Sun, Moon, & Rising: What Do They Really Mean?

Image from California Psychics

Recently, astrology has become more prevalent in the lives of teenagers and college students. With countless apps such as CoStar and Astrology Zone, many people (specifically women) have spent time reading their horoscopes and learning about how it dictates their moods and personalities. But, how much do we really know about our sun, moon, and rising signs?

Astrology apps will show you what your sun, moon, and rising signs are and what those specific signs mean to you, but not many people truly understand what it means when a sign is their moon or rising rather than their sun. 

Let’s break it down

Your sun sign is your true zodiac sign. This sign is the one that correlates most directly with your birthday and never changes. Your sun sign is the one that you identify with the most. It truly shows your personality and explains why you feel a certain way about certain things. Feeling down or hyper in certain situations is a direct result of your sun sign. People who have the same sun sign as you are the people who are the most similar to you. It is likely that those who have the same suns signs share character traits and have similar views on the world.

Your moon sign corresponds with your emotions. It heavily influences the way you feel about yourself and other people. The moon sign is the more ‘secretive’ part about a person. It dictates your inner self, and what you share with others. While your sun sign is particularly focused on what you like and what you don't like, the moon sign is what determines your reactions. 

While the moon and sun signs correspond to inner thoughts and feelings, the rising sign has to do with outer perceptions. Also called your ‘ascendant’ sign, it’s based on where the Eastern Horizon is currently facing in correlation to the date and time you were born. It changes often because the way the eastern horizon is facing is constantly changing. The rising sign determines how you behave socially. It has a lot to do with your compatibility with other people. People who have rising signs that clash tend to be less like-minded than those who have rising signs that correlate well. 

Overall, the big three help to form a three-dimensional character in each and every one of us. It’s exciting to see how the sun, moon, and horizon aligned at the exact moment you were born. Hopefully, you now understand the true meanings of your sun, moon, and rising signs!