News flash: Your sun sign, the sign you’ve come to know (and hopefully love), is not the only sign you have in your chart. Though your sun has tremendous impact on your life and who you are—after all, the sun is the largest body in our solar system—it’s your rising sign that most people see before they truly know you.
For instance, if you’re a Taurus sun but also an Aries rising, you may have more impulsive tendencies than your normal Taurean. Here’s everything you need to know about how to navigate the two super distinct, but equally important, signs in your chart.
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In astrology, the sun represents the self, and your sun sign is a huge reflection of who you are and what shapes your identity as an individual human. The sun gives you the feeling that you are an “I” versus a “we” or a “them” or a nondescript set of floating particles. So reading your sun sign horoscope makes a whole lot of sense. It helps you understand how you’re going to feel and maybe what will happen to you, but it doesn’t give you a complete picture.
Your rising sign dictates who you are on the surface. It’s the outer layer of your energy. Because of this, if you just met someone and guessed their sign, chances are you would guess their rising before their sun. That’s because the rising sign is what you first see and what people see when they first look at you. And because our lives are greatly affected by how others relate to us, your rising sign has a huge impact on your daily experience.
And guess what? Your rising sign isn’t even a planet. It’s the sign that was rising over the eastern horizon when you were born, and unlike your sun sign (and all of the other planets), your rising sign is dependent on the precise time you were born. Because of this, reading your rising sign horoscope helps you tune into details that are particularly unique and special to you.
You can find out your rising sign and moon sign using our free birth chart calculator.
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Lead photo courtesy of @leonamoonastrology