Zodiac signs
The 12 zodiac signs: dates, elements and rulers
A plain-English guide to the twelve signs of Western astrology, written as prompts for reflection, not forecasts.
The zodiac divides the Sun's yearly path into twelve equal parts of 30 degrees. In the Western (tropical) system the first part, Aries, begins at the March equinox, and each sign is tied to the seasons rather than to the stars behind it. Every sign has an element, a modality and a ruling planet, and those three facts shape how astrologers describe it.
Each guide below covers the sign's dates, symbol and ruler, strengths and shadow themes, how it reads as a Sun, Moon or Rising sign, a compatibility overview, and a short reading for today drawn from the real sky.
All twelve signs
| Sign | Dates | Element | Modality | Ruler |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aries | Mar 21 – Apr 19 | Fire | Cardinal | Mars |
| Taurus | Apr 20 – May 20 | Earth | Fixed | Venus |
| Gemini | May 21 – Jun 20 | Air | Mutable | Mercury |
| Cancer | Jun 21 – Jul 22 | Water | Cardinal | the Moon |
| Leo | Jul 23 – Aug 22 | Fire | Fixed | the Sun |
| Virgo | Aug 23 – Sep 22 | Earth | Mutable | Mercury |
| Libra | Sep 23 – Oct 22 | Air | Cardinal | Venus |
| Scorpio | Oct 23 – Nov 21 | Water | Fixed | Mars / Pluto |
| Sagittarius | Nov 22 – Dec 21 | Fire | Mutable | Jupiter |
| Capricorn | Dec 22 – Jan 19 | Earth | Cardinal | Saturn |
| Aquarius | Jan 20 – Feb 18 | Air | Fixed | Saturn / Uranus |
| Pisces | Feb 19 – Mar 20 | Water | Mutable | Jupiter / Neptune |
Where two rulers are shown, the first is the traditional ruler and the second the modern one. Dates shift by about a day from year to year.
Signs by element and modality
Fire, earth, air and water group the signs by temperament; cardinal, fixed and mutable group them by how they relate to change. Signs that share an element are traditionally described as getting along easily.
- Fire: Aries, Leo, Sagittarius
- Earth: Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn
- Air: Gemini, Libra, Aquarius
- Water: Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces
- Cardinal: Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn
- Fixed: Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius
- Mutable: Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces
Sun, Moon and Rising: three ways to read a sign
When people say their sign, they usually mean the Sun sign, which depends only on the birth date. The Moon sign, often read as the emotional style, depends on the date and ideally the time. The Rising sign, the zodiac sign on the eastern horizon at birth, depends on the exact time and place and is often read as the first impression. Two people with the same Sun sign can look quite different once their Moon and Rising signs are added, which is one reason a single sign description never tells the whole story.
The Vedic (sidereal) zodiac uses different boundaries and gives many people a different sign from the one in a Western newspaper. Orrery Lane shows both and labels each; see how we calculate.
Find your Sun, Moon and Rising
The free chart works out all three from your birth date, time and place, calculated in your browser.
Where to go next
- Today's sky and a reading for your sign: Today
- The animal and element from the Chinese calendar: Chinese zodiac
- Two charts side by side: Compatibility report
- Where these traditions come from: Origins and sources
Astrology is a symbolic framework that mainstream science does not recognize. These lines are prompts for reflection, not advice or a forecast. Orrery Lane offers astrology for reflection and entertainment. It does not predict events and is not professional advice.