Zodiac means “wheel with animals” but also means “wheel of living things.”
These twelve parts are the signs of the zodiac. Each of these twelve parts of the circle is divided into three further parts of 10 degrees which are the decades of the zodiac signs. The decades of the zodiac signs are very important because each is ruled by a different planet. This is why three people born under the same zodiac sign can have very different characters. The division into twelve zodiac signs in the star map is therefore a very general and basic division.
Each of the twelve signs of the zodiac has its own symbol:
- Aries
The symbol of Aries, the first sign of the zodiac, represents the ram’s horns. The symbol of Aries is also the ram – an animal that in mythology has always symbolized courage and ingenuity, the ram is a lively, energetic creature, able to overcome obstacles and wander over rocky terrain. Aries symbolizes bravery, strength of purpose, and dominance. - Taurus
The symbol of Taurus, the second sign of the zodiac, represents the head of a bull. The bull is a steadfast and gentle animal, always associated with strength and sexuality. The bull symbolizes stubbornness, patience. - Twins
Twins, as the third sign of the zodiac, whose symbol takes the shape of two horizontal parallel lines connected by two vertical lines close together. It represents the zodiacal Twins, the two stars Castor and Pollux. In the sign of the Twins, for the first time in the zodiacal wheel, a human, not an animal, symbol appears. Twins represent duality of character, conflicting emotions. In this they are similar to the sign of Pisces. - Cancer
The fourth sign, Cancer, consists of two opposing loops that curl inward. The spirals in the loop are similar to the spirals on a shell. The Cancer symbol is also associated with an animal, the crayfish, a creature that lives in water but is also able to walk on land. Cancer symbolizes fear, timidity, and the constant need to hide into a shell.
- Lion
The symbol of the Lion, the fifth sign, represents a kind of distorted hook. It is actually a lion’s tail, but it also refers to the path of the Sun, which lowers its position in the sky during the sign of the Lion. The lion is also a symbol of the ruler of animals. In mythology, it is used to speak of the lion of Nemea, who was strangled by Hercules. The lion represents wisdom, pride, honor, justice and generosity. - Virgo
The sixth sign of the zodiac, Virgo, is represented by the letter “m” whose third arm is entwined by a coiling loop. This reminds us of the end of harvest time and the shape of an ancient granary. Virgo is another symbol representing man, usually in the form of a young woman holding a sheaf of wheat, as this constellation has always been associated with the harvest. Virgo represents femininity, modesty, and purity. - Libra
The symbol of Libra, the seventh sign, consists of two parallel horizontal lines, the upper of which has a kind of circular curve in the middle. The shape of the symbol refers, of course, to the shape of Libra with two scarves or to the image of the sun hiding behind the horizon, since the beginning of Libra coincides with the autumn solstice and shorter days. - Scorpio
The symbol of Scorpio, the eighth sign, resembles that of Virgo, but the third arm of the letter “m” has an arrowhead instead of a loop. The arrowhead points toward the sky, toward the future. The sign of the Scorpion is also symbolic of a venomous creature, endowed with an extremely dangerous stinger on its tail. Scorpio represents danger, revenge. - Sagittarius
The symbol of Sagittarius, the ninth sign, represents an arrow pointing with the arrowhead to the northeast. Sagittarius is also a man with a bow – a centaur, a mythical creature, half horse and half man. Sagittarius is the only sign whose symbol mixes animal and human characters. Sagittarius – the one who aims high, idealist, optimist, with broad horizons. - Capricorn
The tenth sign of the zodiac, Capricorn. In ancient roman astronomy Capricorn was symbolized by a creature that was a goat in one half (the upper half) and a fish in the other half (the lower half). In many old drawings it is depicted in this way. - Aquarius
The symbol of Aquarius, the eleventh sign of the zodiac, is depicted as two parallel wavy lines that represent the heat of the sun’s rays turning ice into water. Aquarius is also symbolized by a man carrying a container of water or a vessel from which a stream of water flows. - Fish
The symbol of Fish, the twelfth sign. This is symbolized by two fish, one with its head down toward the depths and the other facing the surface of the water. The fish are also symbolized by two fish that are tied together but always point in opposite directions.
Each of the 12 signs of the zodiac is ruled by one of the planets. Each planet has its own symbol: Sun Moon Mercury Venus Mars Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune Pluto.
In astrology, in addition to zodiacal and planetary symbols, aspect symbols – the distances that appear between planets or important points in a birth, comparison and prediction cosmogram – are also important:
- Conjunctions
A circle with a line running upward. A symbol of the conjunction of two planets or points in a horoscope, e.g. one planet is next to or overlapping another. - Sextile
A six-pointed star. The points are 60 degrees apart. - Square
A square. The points are 90 degrees apart. - Trigon
Triangle. Points 120 degrees apart. - Opposition
Two circles connected by a straight line. The points are 180 degrees apart.