The daylight self
The Western Zodiac, the Outer Half of Your Animal
The twelve Western Sun signs are the daylight half of your Primal Zodiac Animal, the part the Sun's place on your birthday describes. Alone, a Sun sign is one broad brushstroke of temperament. Crossed with your Chinese birth year, it sharpens into one of 144 fully drawn animals, the crossing that is this site's whole reason to exist.
What a Sun sign is
The outer half of the crossing
Your Sun sign is set by the arc of the sky the Sun stood in on the day you were born, one of twelve equal stretches of the year. It is the outward-facing half of your nature, the self that meets daylight and other people. In the Primal system it is only half the reading. Your Chinese year animal carries the inner, instinctive half, and the two together name the single creature you actually are. Read a sign below to see the temperament it lends, then carry it across the Chinese cycle to find your Primal Zodiac Animal.
The twelve signs
Read your Sun sign
Each sign spans about a month. Every sign is crossed by all twelve Chinese year animals, so twelve of the 144 Primal Zodiac Animals pass through each one.
- AriesMar 21 to Apr 19The spark, courage and momentum that wants to start before the ground is ready. Twelve animals cross through Aries.
- TaurusApr 20 to May 20The builder, steadiness and devotion that holds its ground with patient hands. Twelve animals cross through Taurus.
- GeminiMay 21 to Jun 20The messenger, quickness and range that holds two truths and reaches for a third. Twelve animals cross through Gemini.
- CancerJun 21 to Jul 22The tide, deep feeling and care that guards more than it lets anyone see. Twelve animals cross through Cancer.
- LeoJul 23 to Aug 22The heart, warmth and presence that wants to create for its own sake. Twelve animals cross through Leo.
- VirgoAug 23 to Sep 22The craftsman, precision and service that improves everything but its own rest. Twelve animals cross through Virgo.
- LibraSep 23 to Oct 22The scale, grace and fairness that weighs the choice it has already made. Twelve animals cross through Libra.
- ScorpioOct 23 to Nov 21The still water, intensity and depth that reads everyone and guards its own current. Twelve animals cross through Scorpio.
- SagittariusNov 22 to Dec 21The archer, vision and faith aimed at a far horizon while the near ground waits. Twelve animals cross through Sagittarius.
- CapricornDec 22 to Jan 19The climber, discipline and endurance that measures much and feels little. Twelve animals cross through Capricorn.
- AquariusJan 20 to Feb 18The visionary, originality that lives a little ahead of everyone else. Twelve animals cross through Aquarius.
- PiscesFeb 19 to Mar 20The ocean, compassion and imagination that feels every current that joins it. Twelve animals cross through Pisces.
The other half
Now cross the Chinese years
A Sun sign is the outer half. Your Chinese birth year carries the inner, instinctive half, and the crossing of the two names your Primal Zodiac Animal. Step across to the twelve year animals to complete the pair.
Or see the whole Eastern cycle in the Chinese zodiac hub.
Find your animal
Your Sun sign is one half of 144
Your Sun sign is one half. Cross it with your Chinese year to find your Primal Zodiac Animal, one of 144 fully drawn creatures. Read how the two zodiacs combine on the pillar, what a Primal Zodiac Animal is, then wander the full set in the menagerie of all 144 animals, or enter your birth date on the Oracle to meet yours.