The twelve signs
The 12 zodiac signs
Aries to Pisces: every sign of the Western zodiac with its dates, symbol, element, modality and ruling planet, in astrological order.
All 12 zodiac signs: names and symbols
Aries
March 21 to April 19RamEarthTaurus
April 20 to May 20BullAirGemini
May 21 to June 20TwinsWaterCancer
June 21 to July 22CrabFireLeo
July 23 to August 22LionEarthVirgo
August 23 to September 22MaidenAirLibra
September 23 to October 22ScalesWaterScorpio
October 23 to November 21ScorpionFireSagittarius
November 22 to December 21ArcherEarthCapricorn
December 22 to January 19Sea-goatAirAquarius
January 20 to February 18Water-bearerWaterPisces
February 19 to March 20FishList of zodiac signs in order
The zodiac begins with Aries because the tropical zodiac starts at the March equinox, when the Sun crosses the celestial equator heading north. The sequence then follows the Sun’s apparent yearly path through twelve 30-degree sectors.
| Sign | Name in English | Dates | Element | Modality | Ruling planet |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aries | “ram” | March 21 to April 19 | Fire | Cardinal | Mars |
| Taurus | “bull” | April 20 to May 20 | Earth | Fixed | Venus |
| Gemini | “twins” | May 21 to June 20 | Air | Mutable | Mercury |
| Cancer | “crab” | June 21 to July 22 | Water | Cardinal | Moon |
| Leo | “lion” | July 23 to August 22 | Fire | Fixed | Sun |
| Virgo | “maiden” | August 23 to September 22 | Earth | Mutable | Mercury |
| Libra | “scales” | September 23 to October 22 | Air | Cardinal | Venus |
| Scorpio | “scorpion” | October 23 to November 21 | Water | Fixed | Mars (modern: Pluto) |
| Sagittarius | “archer” | November 22 to December 21 | Fire | Mutable | Jupiter |
| Capricorn | “goat-horned” | December 22 to January 19 | Earth | Cardinal | Saturn |
| Aquarius | “water-carrier” | January 20 to February 18 | Air | Fixed | Saturn (modern: Uranus) |
| Pisces | “fishes” | February 19 to March 20 | Water | Mutable | Jupiter (modern: Neptune) |
How a sign is built
Astrologers describe each sign with three building blocks. The element (fire, earth, air, water) gives its basic temperament. The modality (cardinal, fixed, mutable) describes how it acts. The ruling planet adds a further layer of symbolism. Aries, for example, is cardinal fire ruled by Mars; Leo is fixed fire ruled by the Sun.
Combining four elements with three modalities gives exactly twelve unique signs, which is why no two signs share both.
Positive and negative signs
Fire and air signs are traditionally called positive, masculine or yang signs; earth and water signs are negative, feminine or yin. These are old technical labels for outward and inward expression, not value judgements or statements about gender.
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