Astrological symbols


s used in astrology overlap with those used in astronomy because of the historical overlap between the two subjects. Frequently used symbols include signs of the zodiac and for the classical planets. These have their origin in medieval Byzantine codices, but in their current form are a product of the European Renaissance. Other symbols for astrological aspects are used in various astrological traditions.

History and origin

Symbols for the classical planets, zodiac signs, aspects, lots, and the lunar nodes appear in the medieval Byzantine codices in which many ancient horoscopes were preserved. In the original papyri of these Greek horoscopes, there were found a circle with the glyph representing shine for the Sun and a crescent for the Moon. The written symbols for Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn have been traced to forms found in late Greek papyri. The symbols for Jupiter and Saturn are identified as monograms of the initial letters of the corresponding Greek names, and the symbol for Mercury is a stylized caduceus. A. S. D. Maunder finds antecedents of the planetary symbols in earlier sources, used to represent the gods associated with the classical planets. Bianchini's planisphere, produced in the 2nd century, shows Greek personifications of planetary gods charged with early versions of the planetary symbols: Mercury has a caduceus; Venus has, attached to her necklace, a cord connected to another necklace; Mars, a spear; Jupiter, a staff; Saturn, a scythe; the Sun, a circlet with rays radiating from it; and the Moon, a headdress with a crescent attached. A diagram in Johannes Kamateros' 12th century Compendium of Astrology shows the Sun represented by the circle with a ray, Jupiter by the letter zeta, Mars by a shield crossed by a spear, and the remaining classical planets by symbols resembling the modern ones, without the cross-mark seen in modern versions of the symbols.
The modern sun symbol, pictured as a circle with a dot, first appeared in the Renaissance.
The conventional symbols for the signs of the zodiac also develop in the Renaissance period as simplifications of the
classical pictorial representations of the signs.
Symbols for Uranus and Neptune were created shortly after their discovery. For Uranus, two variant symbols are seen. One symbol,, invented by J. G. Köhler and refined by Bode, was intended to represent the newly discovered metal platinum; since platinum, sometimes confused with white gold, was found by chemists mixed with iron, the symbol for platinum combines the alchemical symbols for iron, ♂, and gold, ☉. Another symbol,, was suggested by Lalande in 1784. In a letter to Herschel, Lalande described it as "un globe surmonté par la première lettre de votre nom". After Neptune was discovered, the Bureau des Longitudes proposed the name Neptune and the familiar trident for the planet's symbol.
The astrological symbols for the first three objects discovered at the beginning of the 19th century—Ceres, Pallas, and Juno—were also created after their discovery. Firstly, they were listed as planets, and half a century later, renamed as asteroids. Shortly after Giuseppe Piazzi's discovery of Ceres, a group of astronomers ratified the name, proposed by the discoverer, and chose the sickle as a symbol of the planet. The symbol for Pallas, the spear of Pallas Athena, was invented by Baron Franz Xaver von Zach, and introduced in his Monatliche Correspondenz zur Beförderung der Erd- und Himmels-Kunde. Karl Ludwig Harding, who discovered and named Juno, assigned to it the symbol of a scepter topped with a star.
The modern astrological symbol for Vesta, ⚶, was created by Eleanor Bach, who is credited with pioneering the use of the Big Four asteroids with the publication of her Ephemerides of the Asteroids. Bach's symbol for Vesta is a simplified version of other representations of Vesta's altar. The original form of the symbol for Vesta,, was created by German mathematician Carl Friedrich Gauss. Olbers, having previously discovered and named one new planet, gave Gauss the honor of naming his newest discovery. Gauss decided to name the planet for the goddess Vesta, and also specified that the symbol should be the altar of the goddess with the sacred fire burning on it.
Pluto, like Uranus, has multiple symbols in use. One symbol, ♇, is a monogram of the letters PL, was announced with the name of the new planet by the discoverers on May 1, 1930. Another symbol, which was popularized in Paul Clancy's astrological publications, is based on the symbol for Mercury, with the circle and arc of Mercury trading positions. This symbol is described by Dane Rudhyar as "suggest the planetary character of the Pluto mind by the circle, floating above the open cup." Although, this meaning is readily debatable due to Blavatskian origins, rather than a properly traditional understanding, such as may be found in the hermetic sciences.
The symbol for the centaur Chiron, ⚷, is a key with the letter K was proposed by astrologer Al Morrison, who presented the symbol as "an inspiration shared amongst Al H. Morrison, Joelle K.D. Mahoney, and Marlene Bassoff."
The symbol for retrograde motion is ℞, a capital R with a tail stroke. An R with a tail stroke was used to abbreviate many words beginning with the letter R; in medical prescriptions, it abbreviated the word recipe, and in missals, an R with a tail stroke marked the responses.

Meanings of the symbols

Astrological planets

The glyphs of the planets are usually broken down into four common elements: A circle denoting spirit, a crescent denoting the mind, a cross denoting practical/physical matter and an arrow denoting action or direction.
NameImageTextUnicodeSymbol represents
SunU+2609Solar symbol
MoonU+263DA crescent
MercuryU+263FMercury's winged helmet and caduceus
VenusU+2640Hand mirror or necklace
EarthU+2295Earth; a Solar symbol
EarthU+2641Alternate symbol, a stylized globus cruciger
MarsU+2642Mars's shield and spear
JupiterU+2643Jupiter's thunderbolt or eagle
SaturnU+2644Saturn's sickle
UranusU+2645H in symbol taken from discoverer's last name, Herschel
UranusU+26E2Derived from a combination of the Mars and Sun symbols
NeptuneU+2646Neptune's trident
PlutoU+2BD3Pluto's circle and a cross or bident.
PlutoU+2647PL monogram for Pluto and Percival Lowell
PlutoU+2BD4Variant symbol used mainly by French, Spanish, and Italian speaking astrologers.
PlutoU+2BD5Variant symbol invented by German astrologer Hermann Lefeldt in 1946. Used mostly by those that follow the Hamburg School of Astrology.
PlutoU+2BD6Variant symbol used mostly used in German-speaking countries and Denmark.

The Hamburg School of Astrology, also called Uranian Astrology, is a sub-variety of western astrology. It adds eight hypothetical trans-Neptunian planets to the normal ones used by western astrologers:
NameImageTextUnicode
CupidoU+2BE0
HadesU+2BE1
ZeusU+2BE2
KronosU+2BE3
ApollonU+2BE4
AdmetosU+2BE5
VulcanusU+2BE6
PoseidonU+2BE7

Signs of the zodiac

NameMeaningImageTextEmojiUnicodeSymbol Represents
AriesRamU+2648Face and horns of ram. Also Ovaries and a woman's reproductive organ.
TaurusBullU+2649Face and horns of bull. Horned torus.
GeminiTwinsU+264ACompanion
CancerCrabU+264BConnection to both material and spiritual worlds
LeoLionU+264CCircle-Spirit and tail. Cosmic Snake. Sperm. A lion's head and mane.
VirgoVirginU+264DDerived from the Greek letters ΠΑΡ, which are the first three letters of the Greek word parthenos, which means "virgin"
LibraScaleU+264EScales
ScorpioScorpionU+264FStinger of a scorpion
SagittariusArcherU+2650Arrow of the centaur, aiming to higher realms
CapricornSea-Goat or
Mountain Goat		U+2651Body and head of a goat with the tail of a fish or face and horns of goat.
CapricornSea-Goat or
Mountain Goat		-Body and head of a goat with the tail of a fish or face and horns of goat.
AquariusWaterbearerU+2652Ripples of water, disruption
PiscesFishU+2653Two fish tied together yet swimming in opposite directions

Aspects

In astrology, an aspect is an angle the planets make to each other in the horoscope, also to the ascendant, midheaven, descendant, lower midheaven, and other points of astrological interest. The following symbols are used to note aspect:
NameImageTextUnicodeAngleExplanation
ConjunctionU+260C0°Two or more planets in the same sign.
A circle with a line implying two objects are in the same place
VigintileU+005618°Also known as semidecile.
VigintileU+0053 U+004418°Also known as semidecile.
SemisextileU+26BA30°One sign apart
The intersecting lines from the inner angles of the upper half of a hexagon. Also known as dodecile.
UndecileU+005533°
DecileU+004436°
DecileU+22A536°
NovileU+004E40°Also known as nonile.
Semi-squareU+222045°The bisecting line of a right angle. Also known as semiquartile and octile.
SeptileU+005351°
SextileU+26B960°Two signs apart
The intersecting lines from the inner angles of a hexagon
QuintileU+005172°
QuintileU+2B2072°-
BinovileU+004E U+00B280°Also known as binonile.
SquareU+25A190°Three signs apart / Same modality
A regular quadrilateral that represents the right angle. Also known as quartile.
BiseptileU+0053 U+00B2103°
TredecileU+0044 U+00B3108°Also known as tridecile.
TredecileU+2213108°Also known as tridecile.
TrineU+25B3120°Four signs apart / Same elemental triplicity
An equilateral triangle. Also known as trinovile.
SesquiquadrateU+26BC135°The glyph of the Semi-Square under the glyph of the Square, implying the sum of them both. Also known as the sesquisquare, square-and-a-half, and trioctile.
BiquintileU+0051 U+00B2144°
BiquintileU+0062 U+0051144°
BiquintileU+00B1144°-
QuincunxU+26BB150°Five signs apart
The intersecting lines from the inner angles of the lower half of a hexagon. Also known as the inconjunct.
TriseptileU+0053 U+00B3154°Also known as tridecile.
QuadranovileU+004E U+2074160°Also known as quadnovile and quadranonile.
OppositionU+260D180°Six signs apart
The glyph of the Conjunction plus a circle on top of its line, implying two objects are in front of each other.

In addition to the aspect symbols above, some Russian astrologers use additional or unique aspect symbols:
NameImageTextUnicodeAngle
VigintileU+2BF318°
NovileU+2BF440°
QuintileU+2BF572°
BinovileU+2BF680°
Centile U+2BF7100°
TredecileU+2BF8108°

Lunar phases

NameImageTextEmojiUnicodeExplanation
New moonU+1F311Denotes the new moon or a soli-lunar arc in the range 0°-45°.
Crescent moonU+1F312Denotes a waxing crescent moon or a soli-lunar arc in the range 45°-90°.
First quarter moonU+1F313Denotes a first quarter moon or a soli-lunar arc in the range 90°-135°.
Gibbous moonU+1F314Denotes a waxing gibbous moon or a soli-lunar arc in the range 135°-180°.
Full moonU+1F315Denotes a full moon or a soli-lunar arc in the range 180°-225°.
Disseminating moonU+1F316Denotes a waning gibbous moon or a soli-lunar arc in the range 225°-270°.
Last quarter moonU+1F317Denotes a last quarter moon or a soli-lunar arc in the range 270°-315°.
Balsamic moonU+1F318Denotes a waning crescent moon or a soli-lunar arc in the range 315°-360°.

Miscellaneous symbols

CategoryNameImageTextUnicodeExplanation
AngleAscendantThe ascendant is the rising intersection of the ecliptic with the celestial horizon at a particular moment in time; it is used in the construction of a horoscope/natal chart
AngleMidheavenThe midheaven is the point where the ecliptic crosses the local meridian; it is used in the construction of a horoscope/natal chart
Apparent retrograde motionRetrograde motionU+211ESymbol represents the apparent retrograde motion of a planet in an astrological chart
AsteroidCeresU+26B3Scythe, emblematic of Ceres as goddess of the Harvest
AsteroidPallasU+26B4A spear
Alchemical symbol for sulfur
AsteroidJunoU+26B5The scepter topped with a star
AsteroidVestaU+26B6The fire on the hearth or altar
AsteroidAstraeaU+2BD9-
AsteroidHygieaU+2695A serpent coiled around Asclepius' rod
AsteroidHygieaU+2BDATwo serpents coiled around the rod.
CentaurChironU+26B7Stylized body of a centaur
CentaurNessusU+2BDCSymbol devised by German astrologer Robert von Heeren in the late 1990s
CentaurPholusU+2BDBSymbol devised by German astrologer Robert von Heeren in the late 1990s
CometCometU+2604Different comets often use different symbols, but the use of comets is not widespread in mainstream astrology
Dwarf planetErisAn Eye of Providence; proposed by astrologer Zane B. Stein
Dwarf planetErisU+2BF0The Hand of Eris; also used non-astrologically by Discordians
Dwarf planetErisApple of Discord
Dwarf planetErisIn use by astrologers in Poland and by the astrology software Urania
Dwarf planetErisU+2BF1Based on the symbols for Pluto, Mars, and Venus; proposed by Henry Seltzer and used in Time Passages
Dwarf planetHaumeaCombination of the Hawaiian petroglyphs for woman and birthchild, as Haumea was the goddess of them.
Dwarf planetMakemakeEngraved face of the Rapa Nui god Makemake
Hypothetical PlanetProserpinaU+2BD8Object and symbol are unrelated to the asteroid 26 Proserpina.
Hypothetical PlanetTransplutoU+2BD7-
LotLot of fortuneU+2297Glyph for planet Earth rotated 45 degrees.
Lunar apogeeBlack Moon LilithU+26B8The traditional Black Moon Lilith is the position of the mean lunar apogee as measured from the geocenter; variants of the Black Moon include replacing the mean orbit with a "true" osculating orbit or with an interpolated orbit; charting the empty focus of the Moon's orbit instead of the apogee; and measuring the desired point's barycentric or topocentric position instead of its geocentric position.
Lunar apogeeTrue or Osculating Black Moon LilithU+2BDEVariant used for the calculated position.
Lunar apogeeWhite Moon SelenaU+2BDDRussian astrologer Pavel Globa invented this to serve as the symbolic opposite of Black Moon Lilith in the 1980s.
Lunar apogeeTrue Light Moon Arta or True White MoonU+2BDFSimilar to White Moon Selena but using True Black Moon Lilith instead of the traditional Black Moon Lilith.
Lunar nodeAscending NodeU+260ANot all astrologers use the lunar nodes; however, their usage is very important in Vedic astrology. They are alternately known as the "Dragon's Head" and the "Dragon's Tail". The two nodes together are most commonly referred to simply as the nodal axis, the lunar nodes, or the Moon's nodes.
Lunar nodeDescending NodeU+260BNot all astrologers use the lunar nodes; however, their usage is very important in Vedic astrology. They are alternately known as the "Dragon's Head" and the "Dragon's Tail". The two nodes together are most commonly referred to simply as the nodal axis, the lunar nodes, or the Moon's nodes.
PlutinoIxionRepresents the wheel to which Zeus bound Ixion according to Greek mythology, as a punishment in Tartarus.
Scattered disk objectTyphonSimplified representation of a hurricane, as in Greek mythology Typhon was a divine monster that could create hurricanes with his wings
Small bodyQuaoarSharp rock art of the Tongva people, in whose mythology it is present the creator god Quaoar, and the letter Q and a canoe.
Small bodySednaU+2BF2It consists of the symbols of the Inuktitut syllabics for 'sa' and 'n', since in this language Sedna is written as 'Sanna'. Besides, it resembles the shape of a marine animal leaping from the water, in alussion to the myth of Sedna, the Inuit sea goddess.
Alchemical 'Three primes'Zodiacal modalities:
cardinal		U+1F70DWestern astrological symbolism has common early origin with alchemical shorthand glyphs, and planetary divination has long been held in association with alchemy's symbols; the three primes of Paracelsus have been associated with the zodiac sign modalities, and tendencies of their nature in an elementary way to be construed as being mutable, fixed or be cardinal.
Alchemical 'Three primes'fixedU+1F714Western astrological symbolism has common early origin with alchemical shorthand glyphs, and planetary divination has long been held in association with alchemy's symbols; the three primes of Paracelsus have been associated with the zodiac sign modalities, and tendencies of their nature in an elementary way to be construed as being mutable, fixed or be cardinal.
Alchemical 'Three primes'mutableU+263FWestern astrological symbolism has common early origin with alchemical shorthand glyphs, and planetary divination has long been held in association with alchemy's symbols; the three primes of Paracelsus have been associated with the zodiac sign modalities, and tendencies of their nature in an elementary way to be construed as being mutable, fixed or be cardinal.