The Rising Sign

By Jeff Prince

The Rising Sign or Ascendant is the Zodiac sign that was rising or ascending on the Eastern horizon at the moment you took your first breath in this world. It is therefore important to accurately determine your Rising Sign, you need to know your exact time of birth. Without this information, it can be a guessing game.

As the Earth turns, the Rising Sign moves up from the eastern horizon at one degree every four minutes. Therefore, the exact degree of the Rising Sign on the horizon is constantly changing over the course of a few minutes. When the 30th degree has risen after about a two hour period, a new Zodiac sign appears on the eastern horizon and becomes the new Rising Sign.

To understand how your Rising Sign fits into the scheme of things, think of your Sun Sign as your soul; your inner personality and all you're capable of achieving. Think of your Moon Sign representing all that motivates you emotionally; your core being, the heart of who you really are. Your Rising Sign therefore represents how you present yourself to the world, wish to be seen by others, the 'mask' you wear. The word 'mask' refers specifically to aspects of your personality you would prefer others didn't know about as opposed to relating to phoniness or insincerity. Your Rising Sign can exert an influence almost as powerful as your Sun and Moon Signs.

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