Astrological Symbols & Glyphs Gloassary

Coming to astrology from a background in tarot, I remember looking at my first charts and thinking I might as well be trying to read Greek. I was accustomed to pictorial representations that resonated with archetypal experiences in the human condition and were more directly related to the symbolism I had studied in my art history courses. Still, learning the tarot involved a degree of memorization—the order of the first 22 major arcana cards, which suits corresponded to which element, etc. And so, with learning to read a system that uses a language of glyphs, memorization, at first, is key. After all, that’s what we do in Kindergarten and 1st grade. We memorize the letters of the alphabet, their shapes, and their sounds. Then we learn to put them together and form words. Then we learn to put those words together and build sentences.

By the time I was in my mentorship program with Cristina Farella of Eighth House Astrology, I’d memorized the glyphs for the signs, planets, and aspects. I had a basic understanding of what they meant, where they were located on a chart, and how to interpret them. But one of my favorite things about taking classes with Cristina is that she’s also interested in symbolism in the broadest sense of how the mythos of the Roman-Greco pantheon influences the interpretation of the planetary placements, down to the minute details of explaining why the glyphs look the way they do. The bulk of my glossary here is based on what I learned in her classes, with a few additional notes I’ve made for myself over the years from other classes or texts.

I share it because I’ve found that with every layer of understanding the visual language that informs astrology and tarot as forms of divination, my vocabulary opens up and I feel more connected to my practice.

Symbols Glossary

The meanings for the symbols and glyphs used in an astrological chart have historic roots that can give a new layer of meaning to reading and understanding a chart. Below are the signs and symbols broken down.

Zodiac Signs

The zodiac signs are categorized by four elements (Fire, Earth, Air, Water) and three modalities (Cardinal, Fixed, Mutable).

Sign	Symbol/Glyph	Meaning & Representation
Aries	♈︎	Curved ram's horns; represents initiation, potency, and strength .
Taurus	♉︎	The Bull; represents stability, practicality, and sensuality.
Gemini	♊︎	The Twins; represents communication, duality, and mental agility.
Cancer	♋︎	The Crab; represents nurturing, intuition, and emotional depth.
Leo	♌︎	The Lion; represents creativity, charisma, and confidence.
Virgo	♍︎	The Virgin; represents analysis, logic, and grounded reality.
Libra	♎︎	The Scales; represents balance, fairness, and discernment.
Scorpio	♏︎	The Scorpion; represents depth, transformation, and intensity.
Sagittarius	♐︎	An arrow aloft with a cross of matter; represents exploration and spirituality.
Capricorn	♑︎	The Sea-Goat; represents structure, ambition, and discipline.
Aquarius	♒︎	The Water Bearer; represents innovation, community, and persistence.
Pisces	♓︎	Two fishes swimming in opposite directions; represents intuition and imagination.

The Four Elements

The twelve signs are divided into four elements, each representing a different energetic quality and gender expression. You will not see these symbols or glyphs in a chart, but you may come across them when reading instructional texts. Plus, knowing them makes taking shorthand notes easier. Some astrological software might assign colors to these elements as related to the signs.

Element	Symbol/Glyph	Signs	Qualities	Energy
Fire	🜂	Aries, Leo, Sagittarius	Passionate, active, extroverted.	Masculine
Earth	🜃	Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn	Tangible, grounding, embodied.	Feminine
Air	🜁	Gemini, Libra, Aquarius	Cerebral, communicative, detached.	Masculine
Water	🜄	Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces	Intuitive, emotional, introverted.	Feminine

The Three Modalities

Modalities (or quadruplicities) describe where a sign falls within its season and how it expresses its energy. These don’t have symbols or glyphs, but may be identified using different colors in the chart depending on the astrological software you’re using.

Modality	Function	Signs	Seasonal Timing
Cardinal	Initiate	Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn	These signs begin their respective seasons.
Fixed	Conserve	Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius	These signs fall in the middle of their seasons.
Mutable	Digest	Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces	These signs end their seasons, adapting to change.

Planet Symbols

Planets represent different pieces of your personality, categorized into inner, social, and outer planets.

Planet or Celestial Body	Symbol/Glyph	Archetypal Meaning
Sun	☉	A circle with a dot at the center; represents identity, essence, and spirit
Moon	☽	A crescent (like a chalice or womb); represents emotions, intuition, and receptivity.
Mercury	☿	The Winged Staff or Stylus; represents intelligence, communication, and travel.
Venus	♀︎	The Mirror of Aphrodite; represents harmony, gifts, and sweetness.
Mars	♂︎	The Shield and Spear; represents passion, bravery, and action.
Jupiter	♃	The Royal Sceptre; represents expansion, optimism, and benevolence.
Saturn	♄	The Sickle or Scythe; represents pressure, boundaries, and structure.
Uranus	♅	The H-shaped symbol; represents sudden change and extra force.
Neptune	♆	A trident (crescent and cross); represents dreams, healing, and the collective unconscious.
Pluto	♇ (old)	A bi-dent staff (crescent, circle, and cross); represents death, rebirth, and power.
Chiron	⚷	Often depicted as a skeleton key, Chiron represents the karmic wound and the subsequent healing that allows one to step into the role of teacher or healer.

Because my emoji keyboard only has the old symbol for Pluto—which you might still see referenced in older texts about astrology, but are unlikely to see used in a modern chart—I am pasting an image of the updated symbol here.

The Four Angles

These are known as the "Fast-Moving Points" because they shift by the minute based on the time and location of birth.

• Ascendant (AC): The Rising sign; where your journey begins and the first impression you make.

• Descendant (DC): The point opposite the Ascendant; relates to relationships and others.

• Midheaven (MC): The highest point in the chart; relates to career and public life.

• Imum Coeli (IC): The lowest point in the chart; relates to home, roots, and private life.

Major Aspects

Aspects describe the geometric relationships (angles) between planets, showing how their energies blend or clash.

Aspect	Symbol	Degrees	Meaning
Conjunction	☌	0°	A blending or merging of energies; planets are unified.
Sextile	⚹	60°	Harmony and support; offers gifts and sweetness.
Square	⃞	90°	Tension and pressure; planets clash, requiring internal adjustment.
Trine	▵	120°	Flow and pleasure; planets support each other with ease.
Opposition	☍	180°	External challenge; forced to balance opposite energies.

This is a sample of a transit chart, also known as a wheel chart.

Astrological Points & Lots

The following table includes the symbols and archetypal meanings for the lunar nodes, Black Moon Lilith, and the primary Arabic Parts (Lots).

Point	Symbol	Archetypal Meaning
The Lunar Nodes		These mathematical points are always directly opposite each other in a chart. They represent the intersection of the Moon's orbit with the ecliptic and are central to evolutionary astrology.
North Node	☊	Soul growth, future direction, and the path of evolution.
South Node	☋	Past life habits, inherited traits, and what must be released.
Black Moon Lilith	⚸	The shadow self, repressed anger, and fierce independence. Represented by a black crescent atop a cross, this point signifies the "untamable" parts of the psyche and the authentic urges that refuse to be suppressed.
Lot of Fortune	⊗	Material circumstances, physical health, and effortless luck. Associated with the Moon and the physical body. It indicates how fate unfolds in the material realm.
Lot of Spirit	◈	Divine purpose, intentional mind, and the soul's guiding spirit. Associated with the Sun and the intellect. It represents the actions one takes and the "image" the soul strives toward in this lifetime .

Tarot Suits & Elemental Correspondences

Each suit in the Minor Arcana corresponds to one of the four elements and its associated zodiac signs.

Tarot Suit	Element	Zodiac Signs	Representation & Themes
Wands	Fire	Aries, Leo, Sagittarius	Instincts, intuition, and the drive to move toward goals.
Pentacles	Earth	Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn	The physical body, material resources, and the five senses.
Swords	Air	Gemini, Libra, Aquarius	Intellectual breakthroughs, clarity of thought, and new ideas.
Cups	Water	Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces	Emotional nature, intuitive feelings, and the subconscious.