Understanding the Rising Sign

The Rising is a position in our birth chart that indicates the nuances of our personality, how our "social mask" is, and the first impression we leave. In other words, this sign immediately presents itself when someone meets us.

Many people still consider the Rising to be one of the most difficult subjects in astrology, causing many doubts when interpreting. What is it really? Is it something that complements our Sun? Is it stronger or weaker than the Sun sign?

People ask themselves: am I more like my he or my sun sign? Questions abound. Check out some thoughts that you need to think about this astrological position, which is part of the cardinal cross of your Astrological Chart.

How to know your Rising?

To begin with, by basic definition, the Rising is the cusp (the line that marks the beginning of an Astrological House) of House 1 in your chart, that is, it is the sign that is appearing on the horizon at the exact moment of your birth.

In Astronomy, it is the degree of the ecliptic that is rising at the moment of birth, since the person was born up to the limits of the Northern and Southern polar circles. Above them, since the signs are neither rising nor setting, they are understood as the sector of the ecliptic that is in the absolute east at the moment of birth - the topocentric system of astrological houses.

The position of the Rising makes one complete revolution in the zodiac every 24 hours. Therefore it changes from one sign to another more or less every 2 hours (about 1 degree every 4 minutes), especially for cities near the Earth's equator. Therefore it is very important that the time of birth is correctly informed to generate your Birth Chart as accurately as possible.

The Rising sign is the area of the chart that has more to do with our physical complexity, spontaneous mind, temperament, disposition, immediate, almost automatic responses, and our projected image. It also represents a personal business card and acts as a filter of how our five senses capture the environment we are in.

The beginning of the journey

The Rising indicates how our contact with the world began, and the step we took towards life, among other things. This is where the first quarter section begins, where the individual becomes aware of himself and begins his quest, discovering their value and ability to interpret and interact with the world around him. It is how one initiates things.

This positioning can reveal many interesting things about an individual's personality according to the sign he is in and the planets next to it.

If it is in a sign of astrological nature that is fast and assertive, the person was likely a child with a lot of energy and will show this every time he or she starts something. If it is in a more tranquil one, then the initial environment was probably also serene and the person will be inclined to do things in a calmer way. Somehow we are always looking for the characteristics of this sign. This is why it constantly leaves its mark on our personality.

This sign can also indicate the first impression made on us, as well as the emotional, intellectual, and physical masks that we wear throughout life. In this case the word "mask" is not used in a disapproving sense, being only an "accessory we wear", that is, a form of momentary expression, reactive, often defensive, and protecting the most sensitive layers.

It is what we appear to be or want to convey to people. But it is not a mask of the kind that you wear all the time, only when you want to wear it. It is a part of you. This is why the sign of the Rising and the stars present near it can bring sensations to others at first sight, or even the idea that you have when you only see the momentary or external image.

Your inner essence is your Sun sign, but the clothes you wear are your Rising. For example, Capricorn people, at their core, value responsibility, being ambitious and being cautious. But if one of them has the Aries Rising, he or she may want to give the impression of being someone who is courageous, fast, fearless, insightful, and who takes the initiative. Many people around may think that this person would have immense potential for entrepreneurship.

Another interesting analogy is that the Rising is your vehicle to move around in the world, while the Sun is the one who drives. In this case, we have to admit that the person has developed the Sun characteristics and the spontaneous "I" is in charge, while the Rising is just the calling card. And the combinations can be quite interesting. For example:

• It could be that a teacher (someone with Sun in Sagittarius) likes to drive a sporty car (Aries Rising) as they move around the world.
• An executive (Capricorn) driving a van for comfort (Taurus Rising)

It may be that the vehicle and the person who is driving it do not match so well, but they are definitely together and need to understand each other to see if there is a desire to develop the best potential. Of course, it works better when the Rising is also the same sun sign or has very similar characteristics because in this case, the journey is more naturally flowing.

If there is not so much similarity, the administrative effort must be greater, because there will be the need to confront, reconcile, and live with different voices within the structure, to manage different potential outcomes.

Rising and the image you convey

The image we convey to others is linked to the use we make of the astrological potentials observed centuries ago, which are found in our Rising, in its various forms of presentation, ranging from the most disharmonious spectrums to its most intricate and complex natures.

Thus, a person with the Libra Rising may seem very charismatic and sociable (a more stable and harmonious form of manifestation) or very hesitant, not knowing how to say "no" when needed (another facet of the same characteristic, but of a more chaotic and unstable nature).

On the other hand, when there is too much separation between the Sun and the Rising sign, the person can give a slightly different image of who they are. When the Sun sign is in greater harmony with the Rising, your image and what you are in essence, will not present as much contrast.

For example, if a person has Pisces as a sun sign but Cancer Rising, he/she will seem more emotional and sensitive, and it is likely that he/she is just like that, because both signs correspond to the Water element, which is directly linked to emotions and brings more potential for sensitivity.

With Aquarius Rising, however, things are quite different.

Does the Rising take over after the age of 30?

No. The Rising also demonstrates our mannerisms and some of the things that we need to evolve throughout life. When we finally manage to develop the characteristics positioned there, it is as if we are blending our core values with the image we pass on to the world.

Over time, if the characteristics are quite different and the person is bothered by this, working on and learning to manage such differences can lessen internal tensions and anxieties. This usually happens around the age of 30, when we have the first sense of maturity. After the age of 30, we generally have a lot of psychological changes because we are leaving the stages of strong physical energy presence, of growth, and we have already acquired some external experiences whose memories question some internal impulses of search.

This is why it is often said that we start to "live in our Rising sign", which in fact does not happen. If we are dedicated to the act of learning ourselves we start, to think and feel the internal voices, memories, emotions, and instincts, to accept the internal setbacks, the holes, and opposing sides - if any.

And this is not just a coincidence: it is precisely around this age that our first Saturn Return happens.

Saturn is a planet that takes more or less 29 years to make a full circle around the Zodiac, and it is at this age that it will be completing its first cycle, returning to where it was on the day of its birth.

Saturn, in astrological studies represents structure, our limits, rules, maturity, the awareness of what we do in life, and the reaction we get from our actions.

Before the age of 28/30, many times the person can still be very influenced by their family and not have a totally stable financial life, depending on their situation.

In this first return, Saturn indicates a greater view of our limits and potential. It's as if, until you reach this age you were just planning, trying to make something of your life. From then on you start to have more responsibility, your sense of obligation is sharpened, and you start to make your plans come true.

At this age it is common for questions to arise about what you have or haven't done so far, whether you have reached your initial goals, and what you really want from now on.

You feel that you have reached the first "checkpoint", the first deadline for doing what has to be done. You no longer want to live only in attempts and dreams, but you want to run after your goals and achieve them. Let's also remember that the first signs of aging begin to appear at this time.

After you reach this level of consciousness, you tend to want to better utilize your abilities to achieve what you want. And what you want can be very much related to your Rising.

Since your core values, which come from your Sun Sign, will remain the same. However, you will mature and blend your Rising into it. Thus, the chances of using your abilities and virtues to conquer your goals and desires increase.

There is no age to evolve

After the age of 30, we live more easily and naturally, without caring much for the opinion of others, or how we act, Making the focus to be ourselves and to feel more supported. For this, using the roles or images of the position of the Rising can give us important clues.

It is usually after this age that we gain the awareness to look for what we really want, and to face the fact that in the end, the responsibility is only ours.

There is a certain exhaustion in keeping ourselves automated, and so we can get tired of the roles, of the fantasies and we find out that by playing roles, we could achieve the famous internal well-being..

Perhaps it would be deeper to say that this becomes clearer when the person really matures and their consciousness evolves in the direction of the self, something that can happen at any age - or never at all.

Nobody is obligated to grow or learn more about themselves. We are all in control of our personal growth and development.

There are mature, conscious, and balanced people of all ages, but there are also those who never get there. What we can say is: as a person evolves, the tendency is to be more and more aware of the potential of their Rising signs.

When people mature they can become aware of their own complexity, of the evolving voices within themselves, and their entire body, of what the dream functions are, the internal and external reality, traumas and internal potentials, able to regulate themselves, be aware and direct their opportunities, relating more fluently in terms of life with themselves and the environments in which they interact.

To be mature does not necessarily mean to be responsible, to abide by the rules of respect for every form of social order, which places fear as a form of guide, rules of social behavior, predictable, always putting problems before pleasure. This model relates more to the "Social Adult", (parents, mayors, governors) or any leaders who desire control over their care. (Freud called this the Superego)

A person can have a lot of responsibility, a sense of order, and yet know how to recognize when he needs to transgress, impose himself, or change. In other words, he doesn't lose his spontaneity, even though he sees and identifies with values of preservation, maintenance, and order.

Same Rising and Sun Sign

If your Rising is the same as your Sun Sign, you probably do not need to develop this characteristic, but rather apply it. The spontaneous self and first impressions don't seem to be very different, and therefore the path to creativity and naturalness becomes easier.

You are what you are, so it is much easier to manifest your characteristics within your personality structure.

The stars that are close to the Rising also indicate tendencies for our personality. In this case, the star can indicate even the most relevant characteristic of our personality, or it can overshadow the Rising itself. For example:

• Saturn very close to the Rising in Aries may indicate someone who is more prudent and even fearful, rather than being traditionally impulsive and impetuous.
• Jupiter very close to the Rising in Virgo indicates someone who, instead of being more reserved and methodical, can become more enthusiastic and optimistic. Someone who previously had a simple demeanor and did everything in a more careful and detailed way, can suddenly become extroverted and take more pleasure in adventure.

 

This effect was demonstrated in the statistical studies of Gauquelin (La cosmopsicologie - Gauqelin, M.).

That is, any planets in conjunction or making other aspects with the Rising will interact in its expression. And this obviously goes for any other planet in the chart. If your Sun is in Aries but Saturn is making a dissonant aspect to it, such as a square or opposition, it will be more difficult to identify with many characteristics associated with Aries.

We should also take into consideration the planet ruling the Rising sign, because its position adds interesting information.

 

For Example: a person with Rising in Gemini, which is ruled by Mercury.

• If Mercury is in Taurus, the person, who was less conservative and more carefree, can become a little like a Taurus, becoming more moderate, sensible and concerned about material things.
• If Mercury were in Aquarius, there could be an increase in communication skills and speed of thought, since it is an Air sign, more aligned with Gemini.
• In Cancer, communication would be increased through imagination and feeling, characteristics that are part of the first sign of Water.

In astrology, we should always understand that it is a set of characteristics (signs, signals, indicators) that determine the interpretative synthesis, and never an isolated position.

Therefore, when we talk about the Rising, we should always consider the following.

• The Rising sign itself;
• The nearby stars (approximately 10 degrees before and 10 degrees after);
• The stars that govern this sign, taking into account the sign and house in which it is positioned;
• The aspects that interact with this position.

Meaning of the Rising in each sign

Aries - It is the characteristic of independence that moves life forward. Key words like leadership, individuality, self-knowledge, self-direction, pioneering, along with the will to move forward and start things tend to gain more consistency. The individual tends to become increasingly restless and restless to accomplish and conquer. A greater desire for liberation and freedom can also arise.

Taurus - More practicality. The person can do things in a more grounded way, get their hands dirty more consistently, be more in touch with the material world, be calmer, and manage their life according to the abilities of the more fixed nature of this sign.

Gemini - Greater communication and interaction. There can be a desire to read more, educate yourself more, make more friends, travel, and accumulate varied experiences. This is Mutable Air at work.

Cancer - More emotional experiences and greater pride in your origins. It can be more difficult to move away from the family center, and there is a stronger desire to care for those around you.

Leo: The value of image gains more attention. The characteristic of Fire in a Fixed quality in astrology indicates awareness of the leadership aspects you possess and the importance that images can have.

Virgo - Vocation for work. You can be a person of habit and routine, consolidating the Virgo precision.

Libra - More diplomacy, greater negotiating power, greater sales influence (of products or ideas). You may want to put your inherent qualities of harmony into practice, seeking to balance and help those around you.

Scorpio - Personal power. It is a sign of Fixed Water that gives a sense of reliability and control.

Sagittarius: Advances in research and knowledge. The academic path gains more power, higher education, master's degrees, doctorates, professorships, learning, teaching and lecturing, the scientific or philosophical push. A more relaxed nature can also manifest.

Capricorn: Responsibilities are highlighted. A curiosity that can be common to those who have this Rising is to go through some problems at the beginning of the path. This forces the person to develop more responsibility early in childhood or adolescence.

Aquarius - More flexibility without blind beliefs or rules. Can work with more exotic and different things in an easier way, escaping from the idea of a reality full of rules.

Pisces - Empathy and a greater spiritual search. Empathy, sensitivity, and emotions are amplified, and there can be more attunement with the higher astral world.

To evolve is also to ascend

As we have seen, for the Rising to play an increasingly relevant role in our lives, we must mature and evolve. When we become more aware of who we are, what we want, and the world around us, we can embrace its influences and channel its potentials to help us on our way.

The Rising is one of several key pieces to our development along this journey.

After all, evolving (for those who intend to) is nothing more than ascending!

More about Rising in Signs