The Ascendant

You no longer have to be an astrologist in order to find out what your ascendant is, but what does this actually mean? Some say you embody the qualities of the zodiac sign that governs your ascendant in the second part of your life. I do not particularly like generalisations like this, as we are all different, I believe each of us step into our ascendant and its gifts when we are ready, whenever that may be. So, there is no right or wrong time to start exhibiting these qualities, whether that be earlier or later than other people.

 

First of all, the zodiac on the ascendant and its degree is where the Sun rose in the East when you were born. This is why the correct birth time is so important. Every minute makes a different degree and every 2 hours the zodiac on the ascendant changes. Therefore, before you go to an astrologer, ask your mother or check the records at the hospital where you were born to get your exact time of birth, or find an inspired astrologer who has the courage to talk you through finding out what your ascendent is, even if the degree is not exact.

 

The zodiac on the ascendent represents the subjects you proposed to learn throughout your life. Basically, it is like you are attending the school of your ascendent all your life. Some of us pay attention earlier and others later. Certainly, it is not a fact for everyone that they will feel their ascendent later in life. I, for one, have started as a child and I am still learning to this day.

 

Some souls start the subject of their ascendancy as if they were in kindergarten, barely getting a feel for what the zodiac sign can show them, while others are born well-versed with their subject but still needing to refine their skills. After all, higher education is possible no matter how far into adulthood you have progressed. That you have already integrated a good part of the subjects does not mean that you did not come to go even deeper, to make a master degree in your studies.

 

I am just referring here to the ascendant itself, not to the first house or to the planets in the first house or the planets at the ascendant. I am not referring to any relation in the chart and not to the ruler of the ascendant. Just purely the ascendant itself. Astrology is extremely complex and it is the summary of aspects that give the whole picture.

 

So, let’s say your ascendent is in Scorpio. Whether just beginning or fine-tuning the Scorpio skills, you are here to embody this sign. An astrologer can tell you what you will want to learn in this school; one can either be very intrigued in this, or want to completely reject it – finding it difficult to accept as it is so different to what is comfortable and familiar. It is possible to try to cling on to what is already known, to home territory so to speak.

 

If Scorpio is you ascendant, your subjects consist of:

• How can I change my response to crisis and trauma? How can I learn to recreate myself in harsh times?
• How do I wield my own power? How do I respond when someone else has power over me? How do I handle money? Both my own and other people’s? How do I react to inheritance and to the potential to be influential?
• What do I do with my sexual drive? Do I allow myself to live it fully or do I try to suppress it? Who is telling me to suppress it and why? Do I trust that my body knows better than the mind?

 

You might live all or part of these subjects or you might be confronted with them in your family, in your work, by friends and acquaintances. You might choose to work with people who are having trauma, drama, crisis, money issues and power issues and thus grow on this yourself. These are all ways of living your ascendant, dealing with these subjects whether they be subtle or not.

 

Always keep in mind the chart holds the whole picture. Looking and studying it will refine your journey a lot, because from the whole chart an astrologer such as myself can see how much or how little these subjects are already worked through, what needs more of your attention and energy and what will flow easily.

 

I took the example of Scorpio, because I just did a reading with someone that has this ascendant. In my lives on Facebook I will talk about all the 12 zodiacs and their roles as ascendants. A few are covered already and others will come up during the next weeks.

 

Come and join me during these lives or contact me with your chart details for a reading of your choice. This can either be the whole birth chart or how you chart is reacting in your present situation, or the relation between your birth chart and the present constellation.

 

Astrology is a great passion of mine from a very young age and in many meetings, courses and workshops with Judy Hall, it became an integral part of my life. Judy was my teacher, my mentor and my friend. I miss her and I admire her for her way of empowering me.

 

I follow Jeffrey Wolf Green, his books and his speeches, Kaypacha and his school of evolutionary astrology and Sandra Nicolayson as my mentor in chart reading.