The three keys to your diagram
If anyone asked you about your “big three,” chances are they were talking about the three big players your birth chart: your sun sign, moon sign, and rising sign (also known as your ascendant). Although your entire birth chart is an intricate web of planets, houses and aspects, these three components reveal some central threads of your personality and potential.
- Your sun sign reveals the purpose of your life
- Your moon sign describes your body and emotional world
- Your rising sign emphasizes your motivation to live and your self-esteem
Taken together, these three keys provide a powerful snapshot of your core astrological identity.
To keep track of how your Sun, Moon, and Rising signs are unlocking meaning in your life as we unpack them all, open your birth chart on the CHANI app or through our online chart tool.
What is your sun sign?
The sign most people identify with is their sun sign. For example, if someone says, “I’m a Libra,” they’re probably referring to their sun sign—and for good reason. The sun represents our identity, life force and purpose. In the solar system it is our blazing central star. All creatures on Earth depend on the Sun, and its role in your horoscope is also vital. If you respect your sun sign’s style, you will likely feel more generative, generous, courageous, and confident. In other words, unlocking the energy of your “main character” makes others want to bask in your glow.
When your sun is in expansive fire sign Sagittarius, travel, philosophy, and spiritual life can strengthen you. But when your Sun is in the intuitive waters of Cancer, feeling cozy becomes a top priority – wherever you are. Creating the right atmosphere and making sure everyone’s needs are met are the party tricks that will bring out your shine. The placement of your Sun by sign, house and aspect (also called relationship) to other planets describes where and how you are meant to radiate your natural gifts.
Just as your heart circulates and revitalizes blood flow to the rest of your body, your Sun distributes energy to every other part of your chart. Losing connection with Sol’s mission can leave you feeling sluggish, directionless, or uninspired. Think of your sun as your personal source of power. When you connect to it, everything else in your chart (and your life) becomes powerful, clear, and possible.
What is your Moon sign?
Just as our moon reflects the sun’s light, your moon sign absorbs Sol’s information about your life’s purpose and provides a complementary roadmap. Luna’s placement in your chart represents your daily wants, needs, and desires. The moon constantly changes face during its 29.5 day cycle. Likewise, the placement of your natal moon highlights your own changing moods and feelings. It also conveys important information about your body and physical needs, your relationships with health care providers and caregiving, and the stories of your past.
If we imagine the Sun as the guiding North Star of our chart, we can think of the Moon as the daily flow of tasks that carries out Sol’s mission. Luna reveals how we need to take care of ourselves to achieve our life’s purpose. What feels restorative will vary from person to person. The sign of the Moon emphasizes the specific taste of care you crave. For example, if your Moon is in chatty Gemini, you’ll probably lean toward “the talking cure” by telling everything to your friends, listening to three podcasts in a row (all at 2x speed), or venting to your precious journal. But with a Moon in grounded Taurus, consistent routines and sensual pleasures can be the best way to soothe yourself.
Remember that Luna reflects our physical vessels and instincts, as well as our changing emotional nature. If you grew up in an environment that taught you to tune out your cellular wisdom or ignore your instincts, it may take a while to connect with your moon’s meaning. Historically, the Moon has received less astrological love than the Sun. In the same way, it is common to neglect the input from our body. But unless we take a soothing space to tune out and provide ourselves with the right amount of self-care, it will be difficult to achieve what we are here for.
When your Moon is honored, you feel emotionally safe, nourished, and connected to your deepest self. But if this overachiever gets the short end of the stick, you may experience feelings of rootlessness, instability, longing, and/or susceptibility to soap opera outbursts. Your moon’s placement by house, sign, and aspect (aka relationship) to other planets illuminates your unique recipe for soul-fulfilling nourishment.
What is your rising sign?
Your rising sign (or ascendant) is the sign that was climbing above the eastern horizon at the moment you were born. Because the eastern horizon is where the sun appears every day, it represents birth and vitality. Thanks to the Earth’s 24-hour rotation, the signs rise above this point very quickly – about every two hours, to be precise. This speed is important because it is part of what makes your ascendant so specific to you. Your rising sign reveals the exact part of heaven that emerged when and where you entered the world. Not even five minutes later. Less than 50 kilometers away. But from the precise moment and geographical coordinates of your birth. Therefore, your ascendant represents you – even more than the sun or the moon.
Your ascendant reveals your motivation for being here – being ‘here’ planet Earth. Every great quest begins with inspiration, a guiding instinct, a flash of curiosity. This point highlights what set you on your life path and what continues to rev your engines today. For example, if your ascendant is in analytical Virgo, you may feel compelled to fix problems in the systems around you. But if your rising sign is in mystical Pisces, untangling last night’s dreams or indulging your vast imagination may be more motivating for you. Your rising sign naturally forces you onto the yellow brick road that leads to your life purpose, as indicated by your Sun.
Your ascendant also colors your style and personal presence. Whether you’re wandering around a room in a flurry of activity or hanging shyly around the edges, this is often indicated by your rising sign. This means that if someone with an intensely private Scorpio Sun also has a Leo rising, he or she may still strike others as lively upon their first meeting. So the next time someone asks you in a shy way to guess their sign, tell them you’re guessing the rising sign instead, and not the sun sign.
The ancients called the ascendant degree horoskopos, or ‘the hour marker’. Since this is one of the most personal points in the zodiac, it determines which signs fall into which houses in your birth chart. Your rising sign is always tied to your first house of self and vitality – so if you were born with Aquarius rising, Aquarius represents your first house. The next sign in the zodiac, Pisces, would then form your second house of money and livelihood, and so on. By simply knowing your rising sign, we can understand which areas of life the planets in your chart will have an impact on. That’s why knowing your birth time can add so much accuracy to chart interpretation. But for many reasons, not everyone has access to their exact birth time. If this is the case for you, there is no need to worry. You can still work meaningfully with your birth chart. In fact, we have one article about how to do that.
Your helmsman
Since each sign is ruled by a planet, so is your ascendant. The planet that rules your rising sign is called your horoscope ruler, because it serves as the “helmsman” of your life, guiding you to the place where you will realize your full potential. The placement of the planet ruling your horoscope illuminates wisdom about the direction your life should take. For example, if you are a Capricorn rising, your chart ruler is the planet that rules Capricorn: Saturn. That means moving toward the Saturn themes—including personal responsibility, discipline, and ambition—will activate your greater purpose. We have a article about planets and their homes if you want to know more about your chart ruler.
Putting it all together…
To summarize, your Sun’s sign, house placement, and aspect (aka relationship) to other planets reveal your the purpose of life. The sign of your moon, the placement of your house and its aspect to other planets indicate you emotional nature, your body and physical needs, and your relationship to care and education. Your ascendant or rising sign represents you: your motivation to live And the unique impression you leave on the world. And the planet that rules your ascendant – that is, your horoscope ruler – helps steer you in the right direction.
Once you know these keys, you can begin to unlock the blueprint of your life potential. You’ll also know what to say the next time someone asks you about your “big three.”
If you haven’t already done so, get your birth chart at CHANI app or through our online chart tool to unlock the secrets hidden within these placements.
Looking for more information? Read your daily horoscope:
Ram | Taurus | Twin | Cancer | Lion | Virgin | Scale
Scorpion | Archer | Ibex | Aquarius | Fishing
Then download the CHANI app iOS or Android for additional horoscopes, meditations, affirmations, readings for the current moon phase and sign, and more.
