Ever feel like your astrological sign doesn’t quite fit you? Example: You have a little bit of protective Cancer in you, despite also being a hardcore, quick-witted Gemini. But hey, there’s no need to stress. Chances are, you might identify as a "cusp sign."
The term isn't rooted in the age-old practice of astrology, but "cusp signs" are often mentioned in pop-culture astrology, explains Miami-based astrologer Valerie Mesa. The logic is, if you don’t always agree with how you’re described in your chart *and* you’re born toward the end of your sign or at the beginning of a new one, it’s because you’re on the cusp, or around the time when one sign transitions to another.
And yet, even though you’re in the middle of two zodiac signs, your Sun sign is still technically the sign associated with your birth date. (Sorry!) "Your Sun sign is your Sun sign," says Linda Joyce, professional astrologer and author of The Day You Were Born: A Journey to Wholeness Through Astrology and Numerology. That holds true even if you were born in the very last degree of that sign, like 11:55 p.m. on April 20, for instance. You're still an Aries, not a Taurus.
Meet the experts: Valerie Mesa is an astrologer based in Miami. Linda Joyce is a professional astrologer and author of The Day You Were Born: A Journey to Wholeness Through Astrology and Numerology.
This might all sound quite confusing, especially if you're new to astrology. So, here's everything you need to know about being born "on the cusp" and how that can impact your life, according to expert astrologers.
What are cusp signs in astrology?
A cusp sign is someone who is born toward the end of a zodiac sign's season—you know, "on the cusp" between your Sun sign and the one that follows it.
In order to fully understand how cusp signs work, though, it’s important to understand decans. Each sign is divided into 30 degrees, with every 10 degrees representing one of three decans. The Sun moves one degree every 24 hours, so each degree correlates with a different day. Degrees zero to nine are the first decan of a zodiac sign, degrees 10 to 19 are the second decan of a sign, and degrees 20-29 are the third decan of a sign. Anyone with their Sun at 27, 28, or 29 degrees of a sign—basically the last three days—is born on the cusp, a.k.a. toward the end of the zodiac sign, explains Joyce.
Here’s where things get tricky, though: in actuality, the later you are in a zodiac, the more likely you are to embody that sign, according to some astrologers. "The twenty ninth degree is referred to as the anaretic degree. It’s a critical degree in astrology, and it symbolizes the last, final phase of a sign’s evolution," Mesa explains.
Basically, when it comes to zodiac signs, they save the best (or at least most like themselves) for last. So, you might hone the characteristics of that sign even more than you think—even though you might imagine that being “on the cusp” makes you a Gemini-Cancer hybrid.
What dates are the cusp signs?
For you to be considered a cusp sign, your birthday should fall between the last three days of one sign and the first three of the next sign. These are the dates for each cusp:
- Aries-Taurus: April 16–22
- Taurus-Gemini: May 17–23
- Gemini-Cancer: June 17–23
- Cancer-Leo: July 19–25
- Leo-Virgo: August 19–25
- Virgo-Libra: September 19–25
- Libra-Scorpio: October 19–25
- Scorpio-Sagittarius: November 18–24
- Sagittarius-Capricorn: December 18–24
- Capricorn-Aquarius: January 16–23
- Aquarius-Pisces: February 15–21
- Pisces-Aries: March 17–23
However, some astrologers consider people born in the first three days of a new sign as being on the cusp, too.
What does it mean if I’m a cusp sign?
Because cusp signs are born during a time of transition, it's up to you to either lead the way, running toward change, or jog in place, staying where it's comfortable. Not so surprisingly, the first path "requires courage and risk," says Joyce, but hey, isn't that what life is all about? "You won’t get help taking the first step. That has to come from you...Take the risk for what you believe in—own your talent, beliefs, and genius," she advises. "The world will pay attention."
You might be a bit of a know-it-all, but that's not necessarily a negative trait. (So don't kill the messenger, okay?) "Cusp souls feel they know more than others—and often, they do," says Joyce, noting that some are even geniuses.
Coming into the world at the beginning of a sign can also feel different than coming in at the end, Joyce explains. "When you are in a new sign, you are looking ahead. You are occupied with what you need to learn in order to advance," she says. "The difficulty of being on the cusp or end of a sign is that you can feel stuck. You don’t know what to expect." That can either lead to confusion or taking charge of the moment—the choice is yours, cuspies.
So, are cusp signs real?
While astrologers don’t always agree on the legitimacy of cusps, they do agree that depending on where your birthday falls in your sun sign, your traits might defer. For example, someone born during the beginning of Gemini season might have different characteristics than other Geminis born near the end of the season. (Ever seen a meme about a May Gemini versus a June Gemini?)
Cusp or not, your Sun sign is not nearly as important as you think. Whether you're on the hunt for a romantic match, figuring out your life purpose, or just trying to get through Monday, astrology is complex, and you need to see the "whole picture," says Joyce. That means looking at your birth chart as a whole.
"The Sun is the most important planet in your chart, but its power can be diminished by other factors," Joyce explains. Namely: Mercury and Venus.
Let's say your Sun sign is on the cusp of Taurus, but your Mercury and Venus signs are in Gemini. Your personality will still resonate with Gemini on some level, because you have two planets there in your full birth chart.
"At the beginning of their astrology journeys, most people are just scratching the surface learning about their Sun signs," Mesa says. "And at this point, you might not feel like you resonate with your Sun sign traits."
But the key is to not give up on astrology altogether just because you’re stumped at the beginner stages. If you feel like you identify as a cusp at heart, use that as a jumping-off point and learn how to move forward. Consider it a way to dive even deeper into the zodiac world.
Remember that every person is complex, and being a cusp sign may actually be less reflective of your personality than, say, your moon sign. The more you learn about astrology and your birth chart, specifically, the more you'll understand your place in the universe—literally and figuratively.
Lindsay Geller is the Lifestyle Director at Women’s Health, where she oversees the Life, Sex & Love, and Relationships sections on WomensHealthMag.com and the Mind section of Women's Health magazine. When she's not writing or editing articles about the latest dating trends and pop culture phenomenons, she's usually watching reality TV or playing with her dog, Lucille (Go Fetch That) Ball.
Sofía Viera is a queer nonbinary writer based in Brooklyn who was born and raised in Puerto Rico. Their work has appeared in POPSUGAR, Refinery29, Remezcla, and Best Products. Sofía earned a Journalism BA from Rutgers University. They're also a tarot reader.
