To find your rising sign, you usually need your birth date, exact birth time, and birth location. A chart calculator then uses that information to determine which sign was rising on the eastern horizon when you were born.
What information you need
Birth time is the most important piece for finding the ascendant. Even a small time difference can change the rising sign or house cusps. Birth location matters because the local horizon changes by place.
How to calculate it
Most people use a birth chart calculator. Once your chart is generated, look for Ascendant, AC, or Rising. That sign is your rising sign.
What if you do not know your birth time
Without a reliable birth time, your rising sign may be unknown. In that case, you can still read your sun sign and moon sign, but house placements and ascendant-based interpretations may be unreliable. Some astrologers use chart rectification, but that is a more advanced process.
How to verify the result
Read the sign meaning, but also look at the chart as a whole. If the result seems off, check your birth certificate or family records before assuming the calculator is wrong.
