Imagine you’re sitting across from the girl of your dreams; the drinks are flowing just as well as the conversation and everything seems perfect, until she asks this one question: “What’s your big three?” Initially, you’re caught off guard. You have no clue what a big three is. She reads the confusion on your face and then says, “What’s your sun, moon, and rising?” Again, confusion settles in.
If that pretty girl never took the time to explain what a sun, moon, and rising are, or you’re just not well-versed in astrology, allow us to explain.
What Are Your Sun, Moon, and Rising Signs?
The combination of your “big three” — also known as your sun, moon, and rising signs — describes who you are. According to astrology, each of these signs determines a different part of your personality.
Many people are only familiar with their sun sign, which is determined by your actual birthdate. For example, if you were born on March 13, you’re a Pisces, and if you were born on June 7, you’re a Gemini. Your sun sign is the ruler of your outer self; it is the archetype of your inner ego and conscious mind. Typically, your mannerisms and behaviors are made up of characteristics from your sun sign. Your sun sign is what pretty much makes you uniquely you.
Your moon sign embodies your inner self and determines your fears, your moods, and how you express love towards yourself and other people. Known as your “subconscious mind,” your moon sign is where you feel the most comfortable. In many instances, your moon sign determines how you initially respond to stressful situations.
Your rising sign is the energy you present to people upon first meeting them; it is the impression or “mark” you leave on those you encounter on an everyday basis. The rising sign is ultimately how you choose to present yourself to the world.
Your sun, moon, and rising are defined by three zodiac signs belonging to any of the four elements: Water, Air, Earth, and Fire. A sign in each element has characteristics that dictate how one person thinks, feels, and even portrays themselves to the outside world.
To get a sense of each sign, see their characteristics below (to keep it cute, we’re only going to inform you of the positive attributes of each sign):
Fire Signs
Aries: Willful, brave, productive, energetic
Sagittarius: Optimistic, fair-minded, funny, intellectual
Leo: Dominant, courageous, idealistic, aristocratic, romantic
Water Signs
Pisces: Sensible, easy-going, warm-hearted, empathic
Cancer: Crafty, rational, strong-willed, nurturing
Scorpio: Emotional, determined, industrious, inquisitive
Air Signs
Gemini: Skillful, humorous, imaginative
Libra: Wise, helpful, friendly
Aquarius: Independent, logical, trustworthy
Earth Signs
Capricorn: Self-disciplined, stoic, serious
Taurus: Practical, resourceful, confident
Virgo: Efficient, calm, altruistic, adaptable
You can apply the corresponding characteristics to your sun, moon, or rising sign to get better acquainted with your astrological chart.
How to Calculate Your Sun, Moon, and Rising Signs
To retrieve your full and accurate birth chart, you must know your full birthdate, the time you were born, and the city, state, and country in which you were born.
You can visit one of the following sites to calculate your birth chart:
After finding out your big three, it’s a guarantee you’ll impress your next date with all that you know about astrology. More importantly, if researched well enough, you will unlock many parts of your personality that’ll impress you, too. You are not just your sun sign; your persona is an embodiment of many traits, both positive and negative. It’s a good idea to get acquainted with them all so that you’d know how and when to channel those characteristics. If you’re lucky, you might learn your date’s big three and discover if your birth charts are romantically compatible — but we’ll save that discussion for another time.
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