What Is My Big 3 Astrology: Everything You Need To Know

Astrology is many things**.**

Astrology, for one, is more than your sun sign. This ancient celestial study includes planets, mathematical points, and even asteroids.

Astrology is a blueprint, a language, and a GPS telling us the routes we can take.

So, naturally, a budding astrology student follows the progression of unraveling their natal chart (also known as the birth chart). They begin to learn about the “big 3”.

The big three include the sun sign, the moon sign, and the rising sign. The rising sign, also known as the ascendant (ASC), is one of the first celestial points astrology students and enthusiasts encounter.

But before we get into the details of each point, let’s look at why the big three are essential.

What Is the Big 3 and Why Is It Important?

The big three are fundamental structures of our personality. Together they represent our filtered and subjective experience of our reality.

The sun is our ego. The sun is our ego because it integrates our whole personality. The ego is who we strive to be, who we are in our imaginations and the personas we consciously try to embody. The sun sign is how we want to express our identity.

The moon is our emotions and our subconscious mind. It governs our habits in childhood, traumas, ancestral ties, and how we emotionally process the external world. The moon sign is our fleeting emotions and basic subconscious programs.

The rising sign is the beginning of our subjective experience. It is our bodies, our physical incarnation into this world. The rising sign represents the outward self and how people perceive us at first.

It’s important to note that the sun and moon are planets in astrology but called “lights” or “luminaries.” The Ascendant is a celestial point, not a physical body or labeled as a planet.

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How To Find the Big 3

You must calculate your entire birth chart to find your big three. To calculate your birth chart, you’ll need your exact time of birth, date of birth, and place of birth. If you’re unsure of your precise time of delivery, check your birth certificate, call your birth hospital, or ask a parent if they remember!

The Ascendant is based upon accurate birth time, so the exact moment of birth is crucial. A five-minute inaccuracy can completely change the rising sign!

A free astrology software such as Astro Dienst or Astro-Seek can quickly compute your birth chart.

Discover your Sun, Moon, and Rising Signs

As you can see, the big three make up precisely what we perceive to be reality. The birth chart is our subjective reality, but we can take our sun, moon, and rising signs as the eyes that see the world around us. The sun, moon, and ascendant represent who we are and why we feel.

It’s important to remember the color of that aspect planet or amplify the expression of the big three. If the moon is in Capricorn and Mercury is conjunct, then this alters the moon’s expression.

Now that you know why these three are essential and how to find them, let’s look closely at each.

What do my Aries sun, Taurus moon, and Libra ascendant mean?

What Is the Rising Sign?

The rising sign, or ascendant (ASC), is the angle on the eastern horizon at birth. This angle is the intersection of the eastern horizon and the ecliptic, the sun’s path throughout the year.

The ascendant governs how people first view you. The rising sign is how we present ourselves to others. It’s the first thing people think of us when they see us. Think of when someone stumbles upon us at a cafe, in the grocery store, or at someone’s house — a candid and off-guard version of you is the rising sign.

The rising sign is critical to mapping out life transitions. When we move, get married, go through a crisis, or an identity change, we see the rising sign as a critical piece of the puzzle.

Critical markers for significant life events are when a transiting planet triggers the natal ascendant when the ascendant changes sign in a progressed or return chart, or even when another person’s planets activate the ascendant in synastry compatibility. This is why an accurate time of birth is so important!

The Ascendant is part of four critical sensitive points. These four points called the angles, consist of the ascendant (ASC) and it is opposite, the descendant (DSC), the Midheaven (MC), and it is opposite the nadir, or Imum Coeli (IC).

These four angles represent how people view you and how you view people in different settings. Since it means your image to others, all four angles can affect your physical appearance, aura, disposition, and how others view you.

To unleash more about the rising sign, look at its ruler. A Taurus ascendant has Venus as its ruler. This makes Venus the ruler of the chart. Look at the placement of Venus: what sign and house is it located in? What planets does it make a challenging aspect toward?

Below is a brief description of each rising sign by element to pique your interest.

The Rising Signs

An ascendant fire sign (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius) embodies youthfulness, vitality, and an upbeat attitude. Fire-rising signs in the ascendant can be frank, direct, and even obnoxious. Fire-rising signs can come off as extroverted at first glance. A fire sign like Sagittarius gives off warm and generous energy, often initially showing an optimistic nature.

An air ascendant sign (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius) moves fast and has a bit of anxious energy. Air rising signs can be pretentious, intellectual, and usually socially capable. Libra is often socially aware and can be very inclusive.

An ascendant earth sign (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn) embodies practicality, slow decisions, and cautiousness. Earth-rising signs can come off reserved, soft, and sensual. Virgo gives off the energy of being accepting, down-to-earth, and trustworthy.

An ascendant water sign (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces) can often be clumsy. Water-rising signs can be sensitive, deep, and intuitive. At first glance, these signs appear dreamy and in their world. Scorpio gives off a magnetic aura that might intimidate people or make them sense something deeper under the surface.

What Is the Sun?

The sun in astrology is the entirety of our personality. It represents who we consciously strive to be, the persona we want to embody.

It’s our identity and our primary motivation in life. The sun is our conscious self.

Our sun signs express our urge to create and get recognition.

In transit charts, solar return charts, and progressed charts, the sun represents a change in our goals and how we view ourselves. When a transiting planet hits our sun, or our gone sun hits an angle in the progressed chart or transit chart, this shows a complete change in our identity — our focus shifts to adopting a different outer world view and outward style.

The Sun in Each Zodiac Sign

An Aries sun sign is friendly, ambitious, the archetype of the warrior and leader, and loves to explore new territory.

A Taurus sun sign is slow-moving to make the right decision, decisive, has solid morals and values that they never abandon, and, at times, a completionist.

A Gemini sun sign is a jack-of-all-trades, likes to try everything, and is inquisitive.

A Cancer sun sign extends to others, often trying to get themselves and others to heal soul wounds through shadow work; it is sensitive and intuitive.

A Leo sun sign is expressive, loves to make people smile, finds sole purpose through others, and finds achievement in a fun and play.

A Virgo sun sign is constantly searching for improvement, wanting to read between the lines to find the correct meaning, and, at times, a perfectionist.

A Libra sun signs constantly interacts with others, likes to put forth their idealized version of themselves, and is always looking to understand the world socially.

A Scorpio sun sign is transformative and challenging and likes to look at the ugly and pretty things in life.

A Sagittarius sun sign is philosophical, likes to make significant impacts, and believes the glass is half full.

A Capricorn sun sign is reliable as they believe they know what’s best for others, enjoy attempting and attaining mastery in a field, and strive to achieve personal success.

An Aquarius sun sign is letting go of boundaries, breaking traditions, and attempting to elevate themselves and those around them to their full potential.

Additionally, a Pisces sun sign is generous, often struck with naivete or childlike wonder, and afflicting to put others before themselves.

What Is the Moon?

Our moon’s placement releases and reveals our emotional and domestic security.

There is a relationship between the moon and our instincts and intuition. The little voice in your head telling you to do something or not to do something is the guidance from your moon sign.

The moon sign requires validation from emotions and requires emotional balance. In transit charts, the transit moon represents fleeting emotions and quick decisions. When our moon in a progressed chart changes signs, this shows a profound shift in our inner world. Our inner self and self-esteem change as we find emotional satisfaction in things of the sign.

The Moon in Each Zodiac Sign

An Aries moon sign must be satisfied by excitement, challenge, risk, and action.

A Taurus moon sign needs to be satisfied by financial and relational security.

A Gemini moon sign needs to be satisfied by constant stimulation.

A Cancer moon sign must be satisfied by protecting and nurturing others while receiving that same protection and nurture.

A Leo moon sign must be satisfied by constant validation and reassurance, loving to receive and give adoration.

A Virgo moon sign must be satisfied by feeling useful, of service, and helpful to others.

A Libra moon sign needs to be satisfied by compromise, togetherness, and balance in their life.

A Scorpio moon sign needs to be satisfied by knowing and learning every little thing about a person, event, or situation and needing to be as deep as possible into it.

A Sagittarius moon sign must be satisfied by having a structure to their life, the space to explore and create without being judged, and emotional freedom.

A Capricorn moon sign needs to be satisfied by having and giving structure, discipline, and someone to help them express their emotions.

An Aquarius moon sign needs space to remain individual and independent without compromising relationships.

A Pisces moon sign needs to be satisfied by putting themselves first, prioritizing their wants, and having spiritual awareness.

Now that you understand your big three better, how about a deeper understanding of your entire natal chart?

Check out Relationship Psychic’s 2022 Astrology Subscription for more in-depth astrological guidance.

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