There’s more to you than just your Sun Sign

You probably already know if you are a Gemini, Leo or an Aries because most people know the zodiac sign that directly corresponds with their date of birth. But do you know that when referring to your zodiac sign in this way, you are only talking about the sign that the Sun was in on the day of your birth? And the truth is, there is much more to you and your horoscope.

Here’s how your horoscope works

In astrology, the Sun takes approximately one month to travel through each of the twelve zodiac signs, making an entire revolution around your horoscope. Your horoscope is a 360 degree wheel that is a snapshot of the heavens at your time of birth; assuming you are located in the centre of the circle, looking up at the heavens. Consider how unique your horoscope is, as this precise moment in time will never again be repeated. Ever!

What your Ascendant sign means to you

Your horoscope contains the Sun, Moon and all of the planets. Additionally, it contains mathematical points, including your Ascendant sign. Geographically, the Ascendant is the most Eastern location on the horizon, at your time of birth. The Ascendant is particularly sensitive to the time that you were born, as it moves through the horoscope wheel at a much faster rate than the Sun does. While the Sun takes one month to move through each sign of the zodiac, the Ascendant can move through an entire sign in only a couple of hours. So, if you were born at 2:00pm and had an Ascendant in Gemini, then had you have been born at 4:00pm, your Ascendant would change to Cancer. An entirely different sign in only a couple of hours! This is important because your Ascendant represents your childhood, personality, environment, how you are perceived by others as well as your physical body.

What does all this have to do with reading your horoscope?

When an astrologer is writing a Sun sign column, she interprets twelve horoscope charts; one for each zodiac sign. But the planets are not doing different things for each sign. Mars will move into Scorpio whether you are an Aries or a Leo! The difference lies with the twelve segments that divide a horoscope, known as the houses. The house that a planet triggers, can dramatically alter your predictions as they each represent a different area of your life. The Ascendant is the beginning of the first house. When an astrologer creates a forecast, she places the sign of the zodiac that she is interpreting at the Ascendant and the signs and houses will follow consecutively around the wheel of the horoscope, in an anti-clockwise direction. Therefore, reading the prediction for your Ascendant gives you a forecast from a horoscope that most closely resembles your own.

So, how can you find out what your Ascendant sign is?

Using a mathematical formula, an astrologer can calculate your horoscope using your birth data. Your Ascendant sign will show up on the first house cusp. Alternatively, many astrology websites will offer a free print out of your horoscope; otherwise known as your birth chart or natal chart.

Why you should read your Ascendant sign and not your Sun sign!

Reading the star sign column for your Ascendant sign, aligns more correctly with the planets and patterns in your own birth chart. Whilst the forecast for your Sun sign can provide some valuable insight and benefit, reading for your Ascendant sign has greater accuracy, resulting in a more unique and impressive prediction.

Natasha Weber