♄ | Saturn

♄ is an astrological and astronomical symbol representing the planet Saturn.

This planet was named after Saturnus, the Roman god of agriculture, whose Greek counterpart was Cronus. In alchemical tradition, Saturn was associated with lead. The English word Saturday and Dutch zaterdag are derived from Latin Saturni dies, i.e. “day of Saturnus”.

But what about the symbol ♄? According to Wikipedia,

Saturn is usually depicted with a scythe or sickle, and the planetary symbol has apparently evolved from a picture of this attribute, in Kamateros (12^th century) shown in a shape similar to the letter eta η, with the horizontal stroke added along with the “Christianization” of the other symbols <as we’ve already seen in the cases of Mercury and Venus> in the early 16^th century.

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♃ | Jupiter

♃ is an astrological and astronomical symbol representing the planet Jupiter.

The Romans identified this planet with Jupiter aka Jove, the god of sky and thunder. His Greek counterpart was Zeus. In alchemical tradition, Jupiter was associated with tin.

In Romance languages, the word for Thursday originates from Latin Iovis dies, i.e. “day of Jove” (dijous, giovedì, jeudi, joi, jueves, xoves). In Germanic laguages, this day is connected with god Thor or Donar (donderdag, Donnerstag, Thursday, torsdag).

According to Wikipedia, the “less-than-intuitive symbol” ♃ has been variously interpreted as the letter ζ (for Ζεύς, “Zeus”), lightning bolt, or even “Egyptian hieroglyph for the eagle”. For me it is easier to remember as a symbol for Thursday, the fourth day of the week. I write the number “four” like 4, which also happen to be similar to Ч, the first letter of the Russian word четверг (Thursday).

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☿ | Mercury

☿ is an astrological and astronomical symbol representing the planet Mercury.

The planet was named after the Roman messenger god, Mercury, whom the Romans identified with the Greek god Hermes. The symbol ☿ is a simplified version of caduceus (a staff entwined by two serpents) carried by Mercury/Hermes. In alchemical tradition, Mercury was associated with quicksilver (mercury).

In Romance languages, the word for Wednesday originates from Latin dies Mercurii, i.e. “day of Mercury” (mercredi, mercoledì, miércoles, miercuri). In Germanic laguages, this day became connected with god Odin or Wōden (onsdag, Wednesday, woensdag).

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♂ | Mars

The spear of Mars ♂ is an astrological and astronomical symbol representing the planet Mars.

In Mesopotamia, the planet Mars was associated with the god of war and pestilence Nergal. The ancient Greeks connected the planet with their god of war, Ares, and Romans identified it with Mars, their god of war and masculinity (as well as guardian of soldiers and farmers). In alchemical tradition, Mars was associated with iron. In Romance languages, the word for Tuesday originates from Latin Martis dies, i.e. “day of Mars” (mardi, martedì, martes, marți). In Germanic laguages, this day became connected with god Týr or Tiwaz (Dienstag, dinsdag, tirsdag, tisdag and so on).

The arrow and a circle in the current symbol ♂ represent spear and shield, respectively. In biology, medicine and genealogy, ♂ symbolises the male sex; in sociology and gender politics, the male gender.

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☽ | Moon

The crescent ☽ is a symbol representing the Moon. Note the similarity between ☽ and archaic forms of Chinese character 月 (yuè).

In alchemical tradition, the Moon was associated with silver. In many European languages, the word for Monday originates from Latin Lunae dies, i.e. “moon day”, after Roman goddess Luna (lundi, lunedì, lunes, luni) or Germanic god Máni (maanantai, maandag, måndag, Montag, etc.). Other lunar deities include goddesses Anumati, Artemis, Chang’e, Hecate, Hina, Isis, Kuu, Mama Killa, Phoebe, Selene and Yemaya, as well as gods Ay Ata, Bahloo, Jarilo, Sin, Thoth and Tsukuyomi.

The crescent, typically in decrescent orientation ☾, is associated with Islam. Its combination with a five-pointed star, the star and crescent ☪, is used in a number of national flags. The flag of the Comoros shows the crescent and four stars; the Flag of Singapore has the crescent and five stars. The flag of the Maldives features a crescent without any stars.

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☉ | Sun

The circled dot ☉ is an ancient symbol representing the Sun. Note the similarity between ☉ and Chinese 日 (rì).

In alchemical tradition, seven metals were associated with the seven classical planets, which included the Sun and the Moon (but not Earth). The Sun’s metal was gold. In Hellenistic astrology, each classical planet had its own day of the week. Sól or Sunna was the name of the Sun goddess in Germanic mythology. English and other Germanic languages keep the association of Sun and Sunday. Other solar deities include goddesses Amaterasu, Grian, Marici, Saulė, Sulis and Xihe as well as gods Amun, Apollo, Helios, Ra, Shamash, Surya, Tonatiuh and Utu; the gender of the Guanche solar deity Magec is unknown.

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