The Secret Meanings of Your Sun, Moon, and Rising Signs (And How to Find Them)

Whether you’re a longtime believer in astrology or just beginning to understand its complexities, one thing is certain – your sun, moon, and rising signs are three of the most important natal chart placements and deserve your attention and curiosity!

The sun, moon, and rising zodiacs, dubbed as the “Big Three,” all play an important role in your life in a way your sense of sight, smell, and hearing does. These three signs are a team, and when you begin to understand how each sign co-relates to your entire personality, beliefs, and approach in life, you begin to harness the power of your potential.

And so, when people (astrology nay-sayers, most of the time), say they cannot relate to their zodiac sign, it’s because they’re only aware of one birth chart placement – the most common one known by the general population – the sun sign. They know nothing about their moon and rising signs.

Not sure what your sun, moon, and rising signs are? Don’t worry. We’ve got a birth chart calculator to help you figure out your exact signs.

How to Know Your Sun, Moon, and Rising Sign

The first step to understanding the Big Three is to know your birth date, birth place, and time of your birth. Knowing this information will help you generate the most accurate birth chart.

Once you have all the information, it’s time to pull up your natal chart. We’ve got one that we highly recommend here (birth chart calculator). There, you’d have to input your birth information and it will generate a chart showing all of your birth chart placements. “Placements,” meaning, the location of the stars and planets at the very minute you were born.

From here on out, your birth chart becomes the map to your destiny, purpose, and even your past life. !

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.

It’s highly likely that you’re already familiar with your sun sign. If you’ve ever come across your horoscope online or in a magazine, you’ve encountered your sun sign. This sign is determined based on the specific time of year you were born.

Your sun sign corresponds to one of the 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 (which is also known as your star sign) represents your astrological sun and your essential nature. It says a lot about your personality and the core of who you are as a person. It’s the real you without external and environmental influence. Essentially, it is the very core of what makes you you.

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, remember that your entire natal chart (also called your birth chart) colors who you are. This is why you may not necessarily identify with the 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 often associated with that sign. It’s likely because there’s a lot of water or earth energy throughout your natal chart as well.

Or perhaps your sun sign is an earth sign. However, you don’t identify with the grounded and practical characteristics typically linked to earth signs. In such cases, the presence of strong air or fire energies in your natal chart might contribute to your unique blend of traits and tendencies.

Your entire identity is shaped by the interplay of your signs, the planets, and the houses in your natal chart. This unique celestial snapshot captures the precise alignment of the cosmos at the moment of your birth. As a result, each sign and the corresponding planets hold significant influence, contributing profoundly to the essence of who you are.

What Defines Your Sun Sign

So what actually dictates your sun sign? It is based on the sun’s position at the time of your birth. To calculate this, all you need to know is the month and day you were born. We have 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. 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 we were born. This is what shapes our personalities individually.

What Is My Moon Sign?

Your moon sign is the placement of the Moon as it passed through the zodiac houses when you were born. This sign speaks of how you process your feelings and emotions. It’s the internal clockwork, and how you absorb your surroundings.

Simply put, your moon sign represents your inner self. 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 our Sun and Rising signs often control how we express these to the world.

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 similarly. 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.

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.

It’s how you look, your demeanor, how you dress, how you talk and interact with your environment To put it simply, your rising sign is the mask you wear when you step out into the world.

“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.

Each zodiac sign rises on the eastern every two hours, which is why knowing the exact hour and minute of your birth is crucial. Need to calculate your rising sign? You need to know your birth date, exact time, and place to discover your rising sign. You should be able to find this information by checking your birth certificate. Then head over to our birth chart calculator.

Summary of Moon, Rising, and Sun Signs

Here is a quick summary of some of the qualities of the zodiac signs as they appear as either sun, moon, or rising signs.

Sun signs:

Fire signs (Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius) Sun – Outgoing, warm, and straightforward.

Earth signs (Virgo, Capricorn, and Taurus) Sun – Dependable, stable, and grounded.

Air signs (Libra, Gemini, and Aquarius) Sun – Quick-witted, social butterfly, impulsive.

Water signs (Pisces, Scorpio, and Cancer) Sun – Introverted, intuitive, and caring.

Moon signs:

Fire signs (Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius) Moon – Loves feeling seen and appreciated, spontaneous and adventurous.

Earth signs (Virgo, Capricorn, and Taurus) Moon – Loves feeling cozy, having security, and stability.

Air signs (Libra, Gemini, and Aquarius) Moon – Loves stimulating conversations, wordplay, and unfamiliarity.

Water signs (Pisces, Scorpio, and Sagittarius) Moon – Loves to feel needed by others, nurturing, and sentimental.

Rising signs:

Fire signs (Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius) Rising – Outgoing, extroverted, popular, and fun.

Earth signs (Virgo, Capricorn, and Taurus) Rising – No-nonsense, ethereal beauty, and reliable.

Air signs (Libra, Gemini, and Aquarius) Rising – Fast talker, prankster, curious, and witty.

Water signs (Pisces, Scorpio, and Sagittarius) Rising – Often quiet, reflective, and emotional.

We hope this information helps you to discover your sun, moon, and rising signs! Let us know if these together better describe you and your personality! Leave us a comment below, and let us know your thoughts.