Once you are able to verify your to-the-minute time of arrival (check your birth certificate or text a parent), head over to your preferred astrology website or app (my recommendation is TimePassages, which has actually been around since the ’80s), to pull up your birth chart and discover your Rising Sign. Likewise, the Rising Sign is an extremely sensitive placement: The Ascendant changes zodiac signs every two hours, so in order to calculate your Rising Sign, you need to know your exact (not approximate) time of birth. Although the stars overhead may appear static to the naked eye, the scene overhead actually moves extremely rapidly. The Rising Sign refers to the zodiac sign that was rising (or ascending, hence why it’s also referred to as the “Ascendant”) in the eastern horizon when you were born. And that steady shape is dictated by none other than the Rising Sign. While the location of the planets will vary from person to person, the architecture of the birth chart - that is, a perfect 360-degree circle - is always the same. Perhaps I’m a bit (a lot) biased, but I find birth charts to be absolutely extraordinary they consolidate dozens upon dozens of data points, ultimately depicting the sky as a neat and orderly circle punctuated by various shapes and symbols (representing the planets and celestial bodies). Astrologers believe that birth charts can provide powerful insight on an individual’s personality, identity, motivation, along with opportunities, timing, and even the recurring themes experienced throughout a lifetime.

The snapshot of the sky at your exact moment of birth is referred to as your “birth chart” (or “natal chart”) and is calculated based on your precise date, time, and location of arrival.

That second you took your first breath, all the planets were arranged in a unique configuration. Let’s dive into one of the most popular, and most misunderstood, placements: the Rising Sign, otherwise known as your Ascendant. At the exact moment you were born, every planet, celestial body, and galactic coordinate occupied a zodiac sign - and each has a specific astrological significance. Photo-Illustration: by Preeti Kinha Photos: Getty Imagesīelieve it or not, we’re not just a single zodiac sign we’re the entire sky.

Zodiac star chart