Whether you’re new to astrology or are a seasoned astrologer who’s given hundreds of readings, we all tend to start by looking at the same three placements in a chart, otherwise known as the “Big 3”. These three placements really do illuminate the essence of a person, including the “avatar” or character they came to play in the outer world, their inner emotional world, and their method of navigating life on a day-to-day basis. If you stay tuned until the end, I’ll tell you about one more bonus placement, but for now, let’s start with these three! ; )

What are the Big 3?

Just as I said above, the Big 3 are arguably the three most important placements in any birth chart because they speak to the core essence of an individual. Together, they illuminate both the inner and outer worlds of a person, including who they are in the world (public) and who they are at home (private). These three shed light on numerous characteristics and inherent features of a person, whether they like to admit it or not.

So, what exactly are the Big 3? Ok, fine, I’ll tell you. The Big 3 are your Sun, your Moon, and your Rising Sign. The placement of these three points by sign, house, and aspect explain a great deal about you, which is why I hear so many “Oh my gosh, that’s so me!” exclamations during this part of a reading. Seriously, there have been times where we spend a full hour just talking about these three points because people feel so seen and want to explore them to the fullest extent possible!

Alright, let’s dive into each of these three to see what they can illuminate about an individual.

1) YOUR SUN

The Sun sign is often the first astrological placement that people learn about, and even folks who roll their eyes at astrology tend to know their Sun sign. In fact, if someone asks you, “Hey, what’s your sign?”, they’re actually referring to your Sun sign! Where was the Sun when you were born? Which “zodiac season” were you born under? 

The Sun stays in a single zodiac sign for ~30ish days so you share your Sun sign with any other person born in the same month(ish). For this reason, many people discount descriptions of their Sun sign as being too generic, but in my opinion, it’s far from it. You see, the Sun is the brightest luminary in the zodiac. It is the single planet that KEEPS US ALIVE just by existing at exactly the right distance from Earth. Every single planet, including the large yet humble Earth, orbits the Sun. As the center of our solar system, I argue that it holds a great lot of weight in our birth charts.

However, for those of you who do argue that descriptions of Sun signs are too generic, I hear you, and that’s exactly where the other two placements (and every other placement in your chart) come in…but for now, let’s stick to the Sun.

Here are some keywords and phrases to describe what your Sun placement tells you about yourself:

• Your character/avatar
• How and where you shine in life
• Life force
• Identity
• Expression
• The role you play
• Purpose
• Center
• Self actualization
• The present moment

As a general rule of thumb, you can imagine that your Sun sign is the “character” you came to play in life. Did you come to be a Type-A business-minded person, a peaceful gardening type, or a loud and competitive athlete? Your Sun is the core essence of who you are, almost as if every other placement in your birth chart revolves around your Sun!

2) YOUR MOON

The next most important placement in your chart is your Moon sign, which speaks more to your inner world, your emotional landscape, your instinctual nature, how you nurture and like to be nurtured, and what you need to feel satisfied and nourished in life. When sh*t hits the fan, your Moon sign comes to life…How do you react in stressful situations? What do you need and crave when everything in life feels like it’s falling apart? What makes you feel comfortable when all else fails? This is your Moon sign.

Whereas the Sun stays in one zodiac sign for ~30 days, the Moon stays in each zodiac sign for ~2.5 days. To keep it simple, you can think of it this way: the Moon cycles through all 12 zodiac signs one time in a month. That means that even other people born with the same Sun sign are more likely to NOT have the same Moon as you than they are to match you. That’s because ~27.5 days out of ~30 days in a month are ruled by Moon signs that aren’t yours. Okay, I hope that wasn’t confusing…My main point is that once you start combining your Sun sign AND Moon sign, your uniqueness really starts to shine.

Here are some keywords and phrases to describe what your Moon placement tells you about yourself:

• Your emotional nature
• What you need to feel nourished
• How you nurture and are nurtured
• Comfort
• Instinct
• Motivation
• Wants and needs
• The past

Just think of your Moon sign as what’s beneath the surface – your emotions, your wants, your cravings, your comfort, your instincts, etc.

3) YOUR RISING SIGN

Last but definitely not least is your Rising Sign, otherwise known as the filter through which you see and interact with the world. Your Rising Sign helps to clarify the “way that you play your Sun”. For example, a Type-A business-minded type could either come off as enthusiastic and passionate about what they do, or they could appear quiet and aloof. These “first impression” differences are often attributed to the Rising Sign placement. In fact, your Rising Sign also determines your physical body and appearance, which I find fascinating. For example, a Gemini Rising, who would be quite curious, distractible, and energetic by nature, would also appear curious. They tend to have a noticeable I’m-always-listening twinkle in their eye as well as long, lean limbs that they use to curiously explore the world. Your body, including many of your physical strengths and weaknesses, are determined by your Rising Sign.

Additionally, the Rising Sign is also the most sensitive and arguably the MOST IMPORTANT part of your chart. Let’s break down why that is. 

This placement is the most sensitive because it’s determined by the exact time of day (and location) at which you were born. The Rising Sign is the zodiac sign that was rising on the eastern horizon at the exact moment that you were born, lighting the path for your soul. Since Rising Signs tend to change every ~2 hours, every single moment makes a difference. In fact, a birth time that’s even a few minutes (or seconds!) off of the real birth time could entirely change your Rising Sign. That’s why it’s so sensitive.

Okay, but why is it arguably the most important placement in the chart? Simple. Your Rising Sign sets up your entire chart, creating the 4-part axis (AC, DC, IC, MC) that establishes the layout of your chart, and because of this, your Rising Sign determines the house placements of your entire chart. If you don’t know your birth time, then you don’t know the house placements of your chart, which play a huge role in the interpretation and manifestation of a birth chart. If you don’t know what houses are, please read my blog post about it here!

Here are some keywords and phrases to describe what your Rising Sign placement tells you about yourself:

• Your physical body and appearance
• Your way of interacting with the world
• How you come off during first impressions
• The filter/lens through which you see and interpret the world
• The way you “play your Sun”
• The future

To finish up the Rising Sign here, I’d like to share with you a beautiful and poetic way of looking at this placement. When you were born, your Rising Sign was located in the place where the Sky meets the Earth and therefore the place where your soul entered your body. It metaphorically lit the way for you potentially before the light of the Sun or the Moon ever poured in through the windows, becoming like breadcrumbs for your soul to follow throughout this lifetime. In fact, I like to believe that we choose our own charts and the reason we choose any particular Rising Sign is to serve as the compass that we need in that life to magnetize us to the right opportunities, skills, interests, and people. Your Rising Sign is how you met, greeted, and perceived the world and how it met, greeted, and perceived you right back!

Ok, now tell me about this bonus placement!

Okay okay, since you stayed with me to this point, I’ll fill you in on one more astro secret…something known as the Chart Ruler. 

While the Big 3 set up the foundation of who you came here to be, your Chart Ruler gives way more information about what you’ll do with this foundation and the general direction you’ll take in life. The placement of your chart ruler says a lot about your motivation and purpose in life, so it’s a placement I make sure to cover in every single reading that I give! There is a lot I could say about your Chart Ruler, but since I’ve already written a blog post about it, you can check that out here.

To sum it all up…

The SUN is the character or avatar you came here to play. It’s how you like to shine your unique light.

The MOON is your instinctual nature and emotional world. You’re most comfortable and happy when attuned to your Moon.

The RISING SIGN is the way that you interact with the world, or better yet, the “way you play your Sun”. Your Rising Sign lends you a unique filter and lens through which you see the world and also shapes your physical body and appearance.

Alrighty, my friends.

I hope this was helpful and can serve as an easy refresher on the Big 3 whenever you feel that you need it!

Interested in booking a session with me to dive into YOUR Big 3? Book here!

P.S. Did you know that there are many more planets to look at in a birth chart outside of your Sun, Moon, and Rising Signs?? Check them out in my blog post here.