Leo rising

Your Rising sign, or Ascendant, is the sign that was on the eastern horizon at the minute you were born, which is why it needs an exact birth time. It describes how you meet the world. With Leo rising, you meet it with warmth and a sense of occasion. You greet people generously and take some care over how you present yourself. Others often look to you to set the tone, even when you had no plan to lead.

Leo is ruled by the Sun, so the Sun is your chart ruler, which ties your outward manner closely to your Sun sign. The sign and house of the Sun in your own chart color everything: a Sun in Virgo gives a bright front a careful, hardworking core, while a Sun in the twelfth house can make the confident manner feel like a role you step into. Either way, being visible comes with the territory.

You start relationships openly and with some flair. People first notice your warmth and the attention you pay them, which makes them feel singled out. You like grand gestures and remember the ones made for you. Your Descendant is in Aquarius, so you are often drawn to independent, slightly detached partners who do not fall over themselves for you, and who give you room to be generous without needing constant applause.

Professionally you come across as confident and capable, someone who could present to the board. In interviews you make a strong first impression and tell your story well; just make sure you credit the team as well as yourself. With a new team you lift the mood and often become the informal leader. You do best when your role has visible responsibility and someone actually says thank you.

The gap between your mask and the person is that you look sure of yourself while privately wondering if you are good enough. Because you seem fine, people rarely reassure you, and you may push harder to win approval. A small fix: tell one trusted person when you are unsure before a big event, rather than performing calm and then crashing afterward.