Last Updated on May 21, 2026 by Ishilta

Also published in thedailyaah.substack.com

Growing up, I was told that I was a Libra. At least, that’s what the horoscopes based on my birthdate said. Libras are said to be diplomatic, refined, collaborative, socially graceful, and peace-loving.

The problem was that I experienced myself as almost the complete opposite. I was impulsive, quick to act without thinking things through, temperamental, and at times even combative. I didn’t like being told what to do and generally preferred doing things my own way.

Not very Libran, is it?

So just imagine the confusion I went through trying to play the part of a Libra Sun. No matter how hard I tried, I never fully acted like it. I felt like a walking contradiction.

Little did I know that many years later, I would discover Hellenistic astrology and learn that there is far more to astrology than Sun signs. There is also what astrologers call the Rising sign, and I am, in fact, an Aries Rising. That discovery changed everything for me because now my actions finally made sense.

It also taught me how limited Sun sign astrology can be when used to define an entire person. While the Sun represents our core nature, the Rising sign often reflects the personality we project outwardly. It is the instinctive self that meets the world before the deeper layers of who we are have fully emerged.

 

The Problem With Sun Signs

So how did astrology become almost entirely synonymous with Sun signs?

The answer lies partly in history. Astrology was once regarded as a legitimate academic discipline studied alongside astronomy, mathematics, and philosophy. But over time, particularly after the 17th century, its influence declined and slowly drifted toward the fringes.

By the twentieth century, revival efforts sought to make astrology accessible again to the general public. One of the easiest ways to do that was through Sun sign astrology. Unlike a full natal chart, which requires precise birth information and complex calculations, a Sun sign can be determined from a birthdate alone. That made it ideal for newspapers, magazines, and generalized horoscopes written for mass audiences.

I believe the works of the late astrologer Linda Goodman were especially instrumental in popularizing this movement. My understanding is that Sun sign astrology was originally intended merely as an introduction to deeper astrological study. Somehow, however, it became absorbed into popular culture and mistaken by many as the entirety of astrology itself.

 

The Rising Sign

The Rising sign is simply the zodiac sign ascending on the eastern horizon at the exact moment of birth. It changes roughly every two hours and differs depending on location and birth time. In my case, I am an Aries Rising.

While the Sun sign is important, the Rising sign is deeply personal because it establishes the entire structure of the natal chart. Also known as the Ascendant, it determines the first house, which is associated with the physical body, appearance, impulses, selfhood, motivation, and approach to life. In other words, the Rising sign shapes how the rest of the chart expresses itself.

Without it, I may know that I have my Sun in Libra, but I would never know where that Sun actually lands in my chart. A Libra Sun in the first house, for example, expresses itself very differently from a Libra Sun in the seventh house.

But beyond the technical explanations, what mattered most to me was recognition. For the first time in my life, I felt seen by astrology instead of confused by it.

 

Forever Young

Aries, being the first sign of the zodiac, is traditionally associated with youthfulness. Have you ever met someone years later who looked like they hadn’t aged at all? That’s often how Aries Rising people are described.

I cannot tell you how many times people have mistaken me for someone much younger than I actually am. For the longest time, I assumed it was simply because of my small frame. But then I reached my 30s and people still thought I was a teenager. Even now, some people still react with disbelief when I reveal my age during our first encounter.

One time, I went to see Fifty Shades of Grey at a local cinema, and the ticket attendant asked for my ID. What made the situation even more ridiculous was that I was already in my 30s at the time. I couldn’t decide whether to take it as an insult or a compliment. Since then, I’ve made it a habit to carry an ID bearing my birthdate in case something like that happens again.

But Aries is not just about appearing physically young. It is also about having a youthful disposition toward life itself. I don’t really feel old until someone asks about my age for whatever reason. Sometimes I even forget how old I actually am. In my head and heart, I’m still the same person I was twenty years ago. The only difference now is that I make my own decisions and manage my own life. But nothing has really changed, if you know what I mean.

 

Impulsive Nature

Just as Aries represents the quickening and impulse of new life associated with the spring season, Aries people are known for their desire to experience life quickly, which often translates into impatience. For most of my younger years, I felt like an adult trapped inside a child’s body, impatient to grow up.

While the adults around me stopped counting their age, I secretly rounded up mine just to be one year older. I equated wisdom and credibility with age, so adding another year felt like gaining an ounce of authority and respect. Looking back now, I think part of me wanted to grow up faster because I often felt the people around me treated me like a child, which sometimes created friction with authority figures. Psychologically, prematurely aging myself may have been my way of leveling the playing field.

As I write this now, I’m beginning to understand why Saturn, the planet associated with patience, wisdom, and maturity, is traditionally considered weakened in Aries. Saturn likes to build slowly to ensure longevity, while Aries wants movement now. Saturn carries the wisdom that comes with time, while Aries wants mastery and recognition immediately.

During my college years, there came a point when I started feeling deeply restless with academic life. I genuinely loved studying, and it showed in my grades. In fact, I had been a consistent dean’s lister for years. But I was also deeply idealistic.

At one point, I became convinced that the real work was happening outside the university while I sat inside a classroom reading theories and abstract concepts. The world felt urgent to me. I felt like society was falling apart, and I wasn’t doing enough to help fix it. My studies slowly began to feel less like a path forward and more like something delaying my purpose.

So instead of grounding myself more deeply in my studies, I threw myself into my passions. Together with friends outside school, I co-founded a newsletter website for the pagan community I was actively involved in at the time. Using my organizing skills, I built a network of contributing writers and editors to help launch the project. For a while, it felt genuinely meaningful and exciting, almost like I had finally found the real work I had been searching for.

But eventually, it sidetracked me from my studies. Before that chapter of my life, I had been almost certain I would graduate with Latin honors. Then slowly, it no longer felt possible. I still graduated, but without the distinction I had hoped for. I became so depressed afterward that I didn’t even attend my own graduation ceremony.

In my impulsiveness, I lost sight of the goal I had been working toward for years.

The irony is that now I would give anything to slow time down. When I was younger, adulthood looked like some grand adventure waiting just beyond the horizon. I did not realize it also came with exhaustion, realism, and responsibilities heavy enough to dim even the brightest inner fire.

 

The Relentless Warrior

I’ve always known myself to have the temperament of a warrior. Not violent, but emotionally reactive whenever something I deeply care about is brought up. Most of the time, I’m actually fairly docile and easygoing. But once a certain line is crossed, something instinctive takes over almost immediately. I find myself raising my voice and springing into action as though I’m defending something sacred.

Just recently, one of my housemates casually repeated a piece of political misinformation during a conversation. It only took a few words to unleash the warrior in me. I immediately raised my voice and began firing back with everything I knew. Moments later, I caught myself having what I can only describe as an Aries moment, so I consciously toned myself down and moved on as though nothing had happened.

This pattern has repeated itself many times throughout my life. And because I didn’t fully understand where these emotional reactions were coming from, I often hated myself for them. I avoided debates. I avoided collaborations involving subjects I deeply cared about. Part of me feared awakening that inner warrior and becoming like Sekhmet, a fierce protector whose rage turns destructive.

Another way this warrior archetype manifests is through the relentless pursuit of a goal.

Years ago, I attended a free healing event organized by a friend I hadn’t seen in a long time. The event ended late, and she no longer had time to accommodate me. But I had arrived with a single goal in mind, and some stubborn part of me refused to leave without getting it done.

So I insisted she give me a quick healing session anyway, which she did. It was only afterward that I realized how demanding and abrasive I must have appeared. Instead of reconnecting warmly with an old friend, I had unknowingly created distance between us, something I still regret to this day.

 

Portal to Purpose

While my Libra Sun represents my destination, my Aries Rising represents the means through which I move toward it. My Aries Rising is the seed planted at birth, while my Libra Sun is the flowering stage waiting to unfold. It is the vehicle my soul chose before birth, knowing it would be the best instrument for the journey ahead.

No one is born fully realized. Like a seed that must first break open before it can bloom, we slowly grow into ourselves over time. Perhaps this is why many people resonate more strongly with their Rising sign earlier in life. It is the default orientation through which we first encounter the world before deeper parts of the self fully mature.

Looking back now, I can see that it was precisely my impulsive Aries nature that pushed me toward the experiences that shaped my life. Had I spent my entire life operating solely through the cautious, peace-seeking side of Libra, I might have become too accommodating, too hesitant, too concerned with keeping everyone happy. I might have missed opportunities simply because I was too busy weighing every possible consequence first.

Instead, my Aries Rising pushed me into unfamiliar territory. It taught me how to assert myself, take risks, and discover who I was as an individual. Ironically, it was only after learning how to stand firmly as my own person that I became capable of forming healthier and more balanced relationships with others, which is perhaps one of the deepest lessons of Libra. It would have been impossible for me to embody my Libra Sun had I not first learned to embrace my Aries Rising.

I can’t help but wonder if the very passionate nature I tried so hard to suppress was actually the thing leading me toward my deeper purpose. Maybe my idealism was never a flaw to begin with. Perhaps it is precisely through that idealism and passion that my Aries Rising initiates something new. Without that fire, nothing would begin, and there would be nothing for my Libra Sun to refine, harmonize, and bring into balance.

Although I am only in my early 40s, I am beginning to notice traces of my Libra Sun emerging more strongly within me. Lately, I find myself becoming more diplomatic, collaborative, and patient in ways I never was before. I no longer rush through decisions the way I once did, and I feel more open to working with others without constantly needing to defend or assert myself.

Still, there are moments when I miss the fiery Aries energy that once defined my youth. The adult version of me tends to overthink, overplan, and hesitate before acting. Whenever that happens, I remember the fire that once carried me fearlessly into unfamiliar territory before adulthood complicated everything.

That fire is still there, maybe quieter now, but still very much alive.

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How to Find Your Rising Sign

1.) Go to AstroSeek or AstroDienst

2.) Enter your date, exact time, and place of birth.

• • Your exact birth time is important because the Rising sign changes approximately every two hours.
  • You can usually find your birth time on your birth certificate or in a hospital-issued baby book.

3.) If you do not know your exact birth time, you can consult an astrologer who specializes in a technique called birth time rectification.

4.) Select the Western Tropical Zodiac and the Whole Sign House System.

5.) Your Rising sign, also known as the Ascendant, is the zodiac sign located in the 1st House of your natal chart.