Draven Jackson
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Is your teenager obsessed with astrology, but you can never seem to understand what they’re talking about? Do they say things like “That’s just the Scorpio energy,” “What’s your moon sign?”, and “My horoscope says my lucky item today is a red pencil!” Are you confused about why they need your exact time of birth or ask you about your rising sign?

Don’t worry – we’ve all been there. Astrology has been around for hundreds of years, but the language of astrology is constantly evolving and changing with each generation. To help you keep track of your child’s strange vocabulary and questions, we’ve created a beginner guide to understanding astrology!

What is Astrology

At its core, astrology is the study of the stars and celestial bodies and how they move. People then use this information to interpret how the celestial bodies’ movements can influence humans and the world around us.

Astrology is different from astronomy because astronomy studies the universe and the movements, properties, and positions of celestial objects outside of the Earth’s atmosphere for scientific purposes. Astrology specifically uses this information to talk about how the universe affects people and the Earth.

Historically, astrology and zodiac signs have been around since the 3rd millennium. Horoscopes and the Zodiac signs came around later – the earliest recording of zodiac signs was found in Egypt in the 1st century BC, while horoscopes, as we know them, were developed by the astrologer Ptolemy.

Astrology has a long and complex history that many teenagers now may not realize. They aren’t just a TikTok trend – they were a way of understanding the universe and how people fit into it.

What is a Sun Sign

When you talk about astrology, most people know their sun sign pretty easily! The zodiac that represents your sun sign is determined by your birthday – for example, since my birthday is January 26, I’m an Aquarius. Your sun sign is supposed to represent your core personality. Your sun sign represents your overall sense of self.

Many horoscopes are directed at your sun sign and tell you how your day or week will go depending on which zodiac house your sun sign falls under.

Your sun sign is the general core of your character, but also shows the person you are striving to become. It reveals your identity and how you would answer the question “I am.”

What is a Moon Sign

Another important “house” in astrology is your moon sign. Your moon sign is the zodiac house that comes from what phase the moon was in when you were born, so you need to know your birthday, birth time, and birth city. Don’t worry though, there are lots of websites online that can help calculate your moon sign for you with this information, so you don’t have to memorize moon charts and zodiac houses!

Your moon sign represents your emotions and mood and says a lot about how you navigate the world and respond to various obstacles life throws at you. Your moon sign shows a side of yourself that you keep private and hidden away while your sun sign is the personality you hope to become.

How do you react to emotional situations? What’s the best way to recharge and heal yourself? What kind of emotional support do you need in a relationship? Knowing your moon sign can reveal a lot about your internal self and help answer these questions.

What is a Rising Sign

Astrology covers all the elements of your internal and external self, and your rising sign is the one that best encompasses who you are to the people around you. You can calculate your rising (or ascending) sign using your time of birth. The rising sign changes every few hours, so it’s essential to get as close to your exact time of birth as possible.

The zodiac that represents your rising sign is often considered a “mask” you wear around others. It shows how others see you and represents your personality when you are in public situations. Until the last few centuries, the rising sign was considered the main indicator of a person’s true nature.

Knowing your rising sign can help you understand the differences between how people see you and how you see yourself. For example, if you view yourself to be quiet and introverted while your friends always say you’re loud and the life of the party, it could be because of a difference between your rising sign and your moon sign (which is usually an indicator of how your view yourself).

Knowing your different signs can help you piece together all the individual parts of your personality, which is a fun and exciting way to get to know yourself better!

What Are the Astrological Signs

The biggest thing to know about astrology is the different zodiac signs. Knowing your sun, moon, and rising signs can not only help you better understand yourself, but it can also help you interact with your child’s new astrological interests.

Here is a list of all 12 zodiac signs and the birth dates they cover – to find out your moon and rising signs, use a zodiac calculator on the internet and input your time of birth and your birthplace!

• Aries (March 21 – April 20): Aries is a fire sign known for being strong, brave, and sincere.

• Taurus (April 21 – May 20): Taurus is an earth sign that is down-to-earth, fun, and stubborn.

• Gemini (May 21 – June 21): Gemini is an air sign known for being dynamic, mischievous, and talented.

• Cancer (June 22 – July 22): Cancer is a water sign described as sensitive, friendly, and practical.

• Leo (July 23 – August 22): Leo is a fire sign that is creative, faithful, and prideful.

• Virgo (August 23 – September 22): Virgo is an earth sign known for being clever, successful, and helpful.

• Libra (September 23 – October 22): Libra is an air sign described as adventurous, free-spirited, and indecisive.

• Scorpio (October 23 – November 22): Scorpio is a water sign that is independent, passionate, and private.

• Sagittarius (November 23 – December 21): Sagittarius is a fire sign known for being open-minded, loving, and insensitive.

• Capricorn (December 22 – January 20): Capricorn is an earth sign described as hardworking, loyal, and honest.

• Aquarius (January 21 – February 19): Aquarius is an air sign that is innovative, eccentric, and distant.

• Pisces (February 20 – March 20): Pisces is a water sign known for being free-spirited, sensitive, and innocent.

We hope you found this beginner’s guide to astrology helpful! Please use this guide to help communicate with your teen about their new astrological interests so that the next time they complain about their friend and ask, “But why is she being so stubborn?”, you can say, “That’s just the Taurus in her.”

And if you have any other helpful tips about understanding astrology, make sure to tell us in the comments!

About Draven Jackson

Draven is an avid writer and reader who enjoys sharing her opinions on movies, books, and music with the rest of the world. She will soon be working as a teacher in Japan and hopes to use her experience to connect with other teachers and students around the globe. Draven spends most of her time at home with her family, her dogs, and her ferret.

To see more, view all posts by Draven Jackson here.