Have you ever read your horoscope but felt no connection? That might be because you don’t know the rest of your birth chart. Your sun sign, the sign you’re likely most familiar with, is only one-third of the zodiac placements most important to your identity. Your sun, moon and rising signs are the “big three” of a birth chart.
Your sun sign is the sign you probably know the best. This represents your core personality, the way you move around the world, basic preferences and sense of self. Your sun sign is based on what day you were born and can often be calculated independently. When reading your horoscope or scrolling through astrology memes on social media, many of them are made to be viewed through the lens of your sun sign. While your sun sign represents the “sunnier” aspects of yourself, your moon represents a deeper, more intimate side of your personality.
Your moon sign rules your thoughts and how you internally process emotions. These signs are the most personal out and are the hardest to guess. Your moon sign is based on the point the moon was in the sky at the time of your birth, meaning it’s based on the location of your birth. While you often can’t read your horoscope or astrology memes based on your moon sign, your moon sign can give you great insight into how you process the world around you. Although your moon sign is known as your most internal sign, your rising sign is your most external sign.
Your rising sign rules the personality you present to the world. While you might relate to your sun or moon sign the most, you might present yourself with traits closest to your rising sign. Some astrology experts often hypothesize that your rising sign affects your physical appearance and body type. Your rising sign is based on your birth time and can often only be read when looking at your full birth chart. If your friends or strangers are guessing your zodiac sign, they most likely will guess closer to your rising sign than any other part of your big three.
Knowing your big three is a great way to further understand your birth chart. To learn about the other aspects of your chart, there are plenty of free websites and apps that break down every aspect of your birth chart, including all of the other planets and houses. Oftentimes, you only need to enter your birthday, birth time and birth location. A quick Google search should help you find websites; just make sure you aren’t paying for anything unnecessary. Hopefully, this breakdown allows you to explore your birth chart and gives you further insight into yourself.
Edited by Ever Cole | ecole@themaneater.comCopy edited by Emily Rutledge | erutledge@themaneater.com