Your Big 3 in Astrology

Is my Astrology Sign the same as my Sun Sign?

If someone asked you what your astrological sign was, you may only be thinking of your sun sign. Sun sign can also be referred to as one's star sign as well.

I was born in early January when the sun was in Capricorn therefore my sun sign is in Capricorn. I used to think that was it and although I was always drawn to the art of astrology, I never did fully resonate with my sun sign of Capricorn.

I would think to myself ‘I don’t really feel like a Capricorn!'

All of this changed when I did a birth chart calculator and learned more about the pieces of the astrology puzzle.

Astrology is a HUGE topic of study and it can difficult to break it down and simplify it. However, I do feel it's important to have a little background information in case this is new for you.

Here's a brief Astrology 101…

Astrology is the study of positions of planets and celestial bodies that have been interpreted as having an influence on the natural world and human life. It’s a snapshot of the heavens at the moment of your birth. The positions of the planets are said to affect your personality, interests, strengths and weaknesses. I feel it’s a very holistic way of looking at and interpreting the universe.

Your birth chart is composed of 12 sections or 2 sets of 6. These are referred to as houses. Each section represents a sign plus one of the following- sun, moon, a planet or node.

Okay so now we’ve got the basics down

What are your Big 3 astrological signs and what do they represent and mean for you?

Sun Sign

Your sun sign is the sign that the sun was in on the day you were born. Sun signs change approximately every 30 days or once a month. Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces, and so on until the wheel starts over again. This is the sign you are likely the most familiar with. Your sun sign is thought to represent your life’s purpose and the role you were born to play. Each sign is associated with certain personality characteristics, traits and aspects and these can be thought of as guidance that will allow you to embody the most authentic version of YOU.

As I mentioned above, I never truly resonated with the characteristics associated with my sun sign in Capricorn. Some will see themselves very clearly in their sun sign. Like my husband for instance, who is a tried and true Capricorn based on the personality traits associated with that sign. I never did and now I feel that is because I have a tendency to fall back into my ‘default’ comfort zone of my moon sign.

Moon Sign

Your moon sign is the sign that the moon was in on the day you were born. The moon changes signs every 2-2.5 days so you don’t necessarily require your exact birth time to figure out your what sign the moon was in on your birthday. I referred to my moon sign as my default comfort zone - what do I mean by that?

Your moon sign represents the characteristics or personality traits that can paint a picture of your inner world. Your emotions, your private self and what lies beneath the goal driven sun sign.

Discovering that my moon sign was in Libra validated my whole life for me! Of course, I resonated with Libra’s sense of justice, harmony and peace. Libra’s are thought to be friendly, giving, and love connection. They love beauty and comfort. Well, huh! That certainly makes a lot of sense! Learning this validated my need for calm, peace and tendency towards being a conflict avoidant, people pleasing, trouble with boundaries me. Let me clear, not all Libra’s will fit into that mold but I certainly did! Your moon sign can heavily influence your relationships and how you feel about things. It’s pretty deep!

I’ve read that our moon sign can feel like your comfort zone (sure does for me!) and while that’s a comfy place to be, it’s not necessarily always going to lead to the most soul growth and evolution.

Rising Sign

Now let’s talk about the final member of your big 3 - Your rising sign. Your rising sign, also known as your ascendant, is the zodiac sign that was on the horizon at the moment you were born. The rising sign changes positions every few hours and this is why a birth time, as close to accurate as possible, is needed. I do not have my exact birth time down to the minute but I have a 15 min window so I feel pretty confident in my result. Your rising sign can be described as your social personality. The way others see you and maybe even the energy that other people pick up on when they first meet you.

An analogy that I like to use when thinking about the big 3 is:

Your lifetime is a long journey across the sea. Your sun sign represents the destination of your lifetime. What you came here to become. A map of where to go. Your moon sign represents the environment- is the ocean stormy or is it calm? How can we best adjust our sails to the ever changing sea? What skills do we innately have that will best serve us on this journey and can we use them to our advantage or do we allow them to cause us to sink. Your rising sign is the vehicle you’re in. Maybe it's a shiny speedboat. Maybe it's a pirate ship. Maybe its a submarine! Whatever vehicle you’re in, you’re the captain. You steer the ship. The traits associated with your rising sign will help you best get to the destination.

Your birth chart is a very specific and personalized snapshot of you! No two people are alike even if they share the same big 3. This is because not only are there 12 astrological signs, there are planets, celestial bodies and 12 houses! The possible combinations are staggering.

Astrology is such a huge area of study and one that I’m so interested in.

Do you know what your big 3 astrological signs are?

What surprised you most when you learned more about your birth chart?

Amy - Capricorn sun, Libra moon, Virgo rising.