Sabian Symbols Guide

Symbolic Imagery for Each Degree

Explore Sabian Symbols — a set of 360 symbolic images, one for each degree of the zodiac. Learn how to interpret the Sabian Symbol for your natal planets and key chart points.

What Are Sabian Symbols?

Sabian Symbols are a set of 360 symbolic images, one for each degree of the zodiac (1° Aries through 30° Pisces). They were channeled in 1925 by clairvoyant Elsie Wheeler and recorded by astrologer Marc Edmund Jones. Each symbol provides a word-picture that adds interpretive depth to any planet or point at that degree.

How to Use Sabian Symbols

  • Round UP your planet's degree to find its Sabian Symbol (e.g., 15°22' Aries uses the symbol for 16° Aries)
  • Read the symbol as a meditation on the planet's expression at that degree
  • Pay special attention to the symbols for your Sun, Moon, Ascendant, and Midheaven
  • Sabian Symbols for current transits can illuminate the quality of the moment
  • The symbols are poetic, not literal — use them as contemplative tools

Using Sabian Symbols in Zodisphere

Open the Sabian Symbols Panel from the analysis toolbar. Zodisphere displays the Sabian Symbol for every planet and point in your chart. Each symbol includes the degree, the image description, and interpretive keywords.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do I round up the degree?

Convention places the first degree of Aries at 0°00' to 0°59', which corresponds to Sabian Symbol "1° Aries." A planet at 15°22' Aries is in the 16th degree (15°00' to 15°59'), so you use the symbol for "16° Aries."

Are Sabian Symbols scientifically valid?

Sabian Symbols are a symbolic and intuitive tool, not a scientific one. They were channeled rather than empirically derived. Their value lies in providing contemplative imagery that can spark insight, similar to Tarot or I Ching.