Article
Zodiac sign
Pick a birth date. Only the day and month count, from one tropical table. 15 May 1990 is Taurus and Earth. 22 November 1985 is Sagittarius and Fire. Time, place, and planets do not enter.
The Zodiac sign calculator does this. It is entertainment and a tradition lesson, not a reading and not life advice.
The idea in brief
Pick a birth date. Only the day and month count, from one tropical table. 15 May 1990 is Taurus and Earth. 22 November 1985 is Sagittarius and Fire. Time, place, and planets do not enter.
The query "what is my zodiac sign" means, on this page, day and month from one tropical table. Time, place, and planets do not enter.
A Sun sign, not a full horoscope
Zodiac articles usually describe character, weak spots, and a “perfect match”. They also argue whether Taurus ends on 20 or 21 May. Sidereal schools keep the same names and move the dates by whole degrees.
This card takes day and month from one tropical table. 15 May 1990 is Taurus and earth. 22 November is the first day of Sagittarius. Time, place, and planets stay out. You do not get a sky map or a sitcom personality.
Words on this page
The short forms below belong to this card only. Another page with a similar name may compute a different rule.
- Sun sign
- A day-and-month window from one tropical table. Time of day does not enter.
- tropical table
- Twelve ranges. Taurus on this card is 20 April to 20 May.
- element
- Fire, earth, air, or water assigned to the sign. Taurus is earth.
How this table splits the year
Twelve day-and-month ranges. Aries ends on 19 April. 20 April starts Taurus. 21 March starts Aries.
The element follows the sign: Taurus is earth, Sagittarius is fire, Libra is air, Cancer is water. Another card computes the element alone from the same table.
When this helps
| Situation | What the card shows |
|---|---|
| What is my zodiac sign if I was born on 15 May? | Taurus. On this card Taurus runs from 20 April to 20 May. The year does not change the sign. |
| I am on a cusp, 20 April or 21 March. | 20 April opens Taurus. 19 April closes Aries. 21 March opens Aries. |
| Another site gives a different sign for the same date. | Some schools use a sidereal zodiac and move the borders. Here there is one tropical table. |
How to read it
Taurus and Earth. The Taurus band on this card is 20 April to 20 May.
1 January is Capricorn and Earth. 22 November is Sagittarius and Fire, the first day of that band.
Example from the card
15 May and 22 November
15 May falls in Taurus, element earth. 22 November opens Sagittarius, element fire. 1 January is Capricorn and earth. None of those dates asks for a time.
Typical numbers from the card
| Question from the card | This card's answer |
|---|---|
| What sign is 15 May 1990? | Taurus and Earth. The Taurus band on this card is 20 April to 20 May. |
| What about 1 January and 22 November? | 1 January is Capricorn and Earth. 22 November is Sagittarius and Fire, the first day of that band. |
| Is this a scientific forecast? | No. It is a calendar band from one table. Time and planets do not enter. |
Typical mistakes
| Mistake | What goes wrong | How to avoid it |
|---|---|---|
| You add a birth time because "on a cusp the rising sign counts". | This card takes day and month only. 15 May at 23:00 is still Taurus. | Leave the hour for the Rising sign card. |
| You take dates from a sidereal horoscope. | The same sign names fall on different days. | Check the range on this page: Taurus 20.04 - 20.05. |
| You read the result as a magazine personality sketch. | The card returns a sign and an element, not a portrait. | Leave "ideal match" stories outside the formula. |
Before you treat the result as a reading
- You know the Taurus range on this card: 20 April to 20 May.
- The year does not enter. 1990-05-15 and 2001-05-15 give the same Taurus.
- 22 November is the first day of Sagittarius and fire.
- This is not a sky map and not a reading.
Frequently asked questions
What sign is 15 May 1990?
Taurus and Earth. The Taurus band on this card is 20 April to 20 May.
What about 1 January and 22 November?
1 January is Capricorn and Earth. 22 November is Sagittarius and Fire, the first day of that band.
Is this a scientific forecast?
No. It is a calendar band from one table. Time and planets do not enter.
Does the year change the sign?
No. Day and month count. 1990-05-15 and 2001-05-15 are the same Taurus.
Where does Aries end?
19 April. 20 April opens Taurus. 21 March opens Aries.
Which signs are Fire?
Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius. Earth: Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn. Air: Gemini, Libra, Aquarius. Water: Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces.