Zodiac Signs by Month: The Complete List of Dates & Traits

Introduction

Ever wonder why your zodiac sign doesn't neatly align with the calendar month you were born in? The answer lies in the cosmos. Astrology follows the sun's annual journey through a specific belt of constellations, not our standard monthly calendar. This celestial alignment assigns you one of twelve signs, each representing a distinct energetic signature and personality blueprint.

Understanding your sign is far more than a fun party trick; it offers a deeper look into your core strengths, motivations, and even your communication style. By exploring your sign's ruling element and modality, you can unlock a new layer of self-awareness and better navigate your personal and professional life. This guide breaks down the complete list of zodiac signs by month, including their exact dates, core traits, and symbols, providing a clear map to what your birth date reveals about you, complementing insights you might find in the daily horoscope for all signs.

How Zodiac Sign Dates Are Determined

The dates that define each of the zodiac signs by month are not arbitrary; they are precisely calculated based on the Sun's apparent path through the sky as seen from Earth. This path, known as the ecliptic, travels through the twelve constellations that make up the zodiac. Each year, the Sun spends approximately 30 days transiting through each of these constellations, marking a distinct astrological "season."

Astrology marks the beginning of a new sign at the exact moment the Sun enters a new constellation. For example, Aries season begins around March 21st, which corresponds to the spring equinox and marks the start of the astrological new year. This celestial movement is why the zodiac sign dates don't align perfectly with the start and end of each calendar month. Understanding this astronomical foundation helps explain why your birth month zodiac sign might fall at the beginning or end of a month, sharing it with another sign.

This cosmic clockwork provides the foundational framework for the entire zodiac, with each sign representing a distinct period in the annual cycle. With this celestial context in mind, let's explore the complete list of astrological signs by month and their unique characteristics.

A Complete Guide to the Zodiac Signs by Month

Here is a comprehensive list of the 12 zodiac signs in order, making it easy to discover your astrological sign based on your birth date. Each sign carries its own unique symbol, element, modality, and a rich set of personality traits. While this guide covers core traits, you can explore how these energies play out over time in a detailed monthly horoscope.

Capricorn (December 22 – January 19)

Symbol: The Sea-Goat
Element: Earth
Modality: Cardinal
Personality Traits: Known for their ambition and discipline, Capricorns are practical, patient, and reserved. They are natural goal-setters who value tradition and responsibility, often excelling in corporate or administrative environments. While they can be pessimistic at times, their unwavering determination ensures they almost always reach the top.

Aquarius (January 20 – February 18)

Symbol: The Water Bearer
Element: Air
Modality: Fixed
Personality Traits: Aquarians are independent, original, and forward-thinking humanitarians. They march to the beat of their own drum and are often seen as eccentric visionaries or innovators in fields like technology and social reform. Intellectually driven and deeply concerned with social justice, they can sometimes appear emotionally detached.

Pisces (February 19 – March 20)

Symbol: The Two Fish
Element: Water
Modality: Mutable
Personality Traits: Compassionate, artistic, and intuitive, Pisces are the dreamers of the zodiac. They are deeply empathetic and can easily absorb the emotions of others, making them natural healers and artists. Their gentle and wise nature is balanced by a tendency toward escapism and a desire to avoid harsh realities.

Aries (March 21 – April 19)

Symbol: The Ram
Element: Fire
Modality: Cardinal
Personality Traits: As the first sign of the zodiac, Aries are natural-born leaders and pioneers. They are courageous, determined, and confident, always ready to take on a new challenge with an entrepreneurial spirit. Their enthusiastic and optimistic nature is infectious, though their impatience and impulsiveness can sometimes get them into trouble.

Taurus (April 20 – May 20)

Symbol: The Bull
Element: Earth
Modality: Fixed
Personality Traits: Reliable, patient, and devoted, Taurus individuals appreciate the finer things in life and excel at creating comfort and security. They are grounded and practical, seeking stability in their finances, relationships, and home life. While known for their incredible loyalty, they can also be notoriously stubborn and resistant to change.

Gemini (May 21 – June 20)

Symbol: The Twins
Element: Air
Modality: Mutable
Personality Traits: Geminis are adaptable, curious, and expressive communicators. Their dual nature makes them incredibly versatile and sociable, thriving in fields like marketing, media, and sales. They are quick-witted and love to learn, though their intellectual restlessness can make them easily bored and prone to inconsistency.

Cancer (June 21 – July 22)

Symbol: The Crab
Element: Water
Modality: Cardinal
Personality Traits: Tenacious, highly imaginative, and deeply intuitive, Cancers are the nurturers of the zodiac. They are fiercely loyal to their loved ones and value home and family above all else, often taking on caregiving roles. Their emotional depth is a great strength, but they can also be moody and insecure, often retreating into their "shell" for protection.

Leo (July 23 – August 22)

Symbol: The Lion
Element: Fire
Modality: Fixed
Personality Traits: Leos are creative, passionate, and generous leaders who love to be in the spotlight. Their warm-hearted and cheerful nature draws people to them, making them natural performers and motivators. Confident and dramatic, they have a flair for leadership, though they must watch out for arrogance and inflexibility.

Virgo (August 23 – September 22)

Symbol: The Virgin
Element: Earth
Modality: Mutable
Personality Traits: Practical, analytical, and hardworking, Virgos pay meticulous attention to detail. They have a deep-seated desire to be of service to others, excelling in fields that require precision, such as healthcare, research, and editing. Their methodical approach to life is highly effective, but they can be overly critical of themselves and others.

Libra (September 23 – October 22)

Symbol: The Scales
Element: Air
Modality: Cardinal
Personality Traits: Diplomatic, fair-minded, and social, Libras seek harmony and balance in all things. They are natural peacemakers who excel in partnerships and social situations, often drawn to careers in law, design, or counseling. Their love of beauty and cooperation is a defining feature, though they can be indecisive and avoid confrontation.

Scorpio (October 23 – November 21)

Symbol: The Scorpion
Element: Water
Modality: Fixed
Personality Traits: Resourceful, brave, and passionate, Scorpios are true friends and powerful leaders. They are decisive and determined, unafraid to probe for the truth in any situation, making them excellent researchers or psychologists. Their intense and mysterious nature is magnetic, but they can also be jealous and secretive.

Sagittarius (November 22 – December 21)

Symbol: The Archer
Element: Fire
Modality: Mutable
Personality Traits: Generous, idealistic, and possessing a great sense of humor, Sagittarians have an insatiable thirst for adventure and knowledge. Their philosophical and open-minded view of the world makes them eternal optimists, often drawn to travel, teaching, and publishing. They value freedom above all else, which can sometimes lead them to be impatient and promise more than they can deliver.

While these date ranges provide a clear guide, some people are born on the day the Sun moves from one sign to another. This placement often leads to a common question about being on the "cusp."

What Does It Mean to Be Born on the Cusp?

Being "born on the cusp" refers to having a birthday that falls on the day of transition between two zodiac signs by month and date. For example, if you were born on January 20th, you might wonder if you are a Capricorn or an Aquarius. While it's common to feel you possess traits from both signs, in formal astrology, the Sun can only be in one sign at any given time.

To determine your true sun sign with certainty, you need to know the exact time and location of your birth. The Sun's shift from one sign to the next happens at a specific moment, not over a full day. A professional astrologer or an online birth chart calculator can use your precise birth information to tell you definitively which sign the Sun occupied when you were born. Even if you are technically an early-degree Aquarius, you may still resonate with the late-degree Capricorn traits you were born near.

Understanding your primary sun sign is just the beginning. Deeper layers of astrology, such as the elemental and modal classifications, offer even richer insights into your personality’s core operating system.

Uncovering Deeper Astrological Insights: Elements and Modalities

Beyond the individual star signs by month, astrology groups the 12 signs into foundational categories that reveal fundamental aspects of your personality. The two most important groupings are the four elements and the three modalities. Together, they explain the core energy and operational style of each sign, providing a more nuanced understanding of your astrological blueprint.

The Four Zodiac Elements

The elements describe the basic temperament, motivation, and orientation of the signs. Each element governs three signs, creating a natural synergy and a shared energetic language between them.

Fire Signs (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius): These signs are known for their passion, energy, creativity, and enthusiasm. They are action-oriented, spontaneous, and inspirational, but can sometimes be impulsive or ego-driven.
Earth Signs (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn): Grounded, practical, and reliable, these signs are focused on the tangible, material world. They are patient builders who seek stability and security but can become stubborn or overly cautious.
Air Signs (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius): These signs are intellectual, communicative, and social. Driven by ideas, relationships, and information, they are rational and objective but may sometimes come across as detached or superficial.
Water Signs (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces): Intuitive, emotional, and highly imaginative, these signs are connected to the realm of feelings and the subconscious. Their emotional depth influences how they approach relationships, an area further explored in a daily love horoscope. They are compassionate and empathetic but can be moody, overly sensitive, or easily overwhelmed.

The Three Zodiac Modalities

The modalities describe how the signs express their energy and approach life. Each modality includes one sign from each of the four elements, representing different modes of operation.

Cardinal Signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn): These signs are the initiators of the zodiac. They kick off each of the four seasons and are known for being enterprising, ambitious, and proactive leaders who start new projects.
Fixed Signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius): These signs are the stabilizers. Occurring in the middle of each season, they are determined, persistent, and reliable. They excel at sustaining projects and seeing them through to completion but can be resistant to change.
Mutable Signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces): These signs are the adapters. They end each season and are known for their flexibility, resourcefulness, and ability to handle change. They are versatile communicators who can see situations from multiple perspectives and facilitate transitions.

Conclusion

The zodiac is a complex system rooted in the Sun’s annual journey, where each sign is defined not just by a date range but by its unique combination of element and modality. Understanding this celestial framework reveals that astrology offers more than simple personality traits; it provides a nuanced language for interpreting our core energies and how we interact with the world. While knowing your sun sign is a powerful starting point, appreciating the roles of fire, earth, air, and water, alongside cardinal, fixed, and mutable qualities, unlocks a far deeper level of self-awareness.

Looking ahead, the true value of this knowledge lies in its application. Your astrological sign is not a rigid label dictating your fate but a dynamic tool for personal growth. By understanding your inherent strengths and potential challenges, you can navigate relationships more empathetically and make career choices that align with your natural talents. This forward-looking perspective is often expanded upon in a yearly horoscope, which can offer guidance for the months ahead. The real question isn’t simply what your sign is—but how you will use its insights to consciously create a more fulfilling and intentional life.