Finding The Rising Sign

By far, the most personal component of any astrological chart is the Ascendant. This special point is calculated using the date, location and time of birth. Without a birth time the chart is less than 50% complete - and therefore 50% less accurate when it comes to personality analysis and forecasting. The Ascendant is the actual degree of the sign which was rising on the Eastern Horizon at the moment of birth. It marks the starting point of the entire chart, delineates the sectors (house cusps) and pinpoints the sign and degree of the Moon. So, when there is no birth time available, or a person has no clue about exactly when they were born, it makes the astrologer's work very difficult.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if there was some secret mathematical formula astrologers could use to figure out the Ascendant when there is no birth time? Yes, it would. Unfortunately, despite years of research by many astrologers, myself included, the 'timeless' Ascendant remains out of reach. However, just to be able to discover the Rising Sign itself would be helpful. This is where a very old method called Pre-Natal Lunar Epoch comes in. It's based on the fact that an average pregnancy lasts for 10 Lunar months. This period is 40 weeks - or 280 days. If you know the date on which you were due to be born - not the actual day you popped out - go back 280 days from the due date and check to see which sign the Moon was in. That Moon sign, the sign opposite, or the sign on either side of those two signs, will indicate your potential natal Rising Sign. 

The method of Pre-Natal Lunar Epoch is the most - and probably the only - reasonably accurate system available to ascertain a possible Rising Sign. It's a statistical fact that the majority of babies are not born on their due date and unfortunately, people who don't know what time they were born also often don't know their due date either. This is a major drawback when using this particular technique. However, just being able to narrow down the potential list of rising signs from 12 to six must surely be an advantage. 

If you decide to try out this method, please remember that the six signs you end up with are your possible rising signs. One of them will be that sign and it's up to you to assess yourself honestly before you attempt to decipher which one it is most likely to be. If you ever discover your actual time of birth and are able to calculate your rising sign for real, you might be very surprised. I've encountered this many times when I tell people which sign their Ascendant is in. "No, it can't be!" is a common reaction. I experienced that reaction myself as a student when I first calculated my own birth chart. There I was, Miss Aquarius Sun and Moon - then suddenly I found out my rising sign was Capricorn. "Capricorn?! Nooooooo! It can't be!"  But it is. The interesting thing is that the older you get, the more you become like your rising sign, so if it doesn't seem to make sense now, just wait.....