How to Find Your Zodiac Sign
Your zodiac sign, also called your sun sign or star sign, is set by where the Sun appeared against the background constellations on the day you were born. Because the Sun moves through all 12 signs once a year, you only need your birth month and day to find it. Enter your birthday above and the calculator shows your sign, its symbol and the traits astrology associates with it.
Zodiac Sign Dates
| Sign | Dates | Symbol | Element |
|---|---|---|---|
| ♈ Aries | March 21 – April 19 | Ram | Fire |
| ♉ Taurus | April 20 – May 20 | Bull | Earth |
| ♊ Gemini | May 21 – June 20 | Twins | Air |
| ♋ Cancer | June 21 – July 22 | Crab | Water |
| ♌ Leo | July 23 – August 22 | Lion | Fire |
| ♍ Virgo | August 23 – September 22 | Maiden | Earth |
| ♎ Libra | September 23 – October 22 | Scales | Air |
| ♏ Scorpio | October 23 – November 21 | Scorpion | Water |
| ♐ Sagittarius | November 22 – December 21 | Archer | Fire |
| ♑ Capricorn | December 22 – January 19 | Sea-goat | Earth |
| ♒ Aquarius | January 20 – February 18 | Water-bearer | Air |
| ♓ Pisces | February 19 – March 20 | Fish | Water |
Why Zodiac Dates Shift by a Day
The dates above are the usual ones, but the exact moment the Sun enters each sign changes slightly from year to year because a calendar year is not exactly 365 days. That is why you will sometimes see Leo start on July 22 or Pisces on February 18. If your birthday falls on the first or last day or two of a sign, you are often said to be born on the cusp. For your precise sign in that case, astrologers check the Sun's position at your exact birth time and place.
Elements and Modalities
The 12 signs are grouped in two ways. The four elements each hold three signs: fire (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius), earth (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn), air (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius) and water (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces). The three modalities each hold four: cardinal signs start each season (Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn), fixed signs sit in the middle of a season (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius), and mutable signs close it (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces).
What About Ophiuchus?
Every few years a headline claims there is a 13th sign, Ophiuchus, and that everyone's sign has changed. The Sun really does pass through the constellation Ophiuchus, and the constellations have drifted since the zodiac was defined about 2,000 years ago. But Western astrology uses the tropical zodiac, which divides the year into 12 equal signs tied to the seasons rather than to the constellations, so the signs and dates above have not changed. Astrology is a tradition, not a science, so enjoy it for fun.
Chinese Zodiac
Chinese astrology uses a different system based on your birth year rather than your birthday, with 12 animals and five elements. Find yours with the Chinese zodiac calculator.
