Vedic Zodiac Signs and Dates
The twelve signs of Vedic astrology have the same names as the Western ones, but different dates. Here are this year's sidereal dates for each sign, what each sign is like, and how to find yours.
Vedic astrology uses the same 12 zodiac signs as Western astrology, but on the sidereal zodiac, so the Sun enters each sign about 24 days later: Aries runs from about April 14 to May 14, not March 21 to April 19. Most people's Vedic Sun sign is the one before their Western sign. In Vedic astrology, though, "your sign" usually means your Moon sign, which needs your birth date, time and place.
Find your Vedic signs
The 12 signs and their dates
These are the dates the Sun spends in each sign this year on the sidereal zodiac with the Lahiri ayanamsa, next to the familiar Western dates. Dates can shift by a day from year to year. If you were born on a boundary, the calculator above settles it using your exact time.
| Sign | Sanskrit | Ruler | Vedic Sun dates, 2026 | Western dates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aries | Mesha | Mars | Apr 14 – May 14 | Mar 21 – Apr 19 |
| Taurus | Vrishabha | Venus | May 15 – Jun 14 | Apr 20 – May 20 |
| Gemini | Mithuna | Mercury | Jun 15 – Jul 15 | May 21 – Jun 20 |
| Cancer | Karka | Moon | Jul 16 – Aug 16 | Jun 21 – Jul 22 |
| Leo | Simha | Sun | Aug 17 – Sep 16 | Jul 23 – Aug 22 |
| Virgo | Kanya | Mercury | Sep 17 – Oct 16 | Aug 23 – Sep 22 |
| Libra | Tula | Venus | Oct 17 – Nov 15 | Sep 23 – Oct 22 |
| Scorpio | Vrishchika | Mars | Nov 16 – Dec 15 | Oct 23 – Nov 21 |
| Sagittarius | Dhanu | Jupiter | Dec 16 – Jan 13 | Nov 22 – Dec 21 |
| Capricorn | Makara | Saturn | Jan 14 – Feb 11 | Dec 22 – Jan 19 |
| Aquarius | Kumbha | Saturn | Feb 12 – Mar 13 | Jan 20 – Feb 18 |
| Pisces | Meena | Jupiter | Mar 14 – Apr 13 | Feb 19 – Mar 20 |
Why the dates differ: Western astrology starts Aries at the March equinox, while Vedic astrology anchors the signs to the stars. The two have drifted about 24° apart, a little more than three weeks of the Sun's travel. The full explanation is in why your sign is different in Vedic astrology.
Why your Moon sign matters more
A Western horoscope is written for your Sun sign. A Vedic horoscope is written for your Moon sign, called your rashi. Vedic astrology reads the Moon as the mind: your moods, instincts and what you need to feel at home. Transits are counted from it, including Saturn's Sade Sati, so when you read a daily Vedic horoscope, look up your Moon sign.
The Moon changes sign about every two and a half days, so your birth date alone can't always tell you which one it was in. That is why the calculator asks for your time and place. Your rising sign, the sign on the eastern horizon at birth, matters just as much for a full reading, and it changes about every two hours.
Elements and modalities
Each sign has an element and a modality, and together they give its basic temperament. No two signs share both.
- Fire (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius): energy, confidence, drive.
- Earth (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn): practicality, patience, results.
- Air (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius): ideas, communication, connection.
- Water (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces): feeling, memory, intuition.
The modalities describe how a sign moves. Movable signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn) start things. Fixed signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius) hold steady. Dual signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces) adapt and bridge. Each sign is also ruled by a planet, which colors any placement there.
The signs one by one
Aries (Mesha)
Fire, movable, ruled by Mars. Aries is the starter: quick, direct and happiest with a challenge in front of it. As a Moon sign it reacts fast and forgives fast. Aries Vedic horoscope
Taurus (Vrishabha)
Earth, fixed, ruled by Venus. Taurus builds slowly and keeps what it builds, with a strong feel for comfort, food and beauty. The Moon is exalted here, so a Taurus Moon is often steady and content. Taurus Vedic horoscope
Gemini (Mithuna)
Air, dual, ruled by Mercury. Gemini is curious, talkative and quick to connect ideas and people. A Gemini Moon needs conversation and variety to feel settled. Gemini Vedic horoscope
Cancer (Karka)
Water, movable, ruled by the Moon. Cancer is protective and deeply attached to home and family. The Moon is in its own sign here, so feelings run strong and memories long. Cancer Vedic horoscope
Leo (Simha)
Fire, fixed, ruled by the Sun. Leo is warm, proud and generous, and it wants its effort to be seen. A Leo Moon needs respect and room to lead. Leo Vedic horoscope
Virgo (Kanya)
Earth, dual, ruled by Mercury. Virgo notices detail, fixes what is broken and likes to be useful. A Virgo Moon finds calm in order and routine, though it can worry. Virgo Vedic horoscope
Libra (Tula)
Air, movable, ruled by Venus. Libra weighs both sides and looks for fairness, balance and good company. A Libra Moon feels best in a partnership that runs smoothly. Libra Vedic horoscope
Scorpio (Vrishchika)
Water, fixed, ruled by Mars in Vedic astrology. Scorpio is intense, private and loyal, drawn to what is hidden beneath the surface. The Moon is debilitated here, which in practice often means feelings that run deep and are slow to be shown. Scorpio Vedic horoscope
Sagittarius (Dhanu)
Fire, dual, ruled by Jupiter. Sagittarius looks for meaning, wants to learn and teach, and speaks its mind. A Sagittarius Moon needs freedom and something to believe in. Sagittarius Vedic horoscope
Capricorn (Makara)
Earth, movable, ruled by Saturn. Capricorn is patient, ambitious and built for the long climb. A Capricorn Moon shows care through reliability more than words. Capricorn Vedic horoscope
Aquarius (Kumbha)
Air, fixed, ruled by Saturn in Vedic astrology. Aquarius thinks about groups, systems and the bigger picture, and keeps its own counsel. An Aquarius Moon values friendship and a little distance. Aquarius Vedic horoscope
Pisces (Meena)
Water, dual, ruled by Jupiter. Pisces is imaginative, compassionate and porous to the moods around it. A Pisces Moon needs quiet time to recover from the world. Pisces Vedic horoscope
Beyond the signs
A sign is the broad stroke. Each one holds two and a quarter nakshatras, the 27 lunar mansions that give a placement its finer shading, so two people with a Moon in Leo can read quite differently. Find your birth star with the nakshatra calculator, or see your whole chart with the Vedic birth chart. For how signs, planets and periods fit together, read the beginner's guide to Vedic astrology.
Questions people ask
What are the Vedic zodiac sign dates?
On the sidereal zodiac, the Sun enters each sign around the middle of the month: Aries about April 14, Taurus about May 15, Gemini about June 15, Cancer about July 16, Leo about August 17, Virgo about September 17, Libra about October 17, Scorpio about November 16, Sagittarius about December 16, Capricorn about January 14, Aquarius about February 13 and Pisces about March 14. Dates can shift by a day from year to year.
What is my zodiac sign in Vedic astrology?
Your Vedic Sun sign is usually the one before your Western sign, unless you were born in roughly the last week of it. But in Vedic astrology "your sign" usually means your Moon sign, the sign the Moon was in at your birth. To find it, you need your birth date, time and place, because the Moon changes sign every two to three days.
Why are sidereal zodiac dates different?
Sidereal dates follow the stars, while Western tropical dates follow the seasons, starting at the March equinox. A slow wobble in Earth's axis has moved the equinox about 24° against the stars over the last 1,700 years or so. That shifts every sign's dates by about 24 days, so the sidereal Sun enters Aries around April 14 instead of March 21.
Does Vedic astrology have 12 or 13 signs?
Twelve. Vedic astrology uses twelve equal signs of 30° each, anchored to the stars. The 13-sign idea that includes Ophiuchus comes from dividing the sky by the real, uneven sizes of the constellations, which neither Vedic nor Western astrology does. Your Vedic sign comes from the 24° shift between zodiacs, not from adding a sign.
Which is more important, Sun sign or Moon sign?
In Vedic astrology, the Moon sign is usually read first, along with the rising sign. The Moon describes your mind and emotional needs, and daily horoscopes and transits like Sade Sati are counted from it. The Sun still matters as your sense of self and vitality, but it isn't the headline the way it is in Western astrology.