Astrology 101 Series - Your Moon, Sun And Rising
Welcome back to Astrology 101 with Dandy Wellness! In our very first instalment, we’ve covered the basics of the practice and given you a glimpse into what we’ll look into throughout the series, but now is the time to get a liiiittle bit more serious.
Let’s dive straight back in, with an in-depth dive at the most frequent question people ask when they start to approach astrology: what are the big three, your sun, moon and rising sign?
The big misconception about your big three
The reason your sun, moon and rising sign, also known as ascendant, are the most well-known elements of our birth chart is because they make up a huge part of who we are, where we’re going, and why we’re here in the first place.
However, their popularity is a double-edged sword: it’s easy to fall into the trap of “I’m a Sagittarius, so this is true, but I know I’m not good at this, and my horoscope says I will win the lottery,” even though it’s never as black and white as generalised commentary might have us believe.
As with almost everything in life, the truth lies in the middle. Sure, your sun sign ––the “main” one any generic horoscope will take into account–– is important, but in order to get a full picture of what astrology can teach you, or help you with, we need to zoom out and look at every other element, too. Starting with… you guessed it, all your big three!
Calculate your sun, moon and rising sign
Let’s start here: how do you find out what your sun, moon and rising sign are? You can easily do this by calculating your birth chart online, and totally for free. I personally like the tools from Cafe Astrology and Chani Nicholas, which are intuitive and easy to use, but you can find tons on the internet to choose from!
A birth chart calculator only needs your date of birth, place of birth, and time of birth- Once you enter the data into the calculator, it will generate a report and let you know exactly where the planets and stars were in the sky at the exact time you began your journey on Earth.
Sun sign characteristics
As the main zodiac sign, also known as a star sign, your sun sign characteristics will be the most self-evident of the three. They’re the ones most related to your world-facing identity and your ego, which means they’re the quickest way to identify your sense of self, your motivation, the way you express yourself and your overall personality.
What your sun sign says about you
Earth sign: Taurus, Virgo, or Capricorn: you are hard-working and mentally attached to a very grounded, stable, productive life
Air sign: Gemini, Libra, or Aquarius: you feel recharged when hanging out in a group setting, love feeling intellectual and learning new things
Water sign: Cancer, Scorpio, or Pisces: you feel recharged after deeply and intensely emotional experiences as well as intimate conversations and nurturing practices
Fire sign: Aries, Leo, or Sagittarius: you feel recharged after intense physical activity or mental stimulus, like pursuing a goal or meeting new people
Moon sign characteristics
If your sun sign represents who you are in the world, the moon placement is its direct opposite companion. Your moon sign represents who you are when nobody's watching, which means it can tell you a lot about how you think of yourself, but by having a clearer sense of your most inner self, you can also learn more about how you can feel safer, or more emotionally secure, when you’re with others.
What your moon sign says about you
Earth sign: Taurus, Virgo, or Capricorn: you love garnering a sense of purpose and direction from working on your goals and targets, you need stability and routine
Air sign: Gemini, Libra, or Aquarius: you are constantly on the lookout for new and exciting stimuli, different types of social situations and ideas
Water sign: Cancer, Scorpio, or Pisces: you love your alone time and take great pleasure in harnessing your deeper, in-your-feelings sensitivity
Fire sign: Aries, Leo, or Sagittarius: you love action and excitement, a show of strength, and expressing yourself confidently
Rising sign or ascendant characteristics
Your ascendant, or rising sign, is virtually the most key part of the entire birth chart, as all the other elements are related to it and follow its placement. It represents your unique differences to everyone else, the way you come across to others, and more broadly, what your life journey holds. It is a mix of both your inner and outer worlds, which makes it the perfect “balance” to understand what drives you and how you live life.
Your rising sign changes every two hours, so this is when knowing your exact date and time of birth is crucial, as getting it wrong could result in a totally different chart. This means your rising sign horoscope is actually the most accurate!
What your rising sign or ascendant says about you
Earth sign: Taurus, Virgo, or Capricorn: you are grounded, rooted, motivated and matter-of-fact
Air sign: Gemini, Libra, or Aquarius: you are inquisitive, restless, intentional, dreamy, and have a love for words
Water sign: Cancer, Scorpio, or Pisces: you are sensitive, deeply emotional, quiet and insightful
Fire sign: Aries, Leo, or Sagittarius: you are extroverted, lively, energetic, fierce and confident
What else is in our Astrology 101 series?
In this second volume, we’ve gone over a beginner-level understanding of what your sun, moon and rising sign mean for you and your approach to astrology. In future instalments here at Astrology 101 Basics with Dandy Wellness, we’ll cover more in-depth topics and offer fascinating insights into the zodiac elements and their meaning, how to understand your birth chart, an introduction to the twelve houses, and so much more. Stay tuned!
