Asking for info on Sabian Symbols

Padma

(I'm not sure if Sabian symbols are supposed to go under divination, astrology, or oracles, so mods, please move my thread if I am in the wrong place!)

I was watching a video done by an astrologer who uses Sabian symbols in her astrology practice (relating planetary degrees with the concordant symbol) and I found the symbols to have been incredibly accurate in foretelling the future in the case of that retrospective video.

So now, of course, I am utterly fascinated by the Sabian system as a divination oracle.

I will be doing a google search on the symbols, and trying to find good sources for learning them. But meanwhile, I invite anyone here who has experience with this system to share their knowledge! :D

How does it work? What has your experience been with using them? Is the system difficult to learn? Can they be used without astrology to predict events? (like an althometer?) Is there an app for that? ;)

Please share!

ETA I found a link explaining their relevance to degrees and meanings in astrology at Cafe Astrology.
https://cafeastrology.com/sabiansymbols_degreemeanings.html

ETA and also a link for a free Sabian Symbol reading, unrelated to astrology, at Serena Powers' website: http://www.serenapowers.com/sabian.html
 

Barleywine

My understanding is that astrologer Marc Edmund Jones came up with them while sitting in a park with an intuitive and capturing her visions. I used to try to work with them but found them a bit too fanciful for my taste. It's been years since I looked at Jones' book The Sabian Symbols in Astrology. Dane Rudhyar also wrote An Astrological Mandala on the subject.
 

Padma

Ah! Thank you for mentioning some book references, Barleywine - much appreciated.

I do agree that they can be opaque when trying to interpret their meaning, but they seem to me very similar in ways to the I Ching's way of speaking about "the upright man" etc, using metaphor to illustrate the answers to the questions.

I obviously need to read up more on the topic, so I will look for these books :)

I did contemplate writing all the symbols/sayings down on blank cards, then using those as a divination deck...
 

rachelcat

I use an astrology deck to draw the sign and a little numbered oracle (called Flower Wisdom) for the degree. And then look the symbols up in a book. It's like I Ching in that way, too!

I have 360 Degrees of Wisdom by Lynda Hill,
The Sabian Symbols and Astrological Analysis by Blain Bovee (which links the degrees opposite each other on the wheel), and
Crystal Astrology by Marina Costelloe (which associates a crystal with each degree).

I haven't read them for a while. Maybe I'll drag out my little oracles and big books today!

Enjoy investigating!
 

Padma

I use an astrology deck to draw the sign and a little numbered oracle (called Flower Wisdom) for the degree. And then look the symbols up in a book. It's like I Ching in that way, too!

I have 360 Degrees of Wisdom by Lynda Hill,
The Sabian Symbols and Astrological Analysis by Blain Bovee (which links the degrees opposite each other on the wheel), and
Crystal Astrology by Marina Costelloe (which associates a crystal with each degree).

I haven't read them for a while. Maybe I'll drag out my little oracles and big books today!

Enjoy investigating!

Wow! What a great idea in how to use the symbols, Rachelcat! :lightbulb:

Thanks for the inspiration!

And thanks for the book references, too. This is so appreciated, as I told Barleywine as well. It's actually from Lynda Hill's youtube video that I was initially struck with the accuracy of the symbols. I would love to have her book!

Thanks for your input, very valued! :love:

ETA which flower wisdom deck is it? There are a few by the that title - if you could provide me with the author, perhaps? :) and which astrology deck?
 

rachelcat

Thanks for sending me back on the Sabian Symbol path! I'm home on a sick day today and got a couple of good readings in with them.

The Flower Wisdom deck is this one, https://www.amazon.com/Flower-Wisdo...&qid=1487108335&sr=1-4&keywords=flower+wisdom in its little pyramid box. Looks like it's long out of print. Just shows how long I've been collecting . . . The cards are quite small, about 2.25 x 3 inches. They're numbered 1-32, so I just leave 31 and 32 out. And I read the LWB for the flower meaning for extra info!

The other is The Essential Guide of Astrology Book and Card Kit https://www.amazon.com/Essential-Gu...&sr=1-7&keywords=essential+guide+to+astrology Looks like it's still in print, and reasonably priced. It has signs, planets, houses, and other cards, with the little book. The cards are also quite small, about 2 x 3.25. I went through an astrology card binge a while back and have since sold most of them along. But this one stays because its so small and cute. And I used it on my altar long long ago.

Always fun talking decks with you! Maybe we should do a Sabian Symbols exchange sometime!
 

Padma

Thanks for sending me back on the Sabian Symbol path! I'm home on a sick day today and got a couple of good readings in with them.

The Flower Wisdom deck is this one, https://www.amazon.com/Flower-Wisdo...&qid=1487108335&sr=1-4&keywords=flower+wisdom in its little pyramid box. Looks like it's long out of print. Just shows how long I've been collecting . . . The cards are quite small, about 2.25 x 3 inches. They're numbered 1-32, so I just leave 31 and 32 out. And I read the LWB for the flower meaning for extra info!

The other is The Essential Guide of Astrology Book and Card Kit https://www.amazon.com/Essential-Gu...&sr=1-7&keywords=essential+guide+to+astrology Looks like it's still in print, and reasonably priced. It has signs, planets, houses, and other cards, with the little book. The cards are also quite small, about 2 x 3.25. I went through an astrology card binge a while back and have since sold most of them along. But this one stays because its so small and cute. And I used it on my altar long long ago.

Always fun talking decks with you! Maybe we should do a Sabian Symbols exchange sometime!

Oh, thanks for all that extra info, Rachelcat! :love: That's awesome! I can use the Lenormand deck then for numbers, as there are 36 cards and I can just leave the last six out. I can also order the astrology deck, thanks for that!

I would be absolutely delighted to do a Sabian exchange with you - just give me a few weeks to collect the books and decks :D

ETA I just snagged the last copy of the astrology deck :party: thanks! :)
 

CosmicBeing

Sabian symbols 360 of them LIST

Just if anyone wants to see what the list of them look like. I am too broke right now to get deep into another form of divination even though it has peaked my interest.
 

zannamarie

Here are some AT resources:

Sabian Symbols: An Introduction for the Inquisitive. -- a very helpful thread

There is also a Sabian Symbols forum which includes old study group information about individual symbols as well as other information.

- - - - -
Lynda Hill is the owner of the sabiansymbols.com website. She has quite a bit of info on the website as well as a random generator oracle that I periodically use for readings. The reading gives the symbol and interpretations for it and I've found the readings to be quite helpful.
 

zannamarie

FYI: I noticed the Sabian Symbols study group is listed under Oracle Study groups, so this thread may end up being move to Oracles.