rising sign basics
what is a rising sign?
Greek theatrical masks, known as “persona” - today, we use this word to describe the parts of a person’s character that are presented to or perceived by others. In Astrology this is defined by your Rising Sign.
The sign that is considered Rising, also called the Ascendant, is an incredibly important influence in your chart. Along with your Sun and Moon Signs, it makes up what referred to as the Astrological Triad. These represent very weighty energy in your chart and set the stage for all the other Planets to operate on.
The reason your Rising Sign is so important is because of its association with the first house (get the lowdown on House Basics here). This is the House of Self where your most physical qualities are defined.
It’s called a “rising” sign due to the nature of the movement of the Zodiac throughout the day. While the houses remain static and in place, the circle of the Zodiac rotates around the houses. Each sign spends two hours in the first house before the revolving wheel brings in the next. This means throughout any given day, all twelve signs “rise” (12 signs x 2 hours each = 24 hours). That 9 o’clock position of your chart (the cusp of the first house) represents the eastern horizon, the place the Sun rises - or, more accurately, appears to rise since the Sun isn't doing anything, it is the Earth’s movement that creates this visual effect. However, we use this idea of sunrise, and at each point in the rotation that brings a new sign into the first house, we say that sign is “rising.”
The first house is all about how you actually come off to the world, how you manifest in it. Your look, your self-will, your style, and your outward temperament are defined in this house.
It is all about your persona. This word comes from Ancient Greece when actors would play multiple characters on stage. The way they communicated to the audience which character they were embodying at the moment was through masks they would hold in front of their face. Their word for these masks was “persona”, and thus we have adopted this term into the psychological lexicon to indicate the traits and characteristics of the personality that are seen or perceived by others. This is exactly what the Ascendant is all about.
The sign in the first house colors your temperament and personality in the most physical and recognizable sense. In fact, often you need to really get to know someone before you see their Sun or Moon sign qualities, while their Ascendant is right there on the surface and the qualities of the sign in the first house define the first impression people have of you in the world. It is almost like all of the other energies in your chart are projected into the world through the lens of your Rising Sign.
Along with the Rising Sign comes an additional, important influence in your chart. It is the planet that rules the sign that is Ascendant. For example, if you have Capricorn rising, its ruler, Saturn, becomes a focal point in the chart, and the sign and house it’s placed in have some additional prominence in your profile.
This is why it is so important to have an accurate time and place of birth for your chart. While the planets, and the signs they are in, can be determined from your birthdate, only an accurate time will have these planet-sign combinations in the correct houses, including the first house which will indicate your super-important Rising Sign.
A chart with Leo Rising - you can see that the first house cusp (also depicted by the AC) is in this sign
how do I find my rising sign on my chart?
It is very easy to identify which is the Rising, or Ascendant, Sign on a chart. Remember, it is all about the first house. The cusps of the house are the black lines making up the pizza slices. Each line represents the cusp of the house it delineates. The first house cusp is at the 9 o’clock position on your chart. Whatever sign that line is pointing at is your Rising Sign.
Typically, a chart will also have this point displayed, usually using the abbreviation AC or ASC.
As an example, check out the Heretic Astrologer’s chart to the left. You can see the cusp of the first house (the black line at 9 o’clock) and also the AC abbreviation. All you have to do is identify which sign this point is in and you can determine the Rising Sign. Here you can see that the Ascendant is the fixed, fire sign of Leo.
What if I have planets in the first house?
Planets in the first House of Self bring their energy to the surface of your personality. They become an integral part of that mask the Ascendant represents. While planets in other houses can lurk in the background or inform, planets in the first house are worn on your sleeve for all to see. Some people have their Sun and Moon in the first house in the same sign as the Ascendant. These profiles yield personalities that feel pretty transparent as their personality and persona are both being defined by the traits and characteristics of a particular sign. Kind of a WYSIWYG situation. But this can also create quite a bit of imbalance depending on other factors in the chart.
On this chart, you can see that the cusp of the first house is in Sagittarius. However, looking further you can see that The Sun, Moon, Mercury, Mars, and Venus are all in the House of Self. This creates a personality and persona steeped in the traits and characteristics of Sagittarius which are blatantly recognizable by anyone who meets them.