Over the past decade, astrology has become largely mainstream. It seems like every brand wants to offer you something – a cup of coffee, a book recommendation, a t-shirt – based on your personal astrology. Because of this, whether you live by astrology or are only half-aware of it, there’s a good chance that you at least know your zodiac sign.
…or you?
Your birthday determines your sun sign. Adding birth location and time to the mix is enough to create a complete birth chart (a snapshot of the placement of the stars and planets at the time you came into the world and of your personality as a whole). But it turns out that different traditions assign these signs in different ways, meaning the zodiac sign you identify with may not be your only (or even real) sun sign.
“Our partnership with the cosmos is deeply rooted in our history as human beings,” says astrologer Anthony Perotta. “We have all used the sky as a kind of map in our own lives.” That shared tendency to look up and seek meaning has given rise to a wealth of astrologies, including African, Hebrew, Chinese, Egyptian and Mayan astrologies, each with a lens that corresponds to culture and worldview. The way ancient peoples developed their schools of astrology depended on the beliefs and myths of their culture and its associated symbols and characters.
As you explore these practices, you will notice that your sign changes depending on differing views of the cosmos.
Tropical astrology and Vedic astrology
Let’s start with one of the main differences between the most common astrological approaches: tropical (or Western astrology, the one used for most horoscopes and social media posts) and Vedic (also called Jyotish) astrology. Tropical astrology is rooted in the Babylonian mythos, while Vedic astrology draws from ancient Indian and Hindu texts.
Tropical astrology uses the tropical zodiac, which bases the signs on the seasons.
“Tropical astrology measures time based on the sun’s relationship with the earth,” explains astrologer Emily Ridout. This means that zodiac signs align with equinoxes and solstices, events that mark the beginning of our seasons. As Perotta notes, the astrological calendar always begins with Aries and the vernal equinox.
Meanwhile, Vedic astrology bases the signs on where their zodiac signs are located in real time. Instead of the changes in seasons, Vedic astrology uses sidereal time, which, according to Ridout, translates to ‘of the stars’. It explains Earth’s “axial progression” (also called wobble), which causes the Earth to shift slightly in the sky, which in turn shifts the tropical constellations.
“This relationship shifts based on a phenomenon called the precession of the equinoxeswith the equinox point slowly moving backward through the zodiac over time,” says Ridout. “This aligns the zodiac with the constellations after which the constellations are named.”
Basically, sidereal bases indicate where their namesake constellations are located in relation to the ever-moving Earth, using the stars as fixed reference points. Because of these subtle differences and the retrograde motion of the equinioxes, your Vedic sun sign is likely one sign behind your tropical sun sign.
What is your sign? Astrology at a glance
Should your sign differ from astrology to astrology, you may want to read horoscopes and descriptions for both sun signs to determine which one suits you best.
And even if your zodiac sign changes depending on the type of astrology you explore, Ridout claims that You remain the same.
“It’s important to know that you were born in a certain place and time, and that choosing a different form of time or style of astrology doesn’t change the facts; you’re still the same person,” says Ridout. “There is only one you, but there are many ways to describe who you are.”
That’s why we ask you again: what is your zodiac sign? Scan the lists below to find out.
Tropical astrology
Ram: March 21 – April 19
Taurus: April 20 – May 20
Twin: May 21 – June 20
Cancer: June 21 – July 22
Lion: July 23 – August 22
Virgin: August 23 – September 22
Libra: September 23 – October 22
Scorpio: October 23 – November 21
Archer: November 22 – December 21
Ibex: December 22 – January 19
Aquarius: January 20 – February 18
Fish: February 19 – March 20
Vedic astrology
Aries (Mesha): April 14 – May 14
Taurus (Vrishabha): May 15 – June 14
Gemini (Mithuna): June 15 – July 15
Cancer (Karka): July 16 – August 16
Leo (Simha): August 17 – September 16
Virgo (her): September 17 – October 16
Libra (Tula): October 17 – November 15
Scorpio (Vrishchika): November 16 – December 15
Sagittarius (Dhanu): December 16 – January 13
Capricorn (Makara): January 14 – February 12
Aquarius (Kumbha): February 13 – March 13
Pisces (Meena): March 14 – April 13
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