Astrologers use the term “sun sign”: you may say “star sign” or “sign of the zodiac” or you may ask someone what sign they were “born under.” The names may differ but they all mean the same thing. The signs of the zodiac are ancient names given to the constellations of stars that lie along the ecliptic, which is the apparent path of the Sun around the earth. Since the advent of telescopes, we know that it is the Earth that omits the Sun, and that the changing view of stars that appear behind it is similar to the changing view and perspective that you would see in the background if you walked around a tree or some other object.
Those of us who live in areas where the clocks are put forward in spring and back in autumn are accustomed to the fact that this happens at a regular time, usually at 2 a.m. on a Sunday morning. This man-made arrangement doesn't apply to the movement of the Earth, so the sun signs don't change from one to another at a set time or even a set day each year. Newspapers and popular astrology books can print only average dates for the start of each sign. This means that for those of you who use the date system that I give in this book, rather than the degree system that astrologers use (which I also give in this book), may have to check out two adjacent signs in order to see which fits you best. If you decide that you would like to know the exact degree of your sun sign, or indeed of anything else on your birthchart, you can always consult an astrologer or send off to an astrology service for this. If you can give the astrologer a reasonably correct date, time and place of birth, you will be in a position to check out far more than just your sun sign.
The list below gives the average dates for each sun sign:
Average Sun Sign Dates
| Aries | March 21 to April 19 |
| Taurus | April 20 to May 20 |
| Gemini | May 21 to June 21 |
| Cancer | June 22 to July 22 |
| Leo | July 23 to August 22 |
| Virgo | August 23 to September 22 |
| Libra | September 23 to October 22 |
| Scorpio | October 23 to November 21 |
| Sagittarius | November 22 to December 21 |
| Capricorn | December 22 to January 20 |
| Aquarius | January 21 to February 18 |
| Pisces | February 19 to March 20 |
The wheel on page 3 shows you how the sun signs are arranged in the order that is familiar to astrologers.
Some people are aware that they are absolutely typical of their sun sign. Their appearance fits the standard description, while their character, career and relationships follow the prescribed patterns laid down in sun sign books. Others can see something of themselves in sun sign descriptions but they also find discrepancies, while yet others feel that they are not at all typical of their sun sign. Many people have relatives, friends or colleagues who share the same sun sign as themselves, and they may notice many similarities to themselves, but also a few differences. There are many possible astrological reasons for the diversification within each sign, but this book demonstrates two factors that are easy for a complete beginner in astrology to understand and to use. The odd thing is that, despite the fact that this system is so simple and also so effective, it is not as frequently used by western astrologers as it is in the east.
Of the many things in your chart that make your particular sun sign unique, foremost among them is the Rising Sign, or Ascendant. The ascendant is specific to the hour, minute, and the “where” (latitude and longitude) of your birth. The ascendant is significant because it represents the mask you wear in public, the first impression you make, how others see you. It's an important piece of your birth chart to understand because it represents the environment at your time of birth and all of your earliest childhood influences—what has shaped you. Other aspects of your birth chart (your moon sign and other planetary placements) are filtered through your rising sign. The beauty of the method in this book is that now you can quickly and easily determine your rising sign (the dwaad).
A sign of the zodiac can be divided into three sections that are called decans, and each decan can be divided into four dwaads. Thus, you can choose to look at your sun sign, and any one of three decans or twelve dwaads within that sign. (dwaad is pronounced like “hard”).
The division of each sun sign into twelve dwaads means that people born even a day or two apart from each other will exhibit variations in their personalities.
This system doesn't rely upon a person being born in a specific year or a particular time of day, which means that someone who was born into a completely different generation from yours, but whose birthday is close to your own, may have more in common with you than someone else who shares your sun sign, but whose birthday is a week or so away from yours.
It is extremely easy to check out the decan and dwaad for your own sun sign in the decan and dwaad calendar given in this book in chapter 4. When you have found them, you can look up the interpretations to discover what they have to say—subsequent chapters include profiles for Aries through Pisces. Once you have checked out the picture for yourself, you can do the same for your loved ones, friends, and others.
Even a complete beginner will find it easy to progress the sun sign in order to check out trends and events for any year of your life. All you need to be able to do is to count. You'll find instructions for progressions in chapter 20.
This book has been written to help beginners understand the uniqueness of their personal sun sign, but those readers who are deeply into astrology will find tips and techniques to take this system further. For those of you at a more advanced level, and who need absolute accuracy, you will be happy to know that in the calendar section of this book, I present the decans and dwaads in degree form in addition to simply giving the dates for them. This means that you can easily check out the decans and dwaads for the Moon, Ascendant, planets, Midheaven or anything else that interests you.
Those who struggle to rectify an Ascendant will find the decan and dwaad system of immense help in plotting this. Whether you are a total beginner in astrology, a hobby astrologer, or a professional consultant, a working knowledge of decans and dwaads can only help to increase your knowledge and understanding.
If you have ever struggled to understand the differences between a pair of twins, you will soon discover how easy it is to check out the Ascendant and Midheaven for dwaad differences between the two birthcharts. You can also apply the decan and dwaad system to any predictive technique such as transits, secondary directions, solar arc directions, solar returns, and anything else you care to use. In short, this book has something for everybody—from those who don't know the first thing about astrology, to those who have been working with it for years.