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interest by The Libra Centre. Feel free to print or copy and
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The Ascendant, or 1st house
cusp (ASC), is a personal point in the horoscope which has at least
as much significance as the Sun and Moon. It reflects the degree of
the zodiac sign which is rising on the Eastern horizon at the
moment of birth. This degree changes on average every four minutes,
with a new sign rising on the horizon every two hours on average.
(There are 30 degrees in a sign). Certain signs rise faster than
others depending on how close one is to the North or South Pole. In
the Northern Hemisphere Aquarius, Pisces, Aries and Taurus rise
fast, and in the Southern hemisphere the opposite signs, Leo,
Virgo, Libra and Scorpio rise fast, as a result of the angle at
which the Earth revolves on its axis. The Ascendant degree varies
depending on the actual place of birth - it is specifically
dependant on the latitude of birth, whereas the Midheaven is
dependant on longitude. Because the Ascendant is connected with the
rotation of the Earth on its axis - and has nothing to do with the
planets - it shows how character (planetary influence) is
manifested in a practical way on Earth. It shows the life path, or
the actual role of the personality on Earth. It is the physical
manifestation of and personal fate through earthly matters. As such
it is the most vital point in the horoscope, and is related to the
actual birth experience and the health of the physical body.
Whereas the Sun represents the conscious identity, and the Moon the
unconscious mind, the Ascendant represents the cast of character or
persona in the grand performance of life.
Top of PageAscendant in Aries with a
key phrase of: Self-assertion. . You are young at
heart and very enthusiastic in the way you handle life's
challenges. You like to tackle things head-on, and impulsively cast
yourself into the fray. You probably have to struggle with a
considerable temperament, but basically you are innocent and naive
with very few bad intentions. You have a direct and honest style.
You do not like anyone tampering with your freedom or telling you
what to do. This means that you are attracted to the kind of
partner who is willing to go along with your point of view, and
follow your lead in most matters. In a sense you are egocentric,
because you give your own goals first priority. Nevertheless it is
important for you to stand out amongst others as an individual, and
to be a pioneer in one way or the other. Partnership will mellow
you, and you may be able to learn the spirit of compromise as you
get older.
Top of PageAscendant in Taurus with a
key phrase of:Establishing self-worth. . You have a
soft and gentle nature and tend to exude a natural calm and grace.
You give the relaxed impression that you have things under control.
As a peace-loving person you are not happy with disturbances or
confrontations in your everyday life, and you often follow the path
of least resistance for the sake of comfort and harmony.
Nevertheless you can be of considerable support to others,
precisely because you have so many personal resources and a relaxed
view of life. If there is one thing that makes you unhappy, it is
financial insecurity, so you are strongly motivated to have an
economically comfortable existence. You are also very sensitive to
anything which undermines your self-worth. During the course of
your life you will slowly but surely develop a greater sense of
inner security. In intimate relationships your placid manner and
refusal to confront hidden problems may force your partner to
confront you from time to time with unpleasant truths about
yourself. You gain more balance in relationships when you develop
greater psychological insight.
Top of PageAscendant in Gemini with a
key phrase of: Developing the mind. . Your nature is
infused with a youthful curiosity and a restless desire to be
stimulated mentally and socially. Mental development is alpha and
omega for you, and meetings, discussions, books and learning are
the stuff of life. You are constantly active and spread yourself
very thin, tending to have a superficial knowledge of a vast array
of things, and a finger in many pies. Other people will challenge
you to show greater depth and thoughtfulness in your attitude to
things instead of just skating over the surface. Brothers and
sisters may play an important role, both in your development as a
child and later on in life. Your school years will have a profound
effect on you, and set the trend for an interest in education later
in life. Because you like to be on the move, transport is as
essential to you as the air you breathe.
Top of PageAscendant in Cancer with a
key phrase of: Emotional attachment. . Emotional
development is the keyword in your evolution as a human being. You
form powerful emotional attachments and tend to become rather
dependant. There may be a particularly strong attachment to the
mother or family. Learning to let go of old attachments will be an
important challenge in your life. You have access to the whole
spectrum of human emotions. You are very sensitive and easily hurt,
yet at the same time you show a lot of concern for others. In
intimate relationships you form strong bonds and tend to smother
your partner, who may respond by demanding more maturity and
independence in you. You force other people to create barriers
against the tide of your emotions. It is important for you to learn
to deal with rejection, as you are oversensitive in this area.
Being a strongly emotional person, you also have access to the deep
well of the unconscious, and this gives you considerable intuitive
talent.
Top of PageAscendant in Leo with a key
phrase of: Self-projection. . You are extremely aware
of yourself and the impression you make on others. The spotlight is
on you, and this is reflected in a sense of drama about your life.
Basically you are a warm-hearted person, endowed with a sense of
humour and fun and with a natural ability to liven up any
gathering. Your appetite for life inclines you towards activities
which give you a solid sense of who you are. Creative pursuits,
romance, and involvement with children are all important areas of
interest. You are the kind of person people notice, even to the
point of seeming self-centred. Nevertheless, many people will seek
your company. In intimate long-term relationships you tend to evoke
a certain emotional distance in the partner, who knows you too well
to fall for your charming manner. By cultivating a more detached
view of yourself, you gain greater intimacy with those close to
you.
Top of PageAscendant in Virgo with a
key phrase of: Efficiency. . One of your better
qualities is your self-deprecating nature. You are often willing to
put others first and are generally quite content to take on a
low-profile role, in which you concentrate on getting everyday life
to function smoothly for all concerned. You are both critical and
self-critical, and may often feel that life is hard work - a
never-ending stream of tasks waiting to be done. In contrast your
partners seem to let things just flow along in a disorganised, even
lazy manner. This is of course a natural consequence of your own
over-diligent manner, in which you tend to take on the duties of
others. You can learn a lot from partners by being content with,
and accepting, things as they are. It can be a great satisfaction
for you to develop greater health consciousness during the course
of your life, as you have natural abilities as regards nutrition
and the influence of thoughts and emotions on physical health.
Top of PageAscendant in Libra with a
key phrase of: Relating. . Basically you are a
friendly type of person, and you have a genuine and natural
interest in other people. You probably come across as a sociable
and charming person, and you have a special talent for creating an
atmosphere of peace and harmony. Partnerships are alpha and omega
for you, and you will seldom be alone in your life. You are willing
to make many compromises to ensure that a relationship functions
smoothly. Using your ability to see matters from another person's
point of view, you can defuse conflict before it begins. However
this tendency may be construed by others as a reluctance to
confront important matters when they arise, and this in turn evokes
a confrontational attitude in those who are close to you. You have
a fine discriminating judgement - use this to discern when you
should compromise, and when you should make a stand.
Top of PageAscendant in Scorpio with a
key phrase of:Penetration. . You are an intense and
rather secretive person, who believes in deep emotional
involvement. You are powerfully motivated by the need for emotional
security and you expend a lot of energy trying to maintain calm in
this area. Being unable to control the emotional reactions of
others, you have a tendency to be jealous and to engage in
emotional brinkmanship. You lack emotional flexibility, see issues
as black or white and tend to come with ultimata. Erotic intimacy
is extremely important, and the litmus test of a good relationship
for you is a satisfying sex-life. You will attract a calm and
stable partner, who reassures you by becoming dependant on you. As
inertia builds up in a relationship you often provoke intense
emotional crises. You need to feel and explore every facet of the
emotional spectrum from love to hate. Having enormous reserves of
emotional power, you emanate a powerful aura and people are
mysteriously strengthened simply by being close to you.
Top of PageAscendant in Sagittarius
with a key phrase of:Influence & understanding. .
You are powerfully motivated to understand your place in the world
and the meaning of your existence. Your curiosity and need to
explore your boundaries will lead you to travel considerably during
the course of your life. If or when you prefer the settled life,
then you will read, study and discuss to gain further insight into
the world. You are philosophically orientated, seeking depth and
answers. In partnership matters you may often feel that your
opinions are trivialised; conversely other people feel you take
yourself to seriously. When you are bombastic and opinionated,
other people compensate by being flippant or, in your eyes,
superficial. An acceptance of the relativity and diversity of
truth, and a certain self-deprecating humour, can make you easier
to get on with.
Top of PageAscendant in Capricorn with
a key phrase of: Progress. . You have a serious and
reserved facade, and during your early years you developed the
commitment and self-discipline to rise above many difficulties and
obstacles in your family life. You carry a burden of high
expectations and are often afflicted by gnawing doubts concerning
your ability. You probably work too hard and give yourself too
little time to express your emotions. Conversely you tend to
attract the emotional type of partner who is looking for security
and is attracted by your responsible and hardworking nature.
Frustrated by your inhibited and formal nature, your partner will
make many emotional demands. The more you soften up and trust your
feelings, the more your partner will feel stabilised emotionally.
The fewer burden you take on, the less dependant your partner will
be.
Top of PageAscendant in Aquarius with
a key phrase of: Future vision. . You may well have
had an unusual upbringing which will have brought out the outsider
in your nature. You are a friendly person, extremely curious about
other people, yet you may often feel that you do not belong. You
seek out groups to be with and are extremely loyal, but may be
disappointed by your friends. It is difficult for you to understand
that the bonds of friendship do not supersede those of family or
marriage. In your own intimate relationships, partners find you
friendly but cool and distant. You have very little personal ego,
and have difficulty understanding what you see as other people's
self-obsession. You are stubborn, particularly as regards your
opinions. However you are an original and fascinating person. You
can strike out on a unique course in life and pave a way into the
future which can be an inspiring example for future generations.
Top of PageAscendant in Pisces with a
key phrase of: Inner communion. You are something of
a dreamer, and some unfortunate or unhappy experiences in your
childhood will have evoked escapist tendencies in you. Conversely
you are endowed with an extremely fertile imagination, and you
manifest considerable empathy towards both those who are close to
you, and complete strangers. You emanate a sensitive and vulnerable
impression, but at the same time you display an understanding and
acceptance which other people find very reassuring. If you can
overcome your inner sense of loneliness and tendency to martyrdom
you can truly help other people. You never dominate, and you have
an uncanny ability to totally tune in to the feelings of other
people. In relationships you often force your partner to take care
of practical details, and friction can arise because you appear to
let things slide. More effort and organisation on your part could
reduce tension here.
Top of PageSun Aspecting the Ascendant
You have a radiant personality, with a touch of self-importance.
You take yourself - and the impression you make on others - very
seriously indeed. Some people may consider you self-centred. You
tend at least to be the centre of attention, and although you
invest all of yourself when you relate to others, you give your own
personal development needs priority. You have plenty of surplus
energy, and your playful nature can make you a figurehead for young
people.
Top of PageMoon Aspecting the
Ascendant You are a moody person and will often find
yourself affected by fluctuating emotional states - especially
through worrying about family matters or security issues. You have
a deep appreciation of the power of the unconscious and instinctual
behaviour. In your dealings with people unspoken feelings have far
greater priority than rational concerns or argument. You are finely
tuned to changes in atmosphere, and adjust accordingly.
Top of PageMercury Aspecting the
Ascendant You are easy to make contact with, and always
willing to exchange the time of day with anyone you meet. Easily
distracted, you can find yourself getting involved in many things
at the same time - but then you hate to be bored. You give the
impression of being a person on the move. Being gregarious and
talkative, you are an excellent catalyst for getting people
together. You fascinate people with your ideas.
Top of PageVenus Aspecting the
Ascendant You exude an aura of grace and good taste, and
this can win you many friends and admirers. Your dress, and taste
in personal adornment, creates a very harmonious and pleasing
atmosphere. You are easily seduced by beauty, and often led astray
by affairs of the heart. Stable relationships can be threatened by
your need for romance. Love is the spice if life. You have a
weakness for sensory stimulation and luxury.
Top of PageMars Aspecting the
Ascendant You create a forceful impression, and people have
a tendency to be somewhat nervous when they are around you. Those
who know you well will appreciate your forthrightness, but the meek
and sensitive will avoid your company - not that you care. You are
headstrong, reckless and therefore rather prone to accidents. You
are basically frank and honest, so people know where they stand
with you.
Top of PageJupiter Aspecting the
Ascendant You are a larger than life character with strong
views on most issues, and a deep interest in spiritual issues. You
are open and willing to expand your philosophical horizons.
Generally blessed with good fortune and an optimistic frame of
mind, you have the ability to expect the best of the future. There
may be a tendency to overindulge or be too extravagant. People
value your ability to understand in depth the things that move
them.
Top of PageSaturn Aspecting the
Ascendant You can be rather an inhibited person - at least
in the early stages of your life. Experience has made you wary in
your dealings with others, and rather taciturn in style. You may
feel uncomfortable about your personal appearance, and you have low
expectations as regards your potential in life. Nevertheless you
can inspire trust in others because of your considered, serious
nature. The older you get, the more you lighten up.
Top of PageChiron Aspecting the
Ascendant This aspect will bring the Chironic influences of
bridge builder, teacher/healer to the forefront of the personality
making for a charismatic personality who tend to inspire others to
overcome obstacles in their lives, usually through example so this
placement may indicate some early difficulty. Even if this energy
is blocked other people who know you tend to wait around expecting
something to happen.
Top of PageUranus Aspecting the
Ascendant You can feel that your role in life is connected
to future visions and the necessity for change in society. You add
a dash of originality to the world, and people are either inspired
or provoked by your rather unusual personal style. You shake up
your surroundings and often use shock tactics to make an
impression. You thrive in an atmosphere of excitement and
unpredictability.
Top of PageNeptune Aspecting the
Ascendant It is important for you to overcome a subtle
feeling of dissatisfaction or sorrow in your life - both in
connection with the direction your life takes, and in connection
with partners. This involves finding a sense of meaning in your
existence. Creative or spiritual interests, and the pursuit of
inner purity, can bring much needed inner harmony. You are very
impressionable and easily influenced by the vibrations of other
people, so you need to indulge in periods of withdrawal.
Top of PagePluto Aspecting the
Ascendant You have a magnetic personality and tend to exert
a powerful influence on your environment. Secret efforts to feel
secure in your personal relationships can be exhausting - both for
you and for others. Though you have psychological talents and an
ability to penetrate facades, you tend to allow an obsessive
ideologies or opinions to poison your relationships. When you
relinquish control you discover peace.
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