Western astrology reference
The twelve
zodiac signs
Start with the conventional tropical date range, element, and modality. Read traits and compatibility as interpretations within astrology.
Share the Western zodiac directory
Astrology note: A sun sign is an astrological convention. Personality, career, luck, and compatibility statements are interpretations, not scientific predictions.
Calendar fact
Every boundary date, and why sources disagree by a day
A sign starts the moment the Sun reaches its position on the ecliptic, not at midnight on a fixed calendar date. Because the tropical year is about 365.2422 days long, that moment moves by up to about a day from one year to the next and resets with the leap-year cycle. This is why reputable tables list a sign as beginning on, for example, 20 or 21 March and both are correct for different years.
| Sign | Conventional range | Start can fall on | Element & modality |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aries | March 21 - April 19 | March 20 or March 21after Pisces | FireCardinal · Mars |
| Taurus | April 20 - May 20 | April 19 or April 20after Aries | EarthFixed · Venus |
| Gemini | May 21 - June 20 | May 20 or May 21after Taurus | AirMutable · Mercury |
| Cancer | June 21 - July 22 | June 20 or June 21after Gemini | WaterCardinal · Moon |
| Leo | July 23 - August 22 | July 22 or July 23after Cancer | FireFixed · Sun |
| Virgo | August 23 - September 22 | August 22 or August 23after Leo | EarthMutable · Mercury |
| Libra | September 23 - October 22 | September 22 or September 23after Virgo | AirCardinal · Venus |
| Scorpio | October 23 - November 21 | October 22 or October 23after Libra | WaterFixed · Pluto (traditional: Mars) |
| Sagittarius | November 22 - December 21 | November 21 or November 22after Scorpio | FireMutable · Jupiter |
| Capricorn | December 22 - January 19 | December 21 or December 22after Sagittarius | EarthCardinal · Saturn |
| Aquarius | January 20 - February 18 | January 19 or January 20after Capricorn | AirFixed · Uranus (traditional: Saturn) |
| Pisces | February 19 - March 20 | February 18 or February 19after Aquarius | WaterMutable · Neptune (traditional: Jupiter) |
The third column is the honest answer to “what are the zodiac dates”. Sites that print a single fixed start date are quoting one year's boundary as though it were permanent. For a birthday well inside a range the sign is the same every year; for a birthday on one of the two boundary days it is not, and only the birth year — strictly, the birth time and time zone — settles it.
There is no thirteenth “cusp” sign. In astrological tradition the Sun is in exactly one sign at any moment; “cusp” is popular shorthand for a birthday near a boundary. Separately, the tropical zodiac used here is tied to the March equinox rather than to the current position of the constellations, which is why it does not match where the Sun appears against the background stars today.
Elements and modalities belong to the astrological system. They organise its interpretations but are not personality measurements. Read the methodology or find a conventional sun sign by date.