What is a "rising sign"?

Have you recently heard someone talk about their rising sign? The rising sign, like the entirety of your natal chart, is calculated with your birth time, date, and place.  Its the sign of the zodiac that was rising along the sun’s ecliptic* (its path across the sky) at the time you were born.

Its significance mirrors that symbolism - your rising sign is how you "rise" how you present. As the sign that was rising at the minute(s) of your birth, it's the archetype that was presenting itself during those minutes of your birth. That archetype, one of the 12 signs of the zodiac, becomes the primary characteristic in how the world sees you, and the archetype you're known for. Sometimes it even feels more YOU than your sun sign.  Knowing these shades of ourselves can bring clarity, validate our experience, and help suss out familial and cultural programming from what we know to be true about ourselves. 

Related, your sun sign is the constellation that was present at sunrise for some 30-odd days during the month of your birth. Your sun sign is the sign people are looking for when they ask “what is your sign”.  (Dec 22 - Jan 19; Jan 20 - Feb 18; etc.)

What’s the significance of the rising sign? 

It has a ton of impact in who you are, how you present, and how the world sees you. If you know yours, you may actually identify with it more than your “sign” or sun sign. 

For instance, Capricorn rising appears disciplined, goal-oriented and ambitious. Capricorn sun, which also embodies these characteristics will be tempered by whatever rising sign is present in the chart. Meaning, Capricorn sun with Libra rising will describe an individual who is determined and goal oriented - but presents themselves with classic Libran relational intelligence and charm. 

Having an awareness of our rising sign allows someone to appreciate and work with the gifts of this placement in their chart. Knowing one is Capricorn rising makes conscious that an individual contributes a goal-based approach with a practical and disciplined forward motion vision that can be incredibly helpful in many settings. 

Often people are so used to living from their rising sign - it may even feel like a more authentic mode of operation, or they may “feel more like” the characteristics described in their rising sign.

*The Sun's Ecliptic: this is the path of the sun across our sky. A quick note from my teacher, Astrologer Andrew Smith in Dublin - from his article on the Winged Horse "Remember that there are but 15 constellations that are bound to the ecliptical plane - the path of the Sun, as seen from the Earth, 12 of which have defined the perimeters of the Earth-based zodiac, the tropical zodiac. The other 76 constellations, wherein most of the highest magnitude Suns (yes, other starts in the galaxy are considered suns :) are located, have to be "pulled" down to the Sun's path, so that we can use them within our 2D constructed natal charts."