Discover Your Sun, Moon, and Rising Signs
You likely know what your zodiac sign is, right? Most of us do. But do you know what your sun, moon, and rising signs are? Or do you know what these signs mean?
Even if you’re not super into astrology and your zodiac, you’ve probably looked up your horoscope at least once or twice. Because sometimes it’s just nice for someone to tell us where life is heading. It can help your approach to life be more optimistic.
Specifically, that there is hope on the horizon. We’ve all been there, looking for some comforting words from the stars.
Let’s begin with the basics. Most of us know our sun sign, but we may find ourselves wondering “What is my rising sign?”.
You may also have additional questions like “What does my rising sign mean, and what impact does it have?” or “How do I figure out my rising sign?”.
Using your birth time and location to calculate your birth chart will unveil a lot of these answers.
Every zodiac is different, and not always what you’d expect. We all have our strengths and weaknesses. And these can be greatly influenced by the stars. Let’s start by taking a look at the zodiacs.
The Zodiacs
As a term, the zodiac is defined as a belt of the heavens within about 8° on either side of the ecliptic, including all apparent positions of the sun, moon, and most familiar planets. It is divided into twelve equal divisions. These divisions are the signs you’re likely already familiar with – Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces). These are your sun signs.
Chances are you already know your sun sign. If you’ve ever read your horoscope online or in a magazine, you’ve looked at your sun sign. It is calculated by looking up the time of year that you were born.
Your sun sign corresponds to one of 12 zodiacs:
- Aries Dates: March 21-April 19
- Taurus Dates: April 20-May 20
- Gemini Dates: May 21-June 20
- Cancer Dates: June 21-July 22
- Leo Dates: July 23-August 22
- Virgo Dates: August 23-September 22
- Libra Dates: September 23-October 22
- Scorpio Dates: October 23-November 21
- Sagittarius Dates: November 22-December 21
- Capricorn Dates: December 21-January 20
- Aquarius Dates: January 21-February 18
- Pisces Dates: February 19-March 20.
Your Sun, Moon, and Rising Signs and How To Find Your Big Three
What Is My Sun Sign?
Your sun sign (also known as your star sign) represents your astrological sun and your basic nature. It says a lot about your personality and the core of who you are as a person. It also represents how you express yourself to others. Additionally, it can also describe your personal strengths, weaknesses, preferred traits in a romantic partner, and love compatibility with other zodiacs.
As we noted above, your sun sign is what your daily, weekly, monthly, etc. horoscope is based on. But, keep in mind that your entire natal chart (also referred to as your birth chart) colors who you are. This is why you may not necessarily identify with popular traits of your sun sign.
For example, let’s say your sun sign is a fire sign. But you don’t identify with the fiery traits that are often associated with that sign. It’s likely due to the fact there’s a lot of water or earth energy throughout your natal chart as well.
Every aspect of your identity is colored by your signs, the planets, and the houses. Your natal chart provides a picture of how the cosmos were aligned the moment you were born. Because of this, each sign and the planets they fall under make a profound impact on who you are.
What Defines Your Sun Sign
So what actually dictates your sun sign? It is based on the position of the sun at the time of your birth. To calculate this, all you need to know is the month and day you were born. We’ve got the full list of zodiac dates below.
Your sun sign represents you! If you think about it, the sun is the center of our solar system and the Earth needs it to survive. Just like the sun’s relation to Earth, our sun sign is also at the center of who we are. It’s the base for our personalities, how we interact with others, and our life path.
An important thing to keep in mind is that just because you have the same sun sign as your mom or someone close to you, it doesn’t mean that their personality matches yours. Every single one of us has different life experiences based on the time and place in which we were born. This is what shapes our personalities individually.
What Is My Moon Sign?
While the sun represents your conscious self, your moon sign relates more to the hidden aspects of your life, like your emotions, fears, and longings. If you think about the moon, it only comes out at night, and during the day, it’s hidden in a sense – just like you are with your emotions.
Additionally, your moon sign reveals a lot about your love life. Because the moon sign is related to your emotional side, it often deals with matters of the heart.
For example, maybe you constantly find yourself dating Leos, but you have no idea why. Knowing your moon sign can uncover the root of that attraction.
Think of the moon as your soul. It motivates you on a deeper level. It gives us insight into our unconscious as well as our hidden desires. But how we express these to the world is often controlled by our Sun and Rising signs.
Ever feel like you act differently during a full moon? There’s a reason for that.
The moon affects the ocean tides and many researchers believe that since our body is mostly made up of water, the moon affects us in the same way. Astrologist Dr. Perrakis even states “it’s easy to understand how the moon would pull us and sway us just like the ocean.”
People believe this sign shows your true self on a deeper level. Since the moon moves into different stages every 2-3 days, people born 2-3 days apart can be drastically different.
Your moon sign is based on where exactly the moon was when you were born. To calculate this, you’ll need to know the day and exact time you were born including the time zone.
If you don’t know your moon sign, you can discover it in our birth chart calculator.
What Is My Rising Sign?
Your rising sign, or ascendant sign, is the zodiac constellation rising on the eastern horizon at the time you are born. It is your social personality. And it represents your physical body and outward style. Think of it as the energies that you put into the world.
Whereas the sun represents your core self and the moon represents your inner self, the rising is all about how you present yourself. Also, it determines how you relate to the outer world and how people perceive you.
“The ascendant (or rising sign) is often considered the mask one wears when meeting others,” says Café Astrology.
Your ascendant sign is determined by the degree the sun rose on the eastern horizon the exact moment you were born. This is why the rising sign is often seen as the front door, or entryway to the rest of the zodiac.
In the same way that the sun rising on the eastern horizon represents the dawn of a new way, your ascendant sign represents your own personal awakening and the start of a new journey.
To discover your rising sign, you need to know your exact birth date, time, and place. You should be able to find this information by checking your birth certificate. And once you have the information, go to our natal chart / birth chart calculator. We’ll provide you with a personalized and detailed birth chart – as well as help with reading your birth chart.
We hope this information helps you to discover your sun, moon, and rising signs! Be sure to let us know if these together better describe you and your personality! Leave us a comment below, and let us know your thoughts.
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