The third puzzle piece of “The Big Three” in astrology is determining your ascendant sign/rising sign. Your sun sign is your core identity, your moon sign is your emotional landscape, and your rising sign is how you interact with others. This covers your first impressions, social interactions, and self-presentation. Understanding your rising signs will help you better understand your motivations in life, show how you respond to things in your environment, and how you start something new.
One important thing to know about your ascending sign is that you need to know your birth time. You might be able to get an accurate reading without your sun sign or moon sign, but it’s impossible to do so without knowing your rising sign. This is because many variables determine your rising sign, most importantly, what sign was on the Eastern horizon at birth. Remember, many free birth chart calculators are out there to help you determine your rising sign once you have all the necessary information!
Additionally, your characteristics are lightened or heightened depending on planetary conjunctions, aspects, and positioning of the ruling planet. For example, two people with a Pisces rising sign could still act differently because one has a Saturn conjunct and the other a Mars conjunct. The conjunctions can heighten specific characteristics in others that won’t be as prominent otherwise. This is important to remember if you find yourself not really connecting with certain parts of your rising sign or not connecting to them as strongly as others!
You’ll also want to pay close attention to the ruling planet of your rising sign. For instance, I am a Scorpio rising, and because traditionally, Mars is the ruling planet of Scorpio and Pluto is the more modern ruling planet, Mars and Pluto are very important in my birth chart. We know that things in astrology can become confusing the deeper you go, so be sure to check out additional articles on these ruling planets and other zodiac terminology to help you understand more! Finally, in this article, you’ll see the phrases “ascendant” and “rising” used interchangeably, but remember that they reference the same thing.
Now that we’ve discussed what to consider when learning about your rising sign let’s dive right into them!
12 Ascendant Zodiac Signs
Aries
Ruled by Mars
Aries rising are very self-reliant, direct, impatient, and competitive, especially with themselves. They are natural leaders or do things solo; they do not take orders from others well. They aren’t the ones to plan ahead, but they always know exactly what they want. They love throwing themselves into new things but have difficulty finishing them. A rising Aries is very independent and likes to keep their vulnerabilities hidden. However, when they’re in a relationship, they will be deeply committed, willing to compromise, and will get very attached to that person.
Taurus
Ruled by Venus
Those with their rising sign in Taurus will do everything purposefully and at their own pace. You will not be able to force them to do anything, especially if it’s something they do not want to do in the first place. This stubbornness can frustrate others, but most people see Taurus rising as their rock. They are incredibly loyal, steady, and sensual. They feel new things based on their senses, such as how the atmosphere feels to them. They can be intense and possessive in partnerships but must feel safe and secure before they dare open up to anyone.
Gemini
Ruled by Mercury
Gemini rising comes across as young and active, no matter what their actual age is! They have a child-like excitement for new things and absolutely love asking questions! This is because they are constantly curious and always looking to learn. They need variety, can easily get bored, and have short attention spans. With your rising sign in Gemini, you’ll probably come across as very friendly and charming, but you also need a sense of freedom, especially in your relationships. They have excellent observation skills, but if they cannot understand something logically, they tend to ignore it.
Cancer
Ruled by the Moon
Those with Cancer as their rising sign are gentle people who are sensitive to their environment. When it comes to something new, they are more reserved at first, are likely to withdraw a bit, and come across as very shy. They approach life emotionally and instinctively instead of objectively or rationally. You’ll find that they are caring, sweet, relatively innocent, and need structure in their relationships. They are also people others will seek out when they need comfort because of their gentle and innocent vibe.
Leo
Ruled by the Sun
When your ascendant sign is in Leo, you like to be seen as someone special and impressive. You’re a natural leader, and expect to be recognized for your generosity and hard work. Deep down, you’re a child at heart; you rarely allow others to see you hurting, and sometimes, because your outlook on life is very personal, you can come across as a little self-centered. However, you’re very self-aware! You’re body conscious and like to put a lot of focus into your appearance. You have a habit of making rash decisions and being a little bossy, but this is only because of your incredible drive and outgoing spirit!
Virgo
Ruled by Mercury
A Virgo rising is perfectly content with being out of the spotlight and more in the background, and while they only seek perfection within themselves, they can still be very hard to please. New situations present a Virgo ascendant with a lot of worry, and they desire their environments to always be in order. They can appear standoffish at first, but this is because they’re shy and need a little time to warm up to people. In relationships, they can be messy, mainly because they can be hard to please, but they’re also very charming and are always willing to lend a helping hand to whoever needs it.
Libra
Ruled by Venus
Those with their ascendant sign in Libra are people pleasers. They need people’s approval and a partner because they believe it increases their self-confidence. However, they commonly have a lot of relationship problems. They effortlessly attract people with their charming and easy-going attitude and are considered to be very persuasive. Libra risings are very diplomatic as well. They will hear all sides, regardless of their opinion, and always take the most friendly and cooperative approach.
Scorpio
Ruled traditionally by Mars, modernly by Pluto
Those with their rising sign in Scorpio can be quiet or loud people, but either way, they have their special presence and can always see through any superficiality. They are drawn to down-to-earth people, require respect, and value their privacy. Because they like to be private and are not easy to get to know, they intrigue a lot of people. Scorpio ascendants want to live life passionately, and they do nothing halfway. Their strong gut reactions to things are typically correct, they’re very good at reading between the lines, and they go after what they want, usually in a mysterious, quiet manner.
Sagittarius
Ruled by Jupiter
Sagittarius rising people are always on the lookout for something new and willing to take risks to find it, even if their follow-through isn’t always great. They are straightforward and likable people who always have something to say. They do everything with some confidence to keep up their self-esteem, and they can be very enthusiastic and hopeful! They are not afraid to leave the norm, are very outgoing, and are known to bring fun energy wherever they go.
Capricorn
Ruled by Saturn
Capricorn ascendants are dependable, responsible, and have a strong sense of tradition. They are serious but also have a good sense of humor when the moment requires it. They are image-conscious and make success look easy, but they always struggle with whether they’re doing enough. They’re not one for the frivolous things in life, don’t take foolish chances, and are not fans of idealistic, dreamy ideas. Rising Capricorns hate opening up and asking for help and will do anything to avoid showing any sort of vulnerability or weakness.
Aquarius
Ruled by Saturn traditionally and Uranus modernly
Rising Aquarius are very likable, unique, and friendly people, and people always go to them for advice. Their observant skills are incredible, they are independent, and more often than not, they have an outside-looking-in feeling. They are very open to new ideas but are also stubborn. They are not fans of significant changes but want to help contribute to the world and support the required change. They come across as emotionally detached because they are unsure how to respond to other people’s emotions.
Pisces
Ruled traditionally by Jupiter and modernly by Neptune
Those with their rising sign in Pisces are gentle, peace-loving, open-minded individuals with a deep understanding of others. They are known to simply go with the flow of things and believe that organization or structure is too limiting, but they require their partners to be reliable. They have difficulty being objective or making decisions and are not known for being rational. Sometimes, others don’t know what they’ll get from day to day with a Pisces rising because some days, they’ll be quiet and shy, and the next, they’ll be passionate and talkative. They’re non-judgmental people who hate to see anyone suffering, including plants and animals.
Final Thoughts
So much of understanding your sun, moon, and rising signs comes from self-awareness and self-discovery. By having this better understanding of all the different parts of yourself, you can see things from a different perspective. You might better understand your communication style and what you might want to improve about it. You can realize your professional style and your preferred relationship dynamics.
You might read through this breakdown and think, “Oh yeah, I do that, don’t I?” or maybe you read something and go, “That is nothing like me,” and both things can be true! Something beautiful about astrology is that it’s not a one-fits-all approach to things. Still, it will open your eyes to things you might have been questioning about yourself and help you become exactly who you have always meant to be and surround yourself with those who were always meant to be in your life!
