Sun, Moon & Rising: How to Find and Read Your Big 3

Your Big 3 are your Sun, Moon, and Rising signs — and to find them you need three pieces of information: your birth date, your exact birth time, and your birth place. The Sun sign comes from your date alone, but the Moon and Rising signs move quickly, so they require the time and location too.

Together these three placements are the foundation of your whole chart. They're also why two people born under the same Sun sign can feel like completely different people.

What each of the Big 3 means

A quick way to remember it: your Sun is who you are, your Moon is how you feel, and your Rising is how you appear.

How to find each one

Your Sun sign — needs only your birth date

This is the sign most people already know. If you were born on, say, July 10, you're a Cancer. No birth time required.

Your Moon sign — needs your birth date (and usually time)

The Moon changes signs every 2 to 2.5 days, so two people born on the same date can have different Moon signs if one was born in the morning and the other at night. Use your birth time to be sure.

Find your Moon sign with the free Moon Sign Calculator →

Your Rising sign — needs your exact birth time and place

The Ascendant changes roughly every two hours, making it the most time-sensitive of the three. Even a 20-minute error in your recorded birth time can shift it to the neighboring sign. This is why your birth certificate time matters.

Find your Rising sign with the free Rising Sign Calculator →

The fastest way: calculate all three at once

Rather than checking three signs separately, generate your full birth chart and read all of your Big 3 in one place: