The Twelve Signs
The signs are twelve 30° segments of the zodiac and describe how a planet expresses itself. "My sign" usually means the Sun sign, but the Moon, Ascendant and every planet also sit in a sign, and together they make the whole picture.
| Sign | Approx. dates | Element | Mode | Ruler | Character |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ♈ Aries | Mar 21 – Apr 19 | Fire | Cardinal | Mars | Pioneering, direct, energetic, willing to try. |
| ♉ Taurus | Apr 20 – May 20 | Earth | Fixed | Venus | Steady, practical, sensual and security-minded. |
| ♊ Gemini | May 21 – Jun 21 | Air | Mutable | Mercury | Curious, adaptable, talkative, with wide interests. |
| ♋ Cancer | Jun 22 – Jul 22 | Water | Cardinal | Moon | Caring, home-loving, protective and nurturing. |
| ♌ Leo | Jul 23 – Aug 22 | Fire | Fixed | Sun | Confident, generous, expressive and creative. |
| ♍ Virgo | Aug 23 – Sep 22 | Earth | Mutable | Mercury | Careful, analytical, practical and keen to improve. |
| ♎ Libra | Sep 23 – Oct 23 | Air | Cardinal | Venus | Harmony, fairness, beauty and partnership. |
| ♏ Scorpio | Oct 24 – Nov 21 | Water | Fixed | Pluto (traditional: Mars) | Intense, focused, deeply feeling and loyal. |
| ♐ Sagittarius | Nov 22 – Dec 21 | Fire | Mutable | Jupiter | Optimistic, freedom-loving, seeking meaning and distance. |
| ♑ Capricorn | Dec 22 – Jan 19 | Earth | Cardinal | Saturn | Responsible, goal-driven and grounded. |
| ♒ Aquarius | Jan 20 – Feb 18 | Air | Fixed | Uranus (traditional: Saturn) | Independent, inventive, idealistic and community-minded. |
| ♓ Pisces | Feb 19 – Mar 20 | Water | Mutable | Neptune (traditional: Jupiter) | Sensitive, empathetic and imaginative. |
The dates shift by a day or two from year to year; if your birthday is near a boundary, go by the calculated chart.
The four elements
- Fire (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius)
- Passion, action, confidence.
- Earth (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn)
- Practicality, stability, results.
- Air (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius)
- Thought, communication, people and ideas.
- Water (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces)
- Feeling, intuition, empathy.
The three modes
- Cardinal (Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn)
- Starting, initiating, opening new chapters.
- Fixed (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius)
- Persistence, stability, seeing things through.
- Mutable (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces)
- Flexibility, adjustment, bridging one phase to the next.
Our chart's "balance" panel counts the planets in each element and mode: a crowded element shows a strong trait, a missing one often points to something to develop deliberately.
This is fixed text compiled from general convention, not a reading of any individual and not a prediction. For important decisions, please consult qualified professionals.