zodiac, in astronomy and astrology, a belt around the heavens extending 9° on either side of the ecliptic, the plane of Earth’s orbit and of the Sun’s apparent annual path. The orbits of the Moon and of the principal planets also lie entirely within the zodiac. The 12 astrological signs of the zodiac are each considered to occupy 1/12 (or 30°) of its great circle. These signs no longer correspond to the astronomical constellations in which the Sun actually appears. The constellations are irregular in size and shape, and the Sun regularly passes through one constellation (Ophiuchus) that is not considered a member of the zodiac.
Because most of the constellations through which the ecliptic passes represent animals, the ancient Greeks called its zone zōdiakos kyklos, “circle of animals,” or ta zōdia, “the little animals.” The size and number of zodiacal constellations varied in antiquity and became fixed only with the development of mathematical astronomy. The list below gives the constellations of the zodiac, with the dates of the Sun’s passage through them in the era when their boundaries were fixed. These dates are still used for the astrological signs, though precession of the equinoxes has shifted the constellations eastward; e.g., on January 1 the direction of the sun is now in Sagittarius instead of Capricornus. The history of the symbols is unknown; they seem to appear first in Greek manuscripts of the late Middle Ages.
♈ Aries (Ram): March 21–April 19
♉ Taurus (Bull): April 20–May 20
♊ Gemini (Twins): May 21–June 21
♋ Cancer (Crab): June 22–July 22
♌ Leo (Lion): July 23–August 22
♍ Virgo (Virgin): August 23–September 22
♎ Libra (Balance): September 23–October 23
♏ Scorpius (Scorpion): October 24–November 21
♐ Sagittarius (Archer): November 22–December 21
♑ Capricornus (Goat): December 22–January 19
♒ Aquarius (Water Bearer): January 20–February 18
♓ Pisces (Fish): February 19–March 20
BASICS
Symbol: The ram
Dates: March 20 – April 19 for 2021. Get the app to check your birth year.
Element: Fire
Modality: Cardinal
Ruling planet: Mars
ARIES TRAITS
No filter
Gets angry, then forgets why they were angry
Thinks everything is a game they can win
Will do anything on a dare
Easily bored
FAMOUS ARIES
- Mariah Carey
- Jackie Chan
- Leonardo
- DaVinci
- Charles
- Baudelaire
- Harry Houdini
- Cesar Chavez
- Andrei
- Tarkovsky
Ilana Glazer
BEST CAREERS
- Stunt double
- Part time punk
- Pro wrestler
- Petty thief
- Cereal box
- mascot
BASICS
Symbol: The Bull
Dates: April 19 – May 20 for 2021. Get the app to check your birth year.
Element: Earth
Modality: Fixed
Ruling planet: Venus
TAURUS TRAITS
Just wants to cuddle
Homebody
All or nothing, no in between
Wears the same outfit everyday
Hates big changes
FAMOUS TAURUS
- Karl Marx
- Malcolm X
- Audrey Hepburn
- William
- Shakespeare
- James Brown
- Grace Jones
- Mr. T
- John Waters
BEST CAREERS
Hermit in the woods
Wall to bump up against
Food blogger
Sleep study participant
Sweatpants model
BASICS
Symbol: The Twins
Dates: May 20 – June 21 for 2021. Get the app to check your birth year.
Element: Air
Modality: Mutable
Ruling planet: Mercury
GEMINI TRAITS
Charismatic
Uses humor as a crutch
Could talk to a brick wall
Arguments as flirting
Knows a little about everything
FAMOUS GEMINIS
- Kanye West
- Kendrick Lamar
- Jean-Paul
- Sartre
- Allen Ginsberg
- Thomas Mann
- Prince
- Laurie Anderson
- Stevie Nicks
BEST CAREERS
Likable politician
Actor who plays a quirky side character
Devil’s Advocate
Bubble gum wrapper joke writer
Twitter personality
BASICS
Symbol: The crab
Dates: June 21 – July 22 for 2021. Get the app to check your birth year.
Element: Water
Modality: Cardinal
Ruling planet: The Moon
CANCER TRAITS
Very sensitive
Seeks comfort
Forgives but never forgets
Only has one boundary, but it is very firm
Takes on other people’s problems
FAMOUS CANCERS
- Ariana Grande
- Frida Kahlo
- Marcel Proust
- Assata Shakur
- Stokely
- Carmichael
- Franz Kafka
- Patrice
- Lumumba
- Emma Goldman
BEST CAREERS
Emotional packmule
Caretaker for lost skaters
That one influential elementary school teacher
“Free hugs” booth (ASMR “I’m your friend and I’m hugging you”)
Metaphorical heart surgeon
BASICS
Symbol: The Lion
Dates: July 22 – August 22 for 2021. Get the app to check your birth year.
Element: Fire
Modality: Fixed
Ruling planet: The Sun
LEO TRAITS
Exudes warmth and creativity
A little bit vain
Really big personality
Wants to stand out
Interested in luxury
FAMOUS LEOS
- Kobe Bryant
- James Baldwin
- Kylie Jenner
- Coco Chanel
- Kate Bush
- Lil Yachty
- Duchamp
- Charli XCX
BEST CAREERS
Chanteuse
B-list actor
Motivational speaker
Autobiographical author
Style icon
BASICS
Symbol: The Virgin
Dates: August 22 – September 22 for 2021. Get the app to check your birth year.
Element: Earth
Modality: Mutable
Ruling planet: Mercury
VIRGO TRAITS
Needs to feel useful
Has a quick fix for everything
Judgmental, but with good intentions
Exceptional spatial awareness
A million ideas per second
FAMOUS VIRGOS
- Fred Hampton
- Bernie Sanders
- Agatha Christie
- Mary Shelley
- D. H. Lawrence
- Georges Bataille
- Antonin Artaud
- Marsha P.
- Johnson
BEST CAREERS
Hot librarian
Tupperware for other people’s messes
Walking encyclopedia
Human GPS
One-person welcome committee
BASICS
Symbol: The Scales
Dates: September 22 – October 23 for 2021. Get the app to check your birth year.
Element: Air
Modality: Cardinal
Ruling planet: Venus
LIBRA TRAITS
Hates being alone
Really good aesthetics
Conflict avoidant
Sees every side
Prone to fantasy
Can’t make decisions
FAMOUS LIBRAS
- Michel Foucault
- Friedrich
- Nietzsche
- Kim Kardashian
- Donald Glover
- Gwyneth
- Paltrow
- Neil DeGrasse
- Tyson
- Nico
- Arthur Rimbaud
BEST CAREERS
Hivemind
Socialite
Instagram model
Muse
Mediator
BASICS
Symbol: The scorpion
Dates: October 23 – November 22 for 2021. Get the app to check your birth year.
Element: Water
Modality: Fixed
Ruling planet: Pluto
SCORPIO TRAITS
Primary emotion is betrayal
Looks cool in a leather jacket
OK with uncomfortable silence
Can’t be sure if they’re serious or joking
Eyes that look into your soul
FAMOUS SCORPIOS
- Leonardo
- DiCaprio
- Charles Manson
- Marie
- Antoinette
- Frank Ocean
- Albert Camus
- Fyodor
- Dostoevsky
- Sylvia Plath
- Björk
BEST CAREERS
Con artist
Puppet master
Brooding protagonist
Poltergeist
Cult leader
BASICS
Symbol: The Archer
Dates: November 22 – December 21 for 2021. Get the app to check your birth year.
Element: Fire
Modality: Mutable
Ruling planet: Jupiter
SAGITTARIUS TRAITS
No indoor voice
Forms opinions off of pure emotion
Obsessed with self-improvement
Wields their truth like a blunt weapon
Friendliest person at the party
FAMOUS SAGITTARIUS
- Chadwick
- Boseman
- Nicki Minaj
- Jane Austen
- Jean Michel
- Basquiat
- Nostradamus
- Emily Dickinson
- Diego Rivera
- Friedrich Engels
BEST CAREERS
Foreign correspondent
Health fad guru
Karaoke Emcee
Club Kid
Unauthorized Anthropologist
BASICS
Symbol: The sea goat
Dates: December 21 – January 20 for 2021. Get the app to check your birth year.
Element: Earth
Modality: Cardinal
Ruling planet: Saturn
CAPRICORN TRAITS
Full grown adult since age six
The responsible friend
Motivated by duty
Takes a while to warm up to people
Represses any emotion that gets in the way of success
FAMOUS CAPRICORNS
- Martin Luther
- King Jr.
- Jeff Bezos
- Timothee
- Chalamet
- Michelle Obama
- Dolly Parton
- Mao Zedong
- Hayao Miyazaki
- Edgar Allan Poe
BEST CAREERS
Accountant
Lawyer
Landlord
Sisyphus
Elementary school hall monitor
BASICS
Symbol: The Water Bearer
Dates: January 19 – February 18 for 2021. Get the app to check your birth year.
Element: Air
Modality: Fixed
Ruling planet: Uranus
AQUARIUS TRAITS
Purposefully esoteric
Doesn’t ‘do’ feelings, just concepts
Actually believes in conspiracy theories
More in love with humanity as a whole than individuals
Always feels like an outcast
Fetishizes personal freedom
FAMOUS AQUARIUS
- Angela Davis
- Virginia Woolf
- Frederick
- Douglas
- Michael Jordan
- Yoko Ono
- Grigori Rasputin
- Huey P. Newton
- James Joyce
- Audre Lorde
BEST CAREERS
Professional dilettante
Bohemian
Casual anthropologist
Rioter and looter
Artificial Intelligence
Armchair philosopher
BASICS
Symbol: The fishes
Dates: February 18 – March 20 for 2021. Get the app to check your birth year.
Element: Water
Modality: Mutable
Ruling planet: Neptune
PISCES TRAITS
Somehow both 5 and 50 years old at once
Thinks everything is a sign
Can’t remember if they dreamt it or it actually happened
Excessively romantic
Prone to fantasy
No boundaries
FAMOUS PISCES
- Nina Simone
- Pier Paolo
- Pasolini
- Genesis P.
- Orridge
- Gabriel Garcia
- Marquez
- Anais Nin
- Rihanna
- Victor Hugo
- Rosa
- Luxemburg
BEST CAREERS
Volunteer therapist
Curbside fortune teller
Amateur poet
Sad clown
Orb of light
Vapor (?)
