What Is Your Rising Sign, and Why Does It Matter?

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The Significance of Your Rising Sign

In almost any social setting, you may sometimes find yourself exchanging sun signs with your conversational companions. And every once in a while, you may be surprised by what they tell you. Why is it that some people seem to be so at odds with the traits of their sun sign? The answer may lie in their rising sign. In fact, though a bit less commonly discussed than its solar counterpart, a person’s rising sign is often more revealing — and easier to guess — than their sun sign.

This is because your rising sign is your “social mask.” It dictates your appearance, your voice, how you move, and the way you converse, among many other things. It is, really, the vehicle through which your sun sign expresses itself.

Where Is Your Rising Sign in Your Chart?

Your rising sign is the zodiac sign that was rising on the eastern horizon when you were born. It’s located at approximately the nine o’clock position on the left side of the horoscope wheel, and depending on the house system you use, it rules most or all of your astrological first house, thus impacting how you come across to and are viewed by others.

Although the terms “rising sign” and “ascendant” are sometimes used interchangeably, it’s worth noting that they’re actually different from each other. While your rising sign is literally the sign that was rising at the moment and location of your birth, your ascendant represents the exact degree of that sign.

The ascendant sets the order of your natal chart by being a snapshot of the sky at the exact time and place of your birth. It contains a blueprint of your personality traits, strengths, and weaknesses, and it even holds indications of your karma in this lifetime!

The sign your ascendant is in, and the planetary ruler of that sign, may or may not be your chart ruler, depending on its relative strength as determined by the houses and aspects of the other planets in your natal chart.

What Your Rising Sign Reveals About You

Your rising sign reveals how you emerge into the world every morning, as well as how other people see you. It also influences your relationships, home life, and career path. To top it all off, your rising sign can even affect your appearance, your physical health and vitality, and the types of environments that you’re most comfortable in.

Your Other Placements and Your Rising Sign

Next to your sun and your moon signs, your rising sign is the most important placement in your birth chart. However, that doesn’t mean that the rest of your chart won’t affect the way that your rising sign manifests in your day-to-day life.

For example, if you have Pisces Rising in your chart, this will make you gentle, creative, and psychically inclined. However, if this is tempered by something like an Aries Sun or Moon sign, you will appear a lot fierier than the average Pisces Rising. And, likewise, you’d probably be a lot more laid back than the average Aries, with the Pisces Ascendant softening the expression of a fiery Aries Sun or Moon identity.

The traits of these three placements in particular (sun, moon, rising), will make themselves known to you frequently. They are constantly modifying and interacting with each other, affecting you and other people’s perceptions of you.

How To Find Your Rising Sign

Figuring out your birth chart can be tricky. Luckily, there are lots of online applications that can do it for you. To get yours, go to the California Psychics app or website and open the birth chart tool. You will enter the date, time, and location of your birth, and the app will do the rest! After that, you can easily open your birth chart and see your rising sign, as well as your other placements.

Using Your Rising Sign to Your Benefit

Your rising sign can influence both your strengths and your weaknesses, so it’s important to explore and develop the most positive expressions of your rising sign while trying to improve your flaws.

Additionally, researching your rising sign and being knowledgeable about how it can help or hinder you in different situations will allow you to play up your skills and work on your weak points.

If you know, for example, that you are a Sagittarius Rising and thus tend to gloss over details in favor of the bigger picture, your awareness of that blind spot can help you remember to focus up whenever details are necessary. And at the same time, your Sagittarius Rising will ensure that you’re still able to keep your eye on the big picture!

Ultimately, understanding your rising sign will bring you increased self-knowledge. If you combine that with conscious intention, you can get great results, and it will bring you closer to being the highest and best version of yourself!

Your Rising Sign Is Your Gift to the World

Your rising sign is a hugely valuable tool that can help you understand your own personality, and it can give you the skills you need to recognize how your personal image affects other people. This allows you to maximize and deepen the value you add to the world while making your own life happier at the same time!

You can enhance these benefits with a Life Path Reading or a meeting with a professional Astrology Psychic. These can provide you with a lot more insight into what you should work on, how you can move toward your goals, and how you can use your rising sign to your benefit. When you keep an open mind, this information can have a positive impact on your career, your sense of spirituality, your relationships, and your happiness in almost every single area of your life.


Astrology plays an important role in your day-to-day life. The planets are responsible for your moods, experiences and more, which is why you should get a Psychic Astrology Reading. Our Astrology Psychics can calculate your natal chart and tell you about the important dates in your life (past, present, and future) that will massively impact you. Learn more about our psychics from real testimonials and read through our Astrology & Numerology Blog. Want to read more about your personal birth chart first? Get a free birth chart report today! Find an Astrology Psychic or learn more about Astrology Readings.


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