Ceres Symbol (⚳): Meaning of the Goddess, Dwarf Planet and Sickle

Quick answer: The symbol of Ceres is ⚳, a sickle. The sign refers to Ceres, the Roman goddess of grain and harvest, and was adopted for the astronomical body named after her. Today the same symbol can therefore refer to the goddess, the dwarf planet or its use in astrology.

What are the symbols of the goddess Ceres?

Ceres was the Roman goddess of grain, agriculture and fertility, identified with the Greek Demeter. Grain, harvest and the sickle are therefore central to her symbolism. Her importance to everyday Roman life survives even in English: "cereal" derives from her name. Her myths, borrowed from Demeter's, centre on the loss and return of her daughter, Proserpina, and with it the cycle of the seasons.

The dwarf planet

On 1 January 1801, the astronomer Giuseppe Piazzi, working at Palermo in Sicily, found a small body between Mars and Jupiter and named it after Ceres, the patron goddess of Sicily. It was first counted as a planet, then as the first and largest asteroid, and in 2006 it was reclassified as a dwarf planet, together with Pluto and Eris. It is the largest object in the asteroid belt, and NASA's Dawn spacecraft orbited it between 2015 and 2018.

The sickle symbol

Astronomers of the nineteenth century gave each new asteroid a symbol, and Ceres received a sickle, a direct reference to the goddess of the harvest. Astronomers later abandoned these symbols in favour of numbers, but the sickle survives in astrology, where Ceres is used alongside the planets.

What does Ceres represent?

In myth and history, Ceres stands for grain, harvest, cultivation and the care of the earth. Modern astrology often extends her to nurture and caregiving, drawing on the story of the mother searching for her daughter; that is a modern reading of an ancient myth.

Ceres in jewellery

A Ceres design can reference the harvest goddess, the dwarf planet or both. See the AURYN Ceres charm, compare Eris, another dwarf planet with its own astrological glyphs, or read our history of the zodiac signs.

Frequently asked questions

What is the symbol for Ceres?

The astronomical and astrological symbol for Ceres is ⚳, a stylised sickle associated with the Roman goddess of agriculture and harvest.

Why is the Ceres symbol a sickle?

Ceres was the Roman goddess of grain and agriculture. The sickle is a harvesting tool, so nineteenth-century astronomers used it as a visual reference to the goddess when creating the symbol for the newly discovered Ceres.

What symbols are associated with the goddess Ceres?

Ceres is closely associated with grain, agriculture, harvest and the sickle. These agricultural associations come from her role as the Roman goddess who governed cultivated crops and the harvest.

Is Ceres a planet, asteroid or dwarf planet?

Ceres was discovered in 1801 and was initially counted as a planet, later classified among the asteroids, and in 2006 formally classified as a dwarf planet. It remains the largest object in the main asteroid belt.