The Big Three

Have you ever been asked what you “Big Three” is? Maybe you had an idea of it or thought it meant your top 3 songs or movies? In the world of astrology it means your sun, moon, and rising.

That’s right. You’re not just a Pisces or an Aries. Every single person has distinct placements for each planet and luminary (sun/moon). When someone says they’re a Gemini they’re more than likely referring to their sun sign, which is what most people know. But they may also be a Capricorn Moon or a Cancer Mars. I'm a Cancer Sun, Aries Moon, Leo Rising.

Now, let’s get into the nitty gritty of our Big Three

Sun

Your sun sign is the core of who you are. The ball of fire within that gives life to your personality. Just as the universe revolves around the sun your entire birth chart revolves around your sun sign. Where your sun sits sets the stage for the rest of the planets in your chart.You probably already know your sun sign. It’s the first of the big three and the one people mean when they say “I’m a Virgo.” It means they were born within the dates of when the sun was in Virgo, (8/23 - 9/22).

While your sun sign can give away basic personality traits, people often feel like they don’t relate to their sun signs. “I’m a Scorpio but I don’t feel deep and mysterious.” That’s actually very normal and is probably because you have other placements that either affect your sun or outweigh the effects of your sun sign. In fact, up until mature adulthood, most people relate to their moon and rising signs the most.

Moon

The moon represents your inner world. It is your emotions, subconscious, and inner thoughts. The moon often knows things before we do. The moon is often described as your inner child. Children usually portray their moon signs more than their sun signs because they haven’t yet learned to be polite and disguise their emotions.

The moon can be how you dream and what you are when no one is watching. The sun is your core but the moon is your guiding inner force. When you’re pondering a dream, laughing at an inside joke, or a secret desire catches your eye: that is your moon sign at play.

To find your moon sign all you need to know is your full birthdate and location.

Rising

People tend to relate most to their rising sign. It’s your external self, how you present to the world. It can even come up in your appearance. Pisces risings (the fish, intuitive, water) often have full lips and a dreamy, ethereal look about them. Leo risings (the lion, ruled by the sun) often have a thick mane of hair and a glowy aura. It’s how the world is meant to see you. 

And just how did the rising sign come about?

Your rising sign is based on where the sunrise is happening relative to the time and location of your birth. Even if you were born at 10 pm, the sunrise was happening somewhere. The 12 signs of the zodiac work like a clock that the sunrise moves through in a 24 hour period. For example, if you’re born at sunrise, your sun sign and rising sign will be the same (Scorpio Sun, Scorpio Rising). Or, in my case, I was born 2 hours after sunrise so my rising sign is right after my sun sign (Cancer Sun, Leo Rising).

To find your rising sign, you need to know your full birthdate, time, and location. Here's a link to a birth chart calculator! https://astro-charts.com/tools/new/birth-chart/