I appreciated finding this article about how to get more from reading your horoscope. It got right to the point and didn't dwell on specifics. It's not easy to explain these nuanced astrological concepts to the masses but this was well done. The article talks about the importance of your rising sign. "Why You Should Actually Use Your Rising Sign To Read Your Horoscope", Well + Good, Mary Grace Garis. 

I was also pleased to see Mackenzie Greer referenced as the astrological expert. I have followed her on social media for a couple years and I appreciate her work. Check out her website: Mack and the Zodiac

In astrology, the Sun represents identity and self-concept. Our birthdays represent the completion of a solar orbit. The Sun takes one year to return to the same zodiac sign and degree in the sky. This is probably why we focus on the Sun in mainstream astrology. It's the most obvious celestial indicator that represents ourselves, but our solar system consists of many other important celestial bodies and calculations as well. 

The metaphorical "snapshot" of the sky at your time and location of birth shows the placements of each planet in our solar system when you were born. This is called your birth chart aka the natal chart. I believe the natal chart is similar to a map of our "spiritual biology" or what makes us tick. In the astrological community, we identify ourselves with the "big three" or "S/M/R"- the Sun, Moon and rising signs. If you don't know your big three yet, use Astro.com or Astro-Seek to find out.

Besides the Sun, there is another major and more specific indicator of the self in your birth chart: the rising sign aka the "ascendant". The rising sign indicates which sign was rising on the eastern horizon at the time and location of your birth. To imagine the concept of the eastern horizon think of the old phrase "rising in the east”.

To know your ascendant requires your exact time of birth- not an estimation. Sometimes a difference of minutes can drastically change the rising sign. Additionally, many birth times are rounded or remembered incorrectly. It's best to reference your birth certificate or any birth footage with time stamps.

What if you don't know your birth time or think it's incorrect? There's something called rectification in astrology that can help with this. To learn more about rectification, reference The Astrology Podcast, Rectification & How to Read a Natal Chart With No Birth Time. 

Once we determine our rising sign we can begin to read our horoscopes from a refreshed perspective. As Mackenzie mentioned in the article, the rising sign is way more specific to your life because it is used to determine the houses or "areas of life" in your natal chart. It helps explain things from our perspective.

So next time you're reading your horoscope, try looking at your rising sign instead. I personally look at both my rising and Sun sign! Sometimes, the combination of both just helps to add more specificity or context.