Symbolic Degrees form one of the most detailed branches of traditional and modern astrology. The system divides the zodiac into 360 individual degrees and gives each degree its own symbolic image, theme or interpretation. Instead of treating an entire zodiac sign as one broad influence, degree symbolism explores the meaning of each exact position within that sign.
Over time, astrologers, occult writers and spiritual thinkers created different systems for interpreting the 360 degrees. The best-known examples include the Sabian Symbols, Charubel’s degree symbols, La Volasfera, Kozminsky’s symbols, Janduz, Adriano Carelli’s interpretations and the Chandra Symbols.
These systems do not always give the same meaning to a degree. Each comes from a different tradition, philosophy and period. For that reason, degree symbolism is best treated as a specialised interpretive method rather than one fixed astrological rule.
Quick Facts About Symbolic Degrees
| Detail | Description |
|---|---|
| Main subject | Astrology and zodiac symbolism |
| Total zodiac degrees | 360 |
| Degrees in each zodiac sign | 30 |
| Number of zodiac signs | 12 |
| Main purpose | Giving individual meaning to each zodiac degree |
| Famous system | Sabian Symbols |
| Sabian Symbols created | 1925 |
| Key figures | Marc Edmund Jones and Elsie Wheeler |
| Other major systems | Charubel, Sepharial, Kozminsky, Janduz, Carelli and Chandra |
| Common uses | Birth charts, transits, progressions and spiritual interpretation |
| Scientific status | Astrological and symbolic tradition, not scientifically proven |
| Core concept | Every zodiac degree can carry a distinct symbolic theme |
What Are Symbolic Degrees?
Symbolic Degrees are individual astrological meanings connected with the 360 positions of the zodiac.
The zodiac contains twelve signs. Each sign covers 30 degrees. Twelve signs multiplied by 30 degrees creates the complete 360-degree zodiac circle.
Traditional astrology already studies signs, planets, houses and aspects. Degree symbolism adds another layer by examining the exact position occupied by a planet or important chart point.
For example, the Sun at 5 degrees Leo is treated differently from the Sun at 24 degrees Leo within a degree-symbol system. Both positions remain Leo, yet each degree can carry its own image or symbolic message.
Different traditions may connect a degree with courage, transformation, conflict, wisdom, creativity, responsibility, spiritual development or other themes.
How the 360 Symbolic Degrees Work
The concept begins with the complete zodiac circle.
Aries covers the first 30 degrees, Taurus the next 30, followed by Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces.
Each degree receives a separate interpretation.
Symbolic Images
Many systems use visual scenes rather than simple personality descriptions.
A degree might contain an image involving:
- A person standing beside water
- A mountain or tower
- A child at play
- An animal
- A religious or ceremonial scene
- A traveller
- A garden
- A storm
- A bridge
- A group of people
These images are interpreted metaphorically.
A mountain can represent ambition, difficulty or achievement. Water may reflect emotions, intuition or change. A bridge can represent transition, communication or connection.
The meaning depends on the complete symbolic tradition being used.
Character and Life Themes
Some systems go beyond imagery and connect degrees with temperament, career, relationships, fortune, conflict or personal development.
Older astrological texts can contain strong predictions. Modern astrologers often prefer psychological or spiritual interpretations rather than treating older statements as unavoidable events.
History of Symbolic Degrees
Degree symbolism did not begin with one modern astrologer. The idea developed through different astrological and occult traditions.
Earlier texts associated parts of the zodiac with images, planetary forces and spiritual qualities. During the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, complete sets of 360 degree meanings became more widely published.
A number of writers became central to this field.
Charubel and the Development of Degree Symbolism
Charubel was the pen name of Welsh astrologer and occultist John Thomas, who lived from 1826 to 1908.
His degree symbols became an important early modern system. His work gave individual symbolic meanings to zodiac degrees through unusual visual images and character descriptions.
Charubel’s material gained attention during the late nineteenth century and influenced later interest in complete 360-degree interpretation.
His approach was often mystical and clairvoyant in tone. Many of his degree descriptions were direct and strongly focused on personal character.
Sepharial and La Volasfera
Sepharial was the pen name of Walter Gorn Old, an important British astrologer and occult writer.
His work became closely associated with a degree system known as La Volasfera.
The La Volasfera tradition gives each zodiac degree a symbolic scene followed by an interpretation. Its themes can involve personality, social position, ambition, danger, relationships, success, failure and personal destiny.
The language reflects the astrological style of its period. Some interpretations are highly dramatic and deterministic.
Modern astrology often treats such imagery symbolically rather than as a literal prediction of future events.
Isidore Kozminsky and Zodiacal Symbology
Isidore Kozminsky added another major system to degree astrology.
His 1917 work Zodiacal Symbology and Its Planetary Power presented symbolic meanings for the zodiac degrees while also connecting them with planetary influence.
This planetary dimension made his approach distinctive.
Instead of giving only an image, Kozminsky sought to connect the degree with a deeper astrological force. His system remains important for students interested in early twentieth-century degree interpretation.
Sabian Symbols and Their Importance
The Sabian Symbols became the most famous modern form of Symbolic Degrees.
They were created in 1925 through the work of astrologer Marc Edmund Jones and Elsie Wheeler.
Jones prepared cards connected with the zodiac degrees. Wheeler, who was known for clairvoyant work, described images associated with the cards. Jones recorded these images and later developed their astrological interpretations.
The result was a complete cycle of 360 symbolic scenes.
Marc Edmund Jones
Marc Edmund Jones was an American astrologer, writer and philosopher who played a major role in twentieth-century astrology.
He later developed the Sabian material into a structured system and published The Sabian Symbols in Astrology in 1953.
His interpretations included symbolic meanings and key ideas for every degree.
Elsie Wheeler
Elsie Wheeler played a central role in the creation of the original Sabian images.
The symbolic scenes attributed to her formed the foundation from which Jones developed the complete system.
Because of this collaboration, both Jones and Wheeler are essential to the history of the Sabian tradition.
Dane Rudhyar and the Astrological Mandala
Dane Rudhyar later transformed the way many astrologers approached Sabian symbolism.
His 1973 work An Astrological Mandala treated the 360 degrees as stages within a continuous cycle of human experience.
Rather than treating each degree as an isolated prediction, Rudhyar presented the zodiac as a sequence of development.
Each degree becomes one phase in a larger journey involving consciousness, growth, relationships, society and spiritual development.
This approach helped move degree symbolism towards psychological and humanistic astrology.
Janduz and the 360 Degrees of the Zodiac
Jeanne Duzéa, better known as Janduz, created another influential interpretation of the 360 zodiac degrees.
Her work combined symbolic imagery with elements connected to astrology, fixed stars and esoteric traditions.
Janduz’s system became especially influential in European astrology.
Her degree images can be vivid, dramatic and detailed. They often describe situations involving human behaviour, conflict, achievement or moral choices.
Modern versions of Janduz-inspired material sometimes soften older fatalistic language while keeping the central symbolism.
Adriano Carelli and Degree Interpretation
Italian astrologer Adriano Carelli produced one of the most respected comparative works on zodiac degrees.
Carelli examined earlier traditions and developed his own interpretations rather than simply copying one previous system.
His work considered material connected with Charubel, Sepharial and older degree symbolism.
Carelli’s approach is valuable because it demonstrates that degree astrology has never depended on a single authority. Different schools can interpret the same zodiac position in very different ways.
Chandra Symbols
A more modern approach comes from astrologer Ellias Lonsdale.
His work Inside Degrees presents the Chandra Symbols, a complete symbolic approach to zodiac degrees.
The Chandra system has a spiritual and psychological style. It often focuses on consciousness, inner development, emotional patterns and transformation.
This makes it popular among people who prefer modern spiritual astrology rather than older predictive methods.
Symbolic Degrees and Sabian Symbols: Are They the Same?
They are connected, but they are not identical.
Symbolic Degrees is the broad term for systems that assign individual meaning to the 360 zodiac degrees.
Sabian Symbols are one specific system within that wider tradition.
Other systems include:
- Charubel
- La Volasfera
- Kozminsky
- Janduz
- Carelli
- Chandra Symbols
This distinction is important because two astrologers can examine the same degree but give different interpretations if they use different traditions.
How Symbolic Degrees Are Used in a Birth Chart
Astrologers first calculate the exact zodiac position of a planet or chart point.
They may then study the corresponding symbolic degree.
Sun and Moon
The Sun degree may be interpreted in connection with identity, purpose and personal expression.
The Moon degree may be connected with emotional life, instinct and inner needs.
Ascendant
The Ascendant is another important point because it relates to personal presentation, approach to life and the way a person engages with the outside world.
Midheaven
The Midheaven can be examined for symbolic themes connected with career, reputation and public direction.
Planets
Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn and the outer planets can also be examined through degree symbolism.
The meaning of the planet is then combined with the symbolism of its exact zodiac position.
Understanding Degree Numbering
Degree numbering can cause confusion.
Each zodiac sign mathematically runs from 0°00′ to 29°59′. However, some symbolic systems describe their images as degrees 1 to 30.
For Sabian Symbols, a planetary position containing minutes after a whole degree is generally connected with the next numbered symbol.
For example, a position written as 10°15′ can correspond to the 11th symbolic degree under this convention.
Users should follow the numbering method of the chosen system instead of combining different conventions.
Are Symbolic Degrees the Same as Degree Theory?
No.
Modern astrological degree theory often connects repeating degree numbers with particular signs, planets or qualities.
Traditional symbolic-degree systems instead provide a unique image or interpretation for each of the 360 zodiac positions.
The two approaches may both focus on exact degrees, but their methods and historical foundations are different.
Can Different Degree Systems Give Different Meanings?
Yes, and this is one of the most important facts about the subject.
A degree that represents ambition in one system may represent emotional conflict or spiritual change in another.
This difference does not necessarily mean one tradition has been copied incorrectly. Each system was developed through its own philosophy and interpretive method.
Many astrologers compare two or more systems and look for repeating themes.
Are Symbolic Degrees Scientifically Proven?
Symbolic Degrees belong to astrology, spirituality and esoteric interpretation.
There is no accepted scientific evidence showing that an individual zodiac degree determines personality, destiny or future events.
Astrology should therefore be distinguished from astronomy and experimentally established science.
Degree symbolism can still be studied for its historical, cultural, psychological and spiritual value. Many people use these images as tools for reflection rather than fixed predictions.
Why Symbolic Degrees Still Matter in Astrology
Symbolic Degrees remain fascinating because they transform the zodiac from twelve broad signs into a detailed circle of 360 symbolic stages.
Their history includes Charubel, Sepharial, Kozminsky, Marc Edmund Jones, Elsie Wheeler, Dane Rudhyar, Janduz, Adriano Carelli and Ellias Lonsdale.
Each tradition offers a different way of exploring the zodiac.
The Sabian Symbols remain the most famous modern example, yet they represent only one part of a much wider tradition.
Conclusion
Symbolic Degrees offer one of astrology’s most detailed forms of interpretation. Every degree of the zodiac can receive its own image, theme or symbolic meaning, creating 360 individual stages across the twelve signs.
No single system controls the entire tradition. Charubel, La Volasfera, Kozminsky, Sabian Symbols, Janduz, Carelli and Chandra Symbols each provide different perspectives.
For anyone studying degree astrology, the best approach is to understand which system is being used, apply its numbering method correctly and interpret its imagery as symbolism rather than absolute prediction. This approach preserves the historical richness of the 360-degree tradition while giving it a clear and practical place within modern astrology.
FAQs About Symbolic Degrees
1. Who is Symbolic Degrees?
Symbolic Degrees is not a person. It is an astrological concept in which each of the 360 degrees of the zodiac is given a distinct symbolic image, theme or interpretation.
2. How old is Symbolic Degrees?
Symbolic Degrees does not have an age like a person. Degree symbolism has roots in older astrological traditions, while many well-known modern systems developed during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The Sabian Symbols, for example, were created in 1925.
3. Who are the parents of Symbolic Degrees?
Symbolic Degrees has no parents because it is not an individual. The tradition developed through the work of astrologers and occult writers such as Charubel, Sepharial, Isidore Kozminsky, Marc Edmund Jones, Elsie Wheeler, Janduz, Adriano Carelli and Dane Rudhyar.
4. Is Symbolic Degrees married?
No. Symbolic Degrees is an astrological system rather than a person, so marital status does not apply.
5. Does Symbolic Degrees have siblings?
Symbolic Degrees does not have siblings in the human sense. However, related astrological systems include Sabian Symbols, Chandra Symbols, La Volasfera, Kozminsky degree symbols, Janduz degrees and Carelli’s degree interpretations.
