Zodiac signs: dates, symbols and traits of all 12
By Emily Hart, professional astrologerThe twelve zodiac signs — also called astrology signs or star signs — are twelve ways of being in the world: the Sun spends about a month in each, and your date of birth decides which one is yours. Here you get the full dates chart in order, the four elements that group the signs, and a link to each sign's in-depth portrait — character, love, work, the man and the woman, compatibility.
Zodiac signs in order: the dates chart
| # | Sign | Dates | Element | Portrait |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ♈︎ Aries | March 21 – April 19 | Fire | read the portrait → |
| 2 | ♉︎ Taurus | April 20 – May 20 | Earth | read the portrait → |
| 3 | ♊︎ Gemini | May 21 – June 20 | Air | read the portrait → |
| 4 | ♋︎ Cancer | June 21 – July 22 | Water | read the portrait → |
| 5 | ♌︎ Leo | July 23 – August 22 | Fire | read the portrait → |
| 6 | ♍︎ Virgo | August 23 – September 22 | Earth | read the portrait → |
| 7 | ♎︎ Libra | September 23 – October 22 | Air | read the portrait → |
| 8 | ♏︎ Scorpio | October 23 – November 21 | Water | read the portrait → |
| 9 | ♐︎ Sagittarius | November 22 – December 21 | Fire | read the portrait → |
| 10 | ♑︎ Capricorn | December 22 – January 19 | Earth | read the portrait → |
| 11 | ♒︎ Aquarius | January 20 – February 18 | Air | read the portrait → |
| 12 | ♓︎ Pisces | February 19 – March 20 | Water | read the portrait → |
Born on a boundary day? The exact sign depends on the year and hour — check your sign by date of birth or settle it to the minute with a birth chart.
The four elements: what groups the signs
Fire — Aries, Leo, Sagittariusdrive, passion, initiative: they need action and honest applause
Earth — Taurus, Virgo, Capricornsteadiness, patience, results: they need stability and proof
Air — Gemini, Libra, Aquariusideas, exchange, freedom: they need conversation and space
Water — Cancer, Scorpio, Piscesemotion, intuition, depth: they need trust and tenderness
Elements are the first key to compatibility: Fire and Air feed each other, Earth and Water nourish each other. There are also the three modalities — cardinal (the starter), fixed (the keeper), mutable (the adapter) — which explain why two signs of the same element feel so different: Aries starts what Leo sustains and Sagittarius reinvents.
The 12 zodiac signs, one by one
♈︎AriesMarch 21 – April 19
The zodiac's pioneer: direct, brave, allergic to waiting. First to start — projects, conversations, reconciliations — and first back on their feet after a fall. Life's task: patience; their gift: courage that's contagious.The full Aries portrait →♉︎TaurusApril 20 – May 20
The builder: solid, sensory, loyal across decades. Loves through actions, cooks as a declaration, and refuses to be rushed by anyone. Task: leaving the comfort zone; gift: the steadiness everyone leans on.The full Taurus portrait →♊︎GeminiMay 21 – June 20
The messenger: quick mind, double curiosity, endless conversation. Learns everything, connects everyone, gets bored first. Task: finishing what they start; gift: the spark that revives any table.The full Gemini portrait →♋︎CancerJune 21 – July 22
The keeper of home: intuitive, protective, with the heart's own memory. Cares before being asked and forgets neither a favor nor a wound. Task: saying feelings out loud in time; gift: the shelter they create wherever they stand.The full Cancer portrait →♌︎LeoJuly 23 – August 22
The sun of their circle: warm, generous, born for the stage. Gives grandly and expects sincere applause — the fake kind they spot instantly. Task: not depending on recognition; gift: the light that lifts their people.The full Leo portrait →♍︎VirgoAugust 23 – September 22
Practical intelligence: precise, helpful, with X-ray vision for details. Loves by fixing and improves everything they touch. Task: switching off the inner critic; gift: making things — and people — actually work.The full Virgo portrait →♎︎LibraSeptember 23 – October 22
The diplomat: charming, fair, allergic to ugliness and conflict. Thinks in 'we', beautifies every space, mediates other people's wars. Task: choosing without fear; gift: the harmony that settles in when they enter.The full Libra portrait →♏︎ScorpioOctober 23 – November 21
Intensity made a sign: all or nothing, bunker-grade loyalty, perception that undresses motives. Loves for real or not at all. Task: trusting without auditing; gift: the depth that transforms whoever knows them.The full Scorpio portrait →♐︎SagittariusNovember 22 – December 21
The explorer: optimistic, honest to the bone, mental suitcase always packed. Hunts for meaning across every border. Task: tact and follow-through; gift: the faith in life they hand out for free.The full Sagittarius portrait →♑︎CapricornDecember 22 – January 19
The architect: discipline, decade-scale ambition, a word that works like a contract. Builds careers, assets and families that last. Task: scheduling a life beside the work; gift: reliability that doesn't fail.The full Capricorn portrait →♒︎AquariusJanuary 20 – February 18
The inventor: original, independent, everyone's friend and no one's property. Lives ten years ahead and audits every convention. Task: emotional closeness; gift: the future they bring into the present.The full Aquarius portrait →♓︎PiscesFebruary 19 – March 20
The mystic: boundless empathy, oceanic imagination, structural kindness. Feels what others miss and forgives what others can't. Task: boundaries; gift: functional magic that heals.The full Pisces portrait →Pick your sign
AriesMarch 21 – April 19 · drive, passion, initiative
TaurusApril 20 – May 20 · steadiness, patience, results
GeminiMay 21 – June 20 · ideas, connection, freedom
CancerJune 21 – July 22 · emotion, intuition, depth
LeoJuly 23 – August 22 · drive, passion, initiative
VirgoAugust 23 – September 22 · steadiness, patience, results
LibraSeptember 23 – October 22 · ideas, connection, freedom
ScorpioOctober 23 – November 21 · emotion, intuition, depth
SagittariusNovember 22 – December 21 · drive, passion, initiative
CapricornDecember 22 – January 19 · steadiness, patience, results
AquariusJanuary 20 – February 18 · ideas, connection, freedom
PiscesFebruary 19 – March 20 · emotion, intuition, depthYour portrait doesn't end at the Sun sign
Moon, rising sign, houses: your full birth chart explains what the sign alone can't. The calculation is free and takes 30 seconds.
Frequently asked questions
What are the 12 zodiac sign dates?+
Aries Mar 21 – Apr 19, Taurus Apr 20 – May 20, Gemini May 21 – Jun 20, Cancer Jun 21 – Jul 22, Leo Jul 23 – Aug 22, Virgo Aug 23 – Sep 22, Libra Sep 23 – Oct 22, Scorpio Oct 23 – Nov 21, Sagittarius Nov 22 – Dec 21, Capricorn Dec 22 – Jan 19, Aquarius Jan 20 – Feb 18, Pisces Feb 19 – Mar 20. Born on a boundary day? The exact sign depends on your year and hour — a birth chart resolves it to the minute.
Why do zodiac sign dates differ slightly between sources?+
Because the Sun doesn't change signs on the same day every year: the boundary shifts by up to a day depending on the year and your time zone. Charts publish average ranges; boundary birthdays are settled by the astronomical calculation of your date, time and place of birth.
What are the elements of the zodiac signs?+
The 12 signs split into four elements: Fire (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius) — drive and initiative; Earth (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn) — steadiness and results; Air (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius) — ideas and connection; Water (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces) — emotion and intuition. The element sets a sign's base temperament.
Which zodiac signs are soulmates?+
The easiest matches share an element or pair friendly ones (Fire with Air, Earth with Water) — but 'easy' isn't 'best': many strong couples run on the attraction of opposites. Check any two signs honestly, percentage included, on our compatibility pages.
Does my zodiac sign say everything about me?+
No — the Sun sign is the ground floor of the portrait. Your Moon (emotional world) and rising sign (first impression) weigh just as much, and usually sit in other signs. That's why people sometimes 'don't recognize themselves' in their sign: calculate the full birth chart and the three together usually land strikingly close.
See also: zodiac signs dates + calculator · compatibility for all 78 pairs · today's horoscope · Chinese zodiac · Saturn return · planets in signs
Zodiac sign by month
Every month is split between two signs, with the boundary around the 20th. Pick your birth month: both signs, the exact cut-off, and what to do if your birthday lands on it.
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