Astrology Blog

Archive for the ‘Zodiac Symbols’ Category

Here are the symbols used in Western astrology to represent the astrological signs:

The modern western astrological signs are simplifications of conventional pictorial representations of the signs, used since Hellenistic times.

The figures also represent ecliptic longitudes for a tropical zodiac where 0° Aries is understood as the vernal equinox:

- Aries (0°) (The Ram)
- Taurus (30°) (The Bull)
- Gemini (60°) (The Twins)
- Cancer (90°) (The Crab)
- Leo (120°) (The Lion)
- Virgo (150°) (The Virgin)
- Libra (180°) (The Scale)
- Scorpio (210°) (The Scorpion)
- Sagittarius (240°) (The Archer)
- Capricorn (270°) (The Sea-goat)
- Aquarius (300°) (The Water-bearer)
- Pisces (330°) (The Fish)

Traditional Hindu astrology has a sidereal coordinate zodiac system with twelve signs. The names of the Hindu zodiacal signs, or ra-s’is, are similar to Graeco-Babylonian signs:

1. mes.a “ram” (Aries)
2. vr.s.abha “bull” (Taurus)
3. mithuna “a pair” (Gemini)
4. karka “crab” (Cancer)
5. sim.ha “lion” (Leo)
6. kanya- “maiden” (Virgo)
7. tula, from tula- “balance” (Libra)
8. vrushchik “scorpion” (Scorpius), also kaurpi, loaned from the Greek
9. ka-rmuka, ca-pa, dhanus “bow, arc”, ca-pin “armed with a bow” (Sagittarius)
10. en.a, mr.ga “antelope”, also makara “sea-monster” (Capricornus)
11. kumbha “pitcher, water-pot” (Aquarius)
12. matsya “fish”, also jhas.a, timi, mi-na after specific kinds of fish (Pisces)

This “Hindu zodiac” (adhvan, ra-s’i) thus has similarities to Greek zodiac. The Graeco-Babylonian system of twelve signs overlays the native Hindu system of nine grahas or planets.