Astrology is one of the oldest fields of knowledge about human beings. For centuries philosophers, astrologers and spiritual teachers observed the sky, developed theories and wondered what it says about our character and our relationships. Every generation adds something new, but the foundations remain the same: twelve zodiac signs, four elements and three modalities.
Every sign has individual traits and traits it shares with other signs. Understanding these shared elements – element, modality and polarity – helps you read not only your own character but also why you click with some people straight away while with others you have to work at it.
Daily, weekly and yearly horoscopes for every sign are in the Zodiac signs section.
Zodiac signs – dates, elements and rulers
| Sign | Dates | Element | Modality | Ruler |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aries | March 21 – April 19 | Fire | cardinal | Mars |
| Taurus | April 20 – May 20 | Earth | fixed | Venus |
| Gemini | May 21 – June 20 | Air | mutable | Mercury |
| Cancer | June 21 – July 22 | Water | cardinal | Moon |
| Leo | July 23 – August 22 | Fire | fixed | Sun |
| Virgo | August 23 – September 22 | Earth | mutable | Mercury |
| Libra | September 23 – October 22 | Air | cardinal | Venus |
| Scorpio | October 23 – November 21 | Water | fixed | Pluto (traditionally Mars) |
| Sagittarius | November 22 – December 21 | Fire | mutable | Jupiter |
| Capricorn | December 22 – January 19 | Earth | cardinal | Saturn |
| Aquarius | January 20 – February 18 | Air | fixed | Uranus (traditionally Saturn) |
| Pisces | February 19 – March 20 | Water | mutable | Neptune (traditionally Jupiter) |
Zodiac sign characteristics
Aries (March 21 – April 19)
A strong-willed individualist with tireless energy. Acts fast, thinks realistically and is not afraid of challenges. Can be impatient, but is honest and brave. Aries in love →
Taurus (April 20 – May 20)
Calm, persevering and sensual. Values security, beauty and material comfort, and often has artistic talents. Can be stubborn and attached to habits. Taurus in love →
Gemini (May 21 – June 20)
Quick-witted, funny and excellent at making contacts. Learns fast and adapts easily to new situations. Sometimes lacks the patience to explore a topic in depth. Gemini in love →
Cancer (June 21 – July 22)
Sensitive, intuitive and caring. Has a vivid imagination and a strong attachment to home. Easily hurt, so it protects itself with reserve. Cancer in love →
Leo (July 23 – August 22)
Good-natured, generous and ambitious. Has a clear influence on those around it and likes to be the centre of attention. Has sound judgement, although its pride can challenge loved ones. Leo in love →
Virgo (August 23 – September 22)
Practical, careful and hard-working. Has an analytical mind and a strong sense of duty, and is caring and conscientious in relationships. Can be critical – of itself as well. Virgo in love →
Libra (September 23 – October 22)
Tactful, fair and full of charm. Seeks harmony and beauty and has many friends and admirers. Its challenge is making decisions. Libra in love →
Scorpio (October 23 – November 21)
Intense, determined and deep. Knows what it wants and pursues it consistently. Gives loved ones a lot of warmth and energy, although it can be secretive and jealous. Scorpio in love →
Sagittarius (November 22 – December 21)
Brave, optimistic and enterprising. Has broad horizons and a sharp mind, and loves travel and freedom. Honest – sometimes to a fault. Sagittarius in love →
Capricorn (December 22 – January 19)
Prudent, ambitious and trustworthy. Can achieve almost anything through patience and discipline. May seem distant at first glance. Capricorn in love →
Aquarius (January 20 – February 18)
Original, open and independent. Has many interests and talents, and its presence has a calming effect on others. Values friendship and freedom above convention. Aquarius in love →
Pisces (February 19 – March 20)
Sensitive, empathetic and full of imagination. Guided by intuition and able to empathise like few others. Can be insecure and prone to idealising. Pisces in love →
The four elements
Every zodiac sign belongs to one of four elements. Each sign has its main element, but traces of the other elements appear in everyone’s birth chart.
The Fire element
Signs: Aries, Leo, Sagittarius.
Fire signs approach life with enthusiasm and joy. They are spontaneous, brave and easily carried away by emotion – their anger can be spectacular but passes quickly. They find sadness and low moods harder to cope with. When Fire is missing from a birth chart, a person can be more passive and find it hard to show feelings.
The Earth element
Signs: Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn.
Earth signs take a practical, material approach to the world. They are sensible, patient and often conservative in their views, and their dreams turn into concrete plans and results. A lack of Earth in a birth chart makes it harder to adapt to the realities of everyday life.
The Air element
Signs: Gemini, Libra, Aquarius.
Air signs are logical, objective and communicative. They live on ideas, conversation and relationships with people, although deep emotional intimacy can be harder for them. A lack of Air in a birth chart can make organising and planning difficult.
The Water element
Signs: Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces.
Water signs experience the world above all emotionally and intuitively. They have great imagination, sensitivity and the ability to empathise with others. When Water is missing from a birth chart, emotional coolness appears, along with difficulty understanding feelings – one’s own and other people’s.
The three modalities
Cardinal modality
Signs: Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn.
People with a cardinal nature are creative, active and good at starting new ventures. They pursue their goals consistently, although their enthusiasm can burn out quickly. A lack of this modality makes it hard to get going.
Fixed modality
Signs: Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius.
The fixed modality means perseverance: these people finish what they start and do not overreach. Their challenge is adapting to change – even small change. A lack of this modality makes it hard to see things through.
Mutable modality
Signs: Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces.
The mutable modality brings flexibility: the ability to adapt to new circumstances, openness and readiness to change oneself. A lack of this modality can lead to rigidity and difficulty with creative work.
Polarity
The third trait is polarity. Fire and Air signs have positive (extroverted) polarity: they are more turned towards the outside world, sociable and objective. Earth and Water signs have negative (introverted) polarity: they are more inward-looking, reflective and subjective. Neither is better – they are simply two ways of experiencing the world.
How to work out your dominant element
Your zodiac sign is the position of the Sun on the day you were born – but in a birth chart every planet is located in some sign. That is why someone born an Aries can in practice be very “watery”, and a Cancer surprisingly fiery. To find out which element, modality and polarity dominate your chart, you can use a simple points method:
- Sun – 4 points (it determines your zodiac sign),
- Moon – 3 points,
- Mercury, Venus, Mars – 2 points each,
- Jupiter, Saturn – 1 point each,
- Uranus, Neptune, Pluto – 0 points (they move so slowly that they describe whole generations rather than individuals).
Assign each planet’s points to the element, modality and polarity of the sign it is in, then add up the results. The element with the highest total is your dominant one – it often describes your temperament more accurately than your Sun sign alone. It is also a good reminder that a full horoscope always takes the positions of all the planets into account, not just the zodiac sign.
Frequently asked questions
How many zodiac signs and elements are there?
Western astrology has 12 zodiac signs divided into 4 elements – Fire, Earth, Air and Water – with three signs in each. Every sign also has one of three modalities: cardinal, fixed or mutable.
What does the modality of a zodiac sign mean?
The modality (also called quality) describes a way of acting: cardinal signs initiate, fixed signs consolidate and mutable signs adapt to change.
Why doesn’t the description of my sign fit me?
Your zodiac sign is only the position of the Sun. Your character is also shaped by the Moon, the planets and the ascendant. If a different element dominates your birth chart than the element of your Sun sign, you may resemble the description of that other element more closely.
See also which zodiac signs are most compatible.