Zodiac signs dates run through the year in a fixed order, from Aries in late March to Pisces in late March of the following year. Each sign covers roughly a month, and the table below gives the standard dates used by most Western astrologers. If you were born on or near a boundary date, read the notes on cusps below — your sign may depend on the exact time and year of your birth.
The dates are a convention, not a law of nature. They come from the tropical zodiac, which is tied to the seasons: Aries begins at the spring equinox in the northern hemisphere. Because the equinox shifts slightly from year to year, the boundary dates can move by a day. A person born on March 20 might be Pisces in one year and Aries in another, depending on the exact moment of the equinox. That is why the table gives dates with a small amount of give, and why a birth chart — which uses your exact birth time — is the accurate way to confirm a sign.
The full table of zodiac signs dates
| Sign | Dates | Element | Ruler |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aries | March 21 – April 19 | Fire | Mars |
| Taurus | April 20 – May 20 | Earth | Venus |
| Gemini | May 21 – June 20 | Air | Mercury |
| Cancer | June 21 – July 22 | Water | Moon |
| Leo | July 23 – August 22 | Fire | Sun |
| Virgo | August 23 – September 22 | Earth | Mercury |
| Libra | September 23 – October 22 | Air | Venus |
| Scorpio | October 23 – November 21 | Water | Pluto (Mars in older tradition) |
| Sagittarius | November 22 – December 21 | Fire | Jupiter |
| Capricorn | December 22 – January 19 | Earth | Saturn |
| Aquarius | January 20 – February 18 | Air | Uranus (Saturn in older tradition) |
| Pisces | February 19 – March 20 | Water | Neptune (Jupiter in older tradition) |
These are the dates used on this site and by most popular astrology sources. Other sources may differ by a day, and that is normal: the Sun moves into a new sign at a specific moment, and that moment falls on different dates in different years and time zones. If you want a definitive answer for your own birth, the zodiac sign finder uses your birth date, and a full birth chart calculator uses your birth time and place as well.
The signs in order, through the year
The year opens with Aries in spring, the sign of beginnings, and the sequence that follows is a story of the seasons. Taurus brings the steady growth of late spring. Gemini brings the bright, talkative energy of early summer. Cancer arrives with the summer solstice, the longest day, and the sign's themes of home and care. Leo follows with high summer, warmth and visibility.
Virgo brings the harvest and the return to order. Libra arrives with the autumn equinox, when day and night are equal, and the sign's themes of balance fit the season. Scorpio brings the deepening dark of late autumn. Sagittarius brings the year's last fire, a sign of travel and looking ahead. Capricorn opens winter with the solstice, the year's darkest point and the sign of steady climbing. Aquarius brings the cold, clear air of midwinter, and Pisces closes the year with the thaw, the sign of feeling and imagination, before the cycle begins again with Aries.
Why dates sometimes shift
The boundary dates shift for a simple reason: the Sun does not enter a sign at midnight on a fixed date. It enters at a specific moment — a Tuesday at 3 in the afternoon, say — and that moment falls on different dates in different years. Leap years add another small shift. The result is that most sources give dates that are correct for most years but off by a day in some.
This is also why two people born on the same calendar date in different years can have different signs. A person born on March 20 in a year when the equinox fell on March 20 in the morning is Pisces; a person born on March 20 in a year when the equinox fell on March 19 is Aries. The difference is real, and it is why astrologers who work with charts always ask for the year, the time and the place — not just the date.
Cusps: born on the edge
A cusp is the boundary between two signs, and a person born on a cusp date is often told they are "a bit of both." In traditional astrology, that is not quite right: you are one sign or the other, depending on the exact moment the Sun changed signs. But the feeling of being "a bit of both" is common, and it has a real cause. A person born near a boundary has usually grown up hearing about both signs, and may recognise traits from each. The Aries horoscope dates page, for example, notes that Aries begins on March 21, but a person born on March 20 or 21 should check their exact birth time to be sure.
If you were born within a day or two of a boundary, the honest answer is to look it up. A birth chart calculator, or an ephemeris — a table of planetary positions — will tell you which sign the Sun was in at the moment you were born. Guessing from the calendar alone is unreliable for cusp dates, and there is no shame in checking. Most people born on a cusp have checked, and many have found the answer surprising.
Tropical and sidereal zodiacs
There is one more reason dates can differ between sources: the tropical and sidereal zodiacs. The tropical zodiac, used by most Western astrologers, is tied to the seasons and the equinoxes. The sidereal zodiac, used in Vedic astrology, is tied to the fixed stars. Because the Earth's axis slowly wobbles — a movement called precession — the two zodiacs have drifted apart over the centuries, and the same birth date can give a different sign in each system.
The table on this page uses the tropical zodiac, which is the standard for Western popular astrology and for this site. If you have had a Vedic reading and been given a different sign, that is not a mistake; it is a different system. Both are traditions with long histories, and neither is more "correct" than the other. They are different maps of the same sky.
Using the dates
The simplest use of the table is to find your own sign and the signs of the people around you. From there, the horoscope hub has a profile for each sign, covering dates, element, ruler, strengths, love, career and compatibility. If you want to go further, the zodiac compatibility calculator lets you compare any two signs, and the birth chart calculator shows your Moon and rising signs as well — the parts of the chart that many people find more personal than the Sun sign alone.
Frequently asked questions
What are the zodiac signs dates?
The twelve signs run from Aries (March 21 – April 19) through Pisces (February 19 – March 20), each covering roughly a month. The full table is above, with each sign's element and ruling planet.
Why do zodiac sign dates differ between websites?
Because the Sun enters each sign at a specific moment that falls on different dates in different years. Most sources give dates that are correct for most years but off by a day in some, and different sources round the boundary differently.
What is a zodiac cusp?
A cusp is the boundary between two signs. A person born on a cusp date is one sign or the other depending on the exact moment the Sun changed signs, which depends on the year and time of birth. A birth chart is the accurate way to check.
Are zodiac dates the same in every system?
No. The tropical zodiac used in Western astrology is tied to the seasons, while the sidereal zodiac used in Vedic astrology is tied to the fixed stars. The same birth date can give a different sign in each system.
How can I be sure of my zodiac sign?
Use your exact birth date, time and place in a birth chart calculator, or at least your birth date in the zodiac sign finder. This matters most if you were born within a day or two of a boundary.
Do the dates change every year?
The boundary dates can shift by a day from year to year, because the equinox and solstice dates shift slightly. The order of the signs never changes, and the dates are stable enough that the table above is correct for most people in most years.