Her Campus Logo Her Campus Logo
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Denison chapter.

Ever been asked what your Venus sign was and you had no idea? Want to learn more about what your sun sign means? I’m here to help! Here’s a quick introduction to astrology for those who don’t know much about the subject but want to learn more about it.

Astrology is the notion that everything about who we are is written in the stars, based on constellations, planets, and where they are placed in relation to each other. Ancient cultures used astrology long before we did, though some mapped out different constellations than the ones astrologists use today. It should be noted that it’s a pseudoscience, meaning there’s no scientific evidence that any of it is truly accurate, and a lot of it is vague on purpose so that many people can relate to what is said. Nevertheless, it’s still really fascinating and fun!

Here are the basic things you need to know:

 

  1. There are 12 accepted signs, and each one–when it is viewed as a sun sign– corresponds to a month in our calendar. However, the cut-offs are never at the beginning of the month, and are usually at the latter half of the months instead. So Capricorn, for example, is for people born from mid-December to mid-January. The other signs are Aquarius (January-February), Pisces (February-March), Aries (March-April), Taurus (April-May), Gemini (May-June), Cancer (June-July), Leo (July-August), Virgo (August-September), Libra (September-October), Scorpio (October-November), and Sagittarius (November-December). Each sign is named after a constellation of either a symbol or an animal. There’s a 13th sign called Ophiucus placed between late November and mid December, though most astrologers exclude it. My sun sign is Scorpio because my birthday is November 5th.

  2. Your sun sign relates to your core being and your identity. Each astrological sign has distinctive traits that most people with that sign typically have. Here are three traits each sign is known for:

    1. Capricorn: Driven, responsible, rational

    2. Aquarius: Free-spirited, intuitive, observant

    3. Pisces: Insightful, chill, imaginative

    4. Aries: Assertive, courageous, independent

    5. Taurus: Strong-willed, practical, reliable

    6. Gemini: Curious, two-sided, dynamic

    7. Cancer: Sensitive, nurturing, gentle

    8. Leo: Fun-loving, bold, dramatic

    9. Virgo: Schedule-oriented, hard-working, purpose-driven

    10. Libra: Creative, friendly, fashionable

    11. Scorpio: Loyal, authentic, emotional

    12. Sagittarius: Optimistic, independent, vivacious

      Hero Copy
      Megan Charles / Her Campus Media

People can identify with traits in other signs more than their own, which is totally normal. The zodiac calendar also tends to start with Aries, but I put Capricorn at the beginning because it starts with January, which we are used to having as the start of the new year.

  1. Your moon sign relates to your emotional self and how you behave when you’re at your most comfortable. Many people identify with a lot of traits with their moon sign, which can differ from their sun sign. Your moon sign is also based on where you were born, which means your friend with the same birthday as you but born on the other side of the country will have a different moon sign than you do. My moon sign is Libra.

  2. Your rising sign is your public self and thus what people typically view you as. If they don’t know your sun sign, they might assume your sun sign is your rising sign. Your rising sign is based off what time you were born, which means it changes for people approximately every two hours. My rising sign is also Libra. It can also be called “ascendant”.

  3. Signs that correspond to the planets in our solar system deal with certain aspects in one’s life. Your Venus sign, for example, deals with how you love, while your Mars sign determines how you assert yourself in the world. (My Venus sign is Virgo and my Mars sign is Capricorn). There’s even signs for Pluto.

  4. Each sun sign has two elements: a natural element and an element that determines whether they are cardinal, mutable, or fixed. These help explain the complexities of the signs a little better. Here’s a list:

    1. Water signs: Pisces, Cancer, Scorpio

    2. Fire signs: Aries, Leo, Sagittarius

    3. Earth signs: Capricorn, Taurus, Virgo

    4. Air signs: Aquarius, Gemini, Libra

    5. Cardinal signs: Capricorn, Aries, Cancer, Libra

    6. Mutable signs: Pisces, Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius

    7. Fixed signs: Aquarius, Taurus, Leo, Scorpio

  5. Every sign is compatible with multiple other signs! Both romantically and friendship-wise, because traits compliment each other or match! 

 

So if you didn’t know anything before that, now you know some more! If you want to learn more, there’s plenty online, plus there’s many different astrology apps you can try!

Juliet Hurwitz

Denison '22

Hey there! I'm a Creative Writing major/aspiring scriptwriter from outside of Boston. I love to write, travel, listen to music, go to concerts, and nap. I still don't know what my spirit animal is.
Claire Maurer

Denison '22

Claire is a Cleveland native in her fourth & final year at Denison University and is excited to continue her role as the Co-President for the Denison chapter! While she studies Spanish and Political Science, she loves to write in her spare time. She wants to emphasize topics that she is passionate about, spread positivity and optimism in the world, and connect with people through her writing. When she isn't writing or studying, you can find Claire spending time with her family and friends, staying active, enjoying the outdoors, or listening to music.