It hardly seems fair to categorize every single human being into only twelve different personalities as zodiacs — there has to be more personalities in the world and simply looking at a room with over 20 people can confirm this. Well, that’s because while there are twelve commonly known zodiacs, there’s also a lot more information that goes into your full zodiac report (also referred to as a birth chart) than just the day you were born.
The Sun Sign
This is what is most commonly referred to as our zodiac sign. The year is split into twelve different sun signs, and you’re assigned a sun sign based on which slot of dates your birthday falls in. Our sun sign determines how we express ourselves to those around us. As Ashley Tracey explains in her article on Enso, “Your sun sign is how you answer the question ‘I am’ and how you experience life and express your individuality.” Not only does your sun sign determine the energy you exude, it also helps with understanding how you take in energy to recharge. So really, associate the sun sign with everything about your energy internally and externally.
Sun signs are broken up into the four different elements: air, fire, earth and water. The article by Ashley Tracey linked above includes in-depth descriptions to how each element expresses and recharges themselves. For example, our air signs which include the Gemini, Libra and Aquarius typically express through intellect and recharge through social interaction. Our water signs (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces) tend to express through emotion and also recharge through emotions.
The Moon Sign
Moon signs are based off of the full date, place and time of birth to calculate the position of the moon when you were born. This explains why not everyone who was born with the same sun sign are carbon copies of one another. To find your moon sign, check out this calculator on Lunarium. Just as how the sun sign deals with expression and energy, the moon sign deals with the inner self and emotions. Rather than giving insight with how you express and recharge, your moon sign determines how you love and feel.
Considering how your moon sign is tied closely with how you love and feel, it’s not surprising that your moon sign plays a large hand in your intimate relationships. Moon signs still go by the same names as sun signs and share similar characteristics, but manifest differently through the lens of the inner self. This article by Aliza Kelly Faragher on Allure provides much more insight on understanding the differences between your sun sign and moon sign, but also includes a personality description for each moon sign.
The Rising
After the moon sign, we have our rising. The year is broken up into 12 sun signs, meaning the sun spends roughly 30 days in each sign. The moon, on the other hand, spends roughly 2.5 days in each sign. Your rising is the sign that’s on the horizon at your time of birth, as explained by Emily Simone in this article on Allure. This is why birth chart creators require your exact time of birth. Your rising represents “your outlook on the world and the first impression you give to others,” according to Simone, and this is especially helpful in understanding how you present in social situations and other interactions such as job interviews. Simone’s article also includes the characteristics of each rising sign; remember, the signs go by the same name, but present slightly different between the sun, moon and rising.
To fully understand how the stars play into your full personality, it’s not enough to just look at your sun sign. Your personality has so much depth, and the sun sign only captures one aspect of it. To gain some context behind why you act and react the way you do, or why you feel the way you do, try creating a birth chart and reading the descriptions they provide. Astrology.com provides a free birth chart as does Cafe Astrology here. Your birth chart can give you insight and guidance on more than just your expressions and tendences, with additional signs such as your Midheaven or Medium Coeli (MC), as explained through this article on Rappler. Don’t limit yourself to just learning about one sign when there are so many more to explore.
