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Astrology Guide: Sun, Moon & Rising Signs

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In this simple astrology guide, we will go over your sun, moon, and rising signs and how to identify each sign based on your date of birth, place of birth, and time of birth.

If you are one of those people that never identified with your sun sign, learning your moon sign and rising sign can help it make a lot more sense and feel a lot less general. Before I became really interested in Astrology, I found many of the horoscopes related to my sun sign to be quite general, but when you dive into your birth chart and look at your other signs, it feels much more personal and accurate in describing your personality.

If you’re interested in going in depth on this topic, check out my podcast: Life Chats with Liv B. In the podcast, I did several episodes going over each sign in the zodiac and the personality traits associated with each.

What you need to get started

In order to accurately calculate your unique birth chart, you need to know a few basic facts about your birth. Before starting, it is good to have these things handy:

  • Your date of birth
  • Your birth year
  • The exact time of your birth (down to the minute!)
  • The location of your birth (for example, being born in California can calculate a different sign that someone born in France)

A basic overview of the signs

In the zodiac, there are 12 signs that are categorized by 4 elements: fire, earth, water, and air.

Fire signs

Those with the fire sign are typically passionate and dominate. Because of their fiery traits, fire signs have the strength to persevere and can survive challenging times.

  • Aries
  • Leo
  • Sagittarius

Earth signs

Earth signs are the most grounded of the zodiac and appreciate balance and remind us to be patient and build a life of stability.

  • Virgo
  • Capricorn

Water signs

These signs are strongly correlated with emotions and tend to be the more sensitive sides of the zodiac.

  • Cancer
  • Scorpio
  • Pisces

Air signs

These signs are symbolic of wind. They love taking action, moving forward, and some of the best idea generators in the zodiac.

  • Gemini
  • Libra
  • Aquarius

What is your Sun Sign?

Your sun sign, or sometimes referred to as your “star sign” is the sign you most likely already know. If you’ve ever read your horoscope before in a magazine, newspaper, or while browsing the web, it was most likely based off of your sun sign. The sun sign is determined by the position of the sun during your time of birth.

This zodiac sign describes your core self, your strongest personality traits, and your natural gifts and abilities. This is the strongest sign, and the reason why it is the most commonly talked about zodiac sign. Exploring your sun sign can really help you understand your sense of self and identify some key factors in your unique personality.

Find your personal sun sign below based on your birth month and date.

  • Aries (March 21 – April 19)
  • Taurus (April 20-May 20)
  • Gemini (May 21-June 20)
  • Cancer (June 21-July 22)
  • Leo (July 23-August 22)
  • Virgo (August 23-September 22)
  • Libra (September 23-October 22)
  • Scorpio (October 23-November 21)
  • Sagittarius (November 22-December 21)
  • Capricorn (December 22-January 19)
  • Aquarius (January 20-February 18)
  • Pisces (February – March 20)

What is your Moon Sign?

Your moon sign reflects your emotional needs and deepest desires. It will help you understand your own emotional responses, as well as how you deal with your emotions.

The moon’s position changes every 2 1/2 days, meaning the moon sign in the zodiac changes every 2 1/2 days. If you share a sun sign with someone, that does not necessarily mean you share a moon sign. In fact, it is more likely that you do not share a moon sign! The one exception of course is identical twins. Most identical twins are born typically within minutes of one another and will almost always have the same moon sign.

The below images from the Bedside Astrologer will give you a rough estimate of where the moon was in relation to your birth date and year, but for the most accurate reading, identify the exact time of birth and use a moon sign calculator that allows you to enter your birth time. This will help you pinpoint your exact moon sign.

Or, if you do not know your time of birth and were born in between 1988-2004, reference the images below and identify your moon sign. For example, if your birthday is February 18, 1994 you would go to that year, then go to the February column and see that your moon sign is Gemini.

What is your Rising Sign?

Your rising sign (also called the Ascendant sign) indicates your outer personality or outerself. This is primarily how you present yourself or appear to others. It is also indicative of your skills and the techniques you use to get what you need. We often embody the traits of our rising sign as we go about our daily lives and the way we like to live in our home environment.

In order to calculate your rising sign, you need your birth date, month as well as the time you were born. Similar to the moon sign, the rising sign changes every 2 hours, meaning several people born on the same exact date can each have a different rising sign, depending on the exact time of their birth. To help, check out this Rising Sign Calculator.

Here I have included the rising sign charts included in the book called The Bedside Astrologer by Cosmopolitan. For example, if your birthday was January 16 and you were born at 3:04 pm, you would go to the January row, second column and at 3:04 your rising sign would be Gemini rising. If your birthday was June 4 and you were born at 7:15 am, your rising sign would be a Cancer rising.

FAQs

What zodiac signs go well together?

Compatibility in the zodiac is complex and requires looking at two full birth charts. To do so, I’d recommend using a birth chart app, such as Co-Star. It will allow you to create a profile and become “friends” on their app with your friends and romantic partner and help you understand your compatibility with each other on a deeper level.

What are my big 3 signs in my birth chart?

If you’ve looked at your birth chart, you’ll know you have signs correlating with the 10 planets (the planets include the sun and moon) in your birth chart because each house in your birth chart is defined by a different zodiac sign. Astrology can become very complex, so the 3 big signs to know are your sun sign, moon sign, and rising sign. These 3 say the most about who we are at our core and help give you the best brief blueprint of your personality.

Is it possible to have every sign in your chart?

No, it is not possible. You will have 10 signs in your chart for each of the 10 planets. Since there are 12 signs in the zodiac, you can only have up to 10 unique signs in your birth chart.

How do I figure out the time of my birth?

Depending on the country you were born in, it is possible your time of birth is listed on your birth certificate. If you were born in a Western European country such as Australia, Canada, Ireland, or India, this is not something commonly listed on birth certificates. In the United States, time of birth is always listed on long-form birth certificate forms and can be acquired from the hospital you were born in. If you were born in a country where time of birth is not listed, ask your parents! They may remember your time of birth.

How accurate does your birth time need to be for astrology?

Since the rising sign changes every 2 hours, it is quite important to know your exact time of birth. If you are off by the slightest bit, it can completely change your birth chart.

So there you have it! I hope that was interesting to you and again, astrology goes way more in depth than this and there can be many other elements to your birth chart that are more complicated to understand. Its still fun to look up your signs and see how relatable you find them! If anyone was curious, I am a Virgo sun, Taurus moon, Scorpio rising!

 

Rising Sign:

You rising sign (also called the Ascendant sign) indicates your outer personality- how you present yourself or appear to others- as well as the skills and techniques you use to get what you need. We often embody the traits of our rising sign to as we go about our daily lives. You need your birth day month as well as the time you were born to find your rising sign.

Here I have included the rising sign charts. For example, if your birthday was January 16 and you were born at 3:04 pm, you would go to the January row, second column and at 3:04 your rising sign would be Gemini. If your birthday was June 4 and you were born at 7:15 am, your rising sign would be Cancer.

 

So there you have it! I hope that was interesting to you and again, astrology goes way more in depth than this and there can be many other elements to your birth chart that are more complicated to understand. Its still fun to look up your signs and see how relatable you find them! If anyone was curious, I am a Virgo sun, Taurus moon, Scorpio rising!

93 Comments

  1. Sun sign is Aries, rising sign Gemini and moon sign is Cancer. 🙂

  2. Hello from BC! I’m a Pisces, Leo, Leo. I’ve been using the app co- star for forever and love it! Absolutely adore the podcast, as well as you and you’re family!

  3. Hey Liv <3 I looked up my moon sign on google once and it said my moon sign is Libra but according to your book it's Scorpio… and now I'm confused. Lol
    Btw I love your podcast <3 I find your voice and the way you talk so calming that I listen to it all the time! Lots of love from Japan!

  4. My birthday is November 28 1999….can you explain why there’s no 28

  5. My birthday is November 28 1999….can you explain why there’s no 28 cause I’m kinda confused

  6. Trying to find out my sun moon and rising signs born October 8th 1987 I think around 9:45 a.m.

  7. Sun sign: Leo ♌️ Moon sign: ♌️ rising sin: Aquarius ♒️. Can u guess my bday? 😁

  8. Does the book take birth places into account for moon and rising? Or do you not need the birth place?

  9. I was born July 12:0am so would my rising sign be a Taurus or Aries

  10. I can’t find either one of mine

  11. same but im 28 november 2006

  12. marijane montmagny

    trying to find my moon and rising but everything is far from me

    i am a pisces born the march 14th, 2000 at 12 am exactly

    moon must be cancer since it the 13th but for my rising i only see march 1rst wich is pretty far or march 15th wich is a day after and there is also no 12o’clock … i am really confused

    • You are correct; you are a cancer moon. You take the same sign as the day behind you. The rising is UP to *something. For instance, March 14 is before 15 so you use the first chart and you are midnight exactly and before 1:25am so your rising is a Sagittarius. Interestingly enough, you and I have similar sun and rising and is why I responded :).
      I am Pisces sun, Capricorn moon, Sagittarius rising.

  13. the book isnt really that accurate :/
    my irl signs are aries ☀ cancer 🌙 and pisces rising (calulated exactly using birth time and location), but according to your book i would be aries ☀ leo🌙 and aquarius rising.
    just letting anyone else who comes on here know that theres other important information to consider (like birthplace, like for if daylights saving time is in place, for example). also the moon sign doesnt just like.. change at midnight everytime it shifts (hence why my moon is cancer and not leo).
    if anyone relates to a sign on here that isnt accurate to their chart, id recommend looking into 1. your other planets, 2. your houses and 3. what planets are in your first house (it regulates what planets are important to your personality), as well as the planet(s) that rules over your rising sign (eg mars and pluto rule over scorpio, mercury over gemini, venus over taurus, jupiter and neptune? i think?? over pisces, etc.). if you dont know what that planet is, its very easy to find by searching online.
    hope this helps anyone whos confused!

  14. Meaghan G.

    So I was trying to figure out my moon sign but my birthday (June 30th) is non existent 🤣🤣

  15. I was born July 15th, 1985 at the time of 5:42 pm. I know I’m a Cancer, but I’m unsure of the other rising signs I’d be. Please help me. Please and thank you.

  16. hellow there! i fnd your site very useeful and very easy to understand may bless to yuo dear, but in 85 april thrs no 17th from moon phase what does it mean, and sorry xcuse my english because is not my mother lang., am tanzanian hope you understand me thank you

  17. Hii Liv! Just came across your site and I’m in love :,)
    I was just wondering what my rising / ascendant sign is – I’m November 01st and the time is either 08:07 or 10:10, my mum has told me both those times in the past so unsure! Thankyou 🙂

  18. Is wrong though…I was born June 22nd 1988 and my moon sign is Virgo, not Libra.

  19. Nourelimen Nasfi

    What timezone is used for the rising signs?

  20. the moon sign on august 13th of 2004 doesn’t correlate with my moon sign. i am august 13th 2004 10:23am, and my moon sign is in cancer, not leo, which would correlate with the 11th, not 13th. my birth certificate clarifies my birthdate and time.

  21. I’m a Gemini Sun, Gemini Moon, and Gemini Rising!! Triple threat TKO

  22. What day would a Capricorn sun w Sagittarius moon rising libra be born?

  23. Sun: Libra
    Moon: Scorpio
    Rising: Libra

    proud to be a libra born on 9/26

  24. SANYA SINGH

    Can anyone help me find mine pls
    Born 12 march 2004
    Pisces
    Time – 4:30 (not sure lol)

  25. My moon sign doesn’t exsist according to the book
    1996 August 31st it stops at 30th for some reason that year?

  26. Okay I’m a Pisces
    March 17, 2000
    And I’m completely lost on all my moon sun and rising 😭

  27. im born in dec. 21 2009, so what are my sun moon and rising signs? please help

  28. I’m born 9th of June, 2006. What is my moon and rising?
    Thanks

  29. my sun sign is libra my rising is scorpio and moon is gemini

  30. I don’t understand why there are so many dates missing. Especially in the moon sign section. March 9th 1993 pisces libra pisces here. But your book starts march 2nd, and skips over the 9th completely.

    Also the rising section only gives the 1st and the 15th. So, if you’re date falls before the 15th, you have to use the times as a catch all. Same goes for if you born after the 15th.

    I’m curious as to why you did it this way? Clearly to save space and time. But, why? Especially concerning the need for accuracy.

  31. I’m an Aries sun. According to this, my moon is in Pisces (which would make SOOOOO much sense). But according to all the other sites I’ve used to calculate my chart, my moon is in Aquarius.

  32. My sun is Capricorn, my moon is Capricorn, my rising is sag.

  33. so i was born in 2008 and i couldnt find my year what is it? cause this happens every time i try to find my moon sign it either ends just before 2008 or ends in the 90s

  34. Hi! The book is a bit confusing because I was born at 9:52pm on March 9 and it has me as a Libra rising but I’m a Scorpio Rising.

  35. Please can you help me fine out. Date 16/04/2002 Time 16:19 pm

  36. im a cancer moon sign but i dont know my rising sign for july 9th i think im a cancer moon and cancer rising comment what you think my rising sign is???

  37. You didn’t have my birth day and it was kind of confusing

  38. Im a capricorn, and my rising sign is saggitarious, and moon sign cancer

  39. im a capricorn
    rising sign saggitarious
    moon sign: cancer

  40. Samantha Valdivia

    I couldn’t find mine I was born April 6, 2000 or maybe I couldn’t read it right ?

  41. Sun sign: Gemini
    Moon sign: Taurus
    Rising sing: Virgo

    Jesus christ..

  42. Sun: Scorpio♏
    Moon: Capricorn ♑
    Rising: ♉

  43. Hii, I was born on 1st November, around 11.00pm,.what is my sun, moon and rising? please

  44. Hi I was born April 27th 2000 at 7:42 a.m. so I was wondering can you help me figure out my moon, sun and Rising sign?

  45. i’m a Virgo and Virgos are one of the most polite zodiac signs

  46. So I took a quiz online and it said Virgo Sun Sagittarius moon and leo rising. But according to this chart everything is right besides the moon. It says I’m a Capricorn moon. I was born August 31st 1998 at 5:05am

  47. My Sun sign is Sagittarius while my moon and rising are Aquarius

  48. my sun sign is a aries my moon sign is a gemini and my ascendant is a gemini

  49. What is the books name which the charts thank you

  50. I’m a Leo born August 10th 1971 at 4:24pm I’m trying to figure out my moon & rising sign! Google is saying 2 different things…

  51. Siyanda Mtshali

    Nov 27, 2002
    Sagittarius Sun
    Virgo Moon
    Leo Rising

  52. XD so from my understanding I’m Capricorn, Capricorn, and Capricorn

  53. Hi, I was born on June 7 2005, but I don’t know exactly my birth time. in my certificate it says 05:55am, but I don’t identify at all with gemini rising. I have a photo of the moment of my birth where there’s the number “08” along with 6 7 that is my birth date. Does it mean I was born sometime at 8 a.m.?

  54. i think i understand but the only problem is that i don’t know what time i was born lol
    but thanks anyways this was helpful other than me not knowing my time of birth but thank you 🙂

  55. Lorie Ybarra

    I was born January 10th 1967, in Scranton Pennsylvania. I do not know what time i was born, can you help me with my Sun, Moon, Rising signs. I am trying very hard, to understand this. I am very interested in Astrology, the more older i become. Right now i have been told, that i have psychic abilities, and should use them. I would not even know where to begin. I always felt or had an intuitive to try my third chakra (eye). I have felt like i have this telepathic energy. Maybe to scared to used it because i don’t know how. Can you help with my Sun, Moon, Rising signs ? Especially those. Anything else in the psychic abilities too. Where would i have gotten this from? Also great ways to use “Manifestation” in Love, Guidance, Abundance. Thank you so much. i cant wait to here from you.

  56. My rising sign is Sagittarius ♐️ and my moon sign is Sagittarius ♐️ my sun sign is also a Sagittarius ♐️ lol

  57. Hi i am Virgo can I know my rising sign it’s around 3:11 pm.

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