Astrology has become a staple conversation starter for meeting new people in this day in age. It is a fun way to get to know yourself and the people around you better.

Understanding what each of your signs mean and why there are many different elements in your birth chart can be tricky.

“For me, astrology was like the first steps of accepting myself, accepting others, accepting the world for how it is,” said astrologer Mariah Baxter.

It can definitely get a bit confusing when going through your spiritual journey.

So, here are some basic explanations to get you by the next time someone asks you for your sign.

Air, earth, fire and water

Each astrological sign is unique and is broken into four groups: air signs, earth signs, fire signs and water signs. Each sign within their respective group shares similarities with one another. Water signs are known to be emotional while air signs are more detached and fire signs are known to be temperamental but earth signs are more relaxed.

The typical traits of a fire sign are competitive, passionate and spontaneous.

These traits help ignite their flame. Some negative traits of the sign are that they can be chaotic and disruptive.

Some of the typical traits for an earth sign are driven, grounded and loyal. They are also known to be critical and stubborn.

Air signs are known to be free spirited, sociable and witty. Air signs can be the life of the party but they do have negative traits as well. They can be indecisive and detached.

Typical traits for water signs are deep, highly intuitive and sensitive. Negative traits can include overly emotional and trouble with setting boundaries in your relationships.

Birth charts

Your birth chart is broken into different categories. There are three main ones, also known as your big three, that most people know: sun, moon and rising.

Your sun sign represents who you are at your core and it is based on the period you are born in.

For example, anyone born between the period of September 22 to October 23 are libras. Sometimes people feel like they don’t resonate with their sun sign and that is because there are other parts of their chart that fit them better.

Your moon sign is how you process emotion, feelings and desires.

Lastly for the big three is your rising sign. Your rising sign is how others around you view your personality. Finding out what your moon and rising signs are requires more information, you will need to know the day, time and where you were born. There are websites like cafeastrology.com that give you your whole birth chart once you put your information in. This website also gives you explanations on what each section means.

It can be intimidating getting started but just remember to have fun with it.

“A lot of the first steps of getting into spirituality in general is learning,” Baxter said. “Just taking in information and processing it. Really be a kid again, like accepting how to play again, and interact with the world in a more free build space. Like, it’s not that serious, it’s gonna be okay.”

Begin your journey of self discovery so that you are better prepared for the next time someone asks what your sign is.