Kabbalistic astrology: Hebrew months, letters and tradition
Understand Kabbalistic astrology through the Gra version of Sefer Yetzirah, its twelve month associations and the different Jewish views on astrology.
How to find your Hebrew month sign
Kabbalistic astrology in the Sefer Yetzirah tradition starts from the Hebrew month of birth, not from a Western sun-sign date range. Convert your civil birthday to the Hebrew calendar first, then read the letter, constellation and faculty that the Gra version associates with that month. The table below lists all twelve months; the free chart tool does the conversion for you and shows both possibilities when a birth near sunset is uncertain.
A calendar of letters and constellations
Sefer Yetzirah, the Book of Formation, places Hebrew letters, time and the cosmos in a symbolic relationship. Its twelve simple letters correspond to twelve constellations and twelve months. Our Hebrew-month chart follows the Gra version: Nisan is linked with Aries and Heh; Adar with Pisces and Qof. Other versions assign some faculties differently. The month, letter and sign come from the named text; the reflection exercises are our contemporary interpretation. Alongside this layer, our planetary natal atlas calculates the bodies’ tropical zodiac positions from the birth details supplied. The traditional month sign and the calculated Sun sign can differ.
Sefer Yetzirah · Gra version, chapter 5 ↗Hebrew month · Traditional constellation
| Hebrew month | Letter | Traditional constellation | Faculty · accessible wording |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nisan | ה | Aries | Speech |
| Iyar | ו | Taurus | Thought |
| Sivan | ז | Gemini | Movement |
| Tammuz | ח | Cancer | Sight |
| Av | ט | Leo | Hearing |
| Elul | י | Virgo | Action |
| Tishrei | ל | Libra | Intimacy |
| Cheshvan | נ | Scorpio | Smell |
| Kislev | ס | Sagittarius | Sleep |
| Tevet | ע | Capricorn | Anger |
| Shevat | צ | Aquarius | Taste |
| Adar | ק | Pisces | Laughter |
The month table follows the Gra version. Faculty labels use accessible wording; both leap-year Adars share the Adar lens here by editorial convention. The original birth date keeps Adar I or Adar II distinct.
Does Judaism have one view of astrology?
Jewish literature preserves disagreement. Shabbat 156a records Rabbi Hanina describing celestial influence, while Rabbi Yohanan teaches that Israel is not subject to mazal. The passage does not present a single, uncontested position. Maimonides later rejects astrological divination in his legal code, Mishneh Torah, Foreign Worship 11:8–9 and 16. Studying these different voices is part of understanding the tradition. A symbolic reading should not be presented as Jewish religious consensus, a religious ruling, or a prediction of your future.
Talmud · Shabbat 156a:12 ↗Cultural learning and symbolic reflection inspired by the Gra version of Sefer Yetzirah. Jewish views on astrology differ. These are not scientific predictions or religious rulings.
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