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Your Big 3 in Astrology: The Ultimate Guide

Your Big 3 in astrology consists of your Sun, Moon, and Ascendant. The placement and condition of these 3 make up the foundation of who you are and many believe them to be the most important factors when reading your chart.


What are your 3 key placements in your natal chart and how do they shape your life? Keep reading to learn all about it!

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

  • Your Big 3 are considered to be 3 vital placements in your chart.
  • The Sun, Moon, and Ascendant make up your Big 3.
  • Together, these make up your core, emotional landscape, and outward persona.
Three people hugging and smiling and words that read "big 3 in astrology"

What are your Big 3?

In your natal chart, the placements of your Sun, Moon, and Ascendant are referred to as your Big 3.

This group is a great starting point when learning astrology.

These are vital for understanding what lights your fire, what triggers you, your general mood, and how you present yourself to the world.

Your Sun details how you identify yourself, your Moon represents how you process and react to emotions, and your Ascendant symbolizes how you see the world and how others see you in return.

You can think of your Big 3 as the three main building blocks of your personality upon which all the other details of your life experience will be built.

Learn about your Big 3 Zodiac signs, and take a big leap forward in your birth chart reading!

But before you go further, we created a Big 3 Cheat Sheet, emailed to you FREE when you sign up below!

1. Your Sun

a sun over mountains, the sun is one of the big 3 in astrology

The core of who you are and your “identity,” your Sun is the planet that most sets the tone for your chart.

Your Sun sign represents a style that you may really resonate with and a set of motivations that drive you.

Whatever house your Sun sits in will offer clues about what areas of life may be significant in your life.

The Zodiac sign and house of your Sun may point you to a way of living or being that really lights you up and makes you feel fulfilled and full of purpose.

2. Your Moon

a photo of the moon, the moon is one of the big 3 in astrology

Your emotional landscape and mood are described by the placement of your Moon.

Your Moon sign may show the manner in which you deal with emotions and what may trigger you.

Whichever house your Moon resides in can show you what parts of life may play a big role in your sense of inner well-being.

When it comes to the placement of your Moon, its sign and house are the keys to understanding how you process feelings and also your sense of happiness.

3. Your Ascendant

a sunrise, the ascendant, or rising sign, is one of the big 3 in astrology

The version of yourself that you use when interacting with the outside world is described by the cusp of your 1st House, otherwise known as your Ascendant.

Ascendant signs have their own name, rising signs.

Traits of your rising sign may also describe the way others see you and also “flavor” how you see life.

Any planets that sit in your 1st House will also play a role in this “mask you wear,” as will the placement of your rising sign’s ruling planet, your chart ruler.

How do I find my Big 3?

For many astrologers, the Big 3 placements are the first place they look when doing a chart reading.

Find yours and take a huge step toward decoding your natal chart!

Finding your Sun

On your birth chart, your Sun is going to be the symbol that looks like this ☉.

a natal chart from astro.com with the sun in Sagittarius in the 6th house indicated, helping to answer the question, how do I find my big 3

In the example chart above, you can see the symbol circled. It sits in the sign of Sagittarius and the 6th House. For this person, they could say that they are a Sagittarius Sun in the 6th House.

Finding your Moon

The Moon symbol is easy to remember because in astrology it looks like this ☽.

a natal chart from astro.com with the moon in Taurus in the 11th house indicated. helping to answer the question, how do I find my big 3

In the chart above, you can see the Moon symbol, ☽, circled, and that it is in the sign of Taurus and in the 11th House.

Finding your Ascendant and rising sign

The final piece of the puzzle when finding your Big 3 lies with your Ascendant, shown on the natal chart as AC or AS.

The Ascendant looks like a line and it marks the beginning of your 1st House and you can find it positioned cutting through the center of your chart on the left side.

You can see in the example chart above that the sign of their Ascendant, their rising sign, is Cancer.

Remember to snag your Big 3 Cheat Sheet, emailed to you FREE when you sign up below!

What’s my Big 3?

The Big 3 in astrology are your Sun, Moon, and Ascendant. Together, they make up your ego, your emotions, and also the “mask” you wear, or your outward persona. These are 3 of the most important placements in a natal chart.

Other articles you may enjoy:
How to Read Degrees in a Natal Chart
Placements You Need to Know