Entering a sign
An ingress is a crossing from one zodiac sign into another.
The physical explanation
In the tropical zodiac, a sign boundary occurs at every multiple of 30 degrees of longitude. Direct motion crosses toward the next sign; retrograde motion can bring a body back into the previous one. The same boundary can therefore be crossed more than once. Nothing physically switches at that line: it marks a change in how we describe the body’s direction from Earth. The Time Machine estimates each crossing from calculated positions and lets you compare an hour before and after it.
Explore real dates in the Time Machine ↗The traditional association
In Western astrology, an ingress is interpreted as a change in the sign through which a planet’s symbolism is expressed. A retrograde return may be read as revisiting that sign’s themes. These are symbolic readings, not inevitable events or changes to the planet’s physical nature.
Reference: US Naval Observatory · ecliptic longitude and equinox definitions ↗
Editorially reviewed 2026-10-24 · prepared 2026-10-24.