Sabian Symbols and Stories

[sdh3]

As I've mentioned a few times on this discussion board--ok, more than a few times--there is an interesting relationship that I've observed between the Sabian Symbols and many contemporary stories, particularly in cinema and literature. More specifically, I have observed that the five-pointed star has a particularly central role in relationship to the structure of these stories. In subsequent posts on this thread, I'll give the symbols associated with one of the 72 five-pointed stars of which the Sabians are comprised, along with one or more examples of movies or books that seem to draw inspiration from that star. Of course, any and all feedback/comments are welcomed.

truly,
sdh3

 

[sdh3]

Sabian Symbols and Stories--Star 1

The first five-pointed star in the set of 72 is comprised of

Aries 1: A woman rises out of the water, a seal rises and embraces her.
Scorpio 7: Deep-sea divers.
Gemini 13: A great musician at his piano.
Capricorn 19: A child of about five with a huge shopping bag.
Leo 25: A large camel crossing the desert.

A wonderful movie that draws inspiration from this star is one released in 1994 entitled "The Secret of Roan Inish." Inish is Gaelic for "island." Here's a plot summary from IMDB:

10-year-old Fiona is sent to live with her grandparents in a small fishing village in Donegal, Ireland. She soon learns the local legend that an ancestor of hers married a Selkie - a seal who can turn into a human. Years earlier, her baby brother washed out to sea in a cradle shaped like a boat; someone in the family believes the boy is being raised by the seals. Then Fiona catches sight of a naked little boy on the abandoned Isle of Roan Inish and takes an active role in uncovering The Secret of Roan Inish.

 

[sdh3]

Sabian Symbols and Stories: Star 2

The second star is comprised of the symbols

Leo 26 A rainbow.
Aries 2 A comedian entertaining a group.
Scorpio 8 The moon shining across a lake.
Gemini 14 A conversation by telepathy.
Capricorn 20 A hidden choir singing.

One movie that appears to have drawn inspiration from this star is "Man on the Moon", a film starring Jim Carrey and released in 1999 about "the life and career of the eccentric avant-garde comedian, Andy Kaufman."

 

[sdh3]

Sabian Symbols and Stories: Star 47

The 47th five-pointed star is formed by these five symbols:

Libra 11 A professor peering over his glasses.
Taurus 17 A battle between the swords and the torches.
Sagittarius 23 Immigrants entering.
Cancer 29 A Muse weighing twins.
Pisces 5 A church bazaar.


I can think of at least ten films built on this group symbols when it is the third one that is emphasized. They are all about the immigrant experience in America and one notable addition to that genre is "The Visitor." Here's a synopsis from Rotten Tomatoes:

A lonesome widower and college economics professor finds his mundane existence suddenly shaken up when he befriends a pair of illegal immigrants, one of whom has recently been threatened with deportation by U.S. immigration authorities.

Years after losing his wife, 62-year-old Walter Vale (Richard Jenkins) has also lost his passion for writing and teaching. In an effort to fill the empty void that his life has become, Walter makes a half-hearted attempt to learn to play classical piano. Later, when Walter's college sends him to a conference in Manhattan, he is surprised to discover that a young couple has moved into his seldom-used apartment in the city.

Tarek and his Senegalese girlfriend Zainab have fallen victims to an elaborate real-estate scam, and as a result they no longer have a place to call home. When Walter reluctantly allows the couple to remain in his apartment, talented musician Tarek insists on repaying his host's kindness by teaching him to play the African drum.

Over the course of Walter's lessons, the ageing academic finds his spirits revitalized while gaining a newfound appreciation for New York jazz clubs and Central Park drum circles. Later, Tarek is arrested in the subway and threatened with deportation after police learn that he is an undocumented citizen.

Suddenly, in his attempt to help his new friend, Walter's passion for life is unexpectedly awakened. When Tarek's radiant mother Mouna arrives in the city in search of her son, that passion turns to romance -- something that Walter had previously thought he would never experience again.

 

[sdh3]

Sabian Symbols and Stories: Star 4

The fourth five-pointed star is comprised of the following Sabian Symbols:

Gemini 16: A woman suffragist haranguing.
Capricorn 22: A general accepting defeat gracefully.
Leo 28: Many little birds on the limb of a large tree.
Aries 04: Two lovers strolling through a secluded walk.
Scorpio 10: A fellowship supper.

The most recent and obvious example of a movie drawing on this star is the 2009, global blockbuster, fantasy-film, Avatar. IMDB summarizes the plot as follows: "A paraplegic Marine dispatched to the moon Pandora on a unique mission becomes torn between following his orders and protecting the world he feels is his home."

The images below are of (1) some Navi people on Pandora on the branch of the "home tree" (2) the two lovers on a stroll (3) and the "defeated" general (Colonel Quaritch) and (4) the marines under his command.

 

[piercethevale]

Re: Sabian Symbols and Stories--Star 1

The first five-pointed star in the set of 72 is comprised of

Aries 1: A woman rises out of the water, a seal rises and embraces her.
Scorpio 7: Deep-sea divers.
Gemini 13: A great musician at his piano.
Capricorn 19: A child of about five with a huge shopping bag.
Leo 25: A large camel crossing the desert.

A wonderful movie that draws inspiration from this star is one released in 1994 entitled "The Secret of Roan Inish." Inish is Gaelic for "island." Here's a plot summary from IMDB:

As the 25th degree of Leo is my M.C. and the other four degrees the perfect pentagram completed that is aligned to the M.C. this work of literature will now be on my 'must read' list.

Thank you.

 

[poyi]

sdh3

Thank you for this very interest thread. Would you have any chance aware of any related movies or books, related to the point stars I had mentioned of my own natal in The Star thread?

http://www.astrologyweekly.com/forum/showthread.php?t=68801

Perhaps if I find movies and books related to those points, I will be able to understand those degrees in more visual and intellectual way?

 

[sdh3]

Povi, it looks to me that you have two back-to-back stars.

You have the MC at 13 Gemini which is Gemini 14. That's on Star #2
which I discussed earlier in this thread.


You have Saturn at 8 Scorpio which is Scorpio 9. That's on Star #3 which I'll discuss in a fresh post. The symbols are

Capricorn 21 A relay race.
Leo 27 Daybreak.
Aries 3 A cameo profile of a man in the outline of his country.
Scorpio 9 Dental work.
Gemini 15 Two Dutch children talking.


Your thinking on the use of stories to understand the issues is similar to mine. Specifically, seeing how the symbols have been dramatized may give some insight into how they might be understood in your chart.

truly,
sdh3

sdh3

Thank you for this very interest thread. Would you have any chance aware of any related movies or books, related to the point stars I had mentioned of my own natal in The Star thread?

http://www.astrologyweekly.com/forum/showthread.php?t=68801

Perhaps if I find movies and books related to those points, I will be able to understand those degrees in more visual and intellectual way?

 

[poyi]

Thank you for your reply I will have further look on my break or after work. The Dutch children talking, you can actually see my profile page of two girls looking at each other I used that as the symbol of my Gemini MC.

 

[sdh3]

Sabian Symbols and Stories: Star 3

The third star is comprised of the following Sabian Symbols:

Capricorn 21 A relay race.
Leo 27 Daybreak.
Aries 3 A cameo profile of a man in the outline of his country.
Scorpio 9 Dental work.
Gemini 15 Two Dutch children talking.

One recent movie that builds primarily upon the first symbol--and to a lesser degree the third--is called "Fast Girls." Released in 2012, "the story is about two women competing to become professional sprinters and join the British relay team for a World Championship event. ... The movie follows athlete Shania Andrews as she competes against Lisa Temple at a local level, and follow the duo as they work their way into the British 4×100 metres relay team and compete in the World Championships."

Thus two relay runners (Capricorn 21) who compete against each other in order to represent their country (Aries 3) in the world championships.

 

[poyi]

Thank you.

My avatar of 5 Asian girls in traditional clothing looking down on the night sky picking on the star during their conversation is my 5th house out of bound moon in Capricorn and the summary of the natal aspect. I chose them to describe myself.

 

[sdh3]

Thank you for your reply I will have further look on my break or after work. The Dutch children talking, you can actually see my profile page of two girls looking at each other I used that as the symbol of my Gemini MC.

yes, I did note that and wondered if you had chosen it intentionally, i.e. with knowledge of the particular Sabian Symbol.

truly,
sdh3

 

[sdh3]

Sabian Symbols and Stories: Star 17

The seventeenth five-pointed star is comprised of the following Sabian Symbols:


Virgo 11 A boy molded in his mother's aspiration for him.
Aries 17 Two prim spinsters.
Scorpio 23 A bunny metamorphosed into a fairy.
Gemini 29 The first mockingbird of spring.
Aquarius 05 A council of ancestors.

When the first symbol in this group is the focus, we get movies like "Baby Boy" and "Mamma's Boy."

Here are synopses provided by IMDB for the two movies:

Baby Boy: This movie revolves around Jody, a young, unemployed, selfish, immature black man who won't leave the nest of his mama's home, even though he has a son and a daughter by two different women. Jody is a mama's boy and when his mom's new ex-con boyfriend moves in the house, Jody becomes very defensive and is continually challenging him. His Mom's previous boyfriend who moved in kicked his older brother out, who subsequently ended up dead on the streets and Jody doesn't want that to happen to him.

Mamma's Boy: A twenty-nine year-old slacker who lives with his mom realizes his sweet set-up is threatened when she hears wedding bells with her self-help guru beau.

Notice in each case that the live-at-home mamma's boy feels threatened when the spinster mother finds a real or potential husband.

When the second symbol (Aries 17) is the focus, we get movies like Ladies in Lavender. Notice the subtle shift in the emphasis or role played by the younger man in relation to the older woman (women) or "mother figure."

Ladies in Lavender: Two sisters engage in a subtle war for the affections of a man half their age in this British comedy drama. It's 1936, and Janet Widdington and her sister, Ursula, are a pair of elderly spinsters who share a home in Cornwall on the coast of England. After a storm, the sisters discover that someone has been washed up on the beach in front of their house. Bringing the body inside, they discover the victim is a handsome Polish man named Andrea Marowski, who has suffered a broken ankle and speaks no English, only Polish and German. As the sisters patch up Andrea's ankle, Janet dusts off her old German textbook from school, and begins getting to know more about their guest. It isn't long before Janet develops an infatuation for the good-looking stranger, and attempts to teach him English, which is more than a bit maddening to Ursula, who has fallen head over heels for him -- especially after the sisters discover he's a gifted violinist and hear him display his craft on a borrowed instrument. As the sisters find themselves vying for Andrea's attention, they wonder if they should report his presence to the authorities, especially after Olga, an attractive woman in her early thirties who lives nearby, becomes aware of Andrea's presence in the home and wants to make contact with him."

Mother and Son in "Baby Boy"

Mother and Son in "Mama's Boy"

 

[sdh3]

Sabian Symbols and Stories: Star 39

The 39th five-pointed star is comprised of these symbols:

Cancer 21 A prima donna singing.
Aquarius 27 An ancient pottery bowl filled with violets.
Libra 3 The dawn of a new day; everything changed.
Taurus 9 A Christmas tree decorated.
Sagittarius 15 The groundhog looking for its shadow.

No story more accurately or more fully embodies the above symbols than the 1993 now-classic starring Bill Murray entitled Groundhog Day.

Synopsis: Bill Murray plays Phil, a TV weatherman working for a local station in Pennsylvania but convinced that national news stardom is in his grasp. Phil displays a charm and wit on camera that evaporates the moment the red light goes off; he is bitter, appallingly self-centered, and treats his co-workers with contempt, especially his producer Rita and cameraman Larry. On February 2, 1992, Phil, Rita, and Larry are sent on an assignment that Phil especially loathes: the annual Groundhog Day festivities in Punxsutawney, PA, where the citizens await the appearance of Punxsutawney Phil, the groundhog who will supposedly determine the length of winter by his ability to see his own shadow. Phil is eager to beat a hasty retreat, but when a freak snowstorm strands him in Punxsutawney, he wakes up the next morning with the strangest sense of déjà vu: he seems to be living the same day over again. The next morning it happens again, and then again. Soon, no matter what he does, he's stuck in February 2, 1992; not imprisonment nor attempted suicide nor kidnapping the groundhog gets him out of the loop. But the more Phil relives the same day, the more he's forced to look at other people's lives, and something unusual happens: he begins to care about others. He starts to respect people, he tries to save the life of a homeless man, and he discovers that he's falling in love with Rita and therefore wants to be someone that she could love in return."

Note how in the movie, Libra 3 is altered ever so slightly for comedic and dramatic effect--"everything changed" becomes "everything UNchanged."

 

[Phoenix Venus]

Cool thread, very insightful application of the symbols and a great way to learn them too.

I was planning on doing a couple posts on my "the star" thread, but this is totally sidetracking me

Here's a couple that I can see:

From the movie Flight:


Pisces 10:
AN AVIATOR PURSUES HIS JOURNEY, FLYING THROUGH GROUND-OBSCURING CLOUDS Man's ability to develop powers and skills which by transcending natural limitations allow him to operate in mental-spiritual realms. MASTERY
.
Taur 22:
WHITE DOVE FLYING OVER TROUBLED WATERS. The spiritual inspiration that comes to the individual in the overcoming of crisis. REWARD TO THE FAITHFUL.
​

Leo 04:
A FORMALLY DRESSED ELDERLY MAN STANDS NEAR TROPHIES HE BROUGHT BACK FROM A HUNTING EXPEDITION. The masculine will to conquer his animal nature and to impress his peers with his skill in performing the ancient traditional power rituals.


Lib 16:
AFTER A STORM A BOAT LANDING STANDS IN NEED OF RECONSTRUCTION.The need to keep in operation steady links between the vast Unconscious and the ego-consciousness. REPAIR.


Sag 28:
AN OLD BRIDGE OVER A BEAUTIFUL STREAM IS STILL IN CONSTANT USE. The enduring elements in a society which reveal its ability to significantly link the genius of its individuals to the everyday needs of the collectivity. THE BEAUTIFUL NECESSITY.



From the movie Prometheus:


LIBRA 2:
THE TRANSMUTATION OF THE FRUITS OF PAST EXPERIENCES INTO THE SEED-REALIZATIONS OF THE FOREVER CREATIVE SPIRIT. A repolarization of inner energies leading to a creative centralization of consciousness. CREATIVE CENTRALIZATION.


Sag 14:
THE GREAT PYRAMID AND THE SPHINX. The enduring power of occult knowledge and of its quasi-divine Custodians, "Seed-men" of a previous cycle of existence. THE POWER OF SPIRITUAL ANCESTRY.


Aqua 26:
A GARAGE MAN TESTING A CAR'S BATTERY WITH A HYDROMETER. Skill in applying knowledge of natural laws to the solution of everyday problems resulting from life in our technological society. MENTAL EFFICIENCY.


Taurus 08:
A SLEIGH ON LAND UNCOVERED BY SNOW. The value of anticipating and preparing for expectable conditions. FUTURE-ORIENTED IMAGINATION


Can 20: ​

VENETIAN GONDOLIERS GIVING A SERENADE. Happiness as an overtone of social integration and conformity to custom. FESTIVITY.

That second set... wow... i've seen that movie about 5 times and can remember sooo many references to that set of symbols..

I've been looking for some fitting ones for the movie Donnie Darko.... i see a few possibilities... hmm?

 

[Phoenix Venus]

Ahhh... i think I got the Donnie Darko one figured out ​

From the movie "Donnie Darko"​

LIBRA 25:
THE SIGHT OF AN AUTUMN LEAF BRINGS TO A PILGRIM THE SUDDEN REVELATION OF THE MYSTERY OF LIFE AND DEATH.
The ability to discover in every experience a transcendent or cosmic meaning.
CLAIR-SEEING​

cap 7:
A VEILED PROPHET SPEAKS, SEIZED BY THE POWER OF A GOD.
KEYNOTE: The ability to act as a mouthpiece for the revelation of a transcendent will and truth determining future action.
MEDIATORSHIP. ​

pisces 19:
A MASTER INSTRUCTING HIS DISCIPLE.
KEYNOTE: The transfer of power and knowledge which keeps the original spiritual and creative Impulse of the cycle active and undeviated.
INVESTITURE. ​

Gem 1:
A GLASS-BOTTOMED BOAT REVEALS UNDERSEA WONDERS.
The revelation of unconscious energies and submerged psychic structures.
A NEW DIMENSION OF REALITY​

Leo 13:
AN OLD SEA CAPTAIN ROCKING HIMSELF ON THE PORCH OF HIS COTTAGE.
The quieted mind's recollections of crises and joys long past.
QUIET RECOLLECTION. ​

The Book "A Game of Thrones"​

Sag 25:
A CHUBBY BOY ON A HOBBY HORSE.
KEYNOTE: The anticipatory enjoyment of powers one can only as yet dream of utilizing.
FORSHADOWING ​

Pisces 7
ILLUMINED BY A SHAFT OF LIGHT, A LARGE CROSS LIES ON ROCKS SURROUNDED BY SEA MIST.
The spiritual blessing which strengthens individuals who, happen what may, stand uncompromisingly for their own truth.
SELF-ASSERTION. ​

Taurus 19
A NEW CONTINENT RISING OUT OF THE OCEAN.
The surge of new potentiality after the crisis.
SPONTANEITY. ​

leo 1
BLOOD RUSHES TO A MAN’S HEAD AS HIS VITAL ENERGIES ARE MOBILIZED UNDER THE SPUR OF AMBITION.
An irruption of bio-psychic energies into the ego-controlled field of consciousness.
CONFLAGRATION​

libra 13
CHILDREN BLOWING SOAP BUBBLES.
The cultural fantasies through which young minds dream of perfect fulfillment.
IMAGINATIVE PLAY​

 

[Phoenix Venus]

Btw, sdh3, i hope you don't mind me adding some of my own. I am very grateful for this thread and find it quite *astronomically shynchronistic* that you come back to the forum around the time i started studying the 5 point star to share this intetesting adaptation of them.

i like the star you chose for avatar, i think the symbolism there is very rich. i wonder if you know of any movies that cover the points on the USA mc star...?

here are the degrees:

12 Cap
24 Pisces
6 gemini
18 Leo
30 Libra

... i almost see a "lord of the flies" connection...

 

[sdh3]

I'm very glad that you are adding your own. It's a fun way to study the symbols.

And thanks for your kind words about the ones I've contributed. Writing out even these short descriptions has made me realize I need to write (another) book or set of interpretations on the Sabian Symbols from this perspective. One reason being that the study of the five-pointed stars has made me think much more deeply about the quintile and bi-quintile aspect and its role in relation to dramatic structure.

As for degrees you mentioned below, there is one movie--one of my very favorites--that comes to mind. It's called "Local Hero." I'll describe it in a post of its own.

Again, thanks for the the encouraging words.

truly,
sdh3

PS: the convention would be to write out the degrees below as Capricorn 12,
Pisces 24, Libra 30, Gemini 6, and Leo 18.

Btw, sdh3, i hope you don't mind me adding some of my own. I am very grateful for this thread and find it quite *astronomically shynchronistic* that you come back to the forum around the time i started studying the 5 point star to share this intetesting adaptation of them.

i like the star you chose for avatar, i think the symbolism there is very rich. i wonder if you know of any movies that cover the points on the USA mc star...?

here are the degrees:

12 Cap
24 Pisces
6 gemini
18 Leo
30 Libra

... i almost see a "lord of the flies" connection...

 

[sdh3]

Sabian Symbols and Stories: Star 66

The 66th five-pointed star is comprised of the following Sabian Symbols:

Gemini 06 Drilling for oil.
Capricorn 12 A student of nature lecturing.
Leo 18 A teacher of chemistry.
Pisces 24 An inhabited island.
Libra 30 Three mounds of knowledge on a philosopher's head.

An absolutely wonderful film based on this grouping--particular the first--is the 1983 comedy-drama, Local Hero, starring Burt Lancaster. Here's the brief synopsis from Rotten Tomatoes, which gave the film a 100% rating:

"Bill Forsyth's whimsical tale of sweet-natured corporate rapacity features standout performances by Burt Lancaster and Peter Riegert. Lancaster plays Texas billionaire Felix Happer, who would rather gaze at the stars than worry about his multi-national oil company. Happer dispatches Mac MacIntyre and Danny Oldsen to the small Scottish fishing village of Ferness to negotiate buying the entire town so Happer can drill for oil in the North Sea. Much to Mac's surprise, the entire town is happy to sell itself for big money, and the local innkeeper, Gordon Urquhart (Denis Lawson) -- who is also the town's accountant and mayor -- works with Mac on the negotiations. But a wrinkle appears in the deal when Ben Knox, an old man who lives in a shack on the beach which has been owned by his family for centuries, refuses to sell. His reasons? "Who'd look after the beach then? It would go to pieces in a short manner of time." The deal stalls so seriously that Happer travels to Ferness to oversee negotiations as Mac and Danny are seduced by the charm of the Scottish town."

Wikipedia has an even longer synopsis where we are given some additional details relating to the above symbols. In particular, Danny meets and befriend a beautiful lady and marine researcher named "Marina" who "is under the impression the company is planning to build a research centre at Ferness." She's the "student of nature" (Cap 12). One of the "wrinkles" that appears in the deal concerns an old man and beachcomber who "lives in a snug driftwood shack on the shore, actually owns the beach through a grant from the Lord of the Isles to his ancestor." So there's the inhabited island symbol (Pisces 24). Happer, the CEO, eventually meets the old beachcomber and in him finds a kindred sole. Happer is, after all, a student of the stars, an amateur astronomer and appreciate the eccentric's views on the sacredness of the natural world. Thus Happer builds an astronomical observatory and a marine research facility and puts the refinery on an island offshore.

 

[piercethevale]

Does make me wonder about the stories I've read about the design of the American flag and that someone had originally suggested or requested of the seamstress or tailor [not Betsy Ross... that myth has been all but totally proven to be a concoction of Betsy's own descendents ...from what I presently understand and regard to be factual.] which were six pointed stars. The story given that five pointed are more practical and being easier to cut out accurately and less trouble to stitch onto the flag.
What, with all the ado, lately, about Masonic influences with the origins of this nation...I wonder...?