Ascendant

The Ascendant (also AC or rising sign) is one of the three most important elements in a birth chart — along with the Sun and Moon signs. If the Sun sign shows your core self ("I am"), and the Moon sign your inner feelings ("I feel"), the Ascendant describes "how I appear to the world".

To determine the Ascendant precisely you need your birth time accurate to the minute, plus your birth place. Even a ten-minute difference can change the Ascendant, especially if you were born near a sign boundary. Täherada birth chart calculator does this automatically.

The Ascendant rules the first house, which covers your physical appearance, style, and how others meet you for the first time. Many people feel more like "their Ascendant" than "their Sun sign" — this is completely normal.