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Astrology · zodiac signs

The 12 zodiac signs: dates, elements, and traits

The twelve zodiac signs describe twelve ways of being, from the drive of Aries to the compassion of Pisces.

  • zodiac
  • elements
  • actual dates
The 12 signs Calculate my rising sign

By Thomas Guilhot · updated

The essentials

The 12 signs at a glance

For you

A sign is one twelfth of the solar year, to which tradition attributes a temperament: element, modality, and planet.

One sign
About one month of the year
Read more
The signs

The 12 signs, from Aries to Pisces

Elements and modalities

Four elements, three modalities

Each sign combines an element and a modality: twelve signs, twelve combinations, none repeated.

The signs by element and modality
CardinalFixedMutable
FireAriesLeoSagittarius
EarthCapricornTaurusVirgo
AirLibraAquariusGemini
WaterCancerScorpioPisces

What each element and each modality brings to the personality: the four elements · the three modalities →

Zodiac sign dates in 2026

You will read everywhere that Aries begins on March 21: that is an approximation. The Sun moves from one sign to the next at a precise instant, which shifts by a few hours from one year to the next, because the 365-day calendar year does not line up with the solar year of about 365 days and 6 hours. Leap years make up the difference in jumps, and the time zone does the rest: the same crossing can fall on the 20th in Paris and on the 21st in Nouméa. The table gives the instants calculated for this year, Paris time; for a birth on a changeover day, only the full calculation, with time and place, can settle it.

The Sun’s entry into each sign, Paris time (engine calculation)
SignFromToSeason
♈︎ AriesMarch 20 3:45 PMApril 20 3:39 AMSeason Aries
♉︎ TaurusApril 20 3:39 AMMay 21 2:37 AMSeason Taurus
♊︎ GeminiMay 21 2:37 AMJune 21 10:25 AMSeason Gemini
♋︎ CancerJune 21 10:25 AMJuly 22 9:13 PMSeason Cancer
♌︎ LeoJuly 22 9:13 PMAugust 23 4:18 AMSeason Leo
♍︎ VirgoAugust 23 4:18 AMSeptember 23 2:05 AMSeason Virgo
♎︎ LibraSeptember 23 2:05 AMOctober 23 11:38 AMSeason Libra
♏︎ ScorpioOctober 23 11:38 AMNovember 22 8:23 AMSeason Scorpio
♐︎ SagittariusNovember 22 8:23 AMDecember 21 9:50 PMSeason Sagittarius
♑︎ CapricornDecember 21 9:50 PMJanuary 20 20278:30 AMSeason Capricorn
♒︎ AquariusJanuary 20 2:44 AMFebruary 18 4:51 PMSeason Aquarius
♓︎ PiscesFebruary 18 4:51 PMMarch 20 3:45 PMSeason Pisces
Going further

Signs and constellations

The signs follow the seasons, not the stars: the tropical zodiac starts from the March equinox.

Frequently asked questions about the zodiac signs

What is my zodiac sign?

Your sign, or Sun sign, is the one the Sun was crossing at your birth. For most dates, you can read it straight from the table of signs: from Aries in late March to Pisces in late February. If your birthday falls on a changeover day, the 19th, 20th, 21st, 22nd, or 23rd of the month depending on the sign, you need a calculation that takes into account the year, the time, and the town; the “What is my sign?” tool does it in a few seconds.

Why do the dates of the signs change depending on the source?

Because most sites give an average, rounded date that holds for the majority of years. In reality, the Sun’s entry into a sign shifts by a few hours each year, because of the rhythm of leap years, and the day shown depends on the time zone chosen. Two honest sources can therefore differ by a day. The dates on this page are calculated for the current year, to the minute, Paris time.

What does it mean to be “on the cusp”?

People speak of a cusp, or a border, for a birth close to the change of sign. The idea of a blend of the two signs is widespread, but it corresponds to nothing in the calculation: at any given minute, the Sun is in a single sign. Tradition admits only that the rest of the chart may echo the neighboring sign, for example if Mercury or Venus is there. All you need to do is check the exact instant.

Is Ophiuchus, the Serpent Bearer, a 13th sign?

No. Ophiuchus is a constellation that the Sun’s apparent path crosses in late November and early December, but the signs are not constellations. The tropical zodiac divides the circle into twelve equal parts of 30°, starting from the March equinox, and has never included a thirteenth sign. The idea comes back regularly in the media since the 1970s, confusing the astronomy of constellations with the convention of the signs.

Which are the fire, earth, air, and water signs?

Fire belongs to Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius; earth, to Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn; air, to Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius; water, to Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces. The elements always follow one another in this order around the zodiac. Tradition associates fire with drive, earth with the concrete, air with ideas and exchanges, and water with emotions.