Image via @Jastookes
Your astrological ‘big three’ comprises three personal energies in your birth chart: your Sun, Moon, and Rising sign. Together, this cosmic trio creates the foundations of your personality and inner world, alluding to your most basic emotional instincts and how you approach them. If your life were a movie, your Sun sign would be the energy of the main character, your Moon sign would be the characters driving force, and your rising sign would be the title on the big screen which alludes to the adventure that the heroine is about to embark on.
Click here to find out your Sun, Moon & Rising Sign
Your Rising Sign
Your ascendant is the most important angle in your chart, signifying your worldview, the way you approach life, and your overall life path. The zodiac sign to which your ascendant points is called your rising sign. This is the zodiac sign that you should use to read your horoscopes (not your Sun sign), as it reflects your attitude, the wider nature of your personality, and the energy you give off before people even get to know you. Your rising sign is determined by the zodiac sign that rose over the eastern horizon the moment you were born. This sign changes approximately every two hours, making it essential you use your correct birth time to determine it.
Your rising sign dictates your outer-most energy. It explains why some people have an unconscious scowl when they aren’t speaking, why others are naturally optimistic, and why some approach life as if they’re constantly competing with everyone around them. As the first reference to your life path in your birth chart, your rising sign illuminates what your character arc is — for example, a dedicated and ambitious Capricorn rising has a life path centered around the long strive toward achievement. On the other hand, a sensitive and reclusive Cancer rising’s life path is all about maintaining inner security by building nurturing sanctuaries. Your rising sign also determines your ruling planet — aka, the natural planetary ruler of your rising sign — which reveals the natural gifts and talents you have in life and the lessons and challenges you’ll come across in life.
Your Sun Sign
Sun signs are the most widely recognized placement in astrology. They are what you may have referred to as your star sign. Your Sun sign is determined by the zodiacal season you were born under and is the zodiac sign that you probably identify with the most. As the Sun is the planet that governs ego, identity, and willpower, it’s understandable why we’re immediately drawn to our Sun sign when first introduced to astrology. Unlike your rising sign, your Sun sign may not immediately come across to strangers. But, when they get to know you, it will become obvious as it is the fuel on which your personality operates.
Your Sun sign is the heart of your being that explains why you have specific core interests. For example, if you’re a vibrant Leo Sun (born during Leo Season: July 22 to August 22), your natural confidence and playful nature will draw you toward creative and expressive fields, such as art, fashion, and drama, where you can be yourself and receive recognition for it. However, independent Aquarius Suns, born from January 20 to February 18, have an abundance of original ideas, which draws them to humanitarian work, science, and politics, where they can demonstrate their intellectual prowess and better the world around them.
Your Moon Sign
Your Moon sign is the most sensitive placement in your birth chart, determined by the zodiac sign, which the Moon transited when you were born. The Moon shifts on a 28-day cycle, so it changes signs every 2.5 days (approximately), meaning you need your full date, place, and time of birth to determine it. Unlike your Sun and Rising sign, your Moon sign is the least obvious to strangers and will require people to get to know you deeply before it reveals itself through your words and behavior. Your moon sign will illuminate how you process your emotions and make sense of the experiences that trigger your feelings. So, if you have your natal Moon in an Earth sign, you’re more likely to dissect your emotions on an analytical and grounded level, whereas if your Moon is in a Water sign, you’re most likely to feel the depths of all your feelings and the waves of which they fluctuate.
Astrologically speaking, the Moon is the celestial body that oversees instinctual emotions, your subconscious feelings, and motherly energy. Your Moon sign determines how you respond to the world around you at an emotional level and why you react a certain way when you are triggered. For example, dramatic and fiery Aries Moons are emotionally reactive, argumentative, and quick to defend themselves and others. Balanced Libra Moons, on the other hand, are more likely to weigh up their feelings against the situation to assess whether their emotions are justified before expressing them. Your Moon sign reflects your tender feelings and is a great planet to assess if you’re looking for insight into your emotional depth.
