The twelve signs
The tropical zodiac is a 360-degree circle divided into twelve equal 30-degree signs. In a birth chart, the Sun, Moon, planets and major angles can all occupy zodiac signs, so asking “What is my sign?” usually means the Sun sign rather than the whole chart. This hub explains the sign system before AstroZora expands into individual sign guides after launch.
Quick reference
Use the zodiac as a coordinate system first. Element, modality and rulership add interpretive structure after the actual sign placement is known.
| Layer | Question | How to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Sign | Which 30-degree zodiac section? | Aries through Pisces divide the tropical zodiac into twelve equal sectors. |
| Element | What broad style is grouped together? | Fire, earth, air and water each connect three signs. |
| Modality | How does the sign initiate or sustain change? | Cardinal, fixed and mutable each connect four signs. |
| Rulership | Which planet is traditionally associated? | Rulers connect signs to planetary symbolism but do not replace the planet’s actual chart placement. |
| Degree | Where inside the sign is the placement? | A zodiac longitude identifies the exact 0–29 degree position within the sign. |
AstroZora V1 uses the tropical zodiac, a seasonal zodiac that begins at 0 degrees Aries and divides the full ecliptic into twelve equal 30-degree signs. This is the coordinate framework used by the launch calculators.
The Sun occupies one sign at birth, but the Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars and the other planets can occupy other signs. The Rising sign is different again because it names the zodiac sign containing the Ascendant angle on the eastern horizon.
Aries, Leo and Sagittarius are fire signs; Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn are earth; Gemini, Libra and Aquarius are air; Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces are water. Element is one structural comparison, not a standalone verdict about personality.
Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn are cardinal; Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius are fixed; Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius and Pisces are mutable. Element and modality together give each sign a distinct structural combination.
Popular sign-date tables are summaries. The Sun crosses a zodiac boundary at a specific moment, so a birthday near a transition can require exact time and place. AstroZora’s Zodiac Calculator is designed to return uncertainty rather than force every boundary date into one fixed answer.
Worked method
If the Sun is at 2 degrees Taurus, Taurus is the Sun sign. If the Moon is at 18 degrees Leo in the same chart, Leo is the Moon sign. Neither placement changes the other; the full chart becomes useful when the different planets, signs, houses and aspects are read together.
The tropical zodiac
Individual sign guides are a controlled post-launch expansion; this hub remains the canonical overview at launch.
Use the concept in your chart
The fastest way to make this useful is to see the relevant placement or relationship in a calculated chart rather than reading generic descriptions in isolation.