Even people with a slight knowledge of Western astrology have usually heard of the "cusp" between signs.

The idea of the cusp is that people born during a transition between signs possess a distinctive character. Some think they exhibit traits of both their neighboring signs. So someone like Spike Lee (03/20/1957) could have qualities of both Pisces and Aries, Meryl Streep (06/22/1949) may possess elements of Gemini and Cancer, or Kim Kardashian (10/21/1980) might reflect Libra and Scorpio.

Another common interpretation is that cusp personalities, whatever their intersecting signs, share an essentially restless or provocative nature. Some of history's most famously exuberant, mischievous, or rebellious souls have had cusp energy. Examples of cusp individuals who have defied conventions or restraints of the status quo include popular icons like:

• Nina Simone (02/21/1933, cusp of Aquarius and Pisces)
• Robin Williams (07/21/1951, cusp of Cancer and Leo)
• Janis Joplin (01/19/1943, cusp of Capricorn and Aquarius)
• Carrie Fisher (10/21/1956, cusp of Libra and Scorpio)
• Matthew Perry (08/19/1969, cusp of Leo and Virgo)
• Snoop Dogg (10/20/1971, cusp of Leo and Scorpio)
• Björk (11/21/1965, cusp of Sagittarius and Capricorn).

Cusp personalities may also navigate inner demons or disturbances that their sense of cosmic flux brings close to the surface.

Cusp individuals are often kindred spirits who share a special bond between them. Examples of powerfully nourishing and creative bonds between famous cusp birthdates include:

• the 50-year marriage between Dolly Parton (1/19/1946, Capricorn Rooster) and Carl Thomas Dean (7/20/1942, Cancer Horse)
• the 50-year marriage between Samuel L. Jackson (12/21/1948, Sagittarius Rat) and LaTanya Richardson Jackson (10/21/1949, Libra Ox)
• the high-profile mother/daughter relationship between actors Kate Hudson (4/19/1979, Aries Sheep) and Goldie Hawn (11/21/1945, Scorpio Rooster) 
• the decades-long musical collaboration and friendship between Bruce Springsteen (9/23/1949, Libra Ox) and Steven Van Zandt (11/22/1950, Sagittarius Tiger) 
• the marriage between Emily Blunt (2/23/1983, Pisces Pig) and John Krasinski (10/20/1979, Libra Sheep), co-stars in the film, A Quiet Place(2018).

Of course, not everyone agrees that the idea of cusps is important for astrological interpretation. Some astrologers argue that neither the sun nor the stars can be in two places at once, so a person must have a single, specific star sign—end of story.

This kind of technical interpretation, however, goes to the very heart of what astrology really means. How should we investigate the idea that the stars might influence our personality traits or relationships? If we are open to the concept of cosmic energy, however amorphous or difficult to quantify, how are we to identify the patterns or lessons that are most useful in our daily lives?

For those who take a more flexible approach, the idea of the cusp may be as important as any in astrology. Adjacent Western signs, just like adjacent Chinese signs, can be as radically different from one another as day and night. The cusp may therefore help to explain why transitions are not perceived as sudden or jarring. When cusps are understood as transitional, the influence of one sign fades into the next, just as daylight fades through dusk into twilight into sunset and night. Using this approach, a person born in the first two weeks of a month in the Gregorian calendar would be clearly endowed with the characteristics of the applicable Western sign—3 May, solid Taurus; 3 December, solid Sagittarius, etc. Around the transitions, though, the energy would be less fixed—more inconstant, more influenced by the next or previous sign in the zodiac wheel.

Seen in this way, the cusp leads to an understanding of astrology as a continuum of influences, continuously shifting from one archetype to the next. For cusp individuals, this flux can attract a destabilizing energy that may give rise to challenging crosscurrents and inner conflicts. It is an energy that has the potential to throw others off balance, create discomfort, or be seen by others as provocative or dramatic. However, cusp energy also contains a disruptive force that can be incredibly productive. Think about what is required to challenge social norms or call-out others for offensive words or actions. In these instances, disruptive energy, of some form or another, is critical to challenging the status quo. It is perhaps no coincidence that examples of this energy include the famously disruptive documentary film-makers Louis Theroux (5/2/1970, Taurus Dog) and Michael Moore (4/23/1954, Taurus Horse) who are both born near cusps.

So if you or any of those close to you are one these special individuals born on the cusp of two signs in the Western and or Chinese zodiacs, you may be well advised to embrace the uniquely disruptive energy surrounding you. It is an energy that was written into the stars at the time of your birth that brings with it powerful potential for positive social change and transformation. Be sure to check out each month a special report on the unique characteristics of each cusp!