Your Rising sign is the sign of the zodiac that was just coming up over the eastern horizon at the moment that you were born. If you were born at sunrise, your Rising sign would be the same as your sun sign. If you were born a few hours earlier, or a few hours later a different part of the zodiac would be rising sign, over the eastern horizon. The Rising sign tells you what sign of the zodiac the Sun was in at that time of your birth(see illustration) and consequently what house the Sun is located in the wheel chart.

          Another name for your Rising sign is your "Ascendant". But this is confusing because the Ascendant is actually the degree of the ecliptic which is rising over the Eastern horizon at the precise time and place of an individual's birth and not the actual 'sign'.  It doesn't matter too much, just be aware there is a difference in the meaning when talking astrological language.

           Your Rising sign is important for two reasons. First like your Sun sign, it serves to establish a basic pattern in your life. Where the Sun establishes your character, or who you really are, your Rising sign determines your personality, or what you show the world as you deal with it. Some astrologers refer to it as what "mask" we wear.  Esoterically, this is said to be where Divine Spirit enters the chart.

           Second, it establishes the position of your houses in the zodiac. That's because your Rising sign marks the beginning of your first house. The rising sign changes roughly every two hours.(see hourly clock map.)  

           The Ascendant has a great deal of energy influence in the chart. It is part of the "trinity" in astrology that everybody should know about their own astrology. The trinity is the Sun Sign, the Moon Sign and finally of the Ascendant.  If you know anything about your natal chart, learn these three signs, positions and degrees in your own personal map. The Ascendant is the most important of the three signs. If you don't know one of these three components, and do know your accurate birth time, order a free natal chart from this site. This will give you the information you need to know about your own 'trinity'.

            The sign that is on the rising, has a ruling planet. That ruler resides somewhere in the chart.  Take particular note of where that ruling planet is and what aspects are made to it.  That alone speaks a wealth of knowledge for potential for the chart you are looking at.

             Planets that reside around the Ascendant are also important to delineating the personality. They could be in 1 or all three of the following houses: 12th house, 1st house or the 2nd house.

             The author of this web site resisted the temptation to do a "cookbook" of the Rising signs because the Ascendant is not something you can use formula astrology as an explanation.  Many components go into interpreting the individual Ascendant. As of yet, there just has not been a book written comprehensively enough on the ascendant to be able to be used generically in the astrological practices.

Here are suggested keyword descriptions of the personalities that go with each rising sign: