Aries
March 21 – April 19 · FireThe Ram. A cardinal fire sign ruled by Mars.
Opposite sign: Libra
The 12 zodiac signs
Dates, element, ruling planet and character of every sign of the zodiac, with a direct link to its daily horoscope.
| Sign | Dates | Element | Ruling planet | Modality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aries | March 21 – April 19 | Fire | Mars | Cardinal |
| Taurus | April 20 – May 20 | Earth | Venus | Fixed |
| Gemini | May 21 – June 20 | Air | Mercury | Mutable |
| Cancer | June 21 – July 22 | Water | The Moon | Cardinal |
| Leo | July 23 – August 22 | Fire | The Sun | Fixed |
| Virgo | August 23 – September 22 | Earth | Mercury | Mutable |
| Libra | September 23 – October 22 | Air | Venus | Cardinal |
| Scorpio | October 23 – November 21 | Water | Pluto and Mars | Fixed |
| Sagittarius | November 22 – December 21 | Fire | Jupiter | Mutable |
| Capricorn | December 22 – January 19 | Earth | Saturn | Cardinal |
| Aquarius | January 20 – February 18 | Air | Uranus and Saturn | Fixed |
| Pisces | February 19 – March 20 | Water | Neptune and Jupiter | Mutable |
Taurus
April 20 – May 20 · EarthThe Bull. A fixed earth sign ruled by Venus.
Opposite sign: Scorpio
Gemini
May 21 – June 20 · AirThe Twins. A mutable air sign ruled by Mercury.
Opposite sign: Sagittarius
Cancer
June 21 – July 22 · WaterThe Crab. A cardinal water sign ruled by The Moon.
Opposite sign: Capricorn
Leo
July 23 – August 22 · FireThe Lion. A fixed fire sign ruled by The Sun.
Opposite sign: Aquarius
Virgo
August 23 – September 22 · EarthThe Maiden. A mutable earth sign ruled by Mercury.
Opposite sign: Pisces
Libra
September 23 – October 22 · AirThe Scales. A cardinal air sign ruled by Venus.
Opposite sign: Aries
Scorpio
October 23 – November 21 · WaterThe Scorpion. A fixed water sign ruled by Pluto and Mars.
Opposite sign: Taurus
Sagittarius
November 22 – December 21 · FireThe Archer. A mutable fire sign ruled by Jupiter.
Opposite sign: Gemini
Capricorn
December 22 – January 19 · EarthThe Sea-Goat. A cardinal earth sign ruled by Saturn.
Opposite sign: Cancer
Aquarius
January 20 – February 18 · AirThe Water Bearer. A fixed air sign ruled by Uranus and Saturn.
Opposite sign: Leo
Pisces
February 19 – March 20 · WaterThe Fish. A mutable water sign ruled by Neptune and Jupiter.
Opposite sign: Virgo
How to read this page
Each sign covers about thirty days of the year, following the apparent path of the Sun through the zodiac. The dates above are enough in most cases; if you were born on the border between two signs, the time of birth decides. The table also gives the element, which describes the underlying temperament, and the modality: cardinal signs open the seasons, fixed signs settle them and mutable signs carry them toward the next one.
To go further, each sign page has its daily horoscope, its archives and a short profile.
Frequently asked questions
How do I find my zodiac sign?
Your zodiac sign, or sun sign, depends on where the Sun was on the day you were born. Find the period that contains your birthday in the table of the twelve signs. If you were born on the first or last day of a sign, the time and place of birth can tip you into one sign or the other: this is called being born “on the cusp”.
What are the four elements in astrology?
Fire (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius) stands for drive and enthusiasm, Earth (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn) for stability and practicality, Air (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius) for ideas and communication, Water (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces) for sensitivity and intuition. Each element groups three signs that share a way of approaching the world.
What is the difference between a sun sign and a rising sign?
The sun sign describes your core personality, the one you read about in the daily horoscope. The rising sign, or ascendant, is calculated from the time and place of birth and describes how you come across to others and react to events. Reading the horoscope of your rising sign as well often refines the picture.
Do the dates of the signs change from year to year?
Very slightly. The Sun enters each sign on a date that can shift by a day from one year to the next because of leap years. The dates given here apply in the vast majority of cases; for a birth on the very day a sign changes, an exact birth chart settles it.