What are the Sun, Moon, and Rising Signs?

Perhaps one of the most frequently asked questions by astrologers is "What are the Moon sign and Rising sign?" and "Which zodiac sign represents the true self?"

Actually, anyone with a slight interest in astrology would know about the Sun sign, Moon sign, and Rising sign.

There's another saying, that one's Rising sign becomes more prominent after the age of thirty.

Actually, there are many interpretations online, but none are accurate enough. Let's return to the essence of astrology.

The Sun sign, as the name suggests, is the zodiac sign where the Sun was positioned at the time of a person's birth. This is basically determined by the month of a person's birth.

The Moon sign, on the other hand, represents the zodiac sign where the Moon was positioned at the time of a person's birth. The Moon orbits the Earth in about 29 days, changing zodiac signs approximately every 2.5 days. Therefore, a person's Moon sign signifies the approximate lunar date of birth.

The Rising sign, also known as the Ascendant sign, is the zodiac sign rising on the eastern horizon at the time of a person's birth.

For example, if the author was born in the afternoon during the hour of the Monkey (3-5 PM), and the Sun rose before 6 PM on that day, then by calculating 10/24 * 360°, we can determine the author's Rising sign should be Scorpio.

In a birth chart, there are four such points: Ascendant - Descendant and Midheaven - IC (Imum Coeli), representing the rising-descending and zenith-nadir axes respectively. These points signify different aspects of the native's birth moment: sunrise-sunset and noon-midnight.

Understanding the Sun sign, Moon sign, and Rising sign becomes easier when we relate them to real-life concepts.

The Sun sign, being associated with the Sun, is easily understood as the "daytime" aspect visible to everyone. People are seen busy with careers, socializing, and being part of society under the Sun's illumination.

The Sun sign represents the societal attributes of an individual.

The Moon sign, associated with the Moon, as explained earlier, symbolizes the more internal aspects of a person. It includes one's subconscious, emotions, inner views on matters, people, and objects. The Moon sign also represents one's relationship with the mother, which can extend to how one interacts with women.

The Rising sign represents the beginning of the first house in the birth chart. It is akin to how one presents themselves, their appearance, the first impression they give to others, and how they interact with strangers.

In the realm of astrology, the Sun sign is like the Sun's influence on a person—it's significant, visible, and enduring, representing the core of one's personality, akin to the "ego" in psychology. It signifies the most significant aspects of a person's life and overall presentation.

The Moon sign represents the more internal aspects, akin to the "subconscious," including emotions, inner thoughts, perceptions, and feelings towards various matters, people, and objects. The Sun and Moon signs are like two sides of the same coin.

The Rising sign, on the other hand, marks the beginning of the first house in the birth chart. It represents how one appears to others, their outward demeanor, and the initial impression they make, as well as their early environment and how others perceive them initially.

Many people may find that they don't resonate much with their Sun sign. For example, a Sun Sagittarius individual might not exude the typical traits associated with Sagittarius if their Moon sign is Capricorn, giving them a more serious and grounded demeanor. Additionally, if their Rising sign is Scorpio, they might have a penetrating gaze that makes others uncomfortable, or they might seem to understand people's motives deeply.

I often tell astrology enthusiasts that the Sun, Moon, and Rising signs are like the bones, flesh, and skin of a person. By understanding a person's Sun sign, Moon sign, and Rising sign, you can get a general idea of their personality, appearance, and the impression they give off.

It allows one to quickly sketch out the image, personality, and appearance of another person.

Returning to the initial question: which zodiac sign best represents a person?

The Sun sign, Moon sign, and Rising sign are all essential parts of a person's astrological makeup. They represent different dimensions and states of being. They cover various aspects such as height, weight, personality, appearance, gaze, mouth, build, complexion, voice, and more to describe a person. Different zodiac signs signify different states or characteristics of these various aspects.

It's like describing a building: the Sun represents its shape and architectural style, the Moon represents its purpose, and the Rising sign represents its color and condition. Mercury might signify which telecommunication company's network the building uses, while Venus could represent the specific interior design.

Ultimately, the birth chart aims to recreate a living, breathing person from real life—showing their personality, decision-making processes, speech patterns, behaviors, and romantic inclinations, among other things.

Astrology is like building a model of a person and then extrapolating their past and future development from that model.