It’s the New Year again! The start of this month often means time for reflecting, evaluating and growing from lessons learned in 2018! Going forward, you may be interested in astrology as a means to achieve this growth. How, you may ask? We will start this lil astrology lesson with defining three key astrological concepts: understanding your sun, moon and rising sign.
Astrology can be broadly defined as the study of how planetary and other celestial objects influence our human experiences, the natural and universal world.
These astrological interpretations and terminology are shaped by Joanna Martine Woolfolk’s The Only Astrology Book You’ll Ever Need.
Sun Sign
Your sun sign represents the month and day which you were born, indicative of a specific Zodiac sign. Although the Gregorian calendar begins each new year on January 1st, the astrological calendar begins the new year March 21st.
As a refresher, there are 12 signs in Western astrology. The Zodiac beings with Aries, then Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, ending with Pisces on March 20. You can calculate your sun sign by simply looking up the day and year of your birth.
Your sun sign represents your overarching purpose in life, helping to form your core identity and parts of your inner self that are fixed and unchanging. For example, if you feel yourself to be an outgoing person who loves to be in social situations, this could be reflective of what sign your sun is in. This sun also represents our vitality and how we see ourselves, and most importantly how we act.
Moon Sign
While the sun’s placement is a dominant part of your astrology chart, looking just at your sun sign is not enough to glean a full astrological portfolio. This is where we begin to examine the moon sign.
The moon sign rules our emotional makeup, habits, deepest personal needs and subconscious reactions. Your moon sign is naturally instinctual and intuitive, often correlated with a feminine and maternal energy. Your moon sign can bring out the ‘inner-child’ of your attitude and personality.
While one’s sun sign represents purpose, action and our present mental and physical condition, your moon sign operates from an intuitive and introspective nature. Your moon is extremely important when it comes to how you act in various relationships. For example, if you were in an argument your initial gut reaction would be that of your moon sign. Like your sun sign, you moon will also be a specific Zodiac sign and can be calculated by knowing your birthday and birthplace.
Rising (Ascendant)
While your sun and moon sign mark a specific point on the Zodiac wheel, your rising (also known as your ascendant) sign is a fixed point that was ascending on the Eastern horizon at the time of your birth. Many believe the rising sign to be more significant than your sun or moon, as it embodies the sign that your being wishes to ascend to.
Your rising sign represents the way others see you and your first presentation to the world. For example, your sun sign may be in Cancer, but perhaps you present yourself with more Capricorn traits if Capricorn is indeed your rising sign. Beyond impressions and projections, your rising sign can also influence your physical characteristics and mannerisms.
To calculate, you will need to know your exact time of birth along with your birthday and city. Websites such as Astrotheme, Cafe Astrology and Astrograph’s TimePassages apps are great (and free) ways to help you calculate your sun, moon and rising, as well as creating a more complete astrological profile.
Although knowing these three signs is only a sneak peek into astrological studies, understanding these concepts can certainly help you get further in touch with your esoteric interests!
Edited by: Juliet Booker