About Rising Signs in Astrology

In astrology, more goes into a reading than many realize. Most people know their Sun Sign and occasionally read vaguely written astrology columns in the newspaper, but that is typically the extent of people's knowledge. Rising Signs are not as predominant in astrological profiling as Sun Signs, but they are still highly influential indicators of personality.

Significance

Every individual has a Sun Sign, a Moon Sign, and a Rising Sign. These signs are dependent on the location of the Sun, the Moon, and the planets at a person's moment of birth. The Sun Sign is the dominant facet of astrology, and it is said to determine the most obvious and comfortable aspect of personality. The next facet is the Moon Sign, which is the subconscious aspect of personality. The third determinate is the Rising Sign, which is essentially the personality that a person outwardly presents to the world.

Types

There are 12 different Rising Signs. They are the same as the Sun and Moon signs, but they have different effects when they are Rising Signs. For example, a person's Sun Sign could be Leo while their Rising Sign is Aquarius. The different signs that are used for Sun, Moon, and Rising signs are the familiar 12 Zodiac signs. Each Rising Sign indicates a different personality type.

Identification

The Rising Sign changes throughout the day, so knowing the exact time of birth is essential to determining one's Rising Sign. To determine the Rising Sign a person must know their date of birth, as well as their exact time and location of birth. An astrologer can be paid to determine a person's exact rising sign using this information, but resources for independently discovering a Rising Sign do exist on the Internet at multiple astrology websites.

Effects

Each of the Rising Signs is important in determining personality, but it is impossible to get a full understanding of someone's personality traits with the Rising Sign alone. Only a full reading of all astrological factors can account for all aspects of personality. In general, certain traits are associated with each Rising Sign. For example, a Rising Sign of Aries would typically indicate someone who is blunt and a leader, while a Rising Sign of Libra typically indicates a charming and persuasive person. Each Rising Sign must be considered in terms of how it affects the primary Sun Sign. For instance, a person whose Sun Sign is Cancer and whose Rising Sign is Leo would be sensitive on the inside, but would give an outward appearance of being confident. Full descriptions of the 12 different Rising Signs can be found online.

Misconceptions

A common mistake in understanding Rising Signs is getting them confused with Moon Signs. A Moon Sign is another facet of astrological readings, and though it is similar to a Rising Sign, there are differences. While the Rising Sign is the outward and publicly presented aspect of personality, the Moon Sign is the exact opposite. Moon Signs refer to one's subconscious and instinctive personality. Also, as with all aspects of astrology, interpretation of Rising Signs is not an exact science. While some persuasive arguments for astrology do exist, there is no empirical proof to support the stars' and planets' effects on personality. While some people do see themselves as being accurately described by Sun, Moon, and Rising signs, many do not.

Resources

• Estimate Your Rising Sign
• Rising Sign Descriptions