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February 17, 2023

mbg Spirituality & Relationships Editor

By Sarah Regan

mbg Spirituality & Relationships Editor

Sarah Regan is a Spirituality & Relationships Editor, and a registered yoga instructor. She received her bachelor’s in broadcasting and mass communication from SUNY Oswego, and lives in Buffalo, New York.

Image by Bradley Hook / Pexels

February 17, 2023

You’ve probably been asked about your sun sign before, and even if you have an idea what yours is, you might not know what it’s all about. You could also be someone who simply doesn’t know their sun sign at all! In either case, here’s what “sun sign” really means, how to find yours, and what your sun sign says about you.

Before we get into each of the 12 signs, let’s unpack what a sun sign actually is. For starters, there are 12 signs in the zodiac, each of them a constellation that resides in its own 30-degree portion of the sky. Altogether, the zodiac fills up the 360-degree chart that is Earth’s orbit around the sun.

Throughout the course of the year, the sun “moves” through each of these 30-degree sections of the sky for roughly one month. These are known as the astrological seasons. (In reality, the Earth is what’s moving, but from our vantage point, it looks like the sun is in a certain part of the sky.)

Your sun sign, then, relates to which astrological season you were born during, i.e., Taurus season (late April to late May) or Virgo season (late August to late September).

If you want to map your entire birth chart, you’ll need to know the exact time and location of your birth. But when it comes to sun signs, all you need is your birthday. Here are the dates for the 12 astrological seasons of the year—whichever window your birthday falls in is your sun sign.

Note: These are the dates for the western (or tropical) astrology seasons. For Vedic (sidereal) astrology dates, check out our guide to Vedic astrology.

• Aries: March 21 to April 19
• Taurus: April 20 to May 20
• Gemini: May 21 to June 20
• Cancer: June 21 to July 22
• Leo: July 23 to August 22
• Virgo: August 23 to September 22
• Libra: September 23 to October 22
• Scorpio: October 23 to November 21
• Sagittarius: November 22 to December 21
• Capricorn: December 22 to January 19
• Aquarius: January 20 to February 18
• Pisces: February 19 to March 20

Aries is the first sign of the zodiac, and is ruled by the planet of action and aggression, Mars. It is both a cardinal sign and a fire sign and is represented by the Ram. Aries also rules the first house of self-identity and self-image in astrology.

If you are an Aries sun, some of the qualities associated with this sun sign include:

• Passionate
• Bold
• Confident
• Determined
• Impulsive

Following Aries, Taurus is the second sign of the zodiac and is ruled by Venus, the planet of love, beauty, and pleasure. Taurus is a fixed earth sign and is represented by the Bull. Taurus rules over the second house of money and stability in astrology.

Some of the quintessential qualities associated with Taurus suns include:

• Loyal
• Hardworking
• Stubborn
• Self-indulgent
• Grounded

The third sign of the zodiac and the first of the air signs, Gemini is a mutable sign ruled by the planet of communication and information, Mercury. It is represented by the Twins and rules over the third house of communication and local community.

Some of the qualities associated with Gemini suns include:

• Talkative
• Funny
• Quick-witted
• Curious
• Adaptable

Cancer is the fourth sign of the zodiac and the first water sign of the astrological year. It’s the only sign ruled by the moon and is a cardinal sign. Cancer is represented by the Crab and rules over the fourth house of home and family.

Those with Cancer suns are known to be:

• Emotional
• Nurturing
• Homey
• Comforting
• Self-protective

The fifth sign of the astrological year, Leo is the only zodiac sign ruled by the sun itself and, fittingly, happens to be a fire sign. Leo’s modality is fixed, and the sign is represented by the Lion. This sign rules over the fifth house of creativity and self-expression.

Qualities associated with Leo suns include:

• Courageous
• Creative
• Fierce
• Generous
• Regal

Coming in after Leo we have Virgo, a mutable earth sign that is ruled by Mercury, the planet of communication and information. Virgo is represented by the Virgin and rules over the sixth house of health and service.

Virgo suns are associated with the following characteristics:

• Detail-oriented
• Dedicated
• Flexible
• Independent
• Practical

Marking the halfway point of the astrological year, and fittingly represented by the Scales of Justice, we have Libra. Libra is a cardinal air sign ruled by the planet of love, beauty, and pleasure, Venus. It rules over the seventh house of relationships.

Libra suns are often thought to be:

• Diplomatic
• Balance-seeking
• People-pleasers
• Compassionate
• Fair and just

Following Libra, the eighth sign of the zodiac is Scorpio. Ruled by Pluto (the planet of transformation) in modern astrology and Mars in ancient astrology, Scorpio is a fixed water sign and is represented by the Scorpion. It rules over the eighth house of rebirth.

Some qualities associated with Scorpio suns include:

• Deep
• Mysterious
• Loyal
• Ambitious
• Skeptical

The ninth sign of the astrological year is Sagittarius, represented by the Archer (a centaur with a bow and arrow). Sagittarius is ruled by Jupiter, the planet of abundance, and is a mutable fire sign. Sag also rules over the ninth house of growth and expansion.

Sagittarius suns are often known to be:

• Adventurous
• Honest
• Free-spirited
• Knowledge-seeking
• Optimistic

Coming in after Sag, we have Capricorn, a cardinal earth sign ruled by Saturn, the planet of discipline and responsibility. Capricorn is represented by the mythical sea goat and rules over the 10th house of achievement and public reputation.

Capricorn suns are thought to be:

• Status-oriented
• Diligent
• Serious
• Structured
• Wise

Aquarius is the second-to-last sign of the astrological year and is a fixed air sign. Represented by the water-bearer, Aquarius is ruled by Uranus, the planet of innovation and change, while the sign itself rules the 11th house of large groups and networks.

Some telltale Aquarius qualities include:

• Quirky
• Humanitarian
• Innovative
• Optimistic
• Peaceful

Last but never least, we have Pisces, a mutable water sign ruled by Neptune, the planet of illusion and the subconscious. Pisces is represented by two fish swimming together and rules over the 12th house of endings and surrender.

Pisces suns are often thought to be:

• Empathetic
• Psychic
• Dreamy
• Generous
• Naive