You likely know what your zodiac sign is, the horoscope that you usually read in magazines or in the horoscope section of your local newspaper.
That zodiac sign — the one that you’re most familiar with — is actually your Sun sign. It is based on the position of the sun at the time you were born.
There are 12 zodiac signs divided into 12 months, belonging to four different energies and elements. Each carries its own features and characteristics.
Our Sun sign is our personality. It summarizes how others define us. Personality is what we look at when deciding if we like someone, and the same goes for first dates or even picking the right person to work with.
The Sun sign is our point of reason when making decisions, it provides the motivation driving our actions — it is our ego. However, having the same sun sign as another person does not mean we will be photocopies of each other. We all have our own unique personalities, but those who share the same Sun signs are similar in certain aspects, like in their feeling, thinking, and their core understanding.
The Moon sign is determined by calculating our full date, place, and time of birth, and finding our position around the moon. This sign is the soul behind your identity. It is the darker, internalized personality that guides how you feel and intuit, which also influences our experiences and emotional connection with others. Think of it as the emotional landscape — an element that is helpful in understanding our inner world and how we react in emotional situations.
Some believe that the Moon sign is overrated, that it does not weigh half as much as our Sun sign or our Rising sign.
The Rising sign, also known as the Ascendant sign, is the astrological sign that was rising over the eastern horizon at the time we were born. Our Rising sign is the first impression we give to others; it is both our social personality as well as our outlook on the world.
Think of the Rising sign as a mask that can hide the truth every now and then, the truth being your Sun sign. It acts as a backup. When our Sun sign is too tired, our Rising sign takes over. This sign is the manifestation of both our inner and outer worlds that presents our physical body and outward style.
At the end of the day, our Sun, Moon, and Rising signs are all important. But in no way do they carry the same weight.