As the Earth revolves around the Sun, the fiery center of our solar system appears to move along a path through twelve constellations. This belt of constellations is the zodiac, a word that comes from an ancient Greek phrase meaning “circle of animals.” Within astrology, the zodiac is a system of understanding how planetary forces affect our daily lives.
Your birth chart includes the positions of the Sun, Moon, and all major planets within the zodiac at your moment of birth. Each planet interacts with the distinct energy of its zodiac sign to form the framework of your personality. In your so-called “big three,” the key signs are the following:
Sun (or star), which changes signs about every 30 days
Moon, which changes roughly every 2.5 days
Rising (or ascendant), which changes about every 2 hours
Your Sun sign shows your values and identity, while your Moon sign influences your emotional life. By contrast, your rising sign isn’t a planetary placement—it’s the zodiac sign on the Eastern horizon at your exact birth time. This sign powerfully affects your image and conscious experience of life. In fact, the horoscope for your ascendant is often the most relevant.
In order they are:
Aries (March 21 – April 19)
Taurus (April 20 – May 20)
Gemini (May 21 – June 20)
Cancer (June 21 – July 22)
Leo (July 23 – August 22)
Virgo (August 23 – September 22)
Libra (September 23 – October 22)
Scorpio (October 23 – November 21)
Sagittarius (November 22 – December 21)
Capricorn (December 22 – January 19)
Aquarius (January 20 – February 18)
Pisces (February 19 – March 20)