The Twelve Zodiac Signs

What are the Signs?

The wise people of ancient times learned a lot from star gazing. They identified group of stars that looked like certain shapes and named them. These shapes were later called constellations. There are 88 constellations, but only twelve are on the ecliptic line – the path on which the sun appears to travel throughout the year. Obviously, the sun does not really travel, but since earth orbits the sun, when we look at the sun from earth, it looks like the sun is moving from one constellation to another.

Each one of the twelve constellations on the ecliptic line represents a zodiac sign. 

Ruling Planets

Each zodiac sign is ruled by one cosmic body – the sun, the moon, one of the planets or Pluto. The ruling cosmic body gives its qualities to the sign it rules. For example, Cancer is ruled by the Moon. The moon relates to the emotional and domestic realms. Therefore the sign of Cancer is considered emotional and family oriented.

There are cosmic bodies that rule more than one sign. For instance, Venus rules both Taurus and Libra. In this case, Taurus gets the more earthly qualities of Venus, since it is an earth sign, while Libra gets the airy qualities of Venus, since it is an air sign. Some zodiac signs are ruled by two cosmic bodies, one primary and one secondary or traditional. For example, the primary ruler of Aquarius is Uranus, and the traditional ruler is Saturn.

You can learn more about it on the cosmic body page.

Signs Categories

Each sign relates to one of the four elements – fire, earth, air and water, and to one of the three modalities – cardinal, fixed, mutable. Each sign is a unique combination of an element and a modality. Elements explains the essential qualities of the signs. Modalities explain the purpose to which these qualities are harnessed. 

For more information on elements and modalities please check the four elements page and the three modalities page.

Signs and Houses

Each sign is associated with a specific astrological house, according to its order on the zodiac wheel. Aries is the first sign and Pisces is the last sign. For example, Gemini is the third sign of the zodiac and is therefore associated with the third house.

Signs in Chart Reading

When reading a chart, we look at the position of the different cosmic bodies in the signs and houses. “Your sign” is the sign where the sun was at the moment of your birth. But there is a huge significance to the position of all other cosmic bodies, especially the moon and the personal planets -Mercury, Venus and Mars. The rising sign, which is the sign on the eastern horizon at your moment of birth, and the signs of other cardinal points, are also important (see more information on cardinal points on the birth chart page). 

The cosmic bodies represent different aspects of your personality. The signs in which they are placed, represent the way in which these personality aspects are expressed. For example, Mercury represents the way you think. If your Mercury is in Taurus, your thinking is slow, steady, and practical, as these are the qualities of Taurus. If, however, your Mercury is in Pisces, your way of thinking will be Piscean – dreamy, creative and poetic.  

The ABCs of the Zodiac Signs

Aries
Taurus
Gemini

Keyword:

Physicality
Stability
Sociability
Essence:
Initiative, assertive, energetic, direct, honest, impulsive, independent, physical.
Practical, slow, steady, stable, gentle, sensual, love routine and simplicity, need security.
Gifted communicators, curious, speedy, intellectual, sociable, playful, live inside their heads.
Categories:
Fire, Cardinal
Earth, Fixed
Air, Mutable
Ruled By:
Mars
Venus
Mercury
Rules:
First House
Second House
Third House
Aries
Keyword:
Physicality
Essence:
Initiative, assertive, energetic, direct, honest, impulsive, independent, physical.
Categories:
Fire, Cardinal
Ruled By:
Mars
Rules:
First House
Taurus
Keyword:
Stability
Essence:
Practical, slow, steady, stable, gentle, sensual, love routine and simplicity, need security.
Categories:
Earth, Fixed
Ruled By:
Venus
Rules:
Second House
Gemini
Keyword:
Sociability
Essence:
Gifted communicators, curious, speedy, intellectual, sociable, playful, live inside their heads.
Categories:
Air, Mutable
Ruled By:
Mercury
Rules:
Third House
Cancer
Keyword:
Emotions
Essence:
Sensitive, emotional, intuitive, home-and-family-oriented, healers, relate to the human experience.
Categories:
Water, Cardinal
Ruled By:
Mercury
Rules:
Forth House
Leo
Keyword:
Willpower
Essence:
Leaders, creative, passionate, joyful, colorful, love drama and to be center stage, love parenting.
Categories:
Fire, Fixed
Ruled By:
Sun
Rules:
Fifth House
Virgo
Keyword:
Analysis
Essence:
Analytical, smart, social, sensual, service-oriented, observant, critical, organized, clean.
Categories:
Earth, Mutable
Ruled By:
Mercury
Rules:
Sixth House
Libra
Keyword:
Harmony
Essence:
Charming, artistic, popular, relationship-oriented, peace makers, diplomats, seek harmony.
Categories:
Air, Cardinal
Ruled By:
Venus
Rules:
Seventh House
Scorpio
Keyword:
Depth
Essence:
Intense, deep, sexual, sensual, transformative, understand the human psychology, private, love mysteries.
Categories:
Water, Fixed
Ruled By:
Pluto
Rules:
Eighth House
Sagittarius
Keyword:
Freedom
Essence:
Optimists, free-spirited, eternal student and teacher, philosophers, indulgent, spiritual, travelers.
Categories:
Fire, Mutable
Ruled By:
Jupiter
Rules:
Ninth House
Capricorn
Keyword:
Success
Essence:
leaders, ambitious, responsible, career driven, disciplined, achievers.
Categories:
Earth, Cardinal
Ruled By:
Saturn
Rules:
Tenth House
Aquarius
Keyword:
Advancement
Essence:
Unique, humanitarian, rebellious, futurists, brilliant, creative, spiritual, observant.
Categories:
Air, Fixed
Ruled By:
Uranus
Rules:
Eleventh House
Pisces
Keyword:
Compassion
Essence:
Spiritual, compassionate, mystical, creative, poetic, dreamers.
Categories:
Water, Mutable
Ruled By:
Neptune,
Rules:
Twelfth House
Cancer
Leo
Virgo
Keyword:
Emotions
Willpower
Analysis
Essence:
Emotional, sensitive, intuitive, home-and-family-oriented, healers, relate to the human experience.
Leaders, creative, passionate, joyful, colorful, love drama and to be center stage, love parenting.
Analytical, smart, social, sensual, service-oriented, observant, critical, organized, clean.
Categories:
Water, Cardinal
Fire, Fixed
Earth, Mutable
Ruled By:
Moon
Sun
Mercury
Ruled House:
Forth House
Fifth House
Sixth House
Libra
Scorpio
Sagittarius
Keyword:
Harmony
Depth
Freedom
Essence:
Charming, artistic, popular, relationship-oriented, peace makers, diplomats, seek harmony.
Intense, deep, sexual, sensual, transformative, understand the human psychology, private, love mysteries.
Optimists, free-spirited, eternal student and teacher, philosophers, indulgent, spiritual, travelers.
Categories:
Air, Cardinal
Water, Fixed
Fire, Mutable
Ruled By:
Venus
Pluto
Jupiter
Ruled House:
Seventh House
Eighth House
Ninth House
Capricorn
Aquarius
Pisces
Keyword:
Success
Advancement
Compassion
Essence:
leaders, ambitious, responsible, career driven, disciplined, achievers.
Unique, humanitarian, rebellious, futurists, brilliant, creative, spiritual, observant.
Spiritual, compassionate, mystical, creative, poetic, dreamers.
Categories:
Earth, Cardinal
Air, Fixed
Water, Mutable
Ruled By:
Saturn
Uranus
Neptune
Ruled House:
Tenth House
Eleventh House
Twelfth House