Astrostyle Star-Studded Advice for Love, Life, and Looking Good

Section 1: Astrology 101SIGN LANGUAGE: ALL ABOUT THE SIGNSThe Twelve Zodiac SignsSign Dates Ruling Planet/Cosmic RulerAries March 21-April 19 MarsTaurus April 20-May 20 VenusGemini May 21-June 20 MercuryCancer June 21-July 22 MoonLeo July 23-August 22 SunVirgo August 23-September 22 MercuryLibra September 23-October 22 VenusScorpio October 23-November 21 Pluto (with minor rule by Mars)Sagittarius November 22-December 21 JupiterCapricorn December 22-January 19 SaturnAquarius January 20-February 18 UranusPisces February 19-March 20 Neptune (with minor rule by Jupiter)WHAT'S MY SIGN?Your "sign" is also your sun sign. It is actually the part of the zodiac that the Earth was traveling through at the exact time you were born. The Earth travels through a different part of the zodiac every thirty days or so. If it was traveling through the Gemini part when you were born, for example, you're a Gemini. While your sun sign tells the essentials of who you are, there are nine other planets that make up your personal horoscope, and they can be in many different signs. So the next time someone asks, "Hey, baby, what's your sign?" remember that they're really asking what your sun sign is.WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE "BORN ON A CUSP"?If you were born on or around the day the Earth moved from one sign to another, astrologers call this being born on a cusp -- or a borderline between signs. The Earth moves from one sign into the next around the third week of every month -- but the exact time and date vary slightly from year to year. Since most astrology books don't have enough pages to include this information, they just list approximate dates. Naturally, this has caused some confusion. For example, a person born on August 23 may wonder, "Am I a Leo or a Virgo?" since she has probably seen herself listed as both. Some astrologers believe that cuspers are a blend of both signs. Others insist you're either one or the other.Fortunately, the matter can be settled if you know your birth time. You can find out which sign you "officially" are by checking an ephemeris -- which is an almanac charting the exact time that the sun (and all other planets) changed signs in your birth year. You can also visit websites, such as Astrology.com (www.astrology.com), and create a free computerized chart.WHAT'S A CHART?Your chart is a map of the universe at your birth -- and a guide to your personality, challenges, and strengths. At the exact moment you were born, every planet was revolving around the sun at its own pace -- and was thus traveling through a different part of the zodiac. If you took a snapshot of our solar system at this precise moment, you would have your birth chart. To figure out your chart, you'll need the exact time (hours and minutes), date, and place that you were born. This will be listed on your birth certificate. If you don't know your birth time, use an approximate time -- or just use 12:00 noon. This could give you an inaccurate moon or rising sign, but the rest of your chart should be on point. From there, you can hire a professional astrologer to calculate your chart. Or, you can create a free sample chart for yourself online at Astrolabe (www.alabe.com) or Astrology.com.THE ELEMENTS: FIRE, EARTH, AIR, AND WATERThe twelve zodiac signs are grouped into four "elements" -- fire, earth, air, and water. Each of these elementary groups has distinct traits. Together, they form the natural world, so each is in some way dependent on the other.Fire Signs: Aries, Leo, SEdut, Tali is the author of 'Astrostyle Star-Studded Advice for Love, Life, and Looking Good' with ISBN 9780743249850 and ISBN 0743249852.