Never Forget the Sabian Symbols

You and your wonderful partner have the same zodiac sign.

Doesn’t that alone make you feel a certain sense of destiny, a resonance between your souls?

「After all, having the same zodiac sign must mean…

You have the same personality, the same values, the same fate—right?」

Not quite.

That’s because within each zodiac sign exists something called the Sabian Symbols.

In truth, the 12 zodiac signs don’t simply each have one fixed personality.

Each sign covers 30 degrees, and every single degree carries its own unique meaning.

So, the zodiac isn't made up of just 12 types—it's a continuum of 360 individual energies.

These energies flow and shift like a gradient, gently transitioning from one to the next.

This is the world of the Sabian Symbols.

Which means—someone born on August 30 and someone born on August 31 may appear close,

but their destinies can be profoundly different. Let’s take a look.

☀ Sun: Represents one's core life path

August 30 – Virgo 7° – A Harem

Involves complex interdependence in human relationships—finding oneself within dependency.

One could either take the role of the King, or that of a member of the Harem.

August 31 – Virgo 8° – First Dancing Lesson

A drive to activate one's life force by choosing a path of independence from people or circumstances.

An effort to create joy and vitality through one's own initiative, not by relying on others.

See how even a single degree can lead to completely different life directions?

Now you might think: “If we were born on the same day, surely we share the same fate!”

But even that isn’t necessarily true.

Let’s look again at Virgo 7°, the “Harem” symbol.

Each Sabian Symbol comes with a poetic, symbolic image.

And the interpretation of these symbols is not fixed.

To be precise, there are widely accepted readings, but no absolute, definitive meaning.

Take “A Harem” for example. It could be interpreted as:

①One man with many women (or vice versa)

②A cultural reference to traditional harems, like in India

③Mutual dependence—women dependent on the man, and the man's identity formed by being needed

④The struggle to assert and project the self amid dependency

⑤And depending on house, planet, aspects, etc., interpretations are endless

Let me give you a real-world example of how this plays out:

Two celebrities with the exact same birthday:

Jun Matsumoto (Arashi) and Jun Utahiroba (Golden Bomber).

Jun Matsumoto has often been described as a "King"—a person who doesn’t waver no matter the situation, solidly rooted in his identity.

Jun Utahiroba, when beside Matsumoto, looked up to him almost in reverence, and that admiration even contributed to his popularity.

Though their expressions differ, both clearly channel Virgo energy in ways that enhance their destinies.

Incidentally, I too was born on August 30—but even my use of the same energy is different from theirs.

This illustrates how even the same Sabian Symbol can manifest in entirely different ways, depending on how one uses it:

As a soccer player?

As a stay-at-home parent?

Through career, romance, self-discovery?

Context changes everything.

So, it’s best not to assume that someone shares your values just because you have the same birthday—or even the same zodiac sign.

And don’t box yourself in by saying “I’m a Virgo, so I must be a perfectionist.”

By the way:

When astrological predictions seem off, it’s not that “nothing happened”—

It’s often that the interpretation of the symbol was just off.

Something significant probably did happen, just in a different form.

That’s your intro to Sabian Symbols.

Yes, the interpretation of these poetic symbols is incredibly nuanced and challenging—

Which is why I turn to ChatGPT for assistance (though my personal analysis always comes first!).

A couple of important notes when using Sabian Symbols:

Always add +1 degree to the degree listed in your chart.

This is because the degree shown represents the energy in progress.

For example, if your chart says “6°”, you’re heading into the energy of 7°—that’s the Sabian Symbol to use.

Always write: "[Zodiac Sign] [Degree] Sabian Symbol".

If you omit any part, ChatGPT (or any interpreter) might mistakenly read a different sign entirely.

So, always include all three parts!

Next time’s preview:

The Ascendant

“What kind of person will I live my life as?”

Stay tuned for a deep dive!