Zodiac Sign by Birthday: Every Sign, Every Date
Your zodiac (or “sun”) sign is determined by where the Sun sat in the sky on the day you were born. Below you will find every sign's exact date range, element, ruling planet, core traits, and compatible signs — plus a look at where Western astrology actually comes from.
Zodiac Sign Date Chart — All 12 Signs at a Glance
| Sign | Date Range | Element | Ruling Planet |
|---|---|---|---|
| ♈ Aries | March 21 – April 19 | Fire | Mars |
| ♉ Taurus | April 20 – May 20 | Earth | Venus |
| ♊ Gemini | May 21 – June 20 | Air | Mercury |
| ♋ Cancer | June 21 – July 22 | Water | Moon |
| ♌ Leo | July 23 – August 22 | Fire | Sun |
| ♍ Virgo | August 23 – September 22 | Earth | Mercury |
| ♎ Libra | September 23 – October 22 | Air | Venus |
| ♏ Scorpio | October 23 – November 21 | Water | Pluto & Mars |
| ♐ Sagittarius | November 22 – December 21 | Fire | Jupiter |
| ♑ Capricorn | December 22 – January 19 | Earth | Saturn |
| ♒ Aquarius | January 20 – February 18 | Air | Uranus & Saturn |
| ♓ Pisces | February 19 – March 20 | Water | Neptune & Jupiter |
All 12 Zodiac Signs — Full Profiles
Aries
March 21 – April 19Fire · MarsAries kicks off the zodiac and carries that pioneering energy in everything they do. Ruled by Mars, the planet of action and desire, Aries people tend to move first and think second — which makes them fearless leaders and frustrating project partners in equal measure. They have low tolerance for inaction and thrive under pressure.
Taurus
April 20 – May 20Earth · VenusTaurus is the steadiest sign in the zodiac. Ruled by Venus, the planet of love and beauty, they have a deep appreciation for comfort, quality, and the finer things in life. They are the people who will spend months researching a purchase and then own it for decades. Their stubbornness is legendary — once a Taurus makes up their mind, changing it requires geological patience.
Gemini
May 21 – June 20Air · MercuryGemini is the chameleon of the zodiac. Ruled by Mercury, the planet of communication and intellect, Geminis are gifted conversationalists who can talk to anyone about anything. They process the world through words and ideas, collect interests like other people collect objects, and are genuinely hard to pin down. The "two-faced" reputation is a misread of their genuine versatility.
Cancer
June 21 – July 22Water · MoonCancer is ruled by the Moon, which governs emotion and instinct. This makes Cancers among the most emotionally perceptive people in any room — they pick up on things others miss, and they never forget how a person made them feel. Home and family are their anchors. When they trust you, the loyalty is absolute; when they feel threatened, the claws come out.
Leo
July 23 – August 22Fire · SunLeo is ruled by the Sun itself — the only sign with that distinction — and carries that solar energy openly. Leos are magnetic, warm, and built for the spotlight. They give generously and expect recognition generously in return. The theatrical reputation is earned, but so is the loyalty: a Leo who loves you will defend you like their own reputation is on the line.
Virgo
August 23 – September 22Earth · MercuryVirgo is the editor of the zodiac. Ruled by Mercury and grounded in the Earth element, Virgos notice things others skip over. They are the ones who catch typos, remember the details of a plan, and quietly fix three problems before anyone else noticed there were problems. Their critical eye can tip into self-criticism and perfectionism, but the underlying drive is genuine care about quality.
Libra
September 23 – October 22Air · VenusLibra is ruled by Venus and represented by scales — balance is their core preoccupation. They are gifted at seeing multiple sides of any situation, which makes them natural mediators and infuriating decision-makers. Aesthetics matter enormously to Libra: they are drawn to beauty, harmony, and environments that feel considered. They avoid conflict so deliberately that the avoidance sometimes becomes its own conflict.
Scorpio
October 23 – November 21Water · Pluto & MarsScorpio is the most misunderstood sign in the zodiac. Co-ruled by Pluto (transformation, depth) and Mars (drive, power), Scorpios operate at an emotional intensity that other signs rarely match. They are not obsessive so much as thorough — they want to understand things completely. Loyalty to a Scorpio is almost sacred; betrayal is never forgotten.
Sagittarius
November 22 – December 21Fire · JupiterSagittarius is ruled by Jupiter, the planet of expansion, abundance, and wisdom. This makes them the eternal students and explorers of the zodiac — people who are always chasing a bigger horizon, whether that is a physical destination, an idea, or a belief system. Their bluntness is not cruelty; they simply cannot be bothered to filter the truth. Freedom is not optional for a Sagittarius — it is a survival requirement.
Capricorn
December 22 – January 19Earth · SaturnCapricorn is ruled by Saturn, the planet of discipline, time, and consequence. This gives them an unusual relationship with age — they often seem older than their years when young, and then somehow younger as they get older once the pressure of building is behind them. They are the long-game players of the zodiac: patient, strategic, and quietly relentless in pursuit of their goals.
Aquarius
January 20 – February 18Air · Uranus & SaturnAquarius is ruled by Uranus, the planet of innovation and disruption, with Saturn as a secondary ruler. They are often ahead of their time — interested in ideas and systems that others have not caught up with yet. Aquarians care deeply about humanity in the abstract and can sometimes struggle with intimacy in the specific. They are the most likely sign to have deeply held, unusual opinions about nearly everything.
Pisces
February 19 – March 20Water · Neptune & JupiterPisces is the final sign of the zodiac, ruled by Neptune (dreams, spirituality, illusion) and Jupiter. Having come last, they are said to carry traces of all the signs before them, which shows in their unusual empathy and their occasional difficulty staying anchored. Pisces are deeply creative, emotionally porous, and drawn to art, music, and anything that transcends the everyday.
The Four Elements — Fire, Earth, Air & Water
One of the most useful frameworks in astrology is grouping signs by element. Signs sharing an element tend to have fundamentally compatible approaches to the world, even when their personalities differ sharply.
Fire Signs
Aries, Leo, Sagittarius
Driven by passion, enthusiasm, and the need to act. Fire signs initiate, inspire, and occasionally burn things down accidentally.
Earth Signs
Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn
Grounded in the material world — resources, systems, and tangible results. Earth signs build things that last.
Air Signs
Gemini, Libra, Aquarius
Operate through ideas, language, and social connection. Air signs need mental stimulation the way other signs need food.
Water Signs
Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces
Navigate by emotion and intuition. Water signs feel everything deeply, remember everything longer, and often see what others miss.
Where Western Astrology Comes From
Western astrology traces its roots to Babylon roughly 2,400 years ago. Babylonian astronomers divided the sky into 12 equal sections corresponding to the 12 months of their lunar calendar and named each section after a nearby constellation. This system was later adopted and refined by the Greeks, who gave us most of the mythological names we still use today.
The key distinction in Western astrology is that it is tropical — meaning it is anchored to the seasons, not to the actual positions of the constellations in the sky. Aries begins on the spring equinox (around March 21) regardless of where the constellation Aries physically appears. This is why your Western zodiac sign differs from your Vedic (sidereal) sign, which tracks the actual astronomical positions: due to a phenomenon called precession, the equinoxes have shifted about 23–24 degrees since the tropical zodiac was fixed, meaning the constellations and the zodiac signs are now out of sync by roughly one sign.
Astrology spread through the Roman Empire and survived into the medieval period largely because it was intertwined with medicine — physicians used birth charts to diagnose illness. It fell out of mainstream Western science after the Enlightenment but has never left popular culture, and has experienced a significant resurgence since the 2010s driven largely by millennial and Gen Z interest.
Born on the Cusp?
The Sun does not switch signs at exactly midnight on the same date every year. It transitions within a window of roughly a day on either side of the dates listed above. If your birthday falls within two or three days of a sign change, you were born “on the cusp.”
To find your precise sign, look up a free birth chart calculator and enter your exact birth date, time, and location. The Sun's position is calculated to the degree, so there is no ambiguity once you have your exact birth time.
Frequently Asked Questions
What zodiac sign am I if I was born on the cusp?
If your birthday falls within two or three days of a sign's cutoff date, you are said to be "on the cusp." The Sun transitions between signs on slightly different calendar dates each year (within a day or two). The only precise way to determine your sign is to check the exact time of the Sun's movement for your birth year. Most cusp birthdays still belong firmly to one sign.
What is the difference between a sun sign and a rising sign?
Your sun sign (the one based on your birthday) describes your core identity and ego. Your rising sign (ascendant) is the zodiac sign that was rising on the eastern horizon at the exact time of your birth, and it governs how others perceive you. Your moon sign reflects your emotional inner world. A full birth chart uses all three.
What are the four zodiac elements?
The 12 zodiac signs are divided into four elements: Fire (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius) — passionate and action-oriented; Earth (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn) — practical and grounded; Air (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius) — intellectual and communicative; Water (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces) — emotional and intuitive.
Which zodiac sign is the most common birthday?
Scorpio is often cited as statistically the most common birthday period in the United States (late October to November), likely because it falls approximately nine months after the winter holiday season. Virgo (August–September) ranks closely behind. The rarest birth months are typically February and early January.
Is astrology scientifically valid?
There is no scientific evidence that the position of the Sun or planets at the time of birth causes personality traits. Controlled studies, including the famous Shawn Carlson double-blind test published in Nature (1985), have consistently failed to find predictive validity for astrological claims. Astrology is best understood as a symbolic language and cultural framework rather than an empirical science.
What is the rarest zodiac sign?
Ophiuchus is sometimes called the "13th sign" (the Sun passes through the Ophiuchus constellation between November 29 and December 18). Western astrology uses a 12-sign system based on the ecliptic seasons rather than the current positions of constellations, so Ophiuchus is not included in traditional Western zodiac calculations.
Discover More About Your Birthday
Find out what day of the week you were born, how old you are to the exact second, and when your next birthday arrives.