Sun versus Ascendant
When you read your horoscope, you're usually reading for your sun sign. The Sun is your deepest sense of self, your ego. The Ascendant, or rising sign, is how other people see you — your image, your look, the first impression you make.
How to find your Ascendant
The Ascendant is the sign that was rising on the eastern horizon at the exact minute you were born. That's why knowing your birth time to the minute matters so much. You can build your natal chart here to find your rising sign.
Why the synthesis matters
Real astrology doesn't sort people into twelve types. You are a complicated pattern of dozens of planets and aspects. The Sun, the Moon and the Ascendant together form the core of a personality.
