Whether you’re a beginner or a pro when it comes to astrology, knowing your sun sign, moon sign and rising sign is EXTREMELY helpful when it comes to learning about your true self and what makes you, you.

First, you should know that your birth chart (uniquely yours) is a chart of the planets and sky at the time of your birth. For this reason, LOCATION MATTERS: even if you were born at the same exact time as someone else, your position in this world (which determines whether the sun was up, it was nighttime, etc…) affects your birth chart – which, in turn, affects YOU.

So, what do these all mean?

Sun Sign

There are twelve sun signs, and they probably sound familiar to you even if you aren’t into astrology: Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces, Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Scorpio, and Sagittarius. These can also be called your ZODIAC signs – so, when someone asks you what your sign is, this is what they’re usually talking about. Your sun sign is popularly recognized as the most important sign (although, this is debatable) because it shows your purpose, motivations, and the basis of who you are as a person. All you need in order to figure out your sun sign is your birthday! Here’s a little chart for reference:

Aries: March 21 – April 19

Taurus: April 20 – May 20

Gemini: May 21 – June 20

Cancer: June 21 – July 22

Leo: July 23 – August 22

Virgo: August 23 – September 22

Libra: September 23 – October 22

Scorpio: October 23 – November 21

Sagittarius: November 22 – December 21

Capricorn: December 22 – January 19

Aquarius: January 20 – February 18

Pisces: February 19 – March 20

Moon Sign

Your moon sign encompasses everything you don’t openly show to the world, as well as your intimacy. Think your private life, emotions, fears, and inner personality that most people never see (as well as everything to do with love and sex!) This is like the subconscious part of your personality, which drives your emotions and behaviors. In addition to your birthday, you need to know your birth year, time, and time zone in order to calculate your moon sign. 

Rising Sign

Your rising sign (AKA your ascendant) is where your spirit and body intersect, the outward representation of who you are. This represents the part of you strangers and acquaintances see when they first meet you. (It’s not your sun sign, like you might think.) You can calculate your rising sign here as long as you have your birthday, birth date, time, and location. Your rising sign is very helpful to know because it determines how you present to most of the world – people who DON’T know you on a deeper level. In esoteric Astrology, which focuses on the purpose of the soul, the rising sign symbolizes how the soul will develop in the future, indicating future qualities that will develop as you grow in this lifetime.

Learning more about astrology has been pivotal for my personal development, relationships, and business. If you want to learn more about Astrology in an easy-to-understand way so that you can unlock your purpose and growth in your own life, check out Debra Silverman’s Applied Astrology course here! This is the Astrology course I took that breaks down astrology in a simple, useful, FUN way!