You’ve likely always known what your sign is. But why that one? How does it work?
Constellations
As we look up at the sky from Earth, we can see the Sun, the Moon, and many of the planets in our solar system positioned in front of different areas of the sky we refer to as constellations.
Constellations are commonly known as collections of stars that look – very roughly – like certain types of creatures or characters. One example is Leo, which looks like a lion.
Another is Gemini, which looks like two people, twins, holding hands.
There are a set of twelve constellations that the planets, Moon, and Sun spend almost all their time in — they’re the ones you’ve heard of:
| Sign Name | Birthday Dates |
| Aries | March 21 – April 19 |
| Taurus | April 20 – May 20 |
| Gemini | May 21 – June 20 |
| Cancer | June 21 – July 22 |
| Leo | July 23 – Aug. 22 |
| Virgo | Aug. 23 – Sept. 22 |
| Libra | Sept. 23 – Oct. 22 |
| Scorpio | Oct. 23 – Nov. 21 |
| Sagittarius | Nov. 22 – Dec. 21 |
| Capricorn | Dec. 22 – Jan. 19 |
| Aquarius | Jan. 20 – Feb. 18 |
| Pisces | Feb. 19 – March 20 |
Signs
As the planets orbit the sun, and the Moon orbits the Earth, they are seen to move against the starry backdrop of these constellations and we say they are in a “sign”, named for each of these constellations as they move through the sky.
You are the sign you are because when you were born, the Sun was positioned in front of that particular constellation. That’s why your sign is more properly called your “Sun Sign”. As the Earth orbits the Sun over the course of a year, the Sun appears to move steadily through each of these constellations in a great circle in the sky, which is why people born around the same time of the year share the same Sun Sign.
Does this mean that everyone with the same Sun Sign are basically the same according to astrology? Absolutely not! There is much more to what astrology says about you than just your Sun Sign, but it IS an important part of who you are.
Show your Sign!
At Enchanted Charts we celebrate each of the signs and their constellations with our Zodiac Sign Star Prints. They show the stars of the constellation, emphasized and connected, and also the stars you actually see in the sky around them. You choose the color and style and receive printable files in three different sizes. Your Sun Sign is a big part of who you are, and you deserve to be celebrated!