Want To Know Your Rising Sign? Here's How To Find It + What It Means

Your rising sign, also known as your "ascendant," is the zodiac sign that was rising over the eastern horizon when you were born, according to the AstroTwins.

Where your sun sign relates to the position of the sun relative to the astrological year (i.e., Libra season or Taurus season), your rising sign relates to the position of the sun relative to the time of day. (The sun travels through each sign every day.)

Right off the bat—yes, you do need to know your exact time of birth to accurately determine your rising sign. According to the twins, the rising sign changes every two hours throughout the day, so even if you're only a few minutes off, there's a chance you could get the wrong information.

Once you know what time you were born, you input your birth date, birth time, and birth location into a chart calculator (such as the twins'), and your rising sign will be revealed.

Your rising sign reveals how you interact with the world, from your appearance to your attitude to the first impressions you make on others, the twins note. For example, a Capricorn sun with a Leo rising will likely exhibit Leo-like traits you wouldn't expect from typical Capricorn energy or even look more like a Leo.

As the twins explain, "The zodiac wheel begins with the first house, which represents where the sun was rising over the eastern horizon at your moment of birth and governs the self, the identity, and your first impression. The houses then move counterclockwise around the zodiacal wheel and ripple out to broader themes of family/home life, society, and beyond." (If you're looking at your birth chart, your rising sign will always be marked by a dark line at what would be 9:00 on a clock.)

Aries is the first sign of the astrological year and is a fire sign ruled by the planet Mars. Aries actually rules the first house to begin with, so having an Aries rising is like a double dose of Aries energy. This cardinal sign, symbolized by the ram, is known for being brash, passionate, energetic, and bold.

As an Aries rising, people likely see you as excitable, fun, brave, and even a bit reckless. You can even come off as intimidating or immature, as you may have somewhat of a "my-way-or-the-highway" attitude about you.

You can take a cue (or even partner up) with your opposite sign, Libra, to learn a thing or two about diplomacy and selflessness.

If you're a Taurus rising, you're naturally going to give off the earthy, grounded, laid-back energy of Taurus. This fixed earth sign, ruled by the planet Venus, is known for being sensual, strong, and potentially stubborn and is symbolized by the bull.

According to Christopher Renstrom, astrology expert and author of Rise and Shine: An Astrological Guide to How You Show Up in the World, "What you see is really what you get with Taurus risings." In other words, you're probably straightforward, to the point, and focused on practical results.

With Venus as your chart ruler, it's likely you may be very attractive to others, as well, with Taurus risings often having dark features and thick and/or curly hair. And that beauty translates to the things you like, whether it's interior design, food, clothing, or anything earthly and material. Overall, Taurus risings come off as solid and dependable.

Gemini is known to have the gift of gab, and Gemini risings are no exception. This mutable air sign ruled by Mercury loves to dissect, analyze, collect data, and share that information with others, so they can come off as very intelligent, knowledgeable, and even humorous, if not a bit loquacious.

As intuitive astrologer Lumi Pelinku previously told mindbodygreen, the main thing to understand about Gemini risings is that they're on a path of understanding the world around them. "They're meant to incarnate specifically with an emphasis on absorbing all forms of information," she explains, adding that they are masters of observation without bias.

This sign is also symbolized by the twins, representing Gemini's dual nature, which allows them to be adaptable and ever-changing, but this can sometimes come off as fickle, flighty, or two-faced to people who don't get it. You can spot a Gemini rising by their expressive, animated communication style, along with their face shape, which is typically elongated.

Cancer risings are very likely to be the ultimate homebodies, as a water sign ruled by the moon. These folks are very in touch with their emotions, so much so that they can get swept up in them.

In fact, with the moon as the chart ruler (and the moon cycling through the zodiac signs relatively quickly) a Cancer rising's mood is subject to change—and quickly.

A cardinal sign symbolized by the crab, Cancer risings often give off a very nurturing vibe. Some even say Cancer is the "mother sign" of the zodiac, and you may find this in their sensitive dispositions.

Leo is quite the showy sign to begin with, so a Leo rising will likely not be difficult to spot. A fixed fire sign ruled by the sun, Leo risings have a noble, dignified, and proud demeanor, holding themselves with much confidence and importance.

As you may have guessed, they have no problem being in the spotlight either—but they're also happy to share the spotlight with the people they love and admire most, and while they expect loyalty and respect, they'll give it back in return.

This sign is symbolized by the lion, after all—the king of the jungle! And that's exactly the kind of attitude you can expect from a Leo rising.

The other Mercury-ruled sign along with Gemini is Virgo, which is a mutable earth sign symbolized by the Virgin. In the same way that Virgo is associated with things like health, service, and precision, Virgo risings give off a very clean, refined, and elegant vibe.

To others, they might seem particularly organized and even critical—but it's always because Virgo energy just wants to make things the best they can be. Not everyone will appreciate a Virgo rising's eye for improvement, but you can be sure this placement only really wants to help. Their level of devotion is unmatched.

The other sign ruled by Venus, along with Taurus, is Libra. And just like Taurus risings, Libra risings are also known to be quite beautiful, thanks to their chart ruler. As a cardinal air sign symbolized by the scales, Libra risings prerogative is typically to keep the peace—balance the scales, if you will.

Libra risings are also known for being graceful, flirtatious, and even indecisive (thanks to all that air). People often find them charming, friendly, and easy to get along with, and just like Taurus, the Venusian energy of Libra makes Libra risings particularly tasteful in terms of their style, hair, décor, makeup, etc.

Your typical Scorpio rising will likely have an air of mystery to them, as a fixed water sign ruled by Pluto (the planet of death, sex, and the occult). Symbolized by the scorpion, this sign is known to keep its guard up, and you'll probably find that in a Scorpio rising.

While they can be difficult to open up, once they do, Scorpio risings are committed, loyal, and sensitive to others' emotions. They may come off as too intense to the wrong person; Meanwhile, others will be inexplicably attracted to their brooding energy.

"The nature of Pluto and its lessons for Scorpio risings is for them to constantly evolve themselves. They have to regenerate. They even go through like a series of 'mini deaths,' like they're a different person today than yesterday," Pelinku tells mindbodygreen, adding, "They go through such ups and downs with the ebbs of life. It paints their perception of what their reality is."

And if you want to spot one, look for dark features, a serious expression, and the telltale, piercing Scorpio stare.

If you're looking for a travel partner, look no further than a Sagittarius rising. This mutable fire sign ruled by Jupiter is best known for its sense of freedom, expansion, and adventure, and this energy comes across when interacting with Sag risings.

While they may not be the most tactful people you've ever met, you can at least trust they'll give it to you straight—and usually in a cheerful way. They're also sure to make you laugh and are almost always down to clown around.

If you want to spot a Capricorn rising, look for the person in the room working the hardest and wearing a practical outfit to match. This no-frills placement is a reflection of Capricorn energy, which is characterized by cardinal earth, symbolized by the sea goat, and ruled by Saturn, the planet of discipline, structure, and limitation.

While having a Capricorn rising isn't the easiest placement, it makes for an incredibly strong and solid person who likely comes off as responsible, mature, and intelligent. While they may push themselves (and potentially others) really hard on the road to success, it's because they know how to get there.

As Renstrom tells mindbodygreen, people with a Capricorn ascendant likely carry an air of natural authority without even necessarily knowing why. People look up to them and value their leadership and input.

And in terms of what they look like, Capricorn risings often have small but defined facial features, along with dark, straight hair.

Aquarius is easily the most "out-of-this-world" sign, embodying fixed air and ruled by Uranus, the planet of radical change, innovation, and revolution. As such, Aquarius risings are probably going to be the quirkiest people in the room, with a strong sense of individuality.

When you meet an Aquarius rising, they may seem a bit cold, aloof, and even neurotic on the surface, but crack them open a bit and you'll find they're actually deeply concerned with humanity, very intelligent, and simply revel in their uniqueness.

As astrologer and holistic psychiatrist Kayse Budd, M.D., tells mindbodygreen, Aquarius' fixed-air quality gives them a unique ability to take all their airy ideals and actually put them to work in real time, which the other air signs (Gemini and Libra) can often struggle with.

Along with having an eccentric sense of style, they're also known to have relatively larger foreheads and eyes.

Finally, we have Pisces risings, which are a dreamy, sweet, and soulful bunch. A water sign ruled by Neptune (the planet of dreams and psychic awareness but also illusion), Pisces risings are typically characterized as daydreamers who are emotional and potentially a bit naive.

This is a sign symbolized by fish, which notably have no protection (unlike Cancer's crab or Scorpio's scorpion), which is a good metaphor to explain the way Pisces risings swim in their emotional depths with no safety net. This makes them very compassionate, but sometimes too much compassion can leave them vulnerable.

As such, they need to watch out for naiveté or people who take advantage of their kindness—because everyone wants a piece of a Pisces risings' sweetness.