Western Zodiac Sign Calculator
Enter a birth date to find the Western (tropical) zodiac sun sign, its date range, element, quality and ruling planet.
How it works
the sun sign is the tropical zodiac band the birth date falls in — e.g. Aries Mar 21–Apr 19, Cancer Jun 21–Jul 22, Capricorn Dec 22–Jan 19
The Western (tropical) zodiac divides the year into twelve signs by date, each linked to one of four elements (Fire, Earth, Air, Water) and one of three qualities (Cardinal, Fixed, Mutable) and a traditional ruling planet. Because the boundaries fall on fixed calendar dates, your sun sign depends only on the month and day of birth. Dates on the very edge of a sign (a “cusp”) can shift by a day between years in strict astronomical astrology, but the common date ranges used here are the widely published ones.
Worked example
July 15 falls between June 21 and July 22, so it is Cancer — a cardinal water sign ruled by the Moon, symbol ♋.
Frequently asked questions
What if I was born on a cusp?
The common date ranges are fixed, but the exact moment the Sun changes sign shifts by up to a day between years. If your birthday sits on a boundary date, an astronomical chart cast for your birth time gives the definitive sign.
What do element and quality mean?
Every sign has one of four elements (Fire, Earth, Air, Water) and one of three qualities or modalities (Cardinal, Fixed, Mutable). Together they group the twelve signs into shared traits used throughout astrology.
Is this the same as my Chinese zodiac?
No. This is the Western sun sign based on your birth date within the year. The Chinese zodiac assigns an animal by birth year on a 12-year cycle — a separate system.
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This calculator is for educational purposes. Double-check important results before acting on them.