The Big Three:
Sun, Moon and Ascendant
by Terri McCartney
Astrology Resources

This discussion focuses on the primary triad in your birthchart: the Sun, Moon, and Ascendant. Interpretation of the birthchart begins with these three because they support everything else.  You can think of this triad as forming the skeleton of character.  Mercury, mars, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto help to "fill in" the  specific details of character.    However, you will want to ignore these latter planets until you have grasped and synthesized the essence of character provided by the synthesis of the sun, moon and ascendant..  When synthesized, these three will supply the framework for the interpretation of the rest of the chart.

Astrology is an art, a science and a language.  Derived from the Greek roots astron (meaning star) and logos (word or speech) astrology  literally means "star language."  The language of astrology is made up of signs, houses, and planets.  Each of these three factors describe a specific dimension of experience.  The planets and angles of the birthchart (i.e. the ascendant) describe the WHAT or the different functions and aspects of our character.  The zodiac signs describe the HOW -- that is, how we attempt to achieve the goals defined by the nature of each of the planets.  The houses describe the WHERE or the stage or arena of life in which the planets develop and express themselves.

The Sun, Moon and Ascendant
The Sun and Moon and ascendant provide us with details concerning the question of WHAT. When we examine the placements of the Sun and Moon, we are looking for clues to the functions and aspects of character implied by the sign and house placement of the sun and moon.  We do similarly with the ascendant, which is not a planet but the most important angle of the birthchart.     The ascendant is the degree and sign rising at the time and location of birth.

The ascendant's WHAT is our expressed personality.  It is the mask we wear as we present ourselves to the social world.    A personality is a role we play and therefore, something that is less then what we are in our wholeness.  It is via the ascendant that we are able to find a comfortable expression of our sun, moon and other planets in our chart. 

The WHAT, or the function of character we are working with when we examine the sun, is our fundamental identity or integrity.    The sun in our charts is the gravitational center of our human personality.    It is our innate desire to be and to realize our human self and our creative principle..  The expression of our innate identity (described by our sun sign) is fundamental to our health, well-being and vitality.

When it is the moon we are considering, the WHAT is our soul.  It is our emotional nature and unconsciously acquired habits and instinctive reaction patterns.  The moon is the fastest moving body in our solar system; changing as it passes from sign to sign and from phase to phase.  It's function is to feel and respond.

Each of us has the sun, moon, and ascendant in one of the twelve zodiac signs and one of the twelve zodiac houses.  When we think of ourselves and others only in terms of sun signs,  we limit ourselves to a mere 12 categorizations of character!  If we add the moon sign, we extend the range of categories to include the 12 possible sun signs in combination with the 12 possible moon signs, and increase the possibilities to 144. The possibilities jump to 1,728 when the twelve potentials for the ascendant (or rising sign) are combined with the sun and moon combinations.  Throw in the house placements of the sun and moon and the number jumps to 248,832 possibilities!   And that is achieved by a mere scratching of the surface of the symbology of the birthchart, using only the prime triad of character!    (Next time you hear someone accuse astrology of "boxing" folks into twelve neat little categories, you can point out to them how truly unique each and every one of us really is!)

Sign Placements
The twelve signs are a combination of expressed energy that can be classified via their relationship to the  four elements and three modes.  You are likely familiar with the elements: fire, earth, air, and water.  I will discuss the elements more thoroughly in a moment, but I will begin with the classification of the signs via their modes.

The modes relate to the three phases or cycles of any life form: 1) birth, 2) continuity of existence and 3) transformation/death.    In the language of astrology, the birth phase or initiating phase is referred to as the cardinal mode, the continuity of existence or maintenance phase is referred to as the fixed mode and the transformative phase or changeable phase is referred to as the mutable mode.  Each sign of the zodiac is expressed through one of these three modal phases as well as one of the four elemental forces. 

Turning now to the elemental forces, what comes to your mind when you think of the element of fire?  Fire is an active and forceful energy.  The zodiac's fire signs, Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius then, are all representative of an energetic, passionate, self-directing and assertive character because they are all signs representing the fire element.  The earth signs, Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn, all demonstrate reliable, practical and sensual characteristics.  The air signs, Gemini, Libra and Aquarius endow one with a mental, communicative, and social character and the water signs, Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces represent emotional, sensitive, and  receptive traits.

This is, of course, a very simplified accounting of the modes and elements.  An entire book could be written on the subject (and has been)!  The important point is, your understanding of these elements as you've experienced them in everyday reality, will assist you in understanding their symbolical association to the twelve signs of the zodiac.

Following is a table listing the signs via their elemental and modal character.

 Sign           Mode    Elmnt  Description

Now, let's take our analysis of the signs a step further.  In addition to the traits engendered by placement in a particular mode and element, each  sign also demonstrates its own set of unique  character traits.  To keep things from getting too complex, it is helpful to think of the signs in terms of archetypes of character.  Following is a table of the Archetypes associated with each of the twelve signs, many borrowed from Steven Forrest as he outlines them in his book, The Inner Sky (which I highly recommend).

 Sign            Archetype

Now we have some archetypes for each of the signs in addition to having a sense of the modal and elemental classification of each sign.  What we are going to do now is use the modal and elemental classifications, along with the archetypes, to assist us in synthesizing the sun, moon and ascendant placements.

For example, I am a Capricorn sun, Pisces moon, and Virgo ascendant.  Sun and ascendant are both in earth signs, moon and ascendant are both mutable signs.  There is an emphasis then on the mutable mode (changeable or transforming), and the earth element.  In addition, there is representation of the water element by the moon's placement in Pisces and the cardinal mode by the sun's placement in Capricorn.  Let's put together a few sentences using the modes, elements and archetypes to describe my character.

My identity (sun) is the initiating (cardinal mode), reliable, practical and sensual (element of earth) Hermit or Emperor (Capricorn).  I have the soul (moon) of the changeable (mutable mode), receptive, feeling and intuitive (water element) Mystic or Poet (Pisces) wearing the mask (ascendant) of the changeable (mutable mode) reliable, practical, and sensual (earth element)    Analyst or Servant (Virgo).

Do the archetypes give you a vivid "sense" of the signs involved?  What about the elements and modes?  Let's take the analysis a step further.   How similar are the three signs? What do they have in common?  In what ways are they different?  What potential challenges and skills do these placements suggest?  The Cardinal sun (identity) is initiating and the soul (moon) and mask (ascendant) are changeable/transforming.  The fixed mode is lacking in the prime triad.   However, the sun and ascendant are in reliable and practical earth signs -- traits associated with the focus on "maintaining" that is associated with the fixed mode.  So we see that the element of earth shares some similarities with the fixed mode; and therefore, can be seen as a potential substitute for the "maintaining" energy that the fixed mode engenders.

Another way to approach the synthesis of the sun, moon and ascendant is to  turn our consideration to that of elemental compatibility.  The prime triad is made up of two earth signs and one water sign.    Water and earth are generally considered to be compatible elements.   Water nurtures the earth and earth absorbs water.  However, one challenge of this combination can be that more water is needed to nurture the earth.

Further, the foundation represented by the prime triad lacks the air and fire element.  This would be something you would want to mentally note, so that as you examined the rest of the chart, you would be looking for these elements to be emphasized in other ways..  This is how chart interpretation begins -- you work with this prime triad and build on their foundation.

Let's consider another example.  Let's assume someone with the identity (sun) of the initiating (cardinal mode) enthusiastic, energetic, and assertive (fire sign) Daredevil or Warrior (Aries), with the soul of the changeable (mutable element) communicative, social and mental (air element) Teacher or Writer (Gemini) is wearing the mask of the initiating (Cardinal),  receptive, feeling and intuitive (water sign),  Nurturer or Psychic (Cancer).  This person's identity (fire sign)  and soul  (air sign) are in compatible elements.  Air "fuels" fire and fire "heats" air.

However, this person's fiery identity and communicative soul are being expressed through a water sign mask (ascendant).    What happens when fire or air is mixed with water?  Water puts out fire and air evaporates water.  Hmmm.  But don't stop there.  What else comes to mind?  Play with the images.  Look for all the possibilities.  Consider both the strengths that can be derived from such a combination as well as the potential challenges.  Play around with the symbology.  Imagine meeting the Warrior (sun) wearing the mask of the Nurturer.  Or the Communicator (soul) wearing the mask of the Psychic and let your intuition play around with the endless possibilities! Each astrological symbol represents a spectrum of possibilities; each birthchart contains the roots of ten thousand personalities. An individual can respond to a birthchart in an unimaginative way, or vibrantly and creatively. His or her response can never be known in advance. There is no such thing as a good birthchart or a bad one. There are no evolved charts or unevolved ones, no sane ones, no schizophrenic ones. There is a universe of potential within us all. Steven Forrest 
I believe that the job of the astrologer when interpreting any chart  is to respond to the symbolism in an imaginative, creative and open manner; viewing the symbols as neutral traits while simultaneously keeping in mind both the challenges as well the the most positive and highest expression implied by the symbology. 

House Placements
The next step is to include the WHERE into our interpretation.  We have the WHAT (the sun, moon, and ascendant) and the HOW (the sign placement).  The next step is to consider WHERE -- the arena of life -- that the sun and moon invest much of their energy.    (The Ascendant's WHERE is always the first house, which itself is representative not only of the the personality but also of the physical body.)

Following is a table of the WHERE described by each of the twelve houses.

Returning to the example of my own chart, let's add the information that can be derived from the WHERE into what we've already learned about the WHAT and HOW.  My identity (sun) is the initiating (cardinal mode), reliable, practical and sensual (element of earth) Hermit or Emperor (Capricorn).    The sun is placed in the 5th house of my natal chart; the house corresponding to Leo, the fixed mode and the fire element.  My identity is invested in the arena of ego expression, games, and tangible creations.

The moon, representing my emotional nature and soul, is the changeable (mutable mode), receptive, feeling and intuitive (water element) Mystic or Poet (Pisces).  It is located in the 7th house invested in the arena of committed partnerships -- the 7th house corresponding to Libra, the air element and the cardinal mode.  Now we can see that the fire and air elements, as well as the fixed mode, noted to be lacking in sign analysis, have been included in the house analysis.

Following this level of synthesis of the prime triad, we would move on to examine the aspects made to the sun, moon and ascendant.   The aspects indicate the quality and quantity of communicative links between the primary triad and the rest of the indicators in the birthchart.  However, that discussion I will save for another time....