What your rising sign is
As the Earth turns, the whole zodiac rises in the east once a day, one sign after another. Your rising sign, or ascendant, is the one that was on the eastern horizon when you were born. It colours how you come across and how people first meet you.
Why the time matters
A new sign rises roughly every two hours, and some rise faster than others depending on where you were born. An hour out can change your rising sign, so use the time on your birth certificate if you can.
Sun, Moon and Rising
Your Sun sign comes from your birth date alone. The Moon changes sign every two and a half days, so near a change it needs the time. Your rising sign needs both the time and the place. Together they’re the three things astrologers look at first.
The twelve rising signs
Aries rising
People meet someone direct and full of energy, who gets straight to it.
Taurus rising
People meet someone calm and grounded, easy to be around.
Gemini rising
People meet someone chatty and quick, full of questions.
Cancer rising
People meet someone kind, if a little guarded at first.
Leo rising
People meet someone warm and confident, who lights up a room.
Virgo rising
People meet someone thoughtful and precise, who notices details.
Libra rising
People meet someone charming and easygoing, with good taste.
Scorpio rising
People meet someone magnetic and private, who notices everything.
Sagittarius rising
People meet someone open and upbeat, ready for adventure.
Capricorn rising
People meet someone composed and capable, a little reserved.
Aquarius rising
People meet someone friendly but hard to pin down.
Pisces rising
People meet someone soft and dreamy, easy to open up to.
More to explore
See the sky you were born under.
AstroFate draws your whole chart from your birth details and reads it in plain words: every planet, where it stood when you were born, and what it means for you.
Or scan with your iPhone’s camera
Free on the App Store, for iPhone and iPad.