The 12 Zodiac Signs
Deep, accurate guides to every sign: personality, compatibility, love, career and meaning, written in tropical Western astrology. Find your Sun sign and read the full profile.
How the twelve signs fit together
Every sign is one of four elements and one of three modalities, and no two signs share both. Seen on the wheel, the pattern is geometry: each element is a triangle and each modality is a square.
The zodiac's structure
Four elements, three modalities, twelve signs
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A zodiac wheel showing how the twelve signs combine four elements and three modalities. Fire signs: Aries, Leo, Sagittarius. Earth signs: Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn. Air signs: Gemini, Libra, Aquarius. Water signs: Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces. Signs of the same element sit 120 degrees apart and form a triangle, the trine. Cardinal signs: Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn. Fixed signs: Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius. Mutable signs: Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces. Signs of the same modality sit 90 or 180 degrees apart and form a square, the aspects of tension.
Four elements, three modalities, twelve signsSigns that share an element sit 120° apart, so each element draws a triangle. That angle is the trine, the easiest aspect in astrology, which is why same-element signs understand each other. Tap a row or column in the table to pick one out.
| starts each season | holds the season steady | turns it toward the next | |
|---|---|---|---|
| action and spirit | AriesMar 20–Apr 19 | LeoJul 22–Aug 22 | SagittariusNov 22–Dec 21 |
| body and the practical | CapricornDec 21–Jan 19 | TaurusApr 19–May 20 | VirgoAug 22–Sep 22 |
| mind and connection | LibraSep 22–Oct 22 | AquariusJan 19–Feb 17 | GeminiMay 20–Jun 20 |
| feeling and intuition | CancerJun 21–Jul 22 | ScorpioOct 23–Nov 21 | PiscesFeb 18–Mar 19 |
Sun dates for 2026 in US Eastern time, from the Sun's computed sign changes; they shift by a day from year to year.
Every sign's element, modality and 2026 Sun dates
| Sign | Element | Modality | Sun dates 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aries | Fire | Cardinal | Mar 20–Apr 19 |
| Taurus | Earth | Fixed | Apr 19–May 20 |
| Gemini | Air | Mutable | May 20–Jun 20 |
| Cancer | Water | Cardinal | Jun 21–Jul 22 |
| Leo | Fire | Fixed | Jul 22–Aug 22 |
| Virgo | Earth | Mutable | Aug 22–Sep 22 |
| Libra | Air | Cardinal | Sep 22–Oct 22 |
| Scorpio | Water | Fixed | Oct 23–Nov 21 |
| Sagittarius | Fire | Mutable | Nov 22–Dec 21 |
| Capricorn | Earth | Cardinal | Dec 21–Jan 19 |
| Aquarius | Air | Fixed | Jan 19–Feb 17 |
| Pisces | Water | Mutable | Feb 18–Mar 19 |
Computed from the real sky with the Natal Junction ephemeris (tropical zodiac, geocentric). Dates in US Eastern time.
Zodiac sign dates
Each sign starts the moment the Sun reaches 0 degrees of it, so the first day moves by a day or so from year to year. The usual dates are the convention; the right-hand columns show every date the Sun actually entered each sign from 1950 to 2030, computed with the open-source Astronomy Engine ephemeris, and the exact moment in 2026.
| Sign | Usual dates | Sun enters (1950 to 2030, UTC) | 2026 ingress |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aries | Mar 21 to Apr 19 | March 20 or March 21 | March 20, 2026 at 14:45 UTC |
| Taurus | Apr 20 to May 20 | April 19 or April 20 | April 20, 2026 at 01:39 UTC |
| Gemini | May 21 to Jun 20 | May 20 or May 21 | May 21, 2026 at 00:37 UTC |
| Cancer | Jun 21 to Jul 22 | June 20, June 21 or June 22 | June 21, 2026 at 08:25 UTC |
| Leo | Jul 23 to Aug 22 | July 22 or July 23 | July 22, 2026 at 19:13 UTC |
| Virgo | Aug 23 to Sep 22 | August 22 or August 23 | August 23, 2026 at 02:18 UTC |
| Libra | Sep 23 to Oct 22 | September 22 or September 23 | September 23, 2026 at 00:05 UTC |
| Scorpio | Oct 23 to Nov 21 | October 22, October 23 or October 24 | October 23, 2026 at 09:38 UTC |
| Sagittarius | Nov 22 to Dec 21 | November 21, November 22 or November 23 | November 22, 2026 at 07:23 UTC |
| Capricorn | Dec 22 to Jan 19 | December 21 or December 22 | December 21, 2026 at 20:50 UTC |
| Aquarius | Jan 20 to Feb 18 | January 19, January 20 or January 21 | January 20, 2026 at 01:44 UTC |
| Pisces | Feb 19 to Mar 20 | February 18 or February 19 | February 18, 2026 at 15:51 UTC |
Zodiac basics
What are the zodiac sign dates?
The usual zodiac sign dates are Aries Mar 21 to Apr 19, Taurus Apr 20 to May 20, Gemini May 21 to Jun 20, Cancer Jun 21 to Jul 22, Leo Jul 23 to Aug 22, Virgo Aug 23 to Sep 22, Libra Sep 23 to Oct 22, Scorpio Oct 23 to Nov 21, Sagittarius Nov 22 to Dec 21, Capricorn Dec 22 to Jan 19, Aquarius Jan 20 to Feb 18, Pisces Feb 19 to Mar 20. The exact start moves by a day from year to year with the moment the Sun enters each sign, which our table gives for 1950 to 2030.
What are the 12 zodiac signs in order?
The 12 zodiac signs in order are Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces. They follow the Sun's yearly path through the sky, each spanning roughly 30 degrees and about one month.
What is a zodiac sign?
A zodiac sign is one of 12 segments of the sky that the Sun, Moon and planets travel through. Your Sun sign is set by where the Sun was on your birthday. It describes your core identity, while your full birth chart adds far more detail.
What do the four elements mean?
Each sign belongs to one of four elements. Fire signs are bold and passionate, earth signs are grounded and practical, air signs are curious and social and water signs are emotional and intuitive. Signs of the same element naturally understand one another.
Is my zodiac sign the same as my Sun sign?
Yes. When people ask your sign, they mean your Sun sign, set by the Sun's position at birth. But you also have a Moon sign, a Rising sign and personal planet signs that shape you. Run a free birth chart to see all of them.
Want more than your Sun sign? Get your free birth chart reading to see your Moon, Rising and every placement.