What does your Rising or Ascendant Sign Mean in Astrology?

"As above, so below", that’s how the outer and the inner world are connected according to astrology. Each person is born with a unique birth chart that determines their personalities, their karmic pathway, their attitudes and behaviors which has an effect on the compatibility they share with other signs in their everyday life. Each birth chart maps out the time and place of the person’s transcendence on this planet. The specific characteristics traits that the person exhibits is mainly guided by three main planets: the sun, the moon and rising.

It is common for people to know their sun signs traits but the moon and rising sign have an equally significant impact on someone’s life that often remain ignored. This simply means that a person who identifies himself as a Scorpio is not simply his sun sign Scorpio but displays much more unique habits that he draws from the influence of his moon and rising sign. If you have been looking for answers from astrology to what your rising or ascendant sign really is, here is all that you need to know.

What is the rising sign or ascendant sign in astrology?

There are 12 Zodiac signs and 24 hours in a day. The ascendant moves into a new Zodiac sign every two hours. So, the accurate knowledge of the birth time and location of birth is important to decipher the ascendant of a person.

Each Zodiac sign has been assigned a particular element like the Air, Fire, Earth and Water. Along with these, there are qualities that are central to the functioning of these Zodiac signs, i.e., cardinal, mutable and fixed. And then there is a ruling planet that governs the Zodiac sign. All of these factors combined have an effect on the manner in which a person behaves or acts.

The rising sign quite simply refers to the zodiac sign that was rising on the eastern horizon when the person was born. It is how people see you or the social behavior that you depict and how others perceive you accordingly. How you appear on the outside and the implications it has on your surroundings is what your rising sign controls. What ignites your physical self and how it functions to mould your understanding of life can be traced when you know your rising sign.

It is important to note here that the position of the ascendant sign is crucial in understanding whether or not the traits of the particular sign are strongly reflected or not. When the ascendant sign is placed at the beginning of the chart, its is more prominent than when it is towards the end.

Why is the Ascendant important?

The knowledge of the ascendant sign is very useful in using the strengths and weaknesses to the advantage of the native. The following paragraphs will simplify your understanding of how your rising sign in any of the elements impacts your conduct.

Air Signs: Gemini, Libra, Aquarius

You are intellectual, lively, curious, adaptive and quick in your understanding of any subject. You have strong communication skills that makes you a social butterfly. You share an interest in a wide gamut of topics as a result of your nature that seeks unlimited knowledge.

Fire Signs: Aries, Leo, Sagittarius

You will rarely mince your words. You are confident and are a born leader. Your vitality is contagious and you will strive to achieve excellence in everything that you undertake. You are a “big picture” person, often looking at the positive side of a problem amidst negativity. This makes you an excellent team builder.

Earth Signs: Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn

You showcase a stubborn nature, not resting until the goal is reached.You are quite grounded and materialistic in your approach to life. You appreciate stability and a planned course to every activity that you undertake.You want to be productive and are practical in your outlook towards life.

Water Signs: Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces

You are emotional, intuitive, possessing a soft core that makes you a compassionate and understanding personality. You look for emotions in a logical and objective world around you. This drives your passions in all that you undertake. You are good observers and take time in building trust.

For more details on each rising sign, keep a tab on the upcoming articles where we give you an in-depth description.

How to find your ascendant sign?

To find your rising sign, check out your birth timing on the left of the chart below. Trace along the row that squares with your star sign as positioned on the top. The number obtained is to be matched with the Zodiac key specified at the bottom of the chart. The sign mentioned is your rising.

<figure class=""figure"">rn<figcaption class=""figure-caption" text-right="">Rising Sign ChartrnrnSun sign vs Rising sign

How is your sun sign different from the rising sign? A person’s core identity is represented by the sun sign in which he is born. The bigger idea of who a person is will be determined by the sun sign. It defines who you establish yourself as in this world.

The rising sign on the other hand is important to tell us about how a person gets expressed to the world around him or her. It directs how you express yourself to an audience and make a mark. Your individuality is shaped by the position of the sun in your house. What directs your life force and the energy that you carry around you is guided by your sun sign. It also represents the unique elements that shape one’s persona and the kind of energy that you need to rejuvenate in the midst of odds that you will experience in the journey of life.

Moon sign vs rising sign: which one is more important?

Both the moon and the rising have a fundamental role to play as they highlight specific areas of a person’s overall outlook.

Your moon sign represents your emotional response to everything around you. It exhibits your behavior as guided by your moods. The moon sign can be determined by calculating the date, place and time of birth. The moon moves swiftly, taking a two-day visit in each sign. Hence, it is important to know the accurate time of birth to determine the moon sign of a person since the moon may quickly move into the next sign on the day of one’s birth.

The moon sign may not always surface in an individual’s personality, being overshadowed by the sun or the rising but it is surely lurking in the background in your subconscious mind. So, while the moon represents your inner core, the rising sign shows your outer self. This is how the moon, the sun and the rising shape up your personality and represents you in the universe!