What Is Your Zodiac Sign Based on Your Date of Birth?

Zodiac sign dates are periods that indicate the astrological sign based on the date of birth, focusing on the day and the month.

Each sign spans approximately one month, and there are twelve zodiac signs in total. However, determining these dates can be confusing due to varying theories.

If you're curious about zodiac sign dates, methods to determine your astrological sign, and interesting related information, continue reading this article.

Astrology Used: Tropical vs Sidereal

Astrologists use different approaches to determine zodiac sign dates, but all consider the ecliptic. This imaginary line in the sky marks our planet's great circle. As Earth constantly moves around the sun and occupies different positions relative to the sun and the constellations, the zodiac signs appear at diverse times.

It takes about one month, or 30 degrees of movement, for the Earth to position the sun in another constellation. The Earth completes a full cycle (360 degrees) in approximately 365 days (one year), returning to the initial point, and the cycle restarts.

Did you know about Earth's wobble? Greek scientist Hipparchus, born around 200 B.C., first noticed this. He observed the sun in a slightly earlier position during each Vernal Equinox. Our planet’s axis rotation changes 1° approximately every 71.5 years, leading to significant differences over time. Currently, this wobble is about 23° compared to several thousand years ago.

Tropical Astrology, established by Ptolemy (a Greek astrologist born about 300 years after Hipparchus), is based on the idea that zodiac signs depend on seasons and constellations formed by fixed stars. In this system, Earth’s wobbles and other differences are irrelevant. Today, we mainly use Tropical dates to determine zodiac signs. However, Sidereal astrology, like Vedic astrology, is gaining popularity. It also has twelve equal areas but is based on movable zodiacs.

How to Determine Your Zodiac Sign?

To find your zodiac sign, simply look at the zodiac sign dates and match them with your birth date. For instance, if you were born on March 23, your zodiac sign would be Aries. Each sign has a start and an end date.

For example, Aries spans from March 21 to April 19. Those born before or after these dates fall under different zodiac signs.

Zodiac Signs According to Tropical Astrology:

Aries (the first sector) — March 21 - April 20;
Taurus (the second sector) — April 21 - May 21;
Gemini (the third sector) — May 22 - June 21;
Cancer (the fourth sector) — June 22 - July 22;
Leo (the fifth sector) — July 23 - August 23;
Virgo (the sixth sector) — August 24 - September 23;
Libra (the seventh sector) — September 24 - October 23;
Scorpio (the eighth sector) — October 24 - November 22;
Sagittarius (the ninth sector) — November 23 - December 21;
Capricorn (the tenth sector) — December 22 - January 20;
Aquarius (the eleventh sector) — January 21 - February 18;
Pisces (the twelfth sector) — February 19 - March 20.

Zodiac Signs According to Sidereal Astrology:

Aries (the first sector ) — April 14 - May 14;
Taurus (the second sector) — May 15 - June 14;
Gemini (the third sector) — June 15 - July 15;
Cancer (the fourth sector) — July 16 - August 16;
Leo (the fifth sector) — August 17 - September 16;
Virgo (the sixth sector) — September 17 - October 16;
Libra (the seventh sector) — October 17 - November 15;
Scorpio (the eighth sector) — November 16 - December 15;
Sagittarius (the ninth sector) — December 16 - January 13;
Capricorn (the tenth sector) — January 14 - February 12;
Aquarius (the eleventh sector) — February 13 - March 12;
Pisces (the twelfth sector) — March 13 - April 13.

Understanding Cusp Dates:

In astrology, a cusp means the imaginary line separating two consecutive zodiac signs. The thing is that while the sun moves from one zodiac sign to another on the same date, there are exceptions. It can actually shift by a day, which depends on the year. If you are born on one of the following dates, you can be considered to be born on a cusp:

Aries or Taurus (April 19 to April 20);
Taurus or Gemini (May 20 to May 21);
Gemini or Cancer (June 20 to June 21);
Cancer or Leo (July 22 to July 23);
Leo or Virgo (August 22 to August 23);
Virgo or Libra (September 22 to September 23);
Libra or Scorpio (October 22 to October 23);
Scorpio or Sagittarius (November 21 to November 22);
Sagittarius or Capricorn (December 21 to December 22);
Capricorn or Aquarius (January 19 to January 20);
Aquarius or Pisces (February 18 to February 19);
Pisces or Aries (March 21 to March 22).

It does not mean that in this case, you will have two signs. You can have only one zodiac sign, and what you need is just to determine which one it is. You can do it if you know that exact time of your birth. It is possible to use special charts where you just need to enter some details to figure out what sign you really are.

The 13th Zodiac Sign: Ophiuchus

Ophiuchus, often referred to as the 13th zodiac sign, is where the sun appears from November 30 to December 18. Even NASA has acknowledged Ophiuchus! However, Western astrology, which doesn't account for shifts or wobbles, still recognizes only twelve zodiac signs based on fixed stars and equal sections around the Sun. Therefore, your zodiac sign likely remains the same as traditionally understood.

Certainly!

Here is a clarification for Point 3 regarding Ophiuchus, the so-called 13th Zodiac sign, which you can add to your article in English:

"Clarification on Ophiuchus, the '13th Zodiac Sign': It's important to note that Ophiuchus, often referred to as the '13th Zodiac Sign,' is not traditionally recognized in the standard Zodiac system used in Western astrology. While the sun does indeed pass through the constellation Ophiuchus after Scorpio and before Sagittarius, this constellation is not included in the traditional 12 Zodiac signs. This is because Western astrology is based on the Tropical Zodiac system, which divides the sky into twelve equal parts, aligning with the changing seasons rather than constellations.

Although Ophiuchus has been acknowledged by astronomers and even by NASA for its position in the ecliptic, its inclusion as a Zodiac sign remains a topic of debate and is not widely accepted in the field of astrology. In essence, the traditional Western astrological system continues to recognize only the twelve conventional Zodiac signs, with each sign corresponding to a specific 30-degree segment of the sky."

This addition should help clarify the status of Ophiuchus in astrology and prevent any confusion among readers who are more familiar with the traditional Western Zodiac system.