Quick answer
Aries runs from March 21 to April 19, Leo from July 23 to August 22 and Scorpio from October 23 to November 21. The exact change-over day can move by one day from year to year.
Your sun sign is the sign the Sun was passing through on the day you were born. Because the Sun's entry into each sign shifts slightly from year to year, people born on the first or last day of a sign (a 'cusp') should check their birth chart to be sure.
Your sun sign is only one part of the picture: the Moon sign and the rising sign (ascendant), which depends on the exact time and place of birth, matter just as much in astrology.
The 12 zodiac signs
| Sign | Dates | Element | Modality | Ruling planet |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ♈ Aries | March 21 – April 19 | Fire | Cardinal | Mars |
| ♉ Taurus | April 20 – May 20 | Earth | Fixed | Venus |
| ♊ Gemini | May 21 – June 20 | Air | Mutable | Mercury |
| ♋ Cancer | June 21 – July 22 | Water | Cardinal | Moon |
| ♌ Leo | July 23 – August 22 | Fire | Fixed | Sun |
| ♍ Virgo | August 23 – September 22 | Earth | Mutable | Mercury |
| ♎ Libra | September 23 – October 22 | Air | Cardinal | Venus |
| ♏ Scorpio | October 23 – November 21 | Water | Fixed | Pluto |
| ♐ Sagittarius | November 22 – December 21 | Fire | Mutable | Jupiter |
| ♑ Capricorn | December 22 – January 19 | Earth | Cardinal | Saturn |
| ♒ Aquarius | January 20 – February 18 | Air | Fixed | Uranus |
| ♓ Pisces | February 19 – March 20 | Water | Mutable | Neptune |
Dates are the usual ones; the Sun changes sign on slightly different days each year. Ruling planets are the modern rulers.
How to find your rising sign
- Find your exact birth time – on your birth certificate, or ask a parent.
- Note the city where you were born.
- Enter your date, time and place of birth in a birth chart calculator such as AstroKit.
- The chart shows your Sun, Moon and rising sign, the planets and the twelve houses.
Questions
What are the four elements of the zodiac?
Fire (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius), Earth (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn), Air (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius) and Water (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces).
I was born on the cusp – what is my sign?
It depends on the exact time the Sun changed sign in your birth year. A birth chart calculated for your date, time and place gives the exact answer.
What is a rising sign?
The rising sign (ascendant) is the sign rising on the eastern horizon at the moment of birth. It changes about every two hours, so you need your birth time to know it.