What's My Zodiac Sign?

What is my zodiac sign by date of birth?

Your zodiac sign is the sign the Sun was in on your birthday, and the dates below give the usual range for each one. The exact changeover shifts by up to a day from year to year, so if your birthday sits on the first or last day of a sign, use the calculator above with your birth time.

What if I was born on a cusp?

If your birthday falls on the day the Sun changed signs, your zodiac sign depends on the exact time of the change that year and your time of birth. The calculator checks this for you: enter your date, and if it is a cusp day it tells you the minute the Sun moved and asks for your birth time and place to settle it.

Astrologically you can't be both signs. The Sun is in one sign or the other at any moment, though people born within a day or two of a change often relate to traits of the neighboring sign too.

Is my zodiac sign the same as my Sun sign?

Yes. When people talk about their zodiac sign, star sign or horoscope sign, they mean their Sun sign: the sign the Sun was in when they were born. It describes your core self, what drives you and where you find energy.

What are my other signs?

Besides your Sun sign, your chart has a Moon sign, a rising sign and a sign for every planet. The Moon sign covers your emotional needs and the rising sign covers how you come across. You can find all three with the Sun, Moon and rising sign calculator, or see everything at once in your full birth chart.

Why do some sites give me a different sign?

Most often it is because they use a different zodiac. Western astrology, used here, follows the tropical zodiac, which is tied to the seasons and starts Aries at the March equinox. Vedic astrology uses the sidereal zodiac, which is tied to the stars and currently sits about 24 degrees behind, so most people's sidereal Sun sign is the one before their tropical sign.

You may also have seen claims about a thirteenth sign, Ophiuchus. Ophiuchus is a constellation the Sun passes in front of, but the tropical zodiac is made of twelve equal signs measured from the equinox, not of constellations, so your Western sign doesn't change.

The 12 zodiac signs

A short portrait of each Sun sign:

• Aries. You come alive when there is something to start or win. Directness is your default, and you would rather act and adjust than wait for permission.
• Taurus. You build a life slowly and make it last. Comfort, good food and steady progress matter more to you than speed or drama.
• Gemini. Curiosity runs your life. You think by talking, collect ideas from everywhere and get restless when a day has nothing new in it.
• Cancer. You lead with care and protect the people you count as yours. Home, memory and emotional safety shape most of your big choices.
• Leo. You are happiest when your effort is seen and your warmth lands. Generous and proud, you put real heart into whatever you make.
• Virgo. You notice what others miss and like to fix it. Being useful, skilled and well organized is where your confidence comes from.
• Libra. You look for balance and fairness, and you read people well. Relationships, beauty and a calm atmosphere matter a great deal to you.
• Scorpio. You go deep or not at all. Loyal and private, you want the real story, and you rarely let go of something once it matters.
• Sagittarius. You need room to explore, whether that means travel, study or big questions. Honest and hopeful, you would rather take a risk than stay stuck.
• Capricorn. You play the long game. Responsible and ambitious, you respect effort, and you often get more relaxed and playful as you get older.
• Aquarius. You think for yourself and question the usual way of doing things. Friends, causes and ideas about the future pull your attention.
• Pisces. You are tuned to moods, images and other people's feelings. Imaginative and kind, you need quiet time to recover from the world.