The twelve houses

Zodiac symbols and meanings

The sun’s year, cut into twelve. The pictures are older than the printer’s glyphs.

1. 1
   AriesThe first slice of the sun’s year, drawn as a ram.
2. 2
   TaurusA bull on the ecliptic, and a circle with horns in type.
3. 3
   GeminiTwo pillars. The twins are the story. The mark is the abbreviation.
4. 4
   CancerA crab, and the sign where the sun used to turn.
5. 5
   LeoA lion on the ecliptic. The tail in the glyph is the identifier.
6. 6
   VirgoA woman with a sheaf. The glyph is an M that learned to write.
7. 7
   LibraScales, set where the year balances — and once the scorpion’s claws.
8. 8
   ScorpioA scorpion. The glyph keeps the sting so you do not read it as Virgo.
9. 9
   SagittariusAn arrow. The centaur is the story. The mark is the weapon.
10. 10
    CapricornA goat and a fish sharing one body. The glyph keeps both.
11. 11
    AquariusTwo waves. A person pouring is the picture. The mark kept the water.
12. 12
    PiscesTwo fish tied by a cord. Not the Christian ichthys.