What is Your Rising Sign?

You’ve heard of a wolf in sheep’s clothing? Discard the story behind that image and let’s just imagine a wolf that looks like a sheep. In astrology, we would say that his Sun Sign is that of the Wolf and that his Rising Sign is that of the Sheep. No, Wolf and Sheep are not real zodiac signs. I am just using them to illustrate a point. Astrologically speaking, this is not a case of the wolf trying to deceive us. He simply has been born with sheep’s clothing and that is initially how people see him. It takes a while to get to know him and realize that he actually is a wolf deep down inside. In the same way that the inner yolk is very different from the outer shell, they are both part of what makes up the nature of the egg. Such is the dynamic with Sun Signs and Rising Signs.

Certain zodiac signs are more compatible with others. That is just the way it is. So if you have a Rising Sign and a Sun Sign that are compatible, you probably come across as a rather consistent person. If you have an aggressive warrior like inner self and your outer presentation is of an entrepreneurial enterprising person, then people will see you as simply success-oriented. The two types flow easily together. If your inner self is an intellectual humanitarian and your outer self is talkative and curious, people will simply see you as a very social brainiac.

There are also combinations that clash and can cause people to have a hard time figuring us out. If your inner self is a deep thinking and reflective type but your outer self is a light and chatty social type, people will not realize the depth of your intelligence and therefore they will be prone to treating you like an airhead. This can cause a lot of issues when the inner you and the outer you do not appear to blend. You may have a deeply loving and passionate inner self but a detached and aloof outer self. You will probably face many situations where people accuse you of not caring or of not being in love when you actually are very much in love.

There are also those folks who are exactly the same on the inside as they are on the outside. My youngest son is a great example. He is a Scorpio with a Scorpio Rising. What you see is what you get. There is no mystery or hidden aspects to who and what he is. I am reminded of Popeye the Sailor Man’s little jingle, “I am what I am and that’s all that I am!” Such is the life for those who are the same on the inside and out.

There are plenty of free places online where you can plug in your birth information and they will spit out a report identifying your Rising Sign. These reports also tell you where your Moon, Venus, Mars, and such are located too. Technically, the Rising Sign is called your Ascendant, but most people know it as the Rising Sign because it is the zodiac sign that was on the horizon at the time of your birth. In order for these horoscope programs to work though, it is very important that you have the correct time of birth. The time of birth is what determines your Rising Sign. If you guess wrong, then you are not likely to get an accurate portrayal of how you present yourself to the rest of the world.

Knowing your Rising Sign can be helpful. Once you know what your Rising Sign is, you can compare the traits of that sign with your main Sun Sign and you will have a better idea of how you come across to others. When reading your daily, weekly, and monthly astrology forecasts, you should also read the one for your Rising Sign. Combine both forecasts and you will have an even more accurate idea of what activities are being encouraged or discouraged at any given time.

When you are doing a compatibility comparison between yourself and someone else, it is a good idea to factor in the Rising Signs too. Let’s say that you both have compatible Sun Signs, but the two of you fight like cats and dogs anyway. By comparing Rising Signs, you may find the answer to the fights. You may be very compatible at a deep spiritual level, but completely incompatible when it comes to the day-to-day stuff of life. One of you may come across very loud, rude, and boisterous while the other one comes across as polite, prim, and proper. Even if the two of you are completely compatible in all other areas, your differences in how you present yourselves to the outside world can cause friction. On a more important level, one of you could have a Rising Sign that is prone to flirtations and even infidelity while the other has a Rising Sign that is extremely possessive and not able to handle such behaviors. It won’t matter if the Sun Signs are wonderfully compatible, because the Rising Signs are going to cause too much stress for the relationship to ever be an easy one. It is not a simple difference of preferences. When Rising Signs clash, people often feel like they have to be someone other than their real selves in order to get along. Nobody likes to feel like they have to censor themselves all of the time in order to keep from upsetting their spouse.

Let’s say you have a man and woman who want to compare charts to see if they might be compatible. First, compare the basic Sun Signs. If those clash, then you probably will never get along on the deepest levels. Second, compare the Rising Signs. If those clash, then you could have a lot of bickering. Third, compare his Sun Sign with her Rising Sign and her Sun Sign with his Rising Sign. If more than half of the comparisons appear to be compatible, then you should have an easier time than most couples. If less than half of the combinations appear compatible, then prepare yourself for a bumpy road ahead of you. You can compare siblings, friends, lovers, or even boss and employer type relationships using this method.

Sometimes knowing someone’s Rising Sign clashes with their Sun Sign helps us to realize that they do not mean to come across as such a confusing contradiction. Not all wolves in sheep’s clothing are intentionally deceitful. Some sheep just have the spirit of a wolf deep down inside of them.

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