Many who dig the stars read horoscopes daily. Lovers of astrology can find their horoscopes in newspapers, magazines, and of course online. Although horoscopes are the best way to know what your stars foretell, you could be reading your horoscope wrong.

The typical horoscope reader goes by the sign given for their date of birth. This sign is known as their sun sign. So, they open the app on their phones, or flip through the pages of their favorite newspaper or magazine, and look for what is written about their sign.

This is wrong.

When you read about your sun sign in a daily horoscope, you're reading about your basic identity, and perhaps general themes that are happening for you and those who share your sun sign. But, how can millions of people be having the exact same experience on the same given day, week, month, or year. While some might have the same circumstance by chance, this is not possible. This is why there are skeptics of astrology. They read their horoscopes, and think, "This doesn't even apply to me."

The sun sign forecast that you read is limited in scope and depth by its nature. That is why they are not 100 percent accurate.

The horoscope that you are reading is based on your sun sign, which is based only on your birth date. To get far more accurate information when reading your horoscope, one needs to know their rising sign. The rising sign is also known as the ascendant, and the two are used interchangeably. Your rising sign is calculated by using your exact time of birth, day, month, year, city, and state. When your birth or natal chart is calculated, it correctly shows the signs that rule each house of your horoscope, and the specific planetary placements that existed when you were born.

Reading about your sun sign can help to learn about some general themes for people of that sign, but most of the time, the description won't accurately describe you personally. This is why it's necessary to understand that you should use your rising sign instead.

The horoscope is broken down into four components: signs, planets, houses, and planetary aspects. The first house is your rising sign. So, when you read a horoscope for you sun sign, it is assumed the sign ruling your first house is also that sign and so on and so forth.

For example, my sun sign is Pisces, and for horoscopes and columns written for the masses, an exact time isn't used. If I just read the horoscope for Pisces, it is assumed that the sign ruling my first house is also Pisces, and then Aries would follow in my second house, and then Taurus in my third house, and so on. This is not the case. Based on my birth chart and how the planets were aligned when I was born. My rising sign is Cancer, not Pisces. So, to get more accurate information, I read the horoscope for Cancer.

So, when you look at your horoscope, enjoy reading about your sun sign. But, if you want a forecast that's more personal, use your rising sign.

To learn your rising sign and the other planets in your birth chart, you can use this free birth chart.

*Note: Astrology isn't a religion. We're not sure it's a science, either. But, things do affect things. If you truly want to understand yourself, it is highly recommended that you see a professional astrologer for a personal consultation.