12 Zodiac Signs: Personality Traits and Sign Dates

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Humans have pondered the mysteries of the universe for millennia, tracking the sun’s vibrant motion, the moon’s beguiling cycle, and the swirl of boundless stars overhead. Astrology and astronomy were inextricably linked for thousands of years. Although these two fields have been disentangled over time, the mystical teachings of the cosmos still guide us today.

The study of astrology is expansive, complex, and transformative. Despite the nuances, the most fundamental principle of astrology centers on the 12 familiar signs of the zodiac. Over the centuries, each sign has developed its own associations — including myths, animals, and colors— and its own characteristics. Every sign boasts an individual approach to life, complete with dynamic strengths and frustrating weaknesses.

The sun sign is the cosmic launching pad for both amateur and professional astrologers. Your sun sign is determined by your date of birth and represents your core personality, sense of self, basic preferences, and ways in which you move through the world. This astrological placement sheds light on your intrinsic gifts, as well as your blind spots. Joys, wishes, flaws, and fears are what make a sun sign special and unique. When combined with the other planets in your chart, it creates the distinctive profile that serves as your astrological fingerprint.

Ready to take your astrological knowledge to the next level? There are four triplicities and quadruplicities that further categorize the twelve signs. If these words sound like gibberish, don’t fret: The concepts are easy. Triplicities is astrospeak for elements, which include fire (the fire signs are Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius); earth (the earth signs are Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn); air (the air signs are Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius); and water (the water signs are Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces). Generally speaking, fire signs are passionate and exuberant, earth signs are practical and grounded, air signs are intellectual and curious, and water signs are intuitive and emotional.

Quadruplicities are the signs’ qualities. Cardinal signs, which include Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn, kick off new seasons. They are excellent at taking action and starting initiatives. Fixed signs, which include Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius, occur in the middle of seasons. They are the steady, consistent forces that maintain movement. Each season concludes with a mutable sign — Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, or Pisces — that possesses effortless fluidity well-suited to change and transformation. As we continue layering astrological concepts, we uncover a rich and complex practice that delivers insight into our truest selves.