I've heard the term "rising sign" bandied about for years, from the mentions in Hollywood films to the horoscopes in my daily paper. It never quite struck a chord with me, however, until I realized that my Virgo Ascendant was the reason I didn't embody my Leo sun sign: I lack a head of fiery curls, and I have never had any real desire to be the center of attention. Why was I almost the antithesis of a Leo? For years I just didn't quite understand. Your rising sign (or ascendant, the two terms are used interchangeably) is the zodiacal sign that was on the Eastern horizon when you were born. Ascendants change in two-hour intervals, with the entire zodiac being represented in one 24-hour