Horoscopes: How Princess Margaret influenced astrology
We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info
There is no such thing as being born on the cusp, even if in some horoscopes you are a Leo and others a Virgo. You are given two options because the star sign dates change slightly every year depending on when the Spring Equinox, or the first day of Spring, is. This depends on whether there was a leap year or not. Express.co.uk chatted to astrologer Francesca Oddie (@francescaoddieastrology on Instagram) to find out the zodiac sign dates for 2021.
Francesca explained that the zodiac sign dates DO change every year, depending on when Spring Equinox is.
She said: “The sky is a circle of 360 degrees but there are 365 days in a year so we have a leap year to allow for that.”
We also have leap years because the Earth’s orbit around the Sun takes approximately 365.25 days, and the extra quarter of a day means we need a leap year every four years.
She added: “When the star signs are calculated we do the first day of Aries on Spring Equinox which is March 20 or March 21.
“It’s normally March 21, but if we’ve had a leap year then it’s March 20.”
You have probably heard someone saying they’re on the cusp of two signs, but that can’t be true.
As of January 20, it’s Aquarius season… but the dates may have been different on another year.
Francesca said: “There is no cusp, but magazines are always a little vague because they give you two possible dates because the dates change.”
Your Sun sign is determined by where the Sun was (which constellation it was in) at your time of birth.
It isn’t tied to the date you were born, because the Sun sometimes enters a constellation on a different date.
Your sign therefore doesn’t change every year, but the dates do change and that determines the signs of those being born this year.
For example if you were born on August 23, you are probably a Virgo.
However on some years the Sun enters Virgo a day earlier on August 22, making some people born on August 23 Leos.
Francesca explained: “It’s just a mathematical calculation from each equinox and solstice.
“They divide that quarter into three and you get the precise moment that the Sun shifts from one constellation to another.
“That is the way the star signs are calculated.
“Because 2020 was a leap year, everything is just that little bit behind in 2020 and 2021.
“By 2023, everything will be at the very edge with Scorpio season starting on October 23 instead of October 22.”
To find out the dates of the zodiac in any given year, you just look at the ephemeris.
The ephemeris is a table or data file that lets you know the calculated positions of celestial objects in the sky over time.
Express.co.uk has done the hard work for you and written up a list of the dates for 2020, 2021 and 2022.
The dates are slightly different because of the leap year in 2020.
2020 zodiac sign dates
- Capricorn: December 22, 2019 – January 20, 2020
- Aquarius: January 21 – February 18
- Pisces: February 19 – March 19
- Aries: March 20 – 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
2021 zodiac sign dates
- Capricorn: December 22, 2020 – January 19, 2021
- Aquarius: January 20 – February 18
- Pisces: February 19 – March 20
- 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 23
- Scorpio: October 24 – November 21
- Sagittarius: November 22 – December 21
2022 zodiac sign dates
- Capricorn: December 22, 2021- January 19, 2022
- Aquarius: January 20 – February 18, 2022
- Pisces: February 19 – March 20
- Aries: March 21 – April 19
- Taurus: April 20 – May 20
- Gemini: May 21 – June 21
- Cancer: June 22 – July 22
- Leo: July 23 – August 22
- Virgo: August 23 – September 22
- Libra: September 23 – Ocober 23
- Scorpio: October 24 – November 22
- Sagittarius: November 23 – December 21
Source: Read Full Article