Once you’ve learned the ins and outs of your sun sign, it might be time to take a deeper look at the rest of your chart. The big six in astrology is, undoubtedly, the best way to get a juicer, well-rounded look at your personality. In astrology, the big six relate to the Ascendant, Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, and Mars signs. To learn about where these placements fall in your chart, it’s worth checking out your natal chart.

Ascendant or Rising sign

Your ascendant or rising sign isn’t technically a celestial body, rather the marker of the start of your natal chart. The rising sign is dictated by which sign was on the Eastern horizon when you were born. For this reason, it forms a huge part of your personality. The rising sign is all about how you are perceived and how you present yourself. An easy way to think of it is a mask you wear and what people immediately encounter when they first meet you. If your moon sign is about your inner world, your rising sign is all about the outer world. Sometimes people say “You don’t strike me as a Sagittarius” or “You don’t have Leo energy” and this is because strangers usually only have the rising sign impression. Overtime, as you feel comfortable, the deeper elements of your chart come into sight.

Sun sign

This is what is commonly referred to as your ‘star sign’ and will usually be the most familiar part of astrology. Think of your sun sign as your essence or your ego. Sun sign energy is very linked to how you identify yourself and where you feel most seen. For example, an Aquarius sun sign native may feel most rooted in themselves when they can freely express their uniqueness, and live life on their own terms with lots of mental stimulation. The sun sign placement ultimately speaks to how you want your signature energy to be acknowledged.

Moon sign

Completing the astrological “Big 3”, the moon sign is the cozy home base. Think of your moon sign as your inner world, your secret hideout or who you are to yourself. If the rising sign reveals your first impression energy, and your sun sign is who you want to be remembered as at your brightest, then your moon sign is who you are in your most vulnerable, intimate moments. As much as the moon lends to our emotional bodies, the same goes for astrology. Whichever sign your moon sign sits in will speak to your emotional safety needs and your caring and nurturing instincts. A Cancer moon sign is known for being extremely giving and as a water sign, it is intensified under the moon’s yielding, maternal energy.

Mercury sign

Mercury is the planet of communication and the mind. Your Mercury sign placement is the best way to know how you like to communicate and organize your thoughts. Mercury is one of the least emotional planets, instead, honing in on your logic, curiosity, and comprehension habits. As far as the big six in astrology goes, Mercury is a pretty pivotal planet to pay attention to for your written and verbal communication, as well as your handling of information. While a Capricorn Mercury native may be pretty abrupt and direct in their communication style, a Gemini Mercury native may be adept at navigating several communication styles and thoughts since Mercury rules over Gemini, as well as Virgo.

Mars sign

If you’re looking for a planet to explain your drive, relationship with anger, sex, and desire, then it will be Mars. Understanding your Mars sign will shed light on what motivates you to get what you want without backing down. This fiery planet is named after the God of War and so naturally, it speaks on how you deal with conflict and generally how you convert vital energy into passion. In astrology, the Mars placement is the most insightful for learning how you take action and approach new pursuits and challenges. While an Aries Mars may be naturally head-on and extremely impulsive (Mars rules Aries after all), Aquarius Mars is likely to express anger or determination silently, opting to reconcile things alone rather than speaking as thoughts come to their mind.

Venus sign

There is no doubt that the planet of love and desire speaks to your amorous temperament in your natal chart. Aside from that, your Venus sign can highlight exactly how you approach pleasure and money handling. Wherever Venus shows up in your chart, it will illuminate your boundaries and definitions of security when it comes to all forms of love. Venus forms part of the big six in astrology because, much like how Mars reveals how you handle challenges, Venus reveals how you deal with ease and harmony. It speaks to attachments, attractions, and approaches to unity. A Leo Venus, for example, may feel most romantic when exalted and exalting, treating self-love as a divine right, and finding romance in the small and extreme aspects of everyday things.

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