The importance of the ascendant in the birth chart

What is the rising sign or ascendant in the birth chart? The ascendant, which is the cusp of the 1st house is the sign that was rising on the eastern horizon at the exact moment of the person’s birth which is why an accurate birth time is crucial for the correct calculation of this point. The ascendant determines the house positions of the rest of the birth chart and is the most important part of the chart to look at when analysing general astrology predictions such as lunations and other transits.

Why is the ascendant so important? The ascendant determines the overall quality of the person’s life. We all know people who breeze through life and have opportunities seemingly fall into their laps while others struggle and have to work hard and have many obstacles to work through. This is nearly always because of the condition of the chart ruler which is the planet that rules the rising sign and its place within the traditional essential dignities. A person who has a chart ruler in detriment or fall within the essential dignities generally will have a more difficult life than a person who has an exalted or domicile ruler. 

The ascendant and its ruler determine the potential for success or failure. This may seem unfair but success in life is largely determined by choices and how we choose to deal with hardships. It’s a nice idea to think that we are all born equal but real, traditional, astrology disproves that theory. It’s also important to look at the closest fixed star to the ascendant and the chart ruler as these stars will act as fated and unavoidable influences and explain why a person might be born with a disability, for example.

The natural ruler of the 1st house is Aries and in western astrology the Sun enters Aries on the spring equinox. Spring is a time of new beginnings, growth and change and the rising sign in the birth chart describes the types of experiences that we go through in life that cause us to grow and how we deal with those changes. This is why, when analysing astrological compatibility between two people, the ascendants must be in compatible signs or the relationship will fall apart when the couple experiences external changes as they can’t understand the other person’s reactions.

The ascendant rules or represents the physical body and appearance and has a connection with health and physical strength. Other people will notice the ascendant when they first meet us as it is more obvious than other parts of the chart. The ascendant influences your general character and acts as a lens that we approach the world through. For example, my own ascendant is in Gemini and I make sense of the world by analysing information and doing my own research. The most profound changes that I have experienced in life were because of information which I then used to create changes. As Gemini is an air sign I approach the world with logic and I don’t let my emotions influence my choices. The ascendant will determine whether a person is more likely to find success in his home country or in distant lands.

 The ruler of Gemini is Mercury and in my own chart, Mercury is in domicile in Gemini. I have had many challenges and struggles in life but I have never been beaten by them for long as I am always able to come up with solutions using Mercury and I am flexible. As a Gemini rising, my life has been dominated by constant change. I have also found that when I have a set or firm belief about something, the universe will do its best to challenge that belief. If my chart ruler had been in a different sign, such as Pisces, my life and the approach to changes would have been very different.

 When other people first meet me, they will pick up on my Gemini rising and see my ability to converse with anyone regardless of their background. What they are not seeing is my Scorpio moon which would rather be at home and hates socializing!

I have heard the ascendant described as a “mask” and this couldn’t be more wrong as the ascendant is a natural part of us and not something that we can fake or even control. Through my own astrological practices, I have come to see the ascendant as the unique life experiences that will be passed on to any Family that we have which adds to the well of ancestral experiences. Some karmic astrologers view the descendant, which is the cusp of the 7th house and opposite to the ascendant, as the past life and the ascendant is the current life.

Finally, what is the difference between the Sun, the ascendant and the moon? Why do some people not resonate with the ascendant? The Sun sign is an area (the sign and house) that we grow into with age. Within this place we can become powerful, skilled and display leadership abilities. The Sun can be an area that we like about ourselves. We grow into this planet as we get older as it connected with self-realization, individuality and making the best out of our unique qualities which can only come with age and experience.

The moon is hidden and internalized. Only people who know us very well can see the moon sign as it is guarded by the ascendant. The moon represents our emotions, instincts and inner desires. The moon is where we feel nurtured.

 The ascendant is the experience of life and how we deal with those experiences, challenges and changes. For those people who do not resonate much with their ascendant, I always explain the ruling planet, its condition and the house that the planet is located in which is where they find their own life story which cannot be explained properly using cookie cutter ascendant interpretations.

Like everything in Western astrology, the sign of the ascendant is connected to a particular time of year and our life experience reflects the qualities of that season.  

Finally, it is imperative to have an accurate birth time, down to the minute, to calculate the ascendant and the fixed star that is rising in the birth chart. The rising fixed star can explain the differences between twins despite them having the same rising signs as the stars can change within a few minutes.

Birth times are subject to human error including those in hospital records.