Ophiuchus: The 13th Zodiac sign and why astrology overlooked it
By : John Whitworth / Updated : Jul 16th, 2026 23:49
Contents
Ophiuchus, the Serpent Wrestler, is known by some as the Thirteenth Sign of the Zodiac. We are familiar with the twelve Zodiac signs created about 2000 years ago. The description of a Zodiac sign is the sign that appears when the Sun sets in the evening. When the signs were first chosen, there were twelve signs, which make up the twelve signs of the Zodiac today. The people who study the Zodiac Signs are known as Astrologers.
The difference between Astronomers and Astrologers is that the former study space to see what is going on outside our planet. In contrast, Astrologers look at charts and predict our day-to-day future. Calling an Astronomer or an Astrologer can get their backs up and annoy them. Astronomers call astrology "fake science," which gets astrologers' backs up.
If you are interested in astrology, you might also like to know that you have a Moon sign. The moon sign is the sign of the Zodiac that appeared when you were born. Have a look at Catherine Best site to calculate your moon sign.
The theory behind Astrology is that our destiny lies in the star sign that appeared as the Sun set on the day of our birth. Since they were drawn up over 2000 years ago, the Earth's orbit around the Sun has changed as it no longer orbits the same elliptical path. The different orbits are due to the gravitational forces exerted by other planets on the Sun. As a result, the Earth will travel farther from the Sun or closer to it. Therefore, when the Sun now sets, it will set in a different constellation than it did all those years ago. However, the astrology community has not changed with the times. Some astrologers do use the thirteenth Zodiac sign. There are a few reasons why they have not been updated:-
- Thirteen is an unlucky number
- Thirteen can not be split into smaller equal Element groups ( Earth, Fire, Water and Air)
- General Reluctance to change
If you have ever wondered why your love life or fortune is going as they told you in the stars, you now know why, and this does not mean that you should automatically stop believing in the Zodiac. This page informs you of why your Zodiac prediction does not match. According to several readings, the Ruling Planet of Ophiuchus is the planetoid Chiron rather than a full planet such as Saturn. 1 Also, in the same article, the website states in the first line that in 13-sign astrology, constellations do not have ruling planets.
Essential facts about the serpent wrestler
- The Zodiac is an area of the sky that encompasses an area of 8 degrees on either side of the celestial equator.
- The Zodiac commonly refers to the twelve signs that appear when the Sun sets.
- Ophiuchus, the Serpent Wrestler, is the thirteenth sign of the Zodiac as the Sun sets in the constellation from the end of November to the Middle of December. As a result of the thirteenth sign, all constellation date ranges are wrong.
- The planetoid Chiron is the governing planet of the sign rather than an actual planet.
- Ophiuchus has not officially been assigned to an element. Still, it would probably be a fire sign pushing Sagittarius out of position because the elements go sequentially: Fire, Earth, Air, and Water.
- It is not a new Zodiac sign. It has always been there, but has just been ignored by astrologers, who prefer to stick with the original twelve.
- Some see Cetus, The Whale, as the Fourteenth Sign Of The Zodiac. Only those born between the 21st and 28th of March are in that group.
The impact of ophiuchus on the four elements
The twelve official Zodiac constellations can be split into four equal groups of three constellations. Adding Ophiuchus to the Zodiac constellation list makes it impossible to divide equally. The Elements follow in sequence: the first element is Fire (Aries), followed by Earth, Air, and Water, then repeat. The Zodiac elements are:-
- Air - Gemini, Libra, Aquarius
- Earth - Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn
- Fire - Aries, Leo, Sagittarius
- Water - Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces
If Ophiuchus were inserted, it would probably take the place of Sagittarius and Ophiuchus would be a fire sign, and ultimately, Pisces becomes a fire sign, ironic. The Ophiuchus element would be fire. Changing elements is one of the reasons for arguing against Ophiuchus being a Zodiac astrological sign.
Updated Zodiac date ranges and astronomical shifts
Below is a table detailing all twelve or thirteen signs of the Zodiac, their official range and the actual astronomical range when they can be seen in the place of the setting sun.
| Star Sign | Official Date Range | New Date Range |
|---|---|---|
| Aries, the Ram | Mar 21 - Apr 20 | Apr 19 - May 13 |
| Taurus, the Bull | Apr 21 - May 21 | May 14 - Jun 19 |
| Gemini, the Twins | May 22 - Jun 22 | Jun 20 - Jul 20 |
| Cancer, the Crab | Jun 23 - Jul 23 | Jul 21 - Aug 09 |
| Leo, the Lion | Jul 24 - Aug 23 | Aug 10 - Sep 15 |
| Virgo, the Virgin | Aug 24 - Sep 23 | Sep 16 - Oct 30 |
| Libra, the Scales | Sep 24 - Oct 23 | Oct 31 - Nov 22 |
| Scorpius, the Scorpion | Oct 24 - Nov 22 | Nov 23 - Nov 29 |
| Ophiuchus, the Serpent Wrestler | n/a | Nov 30 - Dec 17 |
| Sagittarius, the Archer | Nov 23 - Dec 21 | Dec 18 - Jan 18 |
| Capricornus, the Seagoat | Dec 22 - Jan 20 | Jan 19 - Feb 17 |
| Aquarius, the Water Bearer | Jan 21 - Feb 19 | Feb 16 - Mar 11 |
| Pisces, the Fish | Feb 20 - Mar 20 | Mar 12 - Apr 18 |
This table illustrates how the realigned sun signs differ significantly from traditional western astrology charts.
Personality traits of ophiuchians
For those who follow astrology, a selected number of Traits of a person born under the constellation are below. For more in-depth information about an Ophiuchian, visit Know Your Fate. :-
- Interpreter of dreams
- Seeker of wisdom and knowledge
- Will have a great family, but have to leave home at an early age.
- Attract good luck
- Visionary
- A great architect or builder
- Authority looks upon him/her well
The mythological origins of Asclepius
According to Greek mythology, Ophiuchus was Asclepius. He was the son of Apollo and Coronis, the daughter of King Phlegyas of the Lapiths. The goddess Athena gave him the power to resurrect the dead, including the more famous Orion, the hunter.
Asclepius was killed by a bolt of lightning from Zeus. Hades had requested Zeus to do so. As Asclepius was resurrecting, Hades worried that the Underworld would not get as many dead as he should. He was turned into a constellation to appease Apollo, who had killed the three Cyclops. The Cyclops, mystical one-eyed beings, built Zeus's thunderbolts.
Exploring the possibility of a fourteenth zodiac sign
The Zodiac does not stop at the 13th. There is a fourteenth sign of the Zodiac. The fourteenth is Cetus, the giant sea monster that, according to legend, was summoned by Poseidon to eat Andromeda. Cetus was slayed by Perseus using the Pegasus, the winged Horse.
Only those born between the 21st and the 28th of March belong to this tiny group of Zodiac people. With the Cetus included, the dates of the table will be different once more.
Using Stellarium, the Sun merely grazes Cetus rather than setting in the constellation. However, if you want to know more about Cetus Zodiac, visit Zodiac Truth for more details. The picture below was created using Stellarium on the date 2020-03-27 at 16:37.
Comments and Questions
tiffany
okay just a thought. So as with any person who has a sun sign has a rising sign and a moon sign too, so a person born as an ophiuchus (which the name sounds totally dumb) what would their moon and rising signs be? Also I just want to point out when you read your full chart you will come to realize your personality is every sign in the zodiac what is your pluto, your neptune, your venus, and your mars what is your blue moon. Our characteristics are within all of these.
danie
13 is only what u make of it..it has never been unlucky in my life ..actually it is quiet a sacred number in the lives of many indivudals that i know and love
Debbie
I believe that you have no new knowledge to say about horoscopes these days as everything has been written. Now you have to come up with "new" news and writings therefore a new zodiac sign has been created. I will continue to stick to the old thank you very much!
Heather
I am a Sagittarius, and I have always thought I had almost every trait of a Sagittarius. Now I hear that I am Ophiuchus, and I dont know much about it. I hear it means I am a "healer". Which makes a lot of sense, considering that I am majoring in Veterinary Medicine/Marine Biology so that I can help domestic/marine animals. If the sky has changed a lot since the common zodiac was created 2,000+ years ago, then why is it that Ophiuchus is just now coming to the forefront? How long has our Sun traveled through Ophiuchus? Surely it was before the millennium, right? I prefer accuracy. And since I was born in 1987, if the sun traveled through Ophiuchus before/during that time, I am considering myself an Ophiuchus now. Feel free to respond if you know what year it started!
Ysalys
Our original, personal signs are dependent on WHEN WE WERE BORN; not changes that occur after. Our personal signs have not changed at all, but that we are now experiencing astrological changes is more proof that we are evolving, and NEW BIRTHS will be affected by this change. Our evolution, or change and growth, is not only a physical anomaly; it also extends through our consciousness and spirituality. We have some among us that can create matter from consciousness; we are seeing this increasingly now. We are seeing more children with abilities to see and do things on the paranormal level: Extra Sensory Perception. Our, as we call it, intuition seems to be more predominant now than in earlier times of mankind. We are beginning to accept that more people can see things, sense things, and do things in ways that can only be referred to as supernatural. Our awareness is expanding and we are seeing more changes within ourselves as a result. We are becoming more in tune with our bodies, our consciousness, and our spirituality. Yes, we ARE affected by the stars and universe around us as well as the gravitational tides of pull on us. We are also seeing what some call Indigo and Crystal children appearing, and this must have to do with the astrological change we are witnessing.
mandy
oh come one ppl horoscopes are full of crap anyways, they describe each horoscopes as the same just using different words
Ping
Great. :P I "was" a Sagittarius and now Im this new sign? Sagittarius didnt even fit me. Scorpio did though. Id rather be that than a "Serpentbearer".
Sabrina
Who in the HELL would want to have there kid born in that kind of a sign? Who would ever want to be a Serpent Wrestler? WHAT A STUPID SIGN!
WhoamInow?
What are the traits of this Serpant holder and who is it compatible with? I am now a Serpant Holder and my husband is now a Taurus! WTF?
Doll
Since I an an Ophiuchus, which other sign best works best with me? Am I still considered a fire sign, what am I now? Thank you..
Finally the truth!
Ophiuchus the 13th sign. Thank the dear lord it has come to light.. Because being born December 5th I knew I wasnt a true Sagittarius nor a Scorpion. However in my charts when born I have many scorpion symbols however never felt i truly belonged to either sign.. Thank you for opening my eyes to the 13th sign where I belong and please tell me where I can find more information on this news. Open the worlds eyes please and spread the news that there is another sign and I know I fall under it for sure. For I fear no snakes, always helped others etc. Please send me authors names I would love to read their books. Sincerely, Happy as a pig in Poop!.. lol
ian forrester
i would like to know a little bit more about me seen that i was born on the 15/12/1970 which is new to (o fu cus)
aksiri
im a ophicius and feel very pleased to know so since im finding myself very close to its discription. no coincedence here. im december 17th too. nice board here.
bryan
Why did they take it out?
Faith
Doesn't this prove (not that it needs much proving) that astrology is complete and utter bunk? @mary madelaine: Ophiuchus is in the sky every night, every day, and has been since the earth formed. It wouldn't make much sense for the Anti-Christ to appear when Ophiuchus came into the sky. You might be confusing it with 2012 nostradamas legends, which claim that when the sun is in Ophiuchus, the world will end. Which is also nonsense.
I'm a Gemini
I'm still a Gemini!! I don't care what you say I'm no Taurus! My personality doesn't add up!! And my brother is still a Leo! I'm a Gemini not a Taurus so WHAT!!!!!!!!!
coot
i think in Ptolemy's Al Magest he lists Ophiuchus as having 29 stars...
Was a Pisces
Oh I'm very upset and then glad. I "was" a Pisces and then all of a sudden an Aquarius! I feel really upset and disappointed and then kind of happy. It feels like rebirth ? But now I have to find out about the new me PEACE
Courtney Coffey
How many star does ophiuchus have and what is the brightest star? I need this for a project
Crux Flux
I think this information is very accurate now it can be used to show how each person is recombient between two extrema, good and evil or right and wrong interms of fire water earth and wind. You can see what combination you are based upon a phenotypic judgement...i.e. tall and dark you are mostly earth, short and yellow more so wind, red and muscular fire but inderstanding that there are in betweens is the key to determining where we really come from. Ophiucus will be rebirthed and all must embrace the second coming with love instead of fear of the unknown so that we can commune together better on this path unto eternity.
Stuart Isaac
Is there a way to see the ophiuchus sign " snake wrestler"?
Lisa
How many stars does Ophichus have? I need this information for a school project and i can't find it anywhere! -Thanks, Lisa
mary madelaine
This is actually not a comment but a question. Is it true that ones Ophiuchus appeared in the sky, the antichrist will arrive? I'm just curious.
shizma
According to this it looks like my sign is Ophiuchus (7.12.1981.). Not that i take this astrological signs mumbo-jumbo seriously but i am wondering why don't they update themselves with this precession thing which caused slight difference in signs through years. Seems to me that people who believe horoscopes are totally misled
Dawn
in what modality does ophiuchus fall? what house does it rule? why was this knowledge hidden? what is the ruling planet? does any planet that exceeds 6 degrees scorpio fall into ophiuchus????
Mary
The Lost Book of Nostradamus was on the History channel. Many different sites say that Scorpio is really only a little shorter then seven days. Then on the 30th of November it goes to Ophisuchus. I think that if you read any of the zodiac signs in detail, everyone will have some of the traits in each sign, but one in which they have a majority. The majority one is usually your sun sign. We aren't governed by precedent though, so if you don't like a trait or two in your sign, don't live up to it. We still have free choice regardless of what the stars signify and that is what is so wonderful about being human. Another site said that Ophisuchus ends on November 1st, but looking at the constellations, that doesn't fit the rotation. It occurs between the stinger of the Scorpio and the arrow tip of Sagittarius.
Jen
Okay i dont understand. I was born on October 31st and I was "supposed" to be a Scorpio. For a couple years ive been reading on scorpios and I noticed I had ALMOST all traits. Then recently I heard about the 13th sign and I would now be a Libra. So then I did some researching on Libras, and I have some, but very little traits of a Libra and I feel much more like a scorpio. But I kinda think I might be both. Is this possible? Anyone who might know, please tell me.
pagan
sorry allan but it didn't just start in 2000 ophiuchus was known many years ago the only reason it wasn't used is because it changes everything and im 23 and have known since i was 15 that i am ophiuchus
allan
my son is ophiuchus and i think that star sign was activated in the zodiac as of 2000 when the grand cross was in the sky that year not before. if you were born before 2000 then your zodiac sign will be the ones they have always been and after 2000 they are the new arrangement that includes ophiuchus i reckon if the stars and planets all move then why cant human perception!!!!!!!!
DogYear
For those who are having a hard time accepting a new order of things you know, consider this: One year you are told to eat eggs, or chocolate, or whatever, and the next year you are told it is bad for you, and the next you are again told to eat them per new research. "They" continually change what we are to know as true in our Universe, so why can we not see this perceived change as a chance to be one step closer to the truth? Isn't this supposed to be an Age of Enlightment? Are we not to become more involved in the truth in these days? This, to me, is awesome. Light has finally been shown on the spirit (AKASHA), instead of just the physical world. I'm most curious to know what exactly will occur on December 21, 2012, when our dear Sol aligns with the freakin galactic center. Should be interesting. I was born March 21st, supposedly the first day of Aries according to the old. I always felt Pisces, and always always always explained I was on the cusp therefore I am part Pisces, but now I am smack dab in the middle of Pisces. I can't explain it, but through my observations of people in my 37 years, this 13 order of the Zodiac now makes more sense. People fit their signs more, in my opinion. But, just remember, the future is fluid, as is the truth. Learn to move with the river, rather than try to control it.
Kristin A Ashcom
Marj, which channel did you find this documentary on Nostradamus on? If you let us all know, we can search for it keep an eye out for it. Was it the Discovery, TLC, Nat Geo, History channel's or what??? Please, reply. I certainly don't want to miss this which will probably rerun again in the future. I have Direct TV and can search for subjects, titles, etc., and program well in advance a show I want to autoset. On behalf of my self and I think I speak for many others here on this site, thanks for any information you you can share with us. Krisi
Angaela
Its quite disturbing to learn that I am actually a Scorpio! I watched that same documentary and have now been exploring this idea. I would like to find a way to get a new natal chart including this 13th sign. Please help! If anyone knows how this is possible please share!!!!!
Marj
I just learned of this tonight by watching a documentary on Nostradamus. It is confounding to have just gained a fair knowledge of charts and Astrology, at least enough to look for certain things in my own chart, and then to have to consider that there is a thirteenth sign that pushes me to being a Pisces rather than an Aries. I kind of liked being an Aries. Sigh. Like others, I am wondering if there is some online charting tool like Astro.com that will allow me to roll this 13th sign into the equations? But, if it is Astronomy rather than Astrology... Recently there has been debate about whether or not Pluto is a planet. In spite of the Astronomer's claims it is not a planet, it is still evaluated as a personal planet in Astrology. Then there is Sedna... And Chiron.... Maybe it's best to remain being an Aries with Venus in Pices in the 12th house and let that be. Unless, of course, one of you folks has found a site where I can find myself anew?
Now I'm a Sagitarius!!!
Wow... if I didn't have a project I never would've known about this!!! My only concern is where to get a full, complete natal chart including all 13 signs of the zodiac... Can anyone help me out ASAP?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! Thanks so much!!!
pagan
so far i have only found that same site already posted but there was a astrology book that my mum had that told me i was a Ophiuchus about 5 years ago maybe longer i will try to find out what book it was its cool being a Ophiuchus makes alot of sense to me :D blessed be all pagan