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What does it really mean to live the good life? For decades, mental health research has zeroed in on what goes wrong—studying disorders, diagnoses, and treatments. But for Luke Kalb (PhD ’17, MHS ’08), an associate professor of Mental Health at the Bloomberg School of Public Health, there’s more to the story. His research pushes beyond managing illness and explores what helps people flourish. Instead of only asking how to fix mental distress, he’s asking what builds a life worth living for the majority of people who aren’t in crisis. Kalb's work focuses on an often-overlooked area of public health: positive mental well-being. “Roughly 20% of Americans will experience a psychiatric disorder in their lifetime,” he...
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What is My Ascendant? Discover Your Rising Sign Today!
Astrology goes beyond just your sun sign. One important part of your birth chart is the ascendant, also called your rising sign. But what is my ascendant exactly? It’s the zodiac sign that was rising on the eastern horizon when you were born. This sign plays a big role in how you appear to others and shapes the first impression you make.
What Is a Rising Sign?
Your rising sign, or ascendant, shows how you present yourself to the world. It’s one of the three main parts of your birth chart, along with your sun and moon signs.
Image by joycipher on freepik | Your rising sign shapes how your birth chart presents you to others.
While your sun sign reflects your core personality, your rising sign is more like a “mask” you wear in social settings. It affects how people see you, your behavior, and your overall style.
Why Is It Called the Rising Sign?
The rising sign got its name because it’s the zodiac sign that was rising at the time of your birth. According to astrologer Aniah, “The ascendant is the point where the sky and the eastern horizon meet. It moves through all 12 zodiac signs in 24 hours, making it unique to you.”
This means your rising sign is very personal, and even a small difference in your birth time can change it. That’s why it’s so specific to you and your life.
How to Find Your Sun, Moon, and Rising Sign
To answer the question what is my ascendant, you need three things: your birth date, birth time, and place of birth. With this information, you can use a tool like Astro.com or an app like Co-Star to create your birth chart.
Once you enter your details, you’ll see your sun, moon, and rising signs. These three signs together make up your astrological profile. Your sun sign shows who you are inside, the moon sign reveals your emotions, and the rising sign is all about how others see you. Your birth chart will never change since it’s based on fixed information from your birth.
What Does a Rising Sign Represent?
The rising sign plays a big role in how you act in social situations, how you look, and how you express yourself. According to Aniah, “The ascendant shapes your identity and self-expression. It also starts your birth chart, setting up all the other positions of planets.”
The rising sign sets the stage for the first house in your birth chart, which focuses on identity and how you present yourself to the world. That’s why the rising sign is so important—it’s the foundation of who you are in astrology.
How Does the Rising Sign Affect You?
Since the rising sign is all about how you present yourself, it influences your personal style and how you communicate. For example, someone with Leo rising may appear bold and confident, while a person with Pisces rising might seem more laid-back and dreamy.
Image by BillionPhotos on freepik | Your rising sign shapes how others see you.
Your rising sign also affects the first impression you make. While your sun sign shows your true self, your rising sign is what others first notice. For some people, their rising sign can feel just as important as their sun sign.
Key Takeaways
- What is my ascendant? It’s the zodiac sign rising on the eastern horizon when you were born.
- Your ascendant shows how you act in social settings and shapes first impressions.
- You can find your rising sign by entering your birth details into an astrology tool.
- The rising sign sets the tone for your identity and how you express yourself in the world.
- It plays a crucial role in your overall astrological chart, impacting many areas of your life.
Why It’s Helpful to Know Your Rising Sign
Knowing your rising sign can help you understand how you interact with others. It gives you insight into the face you show the world and how that might differ from your sun sign, which reflects your core self.
Understanding what is my ascendant adds depth to your knowledge of astrology and helps you approach life with more self-awareness.
