An Astrology Oracle
A more interesting question when meeting a fellow astrology fan may be not “what’s your sign?’ but “what’s your Sabian symbol?” This article continues our series on this astrological oracle.
History
Elsie Wheeler, the psychic who received the visions the Sabian symbols, had rheumatoid arthritis which kept her confined to a wheelchair. She supported herself both as a dollmaker and through her psychic abilities but was tired of the run-of-the-mill questions which a majority of her clients approached her and wanted to apply her skills to a more significant project. She met astrologer Marc Jones who had become interested in the idea of wedding deeper esoteric knowledge to astrology. With Wheeler acting as channel, and Jones holding up index cards marked with the degree of each sign, then writing down Wheeler’s vision for that degree, they together created the symbols.
Although this happened in 1925, the symbols were not published until 1953. During the intervening years, Jones shared the symbols only with a few of his private students. After Jones’ death, astrologer Dane Rudhyar, who had been one of his students, condensed and refined the images to publish them in 1973 as ‘An Astrological Mandala — The Cycle of Transformations and Its 360 Symbolic Phases’. Since interest in astrology was strong during the 1970s, this time the symbols earned more attention.
Cancer’s symbols
In earlier installments of this series, I presented the symbols for Aries (part 1) , as well as Taurus and Gemini (part 2) . Below are the symbols for Cancer.
0-1 deg Cancer
On A Ship The Sailors Lower An Old Flag And Raise A New One
1-2 deg Cancer
A Man On A Magic Carpet Hovers Over A Large Area Of Land
2-3 deg Cancer
A Man Bundled In Fur Leads A Shaggy Deer
3-4 deg Cancer
A Cat Arguing With A Mouse
4-5 deg Cancer
At A Railroad Crossing, An Automobile is Wrecked By A Train
5-6 deg Cancer
Game Birds Feathering Their Nests
6-7 deg Cancer
Two Nature Spirits Dancing Under the Moonlight
7-8 deg Cancer
A Group Of Rabbits Dressed in Human Clothes Walk As If On Parade
8-9 deg Cancer
A Small Naked Girl Bends Over A Pond Trying To Catch A Fish
9-10 deg Cancer
A Large Diamond In The First Stages Of The Cutting Process
10-11 deg Cancer
A Clown Caricaturing Well-Known Personalities
11-12 deg Cancer
A Chinese Woman Nursing A Baby Whose Aura Reveals Him To Be The Reincarnation Of A Great Teacher
12-13 deg Cancer
A Hand With A Prominent Thumb Is Held Out For Study
13-14 deg Cancer
A Very Old Man Facing A Vast Dark Space To The Northeast
14-15 deg Cancer
In A Sumptuous Dining Hall Guests Relax After Partaking Of A Huge Banquet
15-16 deg Cancer
A Man Studying A Mandala In Front Of Him, With The Help Of A Very Ancient Book
16-17 deg Cancer
The Unfoldment Of Multilevel Potentialities Issuing From An Original Germ
17-18 deg Cancer
A Hen Scratching The Ground To Find Nourishment For Her Progeny
18-19 deg Cancer
A Priest Performing A Marriage Ceremony
19-20 deg Cancer
Venetian Gondoliers Giving A Serenade
20-21 deg Cancer
A Famous Singer Is Proving Her Virtuosity During An Operatic Performance
21-22 deg Cancer
A Young Woman Awaiting A Sailboat
22-23 deg Cancer
The Meeting Of A Literary Society
23-24 deg Cancer
A Woman And Two Men Castaways On A Small Island Of The South Seas
24-25 deg Cancer
A Willful Man Is Overshadowed By A Descent Of Superior Power
25-26 deg Cancer
Guests Are Reading In The Library Of A Luxurious Home
26-27 deg Cancer
A Violent Storm in A Canyon Filled With Expensive Homes
27-28 deg Cancer
An Indian Girl Introduces Her White Lover To Her Assembled Tribe
28-29 deg Cancer
A Greek Muse Weighing Newborn Twins In Golden Scales
29-30 deg Cancer
A Daughter of The American Revolution