Constellations

Aries spans 19.73° of the Sun's path, and its boundary with Pisces is zero degrees: the whole true sidereal frame is counted from this edge. Gates 17 and 21 sit wholly inside it, and it shares Gate 25 with Pisces and Gate 51 with Taurus. In the tropical zodiac the name Aries marks the month after the March equinox, where the seasonal year begins. Tradition calls it cardinal fire, the temperament of the opening move. That is history attached to the name: the band itself is a coordinate, not a character, and the meaning lives in the gates.

Taurus spans 36.86° of the Sun's path, the fourth widest of the thirteen bands. Six gates sit wholly inside it (42, 3, 27, 24, 2 and 23), and it shares Gate 51 with Aries and Gate 8 with Gemini. In the tropical zodiac the name Taurus marks the second month of northern spring. Tradition calls it fixed earth, the temperament of holding. That is history attached to the name: the band itself is a coordinate, not a character, and the meaning lives in the gates.

Gemini spans 29.45° of the Sun's path, close to the 30° of a tropical sign. Four gates sit wholly inside it (20, 16, 35 and 45), and it shares Gate 8 with Taurus and Gate 12 with Cancer. In the tropical zodiac the name Gemini marks the last month before the June solstice. Tradition calls it mutable air, the temperament of circulation. That is history attached to the name: the band itself is a coordinate, not a character, and the meaning lives in the gates.

Cancer spans 17.15° of the Sun's path, the third narrowest of the thirteen bands. Gates 15 and 52 sit wholly inside it, and it shares Gate 12 with Gemini and Gate 39 with Leo. In the tropical zodiac the name Cancer marks the month that opens at the June solstice. Tradition calls it cardinal water, the temperament of the protective opening. That is history attached to the name: the band itself is a coordinate, not a character, and the meaning lives in the gates.

Leo spans 38.42° of the Sun's path, the third widest of the thirteen bands. Six gates sit wholly inside it (53, 62, 56, 31, 33 and 7), and it shares Gate 39 with Cancer and Gate 4 with Virgo. In the tropical zodiac the name Leo marks the height of northern summer. Tradition calls it fixed fire, the temperament of sustained output. That is history attached to the name: the band itself is a coordinate, not a character, and the meaning lives in the gates.

Virgo is the widest band on the wheel at 49.72° of the Sun's path, four times the width of Ophiuchus. Eight gates sit wholly inside it (29, 59, 40, 64, 47, 6, 46 and 18), and it shares Gate 4 with Leo and Gate 48 with Libra. In the tropical zodiac the name Virgo marks the harvest month before the September equinox. Tradition calls it mutable earth, the temperament of refinement. That is history attached to the name: the band itself is a coordinate, not a character, and the meaning lives in the gates.

Libra spans 18.88° of the Sun's path, the fourth narrowest of the thirteen bands. Gates 57 and 32 sit wholly inside it, and it shares Gate 48 with Virgo and Gate 50 with Scorpio. In the tropical zodiac the name Libra marks the month that opens at the September equinox, when day and night are equal. Tradition calls it cardinal air, the temperament of relating. That is history attached to the name: the band itself is a coordinate, not a character, and the meaning lives in the gates.

Scorpio crosses the Sun's path for only 13.23°, the second narrowest band after Ophiuchus. Gates 28 and 44 sit wholly inside it, and it shares Gate 50 with Libra and the first sliver of Gate 1 with Ophiuchus. In the tropical zodiac the name Scorpio marks the middle of northern autumn. Tradition calls it fixed water, the temperament of depth held under pressure. That is history attached to the name: the band itself is a coordinate, not a character, and the meaning lives in the gates.

Ophiuchus, the Serpent Bearer, is the thirteenth constellation on the Sun's path, between Scorpio and Sagittarius. At 12.36° it is the narrowest band on the wheel. Gate 43 sits wholly inside it, Gate 1 lies almost entirely within it, and it shares Gate 14 with Sagittarius. The twelve-sign zodiac leaves it out, so it has no season, element or modality. The figure is Asclepius, the healer of Greek myth: a story attached to the stars, not a character for the band.

Sagittarius spans 33.39° of the Sun's path, beginning where Ophiuchus ends. Five gates sit wholly inside it (34, 9, 5, 26 and 11), and it shares Gate 14 with Ophiuchus and Gate 10 with Capricorn. In the tropical zodiac the name Sagittarius marks the last month before the December solstice. Tradition calls it mutable fire, the temperament of the wide view. That is history attached to the name: the band itself is a coordinate, not a character, and the meaning lives in the gates.

Capricorn spans 25.67° of the Sun's path. Gates 58, 38 and 54 sit wholly inside it, and it shares Gate 10 with Sagittarius and Gate 61 with Aquarius. In the tropical zodiac the name Capricorn marks the month that opens at the December solstice, when the light begins to return. Tradition calls it cardinal earth, the temperament of the structural opening. That is history attached to the name: the band itself is a coordinate, not a character, and the meaning lives in the gates.

Aquarius spans 23.16° of the Sun's path. Gates 60, 41 and 19 sit wholly inside it, and it shares Gate 61 with Capricorn and Gate 13 with Pisces. The 64-gate wheel is anchored in this band: Gate 41, where the Human Design year begins, opens inside Aquarius. In the tropical zodiac the name Aquarius marks the depth of northern winter. Tradition calls it fixed air, the temperament of a held idea. That is history attached to the name: the band itself is a coordinate, not a character, and the meaning lives in the gates.

Pisces spans 41.99° of the Sun's path, the second widest of the thirteen bands. Seven gates sit wholly inside it (49, 30, 55, 37, 63, 22 and 36), and it shares Gate 13 with Aquarius and Gate 25 with Aries. In the tropical zodiac the name Pisces marks the last month before the March equinox, where the seasonal count closes. Tradition calls it mutable water, the temperament of dissolving edges. That is history attached to the name: the band itself is a coordinate, not a character, and the meaning lives in the gates.