May zodiac sign: Taurus, then Gemini
Updated October 17, 2026 · How we write these pages
The short answer
People born in May are Taurus or Gemini. May 1 to about May 20 is Taurus, the steady earth sign ruled by Venus, and about May 21 to 31 is Gemini, the curious air sign ruled by Mercury. On the US Eastern clock the Sun has entered Gemini on May 20 in more years than on May 21.
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Read my whole chartMay birthdays: the bull and the twins
May is mostly Taurus, and Taurus is the sign of May in full bloom: gardens, long evenings, comfort and pleasure. Its people are said to be loyal, patient, sensual and stubborn, with a taste for good food and things that last. In the last ten days the Sun moves into Gemini, and the month's mood shifts from the garden to the conversation: quick, curious, restless and social.
That makes May one of the easiest months for astrology fans to spot the split in a family or office. The May 5 colleague who never changes their lunch order and the May 28 colleague who has three new hobbies a month are the bull and the twins in person.
May holidays by sign
The fixed dates in May fall neatly on one side of the cusp or the other:
- Cinco de Mayo, May 5: Taurus.
- Mother's Day, the second Sunday, May 8 to 14: always Taurus, the sign of comfort and care.
- Memorial Day, the last Monday, May 25 to 31: always Gemini.
- The May birthstone is the emerald, Venus's green, a fit for Taurus.
A May birthday is just the start
Get your Moon, rising sign, Venus and Mercury read from your birth chart in plain words, plus a daily horoscope written from today's sky.
Read my whole chartMay zodiac signs, day by day
On the US Eastern clock, May 1 to 19 is always Taurus and May 22 onward is always Gemini. In between is the change: from 1970 to 2035 the Sun entered Gemini on May 20 in 37 of the 66 years and May 21 in 29. On the change day itself, a birth before the moment in the year table below is Taurus and a birth after it is Gemini.
| Birthday | Sun sign (US Eastern time) |
|---|---|
| May 1 to 19 | Taurus |
| May 20 | Taurus all day in 29 years, the change day in 37 |
| May 21 | The change day in 29, Gemini all day in 37 |
| May 22 to 31 | Gemini |
When Gemini begins each year, in Eastern time
The Sun's entry into Gemini slides about six hours later each year and jumps back after a leap day. The next two are May 21, 2027 at 2:10 am Eastern, then May 20, 2028 at 8:00 am Eastern. Times are good to within 15 minutes. For Central time take one hour off, for Mountain two and for Pacific three, which can move the change to the day before; the sign page lists the same moments in UTC.
| Year | Gemini begins (ET) | Year, cont. | Gemini begins, cont. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | May 21, 7:30 am | 2003 | May 21, 7:10 am |
| 1971 | May 21, 1:20 pm | 2004 | May 20, 1:00 pm |
| 1972 | May 20, 7:00 pm | 2005 | May 20, 6:40 pm |
| 1973 | May 21, 12:50 am | 2006 | May 21, 12:30 am |
| 1974 | May 21, 6:40 am | 2007 | May 21, 6:10 am |
| 1975 | May 21, 12:30 pm | 2008 | May 20, 12:00 pm |
| 1976 | May 20, 6:20 pm | 2009 | May 20, 5:50 pm |
| 1977 | May 21, 12:10 am | 2010 | May 20, 11:30 pm |
| 1978 | May 21, 6:00 am | 2011 | May 21, 5:20 am |
| 1979 | May 21, 11:50 am | 2012 | May 20, 11:10 am |
| 1980 | May 20, 5:40 pm | 2013 | May 20, 5:00 pm |
| 1981 | May 20, 11:30 pm | 2014 | May 20, 10:50 pm |
| 1982 | May 21, 5:20 am | 2015 | May 21, 4:40 am |
| 1983 | May 21, 11:10 am | 2016 | May 20, 10:30 am |
| 1984 | May 20, 4:50 pm | 2017 | May 20, 4:20 pm |
| 1985 | May 20, 10:40 pm | 2018 | May 20, 10:10 pm |
| 1986 | May 21, 4:30 am | 2019 | May 21, 4:00 am |
| 1987 | May 21, 10:10 am | 2020 | May 20, 9:50 am |
| 1988 | May 20, 4:00 pm | 2021 | May 20, 3:40 pm |
| 1989 | May 20, 9:50 pm | 2022 | May 20, 9:20 pm |
| 1990 | May 21, 3:30 am | 2023 | May 21, 3:10 am |
| 1991 | May 21, 9:20 am | 2024 | May 20, 9:00 am |
| 1992 | May 20, 3:10 pm | 2025 | May 20, 2:40 pm |
| 1993 | May 20, 8:50 pm | 2026 | May 20, 8:30 pm |
| 1994 | May 21, 2:40 am | 2027 | May 21, 2:10 am |
| 1995 | May 21, 8:30 am | 2028 | May 20, 8:00 am |
| 1996 | May 20, 2:20 pm | 2029 | May 20, 1:50 pm |
| 1997 | May 20, 8:10 pm | 2030 | May 20, 7:40 pm |
| 1998 | May 21, 2:10 am | 2031 | May 21, 1:30 am |
| 1999 | May 21, 8:00 am | 2032 | May 20, 7:20 am |
| 2000 | May 20, 1:50 pm | 2033 | May 20, 1:10 pm |
| 2001 | May 20, 7:30 pm | 2034 | May 20, 7:00 pm |
| 2002 | May 21, 1:20 am | 2035 | May 21, 12:50 am |
Taurus versus Gemini, the short version
Taurus is fixed earth: it holds, builds and enjoys. Gemini is mutable air: it moves, links and asks. Venus rules the first and Mercury the second, and the two planets sit close to the Sun, so many May births have Venus or Mercury in one of these two signs as well. That is why a May birthday chart often reads as a mix of both, and why the Moon and rising sign decide which side shows more.
A May birthday is just the start
Get your Moon, rising sign, Venus and Mercury read from your birth chart in plain words, plus a daily horoscope written from today's sky.
Read my whole chartQuestions people ask
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