Think You Know Your Zodiac Sign? You Might Have it All Wrong.

Over the last decade, astrology has gone mainstream in a major way. It seems like every brand wants to offer you something—a coffee, a book recommendation, a t-shirt—based on your personal astrology. Because of this, whether you live in accordance with astrology or are only semi-aware of it, chances are you at least know your zodiac sign.

…or do you?

Your birthday dictates your Sun sign. Adding birth location and time into the mix is enough to create an entire birth chart (a snapshot of the placement of the stars and planets the moment 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 symbol you identify with may not be your only (or even true) Sun sign.

“Our workings with the cosmos are deeply rooted in our history as human beings,” says astrologer Anthony Perotta. “We all have used the sky as a map of sorts in our own lives.” That shared inclination to look up and seek meaning has led to a wealth of astrologies, including African, Hebrew, Chinese, Egyptian, and Mayan, each with a lens that corresponds to culture and worldview. The way ancient populations developed their schools of astrology depended on their culture’s beliefs and myths and the accompanying symbols and characters.

As you explore these  practices, you may find that your sign shifts according to varied views of the cosmos.

Tropical Astrology and Vedic Astrology

Let’s start with the main differences between the most common astrological approaches: Tropical astrology (used for most horoscopes and social media posts in the West) and Vedic (also referred to as Jyotish) astrology. Tropical astrology is rooted in Babylonian mythos and Vedic astrology is borne out of ancient India and Hindu texts.

Tropical astrology uses the tropical zodiac, which bases the signs off the planet’s seasons. “Tropical astrology measures time based on the relationship of the Sun with the Earth,” explains astrologer Emily Ridout. This means that zodiac signs line up with equinoxes and solstices, events that mark the beginning of our seasons. As Perotta notes, the astrological calendar always begins with Aries and the spring equinox.

Instead of the changes in seasons, Vedic astrology uses sidereal time, which Ridout says translates to “of the stars.” It bases the signs on where their constellations are in real time and accounts for the Earth’s “axial progression” (aka wobble), which cases the Earth to shift slightly in the sky, causing the tropical zodiac signs to shift slightly.

In short, sidereal bases signs on where their namesake constellations are in relation to the ever-moving Earth, using the stars as fixed reference points. Because of these subtle differences and the backward movement of the equinoxes, your Vedic Sun sign is likely one sign behind your Tropical Sun sign.

“This relationship shifts based on a phenomenon called the precession of the equinoxes, whereby the equinox point moves backward through the zodiac, slowly over time,” says Ridout. “This lines the zodiac up with the constellations that the zodiac signs are named for.”

What’s Your Sign? At-a-Glance Astrology

Should your sign differ from one type of astrology to another, you migh want to start reading horoscopes and descriptions for both of your Sun signs to determine which aligns best.

Even if your sign shifts depending on the type of astrology you’re exploring, Ridout asserts that you remain the same. “It’s important to know that you were born at a particular place and time, and that choosing to use a different form of time or style of astrology does not shift 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.”

So, we’ll ask you once again: what’s your sign? Scan the lists below to find out.

Tropical Astrology

Aries: March 21–April 19

Taurus: April 20–May 20

Gemini: May 21– June 20

Cancer: June 21–July 22

Leo: July 23–August 22

Virgo: August 23–September 22

Libra: September 23–October 22

Scorpio: October 23–November 21

Sagittarius: November 22–December 21

Capricorn: December 22–January 19

Aquarius: January 20–February 18

Pisces: 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–Aug 16

Leo (Simha): Aug 17–Sept 16

Virgo (Kanya): Sept 17–Oct 16

Libra (Tula): Oct 17–Nov 15

Scorpio (Vrishchika): Nov 16–Dec 15

Sagittarius (Dhanu): Dec 16–Jan 13

Capricorn (Makara): Jan 14–Feb 12

Aquarius (Kumbha): Feb 13–March 13

Pisces (Meena): March 14–April 13