The Big Three: What Your Sun, Moon, and Rising Signs Actually Mean

Some people just don’t relate to their zodiac sign. Maybe you’re a Sagittarius, but instead of being outgoing and spontaneous, you’re more of the quiet, serious type. Or maybe you’re a Leo who hates the spotlight. Or maybe you think you’re exactly like your sun sign, but you kind of see yourself in a few other signs, too (I, for one, always felt like a Leo but thought I also had some Capricorn traits).

Well, there’s a reason for that. Your sun sign actually doesn’t give you the whole picture. Everyone has multiple birth chart placements that make up their personality. Taking a detailed look at your birth chart could help explain why you relate to other signs or why you don’t feel like your zodiac sign.

In addition to your sun sign, the other main astrological placements that make up the core of who you are are the moon and ascendant (AKA rising). Your moon sign reveals your inner emotional needs and delves into your emotional world. Your rising sign shapes how you present yourself to the world and influences the first impression you make on others. These are often called “the big three.”

But if you’ve only heard of your sun sign, don’t worry. We’re breaking down everything you need to know about (and how to find) your big three (sun, moon, and rising) signs below.

Understanding the Basics of Astrology

Astrology is more than just reading your daily horoscope—it’s a fascinating study of how the positions and movements of celestial bodies, like planets and stars, influence our lives. Imagine the sky as a giant map at the moment you were born. This map, known as your birth chart, can reveal a lot about your personality, strengths, weaknesses, and even your potential life path. By examining the relationships between these celestial bodies, astrologers can provide insights into who you are and what drives you. It’s a complex system, but at its core, astrology is about understanding the cosmic influences that shape our human experience.

READ: What Every Part of Your Astrology Birth Chart Actually Means

Zodiac Terms to Know

Before we dive into the details, you’ll need to be familiar with some key terms, and how they relate to the different signs. You’ve likely heard of the elements (I know you’ve heard of the fiery Aries), but do you know what that really means? The elements relate to the motivations and values of certain signs. You may be less familiar with your sign’s modality, but it’s just as important. The modalities are how those elemental qualities present themselves. 

What Are Sun, Moon, and Rising Signs?

There’s a lot of info out there when it comes to astrology, but your Sun, Moon, and Rising signs are the big three that you really need to know. Your Sun sign, often referred to as your star sign, is the one you’re probably already familiar with. If someone asks you what your zodiac sign is, this is the sign you answer, determined by your birth month and day. It represents your core personality, ego, and what drives you. Think of it as the essence of who you are. If you’ve ever felt like you don’t really relate to your Sun sign, it’s because it’s just one small part of the picture—your Moon sign and Rising sign are just as important. Your Moon sign is all about your emotional world. It reveals your inner self, your instincts, and what you need to feel secure and comfortable. Lastly, your Rising sign, or Ascendant, relates to first impressions. It’s how you present yourself to the world and how others perceive you at first glance. Together, these three signs provide a comprehensive snapshot of your personality, highlighting your strengths and areas for growth.

How to Find Your Sun, Moon, and Rising Signs

To get started, you’ll need your birth date, exact time of birth, and the location where you were born. Your Sun sign is the easiest to determine—it’s based solely on your birth date. The Moon sign is a bit more intricate, as it depends on the Moon’s position at the time of your birth, which changes every 2.5 days. The Rising sign, or Ascendant, is determined by the zodiac sign that was rising on the Eastern horizon at the exact moment and place of your birth. This one changes approximately every two hours, so having an accurate birth time is crucial.

To find your sun, moon, and rising, go to a birth chart calculator like this one and enter your exact time of birth (this means getting specific to the minute—none of this, “I was born in the morning” stuff), birthdate, and place of birth.

What The Different Placements Mean

Once you’ve found your big three, read below to find out what each placement means and how they work together to shape your personality.

Sun Sign

The sun sign (AKA zodiac sign or star sign) is the sign that most people know since you only need your date of birth to find it. It’s what you tell people when they ask you what your sign is—”I’m a Taurus” or “I’m a Cancer.”

The sun represents your identity, sense of self, and ego. The sign your sun is in indicates what motivates and drives you, and it also can show how you express yourself. The sun represents your identity, sense of self, and ego. The sun sign represents a key indicator of one’s core identity and unique personality traits, offering insights into strengths, weaknesses, and overall life purpose. A Pisces Sun, for example, reflects a sensitive and dreamy personality, often drawn to spending time in nature or engaging in creative pursuits.

It can take a while to grow into your sun sign, so if you don’t relate to yours, you may start to as you get older, the same way you become more confident in yourself as you mature.

What your sun sign can tell you about your core self:

• Sun in Fire signs: Strong personality, straightforward, outgoing, loyal
• Sun in Earth signs: Hard-working, responsible, realistic, dependable
• Sun in Air signs: Sociable, love of learning, always thinking and doing something
• Sun in Water signs: Intuitive, nurturing, introverted

You may have heard of “cusp” signs, which refers to being born in between two signs. Some people say they’re a cusp and pick and choose when they want to be one sign or the other. But since zodiac signs are defined by specific dates and times, there’s actually no such thing as a cusp sign—you can’t be both a Libra and a Scorpio.

Just like you can’t be in two places at once, neither can the sun. It’s either in one sign or the next. If you were born on the first or last day of a season, your sign will depend on when the sun moved into the following sign. So if the sun moved from Aries into Taurus at 12:00 pm, people born before 12 would be an Aries, while those born after 12 would be a Taurus. You’ll have to look up your birth chart with your birth time to find out which sign you are.

Moon Sign

Your moon sign represents the inner you—who you are when you’re alone and how you view yourself. It also indicates how you process and communicate your emotions and what you need to feel comfortable.

Your moon sign is an extremely important placement when looking at compatibility since it tells you how you can feel emotionally secure. If your moon sign is in the same element (Fire, Water, Earth, or Air) or is the same modality (Cardinal, Fixed, or Mutable) as your partner’s, it helps you understand each other.

What the moon signs need to nurture themselves and feel comfortable:

• Moon in Fire signs: Attention, adventures, a partner or friends who care as much as you do
• Moon in Earth signs: Work, routine, stability
• Moon in Air signs: Intellectual stimulation, new things, social interaction
• Moon in Water signs: Alone time, caretaking

READ: Do You Know Your Moon Sign? It’s Critical to Fully Understanding Yourself

Rising Sign

The rising sign, also known as the Ascendant, is how you project yourself. It’s your first impression, how others see you, and how you interact with and view the world.

The Ascendant is super important because it sets up the whole birth chart. Your birth chart is a wheel that’s divided into 12 houses (or segments of the circle), one for each zodiac sign. The order of these houses is determined by the rising sign.

Before sun sign and pop astrology became popular, when someone asked, “What’s your sign?”, they were actually referring to your rising sign. That’s because it’s the sign that’s most indicative of how you’re different from other people born during your birth month (or even on the same day as you). For example, Individuals with Virgo Rising are often seen as service-oriented, practical, and continuously striving for self-improvement.

The rising sign changes frequently—every two hours (for reference, the moon changes signs around every two days). That’s why you need an exact birth time to accurately calculate your birth chart.

And a little tip: If you want the most accurate horoscope reading, read for your rising sign. Astrologers write horoscopes for rising signs (not sun signs) because they use the ascendant to figure out where events are occurring in your chart.

How the rising signs come across:

• Fire risings: Energetic, extroverted, competitive
• Earth risings: Determined, grounded, even-keeled
• Air risings: Curious, talkative, restless
• Water risings: Emotional, quiet

READ: Your Rising Sign Tells You More About Yourself Than Your Sun Sign

How Your Signs Influence Your Personality and Life Path

Your Sun, Moon, and Rising signs all work together to form your astrological identity, each influencing different facets of your life. Your Sun sign shapes your core self—your ego, your motivations, and what drives you forward. When you think of who you truly are without any outside influence, you’ll likely think of your Sun sign’s traits. It defines your fundamental personality. Your Moon sign, however, governs your emotional side. Whether you cry at the drop of that hat or hate even thinking about your feelings, your Moon sign can probably explain why. It influences how you process feelings, what you need to feel secure, and your instinctual reactions. Meanwhile, your Rising sign dictates how you present yourself to the world. It’s the mask you wear in social situations and the first impression you make on others. By understanding these signs, you can gain valuable insights into your strengths, weaknesses, and potential, helping you go through life with greater awareness and purpose.

READ: Each Zodiac Sign Has Its Own Love Language—Here’s Yours

Tips for Embracing and Utilizing Your Signs

Understanding your Sun, Moon, and Rising signs can lead to a more authentic and fulfilling life. Here are some tips to help lean into their power:

• Learn About Your Signs: It’s time to get googling and deep dive into the characteristics of your Sun, Moon, and Rising signs. Understanding these traits can give you a clearer picture of who you are and what your purpose is.
• Identify Strengths and Weaknesses: Use your signs to pinpoint your natural strengths and weaknesses. This self-awareness can point out where you need to improve to become your best self and guide you in making life decisions.
• Express Yourself Authentically: Embrace your unique qualities, and don’t shy away from being your true self. Your signs can help you understand your quirks and accept (and even celebrate) your individuality.
• Build Meaningful Relationships: Your signs can help you connect with others who share similar energies and qualities. Astrology may be to blame for some relationships crashing and burning—I mean, it’s pretty much written in the stars that Aries and Cancers are unlikely to get along. Understanding your signs can enhance your relationships by fostering deeper connections and can even help you identify what relationships you should let go of.
• Shape Your Destiny: Remember, while your signs provide valuable insights, you’re still in control of your own life. You have the power to shape your future, so use this knowledge as a tool for personal growth and self-improvement.

By following these tips, you can leverage the insights from your Sun, Moon, and Rising signs to start living a more authentic, purpose-driven life (aka your best one).

READ: I Analyzed My Birth Chart and Figured Out Exactly When I’m Going to Meet “The One”

The Bottom Line

Knowing your full chart and not just your sun sign is important for understanding all aspects of your personality within the zodiac. Some people might even identify more with their rising or moon sign than with their sun sign. Knowing your birth chart can help you better understand your relationships with others, too. Since there’s way more to compatibility than just sun signs. Plus, once you know your rising sign, you can start reading your horoscope the way the pros do. When you’re trying to understand yourself and your friends, family, and significant other through the zodiac, be sure to take into account the whole birth chart.