Astrology · Zodiac signs
The 12 zodiac signs
Every zodiac sign is its own signature — built from an element, a modality, a polarity and a ruling planet. Here you'll learn what that means, and find out which of your placements sit in which sign.
New here? Start with the basicsExplore the 12 signs.
Tap a sign — its polarity, element, modality and ruler, each explained in one line.
The raw material
Four elements
The element gives each sign its raw energy. Three signs share each one.
The style of action
Three modalities
The modality describes HOW a sign acts — starting, sustaining or adapting.
The basic direction
Two polarities
Every sign is either outward-facing (yang/active) or inward-facing (yin/receptive).
The zodiac year
Zodiac sign dates 2026: when the Sun moves on
Your star sign is the sign the Sun was in on your birthday. The Sun takes a year to travel the whole zodiac, so roughly 30 days per sign. The table below shows when it changes sign this year — not copied from a list, but computed to the day with the Swiss Ephemeris. The astrological year starts at the March equinox: in 2026 the Sun entered Aries on 20 Mar 2026.
| Sign | Sun 2026 | Element | Modality | Ruler |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ♈ Aries | 20 Mar – 20 Apr | Fire | Cardinal | Mars |
| ♉ Taurus | 20 Apr – 21 May | Earth | Fixed | Venus |
| ♊ Gemini | 21 May – 21 Jun | Air | Mutable | Mercury |
| ♋ Cancer | 21 Jun – 22 Jul | Water | Cardinal | Moon |
| ♌ Leo | 22 Jul – 23 Aug | Fire | Fixed | Sun |
| ♍ Virgo | 23 Aug – 23 Sept | Earth | Mutable | Mercury |
| ♎ Libra | 23 Sept – 23 Oct | Air | Cardinal | Venus |
| ♏ Scorpio | 23 Oct – 22 Nov | Water | Fixed | Mars / Pluto |
| ♐ Sagittarius | 22 Nov – 21 Dec | Fire | Mutable | Jupiter |
| ♑ Capricorn | 21 Dec – 20 Jan | Earth | Cardinal | Saturn |
| ♒ Aquarius | 20 Jan – 18 Feb | Air | Fixed | Saturn / Uranus |
| ♓ Pisces | 18 Feb – 20 Mar | Water | Mutable | Jupiter / Neptune |
Changeover days in UTC; for Capricorn the window runs into the next year. Click a date to open the event page with the exact time.
Star sign is not the same as constellation
The signs of Western astrology are twelve equal sections of 30 degrees each, counted from the March equinox point — where the Sun stands on the first day of spring. The constellations of the same names are different sizes, and the slow wobble of Earth’s axis (precession, about one degree every 72 years) has shifted them against the signs over the centuries. When someone says you are "really" a different constellation, that is astronomically true — but astrology works with the sign, not the constellation.
Three things that make a sign
- Element: the raw energy. Fire wants to start, earth wants something solid, air wants to talk, water wants to feel. How much of each your whole chart holds is counted by the dominant element calculator.
- Modality: the style of action. Cardinal signs start things (Monday morning with a fresh list), fixed signs hold on (month three at the gym), mutable signs adapt (plan B when the train is cancelled).
- Ruler: the planet that "runs" the sign. Wherever it sits in your chart, it carries the sign’s theme there. What each planet means is covered in the planets guide.
More than one sign
Your Sun sign is only the start. Your Moon and Rising often sit in completely different signs — which is exactly why the description of your star sign sometimes only half fits. With your birth time and place, the Big Three calculator all three. If you want to know how rare your rising sign is, the numbers are in the rising-sign frequency study. And whether two signs get along is what the zodiac compatibility check is for.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
How many zodiac signs are there?
There are 12 zodiac signs — from Aries to Pisces. Each covers about 30° of the zodiac the Sun travels through over a year.
What's the difference between your zodiac sign and your Rising sign?
Your zodiac sign is your Sun sign — where the Sun sat when you were born. Your Rising (Ascendant) is the sign that was coming up in the east, and it shapes how you come across. Both are part of your chart.
What do a sign's element and modality mean?
The element (fire, earth, air, water) is the raw energy; the modality (cardinal, fixed, mutable) is the style of action. Together they make each sign distinct.
Do I only have one zodiac sign?
No. Your Sun sign is just the start — your Moon, Rising and every planet sit in a sign of their own. Open a sign below and use the calculator to see which of your placements fall in it.
Which signs shape you?
Build your full birth chart — free — and see your Sun, Moon, Rising and every placement at a glance.
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