The Twelve Signs of the Zodiac

Each sign has certain characteristics; but the signs are also categorized in several ways. First, they are grouped by element:

• Fire signs (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius) are associated with action, enthusiasm and leadership, as well as an openness to change.
• Water signs (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces) embody emotion, sensitivity and compassion.
• Earth signs (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn) symbolize practicality and a focus on material goals.
• Air signs (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius) are the signs of the intellect.

Here are the typical symbols used by astrologers to represent the sun signs:

Signs can also be cardinal, fixed, or mutable, which are related to movement, resistance to change and ability to change freely, respectively. And finally, each sign is either masculine or feminine, alternating around the zodiac. This designation is not related to what most of us think of as gender, but instead to the Chinese concept of Yin and Yang, in which, to oversimplify a complex subject, opposing forces or traits both define and create one another.

• Aries - The Ram
  March 21 - April 20
  Cardinal, Fire, Masculine
  Proud, youthful, impulsive, brave, competitive, arrogant, violent
   
• Taurus - The Bull
  April 21 - May 21
  Fixed, Earth, Feminine
  Conservative, loyal, stubborn, materialistic, resistant to change, possessive, sensual
   
• Gemini - The Twins
  May 22 - June 21
  Mutable, Air, Masculine
  Persuasive, concerned with information, highly literate, curious, adaptable, absent-minded, loves to travel
   
• Cancer - The Crab
  June 22 - July 22
  Cardinal, Water, Feminine
  Cautious, family-oriented, romantic, domestic, imaginative, shy, thorough, interested in the past and tradition
   
• Leo - The Lion
  July 23 -August 21
  Fixed, Fire, Masculine
  Proud, courageous, stubborn, extroverted, vain, ambitious, optimistic, open, associated with royalty
   
• Virgo - The Virgin
  August 22 - September 23
  Mutable, Earth, Feminine
  Conservative, shy, prudish, kindly, uptight, skeptical, concerned with health, often introverted and melancholy
   
• Libra - The Scales
  September 24 - October 23
  Cardinal, Air, Masculine
  Extroverted, analytical, unbiased, secretive, tactful, concerned with harmony but prone to collapse in the face of conflict
   
• Scorpio - The Scorpion
  October 24 - November 22
  Fixed, Water, Feminine
  Vengeful, sarcastic, courageous, tenacious, protective of itself, known for survival in the face of disaster
   
• Sagittarius - The Archer
  November 23 - December 22
  Mutable, Fire, Masculine
  Daring, proud, impatient, dual-natured (refined and intellectual as well as bestial and passionate), extroverted, looking to the horizon, progressive, eclectic
   
• Capricorn - The Goat-Fish
  December 23 - January 20
  Cardinal, Earth, Feminine
  Neurotic, introspective, inhibited, conservative, fatalistic, methodical, practical, concerned with detail, a good planner
   
• Aquarius - The Water Bearer
  January 21 - February 19
  Fixed, Air, Masculine
  Intellectual, connected to civilization, rational, individualistic, iconoclastic, concerned with science, tolerant
   
• Pisces - The Fish
  February 20- March 20
  Mutable, Water, Feminine
  Emotional, self-sacrificing, adaptable, empathic, religious, versatile, talkative, often takes on the behaviors of others, creative, impractical