The 12 Zodiac Signs: Traits, Elements and Rulers
The zodiac divides the Sun's apparent path (the ecliptic) into twelve 30° signs. Each sign combines one of four elements (fire, earth, air, water) with one of three modalities (cardinal, fixed, mutable). Reading the signs of your Moon, Venus and other planets—not only your Sun—gives a fuller picture.
| Sign | Sun dates | Element / modality | Ruler |
|---|---|---|---|
| ♈︎ Aries | Mar 21 – Apr 19 | Fire・Cardinal | Mars |
| ♉︎ Taurus | Apr 20 – May 20 | Earth・Fixed | Venus |
| ♊︎ Gemini | May 21 – Jun 21 | Air・Mutable | Mercury |
| ♋︎ Cancer | Jun 22 – Jul 22 | Water・Cardinal | Moon |
| ♌︎ Leo | Jul 23 – Aug 22 | Fire・Fixed | Sun |
| ♍︎ Virgo | Aug 23 – Sep 22 | Earth・Mutable | Mercury |
| ♎︎ Libra | Sep 23 – Oct 23 | Air・Cardinal | Venus |
| ♏︎ Scorpio | Oct 24 – Nov 22 | Water・Fixed | Pluto |
| ♐︎ Sagittarius | Nov 23 – Dec 21 | Fire・Mutable | Jupiter |
| ♑︎ Capricorn | Dec 22 – Jan 19 | Earth・Cardinal | Saturn |
| ♒︎ Aquarius | Jan 20 – Feb 18 | Air・Fixed | Uranus |
| ♓︎ Pisces | Feb 19 – Mar 20 | Water・Mutable | Neptune |
The four elements
- Fire (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius): passion and action.
- Earth (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn): practicality and stability.
- Air (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius): ideas and connection.
- Water (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces): emotion and empathy.
The three modalities
- Cardinal (Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn): initiating.
- Fixed (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius): sustaining.
- Mutable (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces): adapting.
Sun-sign dates shift by about a day from year to year. If you were born on a cusp, create your chart to see your exact sign.