Each month holds two zodiac signs, not one, because the signs change between about the 19th and the 23rd of every month. January is Capricorn until the 19th and Aquarius from the 20th, February is Aquarius and then Pisces, March is Pisces and then Aries, and so on round the year. Your birth month narrows your sign to two; the day settles it.
Zodiac signs by month: the full table
| Month | First sign | Second sign |
|---|---|---|
| January | Capricorn (1 to 19) | Aquarius (20 to 31) |
| February | Aquarius (1 to 18) | Pisces (19 to 28, or 29) |
| March | Pisces (1 to 20) | Aries (21 to 31) |
| April | Aries (1 to 19) | Taurus (20 to 30) |
| May | Taurus (1 to 20) | Gemini (21 to 31) |
| June | Gemini (1 to 20) | Cancer (21 to 30) |
| July | Cancer (1 to 22) | Leo (23 to 31) |
| August | Leo (1 to 22) | Virgo (23 to 31) |
| September | Virgo (1 to 22) | Libra (23 to 30) |
| October | Libra (1 to 22) | Scorpio (23 to 31) |
| November | Scorpio (1 to 21) | Sagittarius (22 to 30) |
| December | Sagittarius (1 to 21) | Capricorn (22 to 31) |
These are the dates this site uses. The exact changeover moves by a day in some years, so if you were born on the day a sign starts or ends, check the Sun's position in a free birth chart rather than trusting any table, ours included. Our guide to zodiac cusp signs explains why the line shifts.
Why the signs don't start on the 1st
Months and signs run on different clocks. Our months come from the Roman calendar, reformed by Julius Caesar and again under Pope Gregory XIII, and their start dates are a matter of civic habit. The zodiac signs are measured from a point in Earth's orbit instead.
That point is the March equinox, the moment the Sun crosses the celestial equator heading north. It marks 0 degrees Aries, and each sign covers the next 30 degrees of the Sun's yearly path. The Sun moves about one degree a day, so a sign lasts about a month, but it starts wherever the equinox lands, which is around March 20.
The other turning points of the year fall into line. Cancer begins at the June solstice, Libra at the September equinox and Capricorn at the December solstice. Astrologers call these four the cardinal signs, the ones that open each season, and because the solstices and equinoxes fall in the third week of their months, so does the start of every sign.
Month by month: the two signs in each
January: Capricorn, then Aquarius
Born January 1 to 19, you're a Capricorn, an earth sign ruled by Saturn: planner, builder, keeper of long lists. From January 20 you're an Aquarius, an air sign ruled by Uranus (traditionally Saturn), more interested in ideas and friends than in the ladder.
February: Aquarius, then Pisces
Aquarius holds February until the 18th. From the 19th it's Pisces, a water sign ruled by Neptune (traditionally Jupiter), and the mood turns from cool curiosity to imagination and sympathy. Leap-day babies, born on February 29, are always Pisces.
March: Pisces, then Aries
Pisces runs to March 20, and then the zodiac starts over. Aries, from March 21, is the first sign: cardinal fire, ruled by Mars, quick to begin and impatient to get going.
April: Aries, then Taurus
Aries keeps April until the 19th. Taurus takes over on the 20th, a fixed earth sign ruled by Venus, and the pace slows from a sprint to a stroll.
May: Taurus, then Gemini
Taurus lasts until May 20. Gemini, from May 21, is mutable air ruled by Mercury: talkative, curious and happiest with two things on the go.
June: Gemini, then Cancer
Gemini covers June to the 20th. Cancer, from June 21, is a cardinal water sign ruled by the Moon, with home and family close to its heart.
July: Cancer, then Leo
Cancer runs to July 22. Leo, from July 23, is fixed fire ruled by the Sun: warm, generous and made for a stage of some size.
August: Leo, then Virgo
Leo holds August until the 22nd. Virgo, from August 23, is mutable earth ruled by Mercury, and attention turns to detail, usefulness and doing things properly.
September: Virgo, then Libra
Virgo lasts to September 22. Libra starts on the 23rd, close to the equinox: cardinal air ruled by Venus, with an eye for balance and fair play.
October: Libra, then Scorpio
Libra runs to October 22. Scorpio, from October 23, is fixed water ruled by Pluto (traditionally Mars): private, loyal and intense.
November: Scorpio, then Sagittarius
Scorpio holds November to the 21st. Sagittarius, from November 22, is mutable fire ruled by Jupiter, frank and restless and fond of the long view.
December: Sagittarius, then Capricorn
Sagittarius lasts until December 21. Capricorn starts on December 22, close to the solstice, and carries on into January, so late-December and mid-January birthdays share a sign.
Why some signs are longer than others
Count the days in the table and the signs aren't equal. Earth's orbit is slightly oval, and Earth moves fastest when it's closest to the Sun, in early January. Seen from here, the Sun seems to hurry through the winter signs and dawdle through the summer ones, so Capricorn lasts about 29 and a half days while Cancer lasts about 31 and a half.
That small difference has a visible effect. Capricorn, short and full of holidays, turns up as the least common sign in US birth records, as our article on the rarest zodiac sign explains.
Birth months have other traditions
Birth months come with customs of their own, and they're easy to mix up with the zodiac because both run in twelves.
- Birthstones follow the calendar month, not the sign. Our birthstones by month guide has the modern and traditional lists.
- Birth flowers follow the month too, and they're a different list from the flowers usually linked with each sign. Our guide to zodiac sign flowers sets the two side by side.
The southern hemisphere uses the same sign dates. Aries still begins at the March equinox even though March brings autumn there, because the Western zodiac is measured from the equinox point, not from the local weather. For what each sign is like, see our zodiac signs pages.
Questions readers ask
What zodiac sign is January?
January is two signs: Capricorn from January 1 to 19 and Aquarius from January 20 to 31. Anyone born on the 19th or 20th should check a birth chart, because the changeover can move by a day.
Is my birth month enough to tell my zodiac sign?
Not on its own. The month narrows it to two signs and the day decides. If your birthday is the first or last day of a sign, the birth time may matter too. Our guide to what your zodiac sign is walks through it.
What sign is someone born at the end of a month?
Usually the sign that starts around the 19th to 23rd. Late March is Aries, late June is Cancer, late September is Libra and late December is Capricorn.
Which zodiac signs belong to each season?
In the northern hemisphere, spring holds Aries, Taurus and Gemini; summer holds Cancer, Leo and Virgo; autumn holds Libra, Scorpio and Sagittarius; and winter holds Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces. Each season opens with a cardinal sign, peaks with a fixed sign and closes with a mutable one.
