'The rising marks the beginning of your first house, which signifies the native’s self, physical body, character, and appearance,' Viera says.

The ascendant placement determines the layout of the entire house system in the chart.

In addition to the 12 signs, an astrology chart is sliced up into 12 houses, that each represents a different area of a person’s life. The elusive rising sign is so-called because it denotes which sign is on the horizon at the time of birth. The sun spends about 30 days in each sign, and the moon spends roughly two and a half days in each sign.

'Ever read your sun sign's horoscope and wondered why it felt like it was missing the mark? Reading your rising could shed a lot of light on the matter,' she explains.

So, as Allure's resident astrologer, I'm here to explain it, along with insight from Marisol Espinoza Viera, a practicing bruja, astrologer, and spiritual worker. Even if you're aware of what your rising sign is, you may not be so sure of what it means for you.

For windows download AscendantsRising