The 12 Zodiac Signs
The 12 zodiac signs divide the year into roughly 30-day sections, starting with Aries at the March equinox. Below you will find the dates of all zodiac signs, plus each sign's element, modality and ruling planet.
12 signs · 4 elements · 3 modalities
Every sign combines one element (fire, earth, air or water) with one modality (cardinal, fixed or mutable), so no two signs share the same pair. Not sure which sign you are? Enter your birthday in the zodiac sign calculator.
Zodiac signs by date
The dates below are the common Western (tropical) ranges. Signs with a dedicated guide on this site are linked.
| Sign | Dates | Symbol | Element | Modality | Ruling planet |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ♈ Aries | March 21 – April 19 | Ram | Fire | Cardinal | Mars |
| ♉ Taurus | April 20 – May 20 | Bull | Earth | Fixed | Venus |
| ♊ Gemini | May 21 – June 20 | Twins | Air | Mutable | Mercury |
| ♋ Cancer | June 21 – July 22 | Crab | Water | Cardinal | Moon |
| ♌ Leo | July 23 – August 22 | Lion | Fire | Fixed | Sun |
| ♍ Virgo | August 23 – September 22 | Maiden | Earth | Mutable | Mercury |
| ♎ Libra | September 23 – October 22 | Scales | Air | Cardinal | Venus |
| ♏ Scorpio | October 23 – November 21 | Scorpion | Water | Fixed | Mars (modern: Pluto) |
| ♐ Sagittarius | November 22 – December 21 | Archer | Fire | Mutable | Jupiter |
| ♑ Capricorn | December 22 – January 19 | Sea-goat | Earth | Cardinal | Saturn |
| ♒ Aquarius | January 20 – February 18 | Water bearer | Air | Fixed | Saturn (modern: Uranus) |
| ♓ Pisces | February 19 – March 20 | Fish | Water | Mutable | Jupiter (modern: Neptune) |
March 21 – April 19♊ Gemini
May 21 – June 20♍ Virgo
August 23 – September 22♓ Pisces
February 19 – March 20
Zodiac signs by element
Each element covers three signs spaced four months apart around the wheel.
- Fire (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius): usually described as energetic, direct and enthusiastic.
- Earth (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn): linked with practicality, patience and attention to detail.
- Air (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius): associated with ideas, communication and social connection.
- Water (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces): tied to emotion, intuition and empathy.
Zodiac signs by modality
The modality describes where a sign falls within its season. Cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn) begin at an equinox or solstice and are linked with starting things. Fixed signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius) sit in the middle of a season and are linked with persistence. Mutable signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces) close a season and are linked with adaptability.
Finding your zodiac sign on a cusp
The Sun enters each sign at a specific moment, and that moment moves by up to a day from year to year. This is why one website says Leo starts on July 22 and another says July 23. If your birthday falls on the first or last day of a range, the answer depends on your birth year and sometimes your birth time and place. The zodiac calculator checks the exact date rather than relying on rounded ranges.
Why zodiac signs drift from the constellations
Western astrology fixes Aries to the March equinox and divides the ecliptic into 12 equal 30-degree sections. Because of the slow wobble of Earth's axis, known as precession, the constellations have drifted by almost a full sign since the system was set out about 2,000 years ago. That drift, and the fact that the Sun also crosses Ophiuchus, is explained in Wikipedia article on the zodiac. Sidereal astrology, used in India, follows the constellations instead, so its dates differ.
Zodiac sign compatibility
Pairs of zodiac signs are often compared by element: fire and air are said to energise each other, while earth and water are said to steady each other. Read sample pairings such as Gemini and Leo, Virgo and Libra or Pisces and Pisces, or browse the full zodiac compatibility guide. Other birthday traditions follow different calendars: the Chinese zodiac uses a 12-year animal cycle, and each month also has a birthstone and a birth flower.
Zodiac signs FAQ
What is the order of the zodiac signs?
Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces. The cycle starts at the March equinox.
Why do zodiac sign dates vary by a day?
The published ranges are rounded averages. People born on the first or last day of a range should check their exact birth year.
Is Ophiuchus a 13th sign?
The Sun does pass through the constellation Ophiuchus, but Western astrology uses 12 equal sections tied to the equinox rather than the constellations, so Ophiuchus is not part of the standard system.
Zodiac information is provided for cultural and entertainment purposes.