Born on the Cusp?
Learn which sign is the real you
by Jeff Jawer
The zodiac is neatly divided into 12 equal signs, each with its clearly defined characteristics. But meanings can get messy near the borders that separate them. These are the cusps, those transition zones where a planet is changing from one sign to the next.
If, for example, you were born on March 18, the Sun was in Pisces, giving you the sensitive qualities of this water sign. But with independent Aries just around the corner, that Piscean sweetness may be colored with some of the assertiveness of the following sign. You're definitely a Pisces. The boundaries are clearly defined, so you don't get two astrological passports, one for each sign. But like someone living near the border of another country, it's likely that you'll have familiarity with both languages and cultures.
Are You on the Cusp?
Enter your (or anyone's!) birth month and day to see if you were born on the cusp
The two-sign influence of a cusp is stronger when a planet is at the end of a sign than at the beginning. If you have Mars, the action planet, in the last degree of solid and steady Taurus, you'll probably feel the itchy feet of Gemini coming your way. But once Mars enters the sign of the Twins (or any other sign, for that matter) the past can be quickly forgotten. So even though a planet is technically on the cusp in the last 3 or first 3 degrees of a sign, the feeling of it having a double identity is much greater finishing one sign than starting another.
The importance of having any planet on the cusp of a sign also depends on the rest of your chart. If you're a 29 degree Cancer Sun and have two planets in Leo, the next sign, the proud Lion will roar more loudly in your life. Even if you don't have anything else in Leo, planets in other fire signs (Leo's cousins Aries and Sagittarius) or a fire sign Ascendant, you'll be more outgoing than the average Crab.
Once you know your exact time of birth, you can find out your true Sun sign, as well as your Moon, Rising and Chinese signs, with the Free Cosmic Profile.
Read more technical information about Being on the Cusp
About the Author
Jeff Jawer is the co-author of Barnes & Noble's Your Astrology Guide 2006. A professional astrologer since 1973, his articles have appeared in Astrology journals and magazines and Web sites around the world. He holds a B.A. in The History and Science of Astrology from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and teaches and lectures both in the United States and abroad.
