Use of Sun Sign
Sun sign is a very important indicator in a birth chart, yet it is neither the most important nor the only important thing. Then why did it get talked about so much and become so popular? Well, because the Sun visits the zodiac signs consistently every year around the same time. While you can’t tell which sign the other planets were in on your birthday without using an ephemeris or astrology app, you can tell where the Sun was.
Because it is easier to know, magazine astrology heavily used it. Both in terms of forecasts and defining who you are and what you are like. But the reality is, the Sun shows your ego, core identity and vitality, which are just part of your life.
Ascendant and The Rising Sign
Ascendant is the technical astrology term for the eastern horizon line in your birth chart. Whatever sign of the zodiac is at the horizon line, rising just like the sun rises, is called the Rising Sign. So your Rising Sign is the zodiac sign rising at the eastern horizon during your birth time.
It is important to note that Ascendant is not exactly the same thing as the Rising Sign, although it is used interchangeably by astrologers for the sake of simplicity when talking to the public. It has enormous depth to it, but the part that concerns us for this article is that it identifies the Rising Sign, as it is literally connected to the horizon line.
To give a very high-level function of it, Rising Sign is the mask we put on our face in the outside world, thus how people know and experience us. Most of the time, this mask is carried in our outer circle, not close friends and family, though in some cases, it pervades into those too. But it is different from your ego, which is your inner core that is often not shown outside.
Why the Rising Sign Matters
Well, apart from its uses in detailed astrology readings, listening to sign-based magazine astrology forecasts based on your Rising Sign rather than your Sun Sign, is much more accurate.
In astrology, there are houses which identify the impact of celestial events on the areas of your life. Is it about family, money, romance or education? Well, the answer is found through houses. And the most commonly used house system in these magazine astrology forecasts is called Whole Sign, which is set based on your Rising Sign, not your Sun Sign. Thus, whenever an astrologer says, Leos will likely have family-related luck in the next two weeks, it will be much more accurate for Rising Leos than people with Sun Sign Leos.
So if you are interested in and listening to these sign-based astrology forecasts, then find your Rising Sign and listen to them based on that.
How to Find Your Rising Sign
Well, here it gets tricky, and not because it is hard to find it. In fact, it just takes a minute to find it. But the critical piece is to know your exact birth time. Unfortunately, many people don’t know, and many birth certificates don’t have it written. Many people know only an estimated time. Unlike the Sun Sign, the Rising Sign is very sensitive, and even a few minutes of difference can change your Rising Sign calculation. So if you don’t know your exact birth time, then you have to find an astrologer who gives rectification services to figure out your birth time. This is a highly specialized area and requires expertise.
If you know your exact birth time, here is the easiest way to find it. Go to the Cafe Astrology Ascendant Calculator and enter your birth date, exact time and birth city details. That’s it! It will tell you “You have Ascendant in <SIGN>,” and that SIGN is your Rising Sign. Now you can use it to listen to sign based astrology forecasts and see the difference.
If you have questions about this article or any topic you want me to cover, feel free to contact me through the Contact button on the top bar or the bottom footer of this website.
Stay safe!
Matt