The twilight days between the signs, when one rises as the other sets, are represented by the Zodiac cusps. It’s a lucky time to be born because these are times of transition, endings and beginnings, compromise and surprise.
The cusps are rife with possibilities and shifting perspectives, and those who embody these cusp signs can live lives that are genuinely illuminating.
In This Article...
What does it mean to be on the precipice of astrology?
According to astrology, those born on dates that lie within a zodiac cusp are similar to a Gemini, who combines the characteristics of two different zodiac signs into one single personality. This is one of the main reasons why someone may believe that their zodiac sign does not adequately depict them. This is where you’ll learn everything you need to know about zodiac cusp signs. The nature of a person whose birthday falls on the cusp (a point of transition between two states) 2-3 days before and after the shift of zodiac signs is referred to as this phrase. This means you may have characteristics pulled from the energy of each zodiac sign in which your birthday falls. Let’s take a look at each zodiac sign’s cusp sign.
What are the cusps’ due dates?
- April 1622: Aries-Taurus, also known as the Power Triangle.
- Taurus-Gemini, also known as the Energy Cusp: May 1723
- June 1723 is the month of Gemini-Cancer, often known as the “Cusp of Magic.”
- July 1925, Cancer-Leo, also known as the Oscillation Cusp
- August 1925, Leo-Virgo, often known as the Cusp of Exposure
- September 1925, Virgo-Libra, dubbed the Cusp of Beauty
- October 1925, Libra-Scorpio, also known as the Dramatic Crossroads.
- November 1824, Scorpio-Sagittarius, often known as the “Cusp of Revolution”
- December 1824: Sagittarius-Capricorn, often known as the Cusp of Prophecy.
- January 1623 is Capricorn-Aquarius, often known as the Cusp of Mystery.
- February 1521: Aquarius-Pisces, often known as the Cusp of Sensitivity.
- March 1723: Pisces-Aries, also known as the Rebirth Crossroads.
What method do you use to determine your cusp sign?
Only if both signs overlapped on the day a person was born can there be a cusp.
For example, from February 15 to the 21st, the zodiac signs Aquarius (January 20 – February 18) and Pisces (February 19 – March 20) overlap, forming a cusp.
You were born on the Aquarius-Pisces cusp if the Sun was moving out of Aquarius into the 12th House, where Pisces is placed, on your birthday.
Why do some astrologers say there’s no such thing as a zodiac cusp?
According to astrologer Maryn Altman, “Planets are either in one of two signs: Aries or Taurus. A cusp is just a phrase used to denote the point at where a sign ends or begins.”
On a birth chart, what is the cusp?
Have you ever had the feeling that your astrological sign isn’t quite right for you? Example: Despite being a hard-core, quick-witted Gemini, you have a tiny bit of protective Cancer in you. But don’t worry, there’s no need to be concerned. You’re probably a “cusp sign,” as some people call them.
Unacquainted with the term? It makes sense, says professional astrologer Valerie Mesa, because it’s more tied to pop-culture astrology than to the age-old practice. (This is why, as Mesa points out, some astrologers refuse to recognise the phrase.)
In a nutshell, a cusp sign is someone born near the end of a zodiac sign’s seasonthat is, “on the cusp” between your Sun sign and the one after itand it can make you feel a little out of place when you read your horoscope each month.
So, if you don’t always agree with how you’re characterized in your chart and you were born near the end of your sign or at the start of a new one, it’s because you were born on the cusp, just as one sign changes to another.
Despite the fact that you’re technically in the middle of two zodiac signs, Mesa emphasizes that you’re still the solar sign on which your birthday falls, no matter how odd it feels. (Sorry!)
Linda Joyce, professional astrologer and author of The Day You Were Born: A Journey to Wholeness Through Astrology and Numerology, says, “Your Sun sign is your Sun sign.” That is true even if you were born in the sign’s very last degree, such as at 11:55 p.m. on April 20. You’re still an Aries, not a Taurus, according to your horoscope.
Is it true that cusps are uncommon?
If you’re into astrology, you’ve definitely heard of the term “cusp birth,” which refers to a birthdate that falls on the border between two sun signs’ date ranges. What does it mean to be born on the cusp of two zodiac signs, though? Some people who were born on the beginning or last day of a zodiac sign’s season claim to be a mix of the two, but is this actually true?
Finally, when it comes to astrology’s cusp signs, here’s the verdict: they don’t exist. The concept of “cusp signs” is a common astrological myth. Because the sun can’t be in two places at once, a planet can only be in one place in the zodiac at a time, you can only have one solar sign. Please accept my apologies for bursting any cusp-claimers’ bubbles! However, if you were born on the “cusp” of two zodiac signs, there are a few things to consider, as this placement can make things a little more tricky.
How do the cusps of the zodiac work?
Cusp Signs of the Zodiac. A birthday that falls on the moment when the sun leaves one sign and enters another is known as a cusp sign. You may technically be a Cancer, but you feel like a Leo if you were born on the cusp. Alternatively, your nice, laid-back Libra could have a smidgeon of Scorpio’s dark, determined charm.
Is it true that there are three zodiac signs?
When most individuals think of astrology, their solar sign is often the first thing that comes to mind. After all, that’s the sign you’d check up when reading your horoscope or researching your cosmic compatibility with your crush. Understanding the differences between your sun, moon, and rising signs is a crucial place to start if you’re ready to delve deeper into your own astrology.
In astrology, your “big three signs” are your sun, moon, and rising sign.
Consider them your most important astrological data. These three signs are quite essential in your horoscope, and each is in charge of a different aspect of your personality and total self. While the sun represents your core self and the moon your inner self, you might consider your rising sign to be reflective of your outward self.
Even if you don’t believe in astrology, it’s just a matter of time before someone asks you for your big three, so now is the time to practice. Let’s go through the basic meanings and differences of the sun, moon, and rising signs so you may start looking into your birth chart and using astrology to your advantage. Continue reading to learn more about this crucial astrological trifecta.
Is the 22nd of October a turning point?
From October 19 to October 26, the Libra Scorpio Cusp is active. People born on this cusp are those who were born between the conclusion of the Libra season and the beginning of the Scorpio season. These individuals are a mix of drama and criticism. They are affected by two powerful planets: Venus, Libra’s ruling planet, and Pluto, Scorpio’s ruling planet. Pluto is the planet of darkness and mystery, while Venus is the planet of love and beauty. As a result, those born on the Libra-Scorpio cusp display both love and mystery. So, here’s what you need to know about their personality characteristics.
Why do I have two signs on the same property?
To make things simple, I’m not going to delve into the astrophysics of the phenomenon because it could put you to sleep, and I don’t want to do that! In general, interception entails two homes sharing the same sign on the cusp, two opposite houses sharing the opposite sign on two houses, and two other signs being denied occupancy of a house cusp.
Whether or not this happens is largely dependent on the house system we utilize. When we employ Equal Houses, it is impossible for this to happen because the normal succession of signs on succeeding houses begins with the Ascendant. As a side note, my old friend and Master Astrologer Carl Payne Tobey believes that we should evaluate charts using Equal Houses beginning with the Midheaven degree, which does not alter with latitude. In comparison to an Ascendant-based system, this would almost probably generate different results (except near the equator, when the houses are pretty much equal house anyway, regardless of what system we use).
Please read Astrology House Systems – Placidus, Porphyry, Campanus, Koch, and Many More – Which One To Use? if you want to learn more about house systems and what they’re about. after you’ve finished reading this article Most astrologers take a different approach to multiple house systems than I do, and you might find a solution to some of your problems in that article.
Let’s get back to interceptions. Using the Placidus House system as an example, I have 11 Leo on the Ascendant, 2 Virgo on the 2nd and 28 Virgo on the 3rd, 30 Libra on the Nadir (IC), 6 Sag on the 5th, and 11 Capricorn on the 6th cusp. Clearly, the signs on the opposite house cusps go on the opposite house cusps. What happened to Taurus and Scorpio?
The 10th and 4th houses, respectively, are “intercepted.” My MC cusp is 30 Aries, and my 11th cusp is 6 Gemini, making my 10th house 36 degrees broad. That means the house starts at the end of Aries and spans all of Taurus and a fifth of Gemini. The fourth is the same, except with the opposite indications.
My second and eighth houses, on the other hand, are only 26 degrees broad. Planets pass fast through my 2nd and 8th houses, but stay longer in my 4th and 10th houses, which are wider. Again, it’s all about how the house system you use to create charts bends space or time.
My cusps vary dramatically when I utilize the Porphyry House division system (which is my fave). I’ll always have an Ascendant of 11 Leo and a Midheaven (MC) of 30 Aries, but with Porphyry, I have 7 Virgo on the 2nd, 4 Libra on the 3rd, 4 Sag on the 5th, and 7 Cap on the 6th, with opposite signs on different houses. As a result, when I change house division systems, the rulers of my 3rd and 9th houses move, as well as my Saturn going from the 3rd (Placidus) to the 2nd (Saturn) (Porphyry). Taurus and Scorpio, on the other hand, are still being intercepted in each of these systems.
Although the Koch system is closer to the Porphyry cusps, it increases my 4th and 10th houses while limiting my 6th and 12th. Campanus is likewise close to the Porphyry cusps, therefore it increases my first and seventh teeth while restricting my fourth and tenth. Regiomontanus, on the other hand, is closer to the Placidus cusps (Virgo on the third) and widens my third, fourth, ninth, and tenth houses while narrowing my second, sixth, eighth, and twelfth houses. Taurus and Scorpio are still intercepted in all systems save the Equal House system. If you’re still perplexed, reading the above-mentioned article about housing will help you understand some of this.
So, what exactly does all of this imply? Both houses are ruled by the same planet when they share the same sign. When a sign is intercepted, it indicates that the preceding sign is the cusp ruler, but the intercepted sign has a significant impact because all signals are given their due in our lives. We all have all the indicators somewhere, which is why some of us approach our life fields in similar or different ways (the houses).
As you can see, the system we utilize determines which houses share a ruler. My own perspective is that each cusp is actually a zone established by employing any three systems, establishing a degree span where the two houses in question meet and overlap each other, as you can see from the other post. Using Equal, Placidus, and Porphyry together, we can observe that the cusp between my second and third houses is somewhere between 28 Virgo and 11 Libra in our case. This is the “commons,” where my ideals and attitudes collide, where my resources and how I use them interact with my surroundings and personal relationships.
Other correlations exist, such as the fact that the border between my 8th and 9th houses is between 28 Pisces and 11 Aries. This is where my goals meet my reality and future, or where my ethics and philosophy meet my shared ideals and resources. When a planet passes through one of these zones, the planetary principle activates the shared “zone of influence,” and via that planetary lens, I gain fresh insights and activities about what is common to those different houses.
It doesn’t make a sign “more strong” or the intercepted sign “less powerful” just because it’s on two houses. More obvious and less obvious, or tuning it inside out, “narrower” and “wider” spans of experience, would be a better method to approach this phenomena, or tuning it inside out. Two signals on the same house suggest a harmonic linkage, but also a limited range of impact, as the identical sign on two houses always implies a house with a width of less than 30 degrees. An intercepted sign, on the other hand, makes a house bigger, allowing us to expand our range of experience. Not necessarily more powerful, but more varied.
Any planet in an intercepted sign qualifies as well. The absence of a sign on a cusp does not imply that a planet in that sign is “weak.” No planet is “weak” if it is intercepted. It demonstrates that the effect operates independently of the normal tendency to approach house matters through the cusp sign and whatever planet dominates that sign. As I mentioned, it depicts a large house that encompasses three sign energies, implying that any planet transiting through that house will have a long stay and a diverse range of experiences.
Keep in mind that the planets are continually expressing themselves. While the signs on our cusps indicate our general approach to those life areas, those areas only express themselves when a planet is in that sign, or when a hot spot is triggered by a progression, transit, eclipse point, major planet conjunction point, Solar Return emphasis, or other such indicators.
A planet that has been intercepted is still highly powerful, and it will exert its effect whenever something makes an aspect to it. It may operate in the background or in a non-obvious manner, but it will nonetheless manifest. My Venus in Taurus in the tenth house is blocked, yet no one would ever guess it wasn’t a significant effect in my life! Scorpio transits to my 4th house are extremely potent because they aspect a number of my planets.
We naturally turn to the ruler of two cusps to see what “governs” the affairs of those houses, and we will often observe comparable activity in both places as the ruler moves through its yearly dance with itself and all the other planets in our charts. Just remember that the outer Invisible Triad of Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto operates on a transpersonal and communal level, and that if we want to understand what’s going on in our personal and interpersonal lives, we must look to the traditional rulers of the signs.
Unless you’re a worldwide force majure, looking at Saturn as ruler of Cap and Aquarius, Jupiter as ruler of Sag and Pisces, and Mars as ruler of Aries and Scorpio will usually give you a better understanding of your personal concerns. Even world rulers and important actors are subject to the traditional rulers, despite the fact that their decisions may manifest in the globe as Uranian, Neptunian, or Plutonian energies.
So, if interceptions apply in your chart, please take a closer look at how they work, as it’s a very significant influence even if those signs aren’t on a cusp. Of course, if you think of cusps as zones of influence rather than hard lines in space-time, they could be.