic family tree
15°
A fine lace ornamental handkerchief
16°
In the zoo, children are brought face to face with an orangutan
17°
A volcanic eruption
18°
A Ouija board
19°
A swimming race
20°
A caravan of cars headed to the West Coast
21°
A girls' basketball team
22°
A royal coat of arms enriched with precious stones
23°
A lion tamer displays his skill and courage
24°
Mary and her little lamb
25°
A flag at half-mast in front of a public building
26°
A boy with a censer serves the priest near the altar
27°
A group of aristocratic ladies meet ceremonially at a court's function
28°
A bald-headed man who has seized power
29°
A seeker after occult knowledge is reading an ancient scroll which illumines his mind
30°
Having an urgent task to complete, a man doesn't look to any distractions
Libra
1°
In a collection of perfect specimens of many biological forms, a butterfly displays the beauty of its wings, its body impaled by a fine dart
2°
The transmutation of the fruits of past experiences into the seed-realizations of the ever-creative spirit
3°
The dawn of a new day reveals everything changed
4°
Around a campfire a group of young people sit in spiritual communion
5°
A man revealing to his students the foundation of an inner knowledge of the world
6°
A man watches his ideals taking a concrete form before his inner vision
7°
A woman feeding chickens and protecting them from the hawks
8°
A blazing fireplace in a deserted home
9°
Three old masters hanging on the wall of a special room in an art gallery
10°
Having passed through narrow rapids, a canoe reaches calm waters
11°
A professor peering over his glasses at his students
12°
Miners are surfacing from a deep coal mine
13°
Children blowing soap bubbles
14°
In the heat of the noon hour a man takes a siesta
15°
Circular paths
16°
After the storms of winter, a boat landing stands in need of reconstruction
17°
A retired sea captain watches ships entering and leaving the harbor
18°
Two men placed under arrest
19°
A gang of robbers in hiding
20°
A rabbi performing his duties
21°
A crowd upon the beach
22°
A child giving birds a drink at a fountain
23°
Chanticleer's voice heralds sunrise
24°
A butterfly with a third wing on its left side
25°
The sight of an autumn leaf brings to a pilgrim the sudden revelation of the mystery of life and death
26°
An eagle and a large white dove change into each other
27°
An airplane sails, high in the clear sky
28°
A man becoming aware of spiritual forces surrounding and assisting him
29°
Mankind's vast and enduring effort to reach for knowledge transferable from generation to generation
30°
Three mounds of knowledge on a philosopher's head
Scorpio
1°
A sightseeing bus
2°
A delicate bottle of perfume lies broken, releasing its fragrance
3°
A house-raising party in a small village enlists the neighbors' cooperation
4°
A youth carrying a lighted candle in a devotional ritual
5°
A massive rocky shore resists the pounding of the sea
6°
The gold rush tears men away from their native soil
7°
Deep-sea divers
8°
A calm lake bathed in moonlight
9°
A dentist at work
10°
A fellowship supper reunites old comrades
11°
A drowning man is being rescued
12°
An official embassy ball
13°
An inventor performs a laboratory experiment
14°
Telephone linemen at work installing new connections
15°
Children playing around five mounds of sand
16°
A girl's face breaking into a smile
17°
A woman, filled with her own spirit, is the father of her own child
18°
A path through woods brilliant with multicolored splendor
19°
A parrot repeats the conversation he has overheard
20°
A woman draws away two dark curtains closing the entrance to a sacred pathway
21°
Obeying his conscience, a soldier resists orders
22°
Hunters starting out for ducks
23°
A rabbit metamorphoses into a nature spirit
24°
After having heard an inspired individual deliver his 'sermon on the mount,' crowds are returning home
25°
An X-ray photograph
26°
Indians making camp after moving into a new territory
27°
A military band marches noisily on through the city streets
28°
The king of the fairies approaching his domain
29°
An Indian woman pleading to the chief for the lives of her children
30°
Children in Halloween costumes indulge in various pranks
Sagittarius
1°
Retired army veterans gather to reawaken old memories
2°
The ocean covered with whitecaps
3°
Two men playing chess
4°
A little child learning to walk with the encouragement of his parents
5°
An old owl sits alone on the branch of a large tree
6°
A game of cricket
7°
Cupid knocks at the door of a human heart
8°
Within the depths of the earth new elements are being formed
9°
A mother leads her small child step by step up a steep stairway
10°
A theatrical representation of a golden-haired goddess of opportunity
11°
In the left section of an archaic temple, a lamp burns in a container shaped like a human body
12°
A flag turns into an eagle; the eagle into a chanticleer saluting the dawn
13°
A widow's past is brought to light
14°
The Great Pyramid and the Sphinx
15°
The ground hog looking for its shadow on Ground Hog Day
16°
Sea gulls fly around a ship in expectation of food
17°
An Easter sunrise service draws a large crowd
18°
Tiny children in sunbonnets
19°
Pelicans menaced by the behavior and refuse of men seek safer areas for bringing up their young
20°
In an old-fashioned northern village men cut the ice of a frozen pond for use during the summer
21°
A child and a dog wearing borrowed eyeglasses
22°
A Chinese laundry
23°
A group of immigrants as they fulfill the requirements of entrance into the new country
24°
A bluebird perched on the gate of a cottage
25°
A chubby boy on a hobby-horse
26°
A flag-bearer in a battle
27°
The sculptor's vision is slowly but surely taking form
28°
An old bridge over a beautiful stream is still in constant use
29°
A fat boy mowing the lawn of his house on an elegant suburban street
30°
The Pope blessing the faithful
Capricorn
1°
An Indian chief claims power from the assembled tribe
2°
Three rose windows in a Gothic church, one damaged by war
3°
A human soul, in its eagerness for new experiences, seeks embodiment
4°
A group of people outfitting a large canoe at the start of a journey by water
5°
Indians on the warpath. While some men row a well-filled canoe, others in it perform a war dance
6°
Ten logs lie under an archway leading to darker woods
7°
A veiled prophet speaks, seized by the power of a god
8°
In a sunlit home domesticated birds sing joyously
9°
An angel carrying a harp
10°
An albatross feeding from the hand of a sailor
11°
A large group of pheasant on a private estate
12°
An illustrated lecture on natural science reveals little-known aspects of life
13°
A fire worshipper meditates on the ultimate realities of existence
14°
An ancient bas-relief carved in granite remains a witness to a long-forgotten culture
15°
In a hospital, the children's ward is filled with toys
16°
School grounds filled with boys and girls in gymnasium suits
17°
A girl surreptitiously bathing in the nude
18°
The Union Jack flag flies from a British warship
19°
A five-year-old child carrying a bag filled with groceries
20°
A hidden choir is singing during a religious service
21°
A relay race
22°
By accepting defeat gracefully, a general reveals nobility of character
23°
A soldier receiving two awards for bravery in combat
24°
A woman entering a convent
25°
A store filled with precious Oriental rugs
26°
A nature spirit dancing in the iridescent mist of a waterfall
27°
Pilgrims climbing the steep steps leading to a mountain shrine
28°
A large aviary
29°
A woman reading tea leaves
30°
A secret meeting of men responsible for executive decisions in world affairs
Aquarius
1°
An old adobe mission in California
2°
An unexpected thunderstorm
3°
A deserter from the navy
4°
A Hindu teacher reveals himself to his disciples
5°
A council of ancestors is seen implementing the efforts of a young leader
6°
A masked figure performs ritualistic acts in a mystery play
7°
A child is seen being born out of an egg
8°
Beautifully gowned wax figures on display
9°
A flag is seen turning into an eagle
10°
A man who had for a time become the embodiment of a popular ideal is made to realize that as a person he is not this ideal
11°
During a silent hour, a man receives a new inspiration which may change his life
12°
On a vast staircase stand people of different types, graduated upward
13°
A barometer
14°
A train entering a tunnel
15°
Two lovebirds sitting on a fence and singing happily
16°
A big businessman at his desk
17°
A watchdog stands guard, protecting his master and his possessions
18°
A man being unmasked at a masquerade
19°
A forest fire is being subdued by the use of water, chemicals and sheer muscular energy
20°
A large white dove bearing a message
21°
A disappointed and disillusioned woman courageously faces a seemingly empty life
22°
A rug is placed on the floor of a nursery to allow children to play in comfort and warmth
23°
A big bear sitting down and waving all its paws
24°
A man, having overcome his passions, teaches deep wisdom in terms of his experience
25°
A butterfly with the right wing more perfectly formed
26°
A garage man testing a car's battery with a hydrometer
27°
An ancient pottery bowl filled with fresh violets
28°
A tree felled and sawed to ensure a supply of wood for the winter
29°
A butterfly emerging from a chrysalis
30°
Deeply rooted in the past of a very ancient culture, a spiritual brotherhood in which many individual minds are merged into the glow of a unanimous participation is revealed to one who has emerged successfully from his metamorphosis
Pisces
1°
In a crowded marketplace farmers and middlemen display a great variety of products
2°
A squirrel hiding from hunters
3°
Petrified tree trunks lie broken on desert sand
4°
Heavy car traffic on a narrow isthmus linking two seashore resorts
5°
A church bazaar
6°
A parade of army officers in full dress
7°
Illumined by a shaft of light, a large cross lies on rocks surrounded by sea mist
8°
A girl blowing a bugle
9°
A jockey spurs his horse, intent on outdistancing his rivals
10°
An aviator pursues his journey, flying through ground-obscuring fog
11°
Men traveling a narrow path, seeking illumination
12°
In the sanctuary of an occult brotherhood, newly initiated members are being examined and their character tested
13°
An ancient sword, used in many battles, is displayed in a museum
14°
A lady wrapped in a large stole of fox fur
15°
An officer instructing his men before a simulated assault under a barrage of live shells
16°
In the quiet of his study a creative individual experiences a flow of inspiration
17°
An Easter promenade
18°
In a huge tent a famous revivalist conducts his meeting with a spectacular performance
19°
A master instructing his disciple
20°
A table set for an evening meal
21°
Under the watchful and kind eye of a Chinese servant, a girl fondles a little white lamb
22°
A man bringing down the new law from Sinai
23°
A materializing medium giving a seance
24°
On a small island surrounded by the vast expanse of the sea, people are seen living in close interaction
25°
A religious organization succeeds in overcoming the corrupting influence of perverted practices and materialized ideals
26°
Watching the very thin moon crescent appearing at sunset, different people realize that the time has come to go ahead with their different projects
27°
The harvest moon illumines a clear autumnal sky
28°
A fertile garden under the full moon reveals a variety of full-grown vegetables
29°
Light breaking into many colors as it passes through a prism
30°
A majestic rock formation resembling a face is idealized by a boy who takes it as his ideal of greatness, and as he grows up, begins to look like it
References
The 360 symbol titles on this page are the original Sabian set channelled by Elsie Wheeler and recorded by Marc Edmund Jones (1925), now in the public domain; the Turkish renderings are Maxis Astrology’s own translation and contain no interpretive commentary.
About This Tool
- What it shows
- Shows the symbolic image written for each of the 360 degrees of the zodiac. You read the symbol of the degree a planet, or a point such as the Ascendant, sits on.
- What it’s for
- It adds the image of a planet’s exact degree to what that planet means in its sign. The image gives a clue to the story the planet tells in your chart.
- What you need
- The sign and degree you want to look up
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Sabian symbol? ›
One of 360 symbolic images defined for each degree of the zodiac. The image on a planet’s degree adds an intuitive layer to that placement’s theme.
How is the degree determined? ›
By tradition the degree always rounds up: a position of 15°01′ Aries takes the symbol of Aries 16. The tool applies this rule automatically.
Where do the symbols come from? ›
The symbols were recorded in 1925 in San Diego by astrologer Marc Edmund Jones and clairvoyant Elsie Wheeler; later readings include Dane Rudhyar’s "An Astrological Mandala".
How do I interpret a Sabian symbol? ›
Read the image as a meditative theme rather than a literal prediction: the picture serves as a metaphor for how the planet on that degree operates.
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