If you go to an astrology conference at breakfast, everyone will be eating their cereal wearing a badge with their Sun, Moon and Ascendant on. You already know about the Sun and Moon. The Sun describes how you shine. The Moon describes how you ‘parent’ children, needy adults or animals. Your Ascendant (Rising Sign) is your Twitter profile. Look for AC in the box on your chart.
The ASC or AC (short for Ascendant) is not your physical appearance in detail – but it’s your general package. It shows any family traits that you’ve picked up, which identify you as part of the clan. That’s because the Ascendant is always square the Immum Coeli, and the Immum Coeli (IC for short) rules your family tree. They are connected. Your Ascendant Sign can match a relative’s Sun Sign too.
Your Ascendant or Rising Sign is the difference you make to the world, at first glance – without even trying. And it’s the fast, shorthand way that the world understands who you are, which is why it’s so important. Is it the real you? Of course not. Although if you have plenty of heavenly bodies in the same sign as your Ascendant or Rising Sign, it will be a more faithful version of who you are.
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ARIES ASCENDANT
Someone in the family tree was an Aries. You have a connection to sport or the military at birth, thanks to a relative, godparent or family friend. You present as a pioneer and initiator. You seem impatient to be first and may walk faster than other people – or drive faster than other people. You are the first to get moving in an emergency situation. You are fiercely competitive or defensive if pushed.
TAURUS ASCENDANT
Someone in the family tree was a Taurus. You have a connection to charity, business, finance, property or antiques/art at birth, through a relative, godparent or family friend. You seem to be all about the money, no matter if you have any or not. Your lifestyle choice (poor but happy, rich and greedy, socialist, Scrooge…) walks in the room before you do. Your clothes and shoes spell it out to people.
GEMINI ASCENDANT
Someone in the family tree was a Gemini. You were linked to the world of writing, media, the internet, publishing, telephones or voices (singing/acting) at birth, thanks to a relative, godparent or family friend. You are the big talker, singer or writer at the party. Is it the real you? Only if you have heavenly bodies in Gemini. You have twin names. Birth name plus nickname, or alter ego, perhaps.
CANCER ASCENDANT
Someone in the family tree was a Cancerian. You have a connection to property, matriarchal dynasties or patriotic causes (local football teams, regional/national institutions) through a relative. A godparent or family friend at your birth may also have left their mark, in this regard. You look like you care – for children, needy adults or animals. People say ‘Talk to X, because X will look after you.’
LEO ASCENDANT
Someone in the family tree was a Leo. You have a connection to famous and important people at birth, thanks to a relative, godparent or family friend. You present as prince or princess as a teenager, then become a queen or king in adulthood. You don’t look ordinary or invisible. You package and present yourself like a VIP, celebrity or obscure European royal. Your name sounds impressive.
VIRGO ASCENDANT
Someone in the family tree was a Virgo. You have a connection to health, medicine, surgery, healing or nutrition through a relative, godparent or family friend. You inherit this in a subtle way as you grow older. Your body is the first thing people see when you walk into the room. That’s because you’re unhealthy and out of shape (but obsessed) or some kind of superhuman we want to copy.
LIBRA ASCENDANT
You present as one half of a pair – typically your boyfriend, husband, girlfriend or wife. It may also be a work partner, of course. It’s always about the two of you and you’re seldom a solo operator for long, in work or your private life. You’re hung up on what’s fair, or not fair, about life. You find it easy to get along with anyone (the diplomat) but you will fight any enemy for your version of justice.
SCORPIO ASCENDANT
Money is power, and so is a house, priceless possession (oh, that Hermes handbag), apartment, successful business or major charity. When you walk into the room, so does all that. When you were born, a family member, godparent or family friend left an imprint. He or she had inherited wealth, a property portfolio or business, priceless antiques/jewellery or a strong attachment to a charity.
SAGITTARIUS ASCENDANT
You go to a party and bring your last trip with you – or your last head-trip. Europe, America, Asia? A university degree, evening class or weekend seminar? You look as if you’ve travelled, or spent a lot of time travelling along library shelves, or Wikipedia. When you were born, someone in the family/family friends circle imprinted you with his/her background in education, travel or publishing.
CAPRICORN ASCENDANT
Nothing spontaneous going on here. You only do wild and crazy if it’s going to get you a good job. You present as a strategic thinker who plods patiently through life, to avoid putting a foot wrong. People say ‘He/she has done very well’ and you always do, no matter if it’s marrying up or being promoted. A relative, godparent or family friend was a massive success. This has imprinted on you.
AQUARIUS ASCENDANT
You move in a pack or at least have friends at your fingertips, on the other end of your text messages. You are tribal and people identify you with your network, especially on Twitter. You are cool, light, friendly, treat everyone the same and like the internet because it brings humanity together, especially on petitions. A relative, godparent or family friend was a humanitarian too. It’s affected you.
PISCES ASCENDANT
You are Miss or Mr Invisible. Nobody can see you and you disappear at parties. You seem slippery, elusive, mysterious. You present as telepathic and you are. You know what other people and animals are thinking/feeling. A relative or godparent had alcohol/drug issues because he or she needed to escape from reality. You often look as if you hate reality too, but try to find another way.
CONJUNCTIONS WITH YOUR ASCENDANT
You know about conjunctions between your heavenly bodies – and his or hers. You’ve figured out the close, cosmic connections between yourself and one or more key people in your life. By now, you are also up to speed with your Ascendant or Rising Sign. This is the part of you which is your package, profile and party presentation. It may (or may not) be the real you, but it’s your badge.
If someone has his/her Ascendant, or any of the heavenly bodies, in the same sign, and at the same degree as your Ascendant – it’s fate. So, for example, if your horoscope reveals AC 1 Aries, and your husband has Mars at 1 Aries, then he has a fated effect on your image. When reading the AC (Ascendant) sign and degree, using your free astro.com chart, always take the first number.
Basically, if someone else has a conjunction to your Ascendant, he or she is part of your package and profile. People have trouble thinking about you, without also automatically thinking about them. Your reputation rests partly on the other person. Prince Charles was born with the asteroid Salacia at 27 Sagittarius. Prince William was born with his Ascendant at 27 Sagittarius.
I will go through the asteroids, like Salacia, later in this book. I will also look at orbs (the distance in degrees, between heavenly bodies) and show you why it is so important to have no more than one degree’s difference between any planet, point or asteroid. For now, though, look at the charts in front of you (his, hers, yours, theirs) to see how your image might be affected.
Extract from 200 Astrology Secrets by Jessica Adams, available on amazon.com.
Feature Image Credit: Daniel Cheung
19 Responses
Hi Jessica
I am confused. My Ascendant is not square my IC? I am incorrect with my time of birth!! All this time I have had this natal chart in my mind and it made to sense to me but I am so wrong. My first born child was born on the same degree Scorpio on my Asc and my second born child on the same degree Taurus on my Descendant so it all seemed correct but no!!
Kind regards
Different astrologers use different systems. I prefer to use this one, which would be miles away from (say) Placidus House System. No need for confusion. I don’t have the charts for your two children in front of me, so it’s hard to comment. You are free to use any astrology system you like, of course.
HI Jessica
Astrtology is really so complex and not as simple as sun sign being the entire person, obviously and these lessons are quite helpful to put the pieces together. I started sun sign school but at the time never finished as I was having a lot of things get in the way at the time a few months ago. Lately, I have been just scanning a lot of your wonderful and informative articles on the website which have also been helpful. I have also begun the study of herbalism during COVID-19 lockdown. I am enjoying it but I have always wanted to study some form of natural medicine that incorporated the whole person and always was trying to figure a way to connect my B.S. in Psychology (which I never formerly used) and astrology. There was a point in my life about 19/20 years ago that I really wanted to study naturopathy but the demand of the studies and the fact I had two young children and would need to commute between states made me put if off. As it does, life happened and i pursued other things. Then today something clicked! By sheer coincidence today I received an email about a Medical astrology podcast. I don’t remember ever even signing up for this email list from this particular herbalist but I headed over and listened to the Podcast. It was everything I was always wishing for. It is actually a thing! Maybe not recognized so much anymore but I believe that will change. What are your thoughts and can you recommend any books or classes, etc. I am so excited about this and hope I can cram all of this learning in my aging brain, if not for an eventual career then for personal knowledge. Thank you!
The medical astrology podcast sounds like part of the pattern, or plan. I am a huge fan of the astrologer Wanda Sellar, who I met at The Astrological Lodge of London. Wanda has a very good newsletter and a wealth of knowledge and wisdom. She specialises in medical horoscope work. I hope this helps.
Hello Ms. Adams. After reading this and seeing what you say about fated relationships and conjunctions- can you provide some insight on the conjunctions between myself and my potential partner?
My IC is conjunct Her ASC (one degree off)
My Moon is conjunct her Sun (same exact degree)
Thank you in advance. I enjoyed this excerpt from your book.
The Moon-Sun combination was well known to researchers like Carl Jung who found that in one experiment, it was this link above all, which turned up in the combined charts of couples. Later on he realised that the statistics were no way to prove astrology! Yes, there is potential here for a partnership. It really depends on both of you and your attitude towards marriage. Are you both/either serial monogamists who have a chain of relationships with different people (like Jerry Seinfeld’s character in Seinfeld, all those years ago) or are you now both/either at a point where this is the last to be had? Thank you.
Oh dear, that’s the most depressing thing I’ve ever read about Pisces Rising, how awful to be seen like that!
I know family history both sides as far as great grandparents both sides and no drug or alcohol issues there, could it be further back?
Yes, it’s quite possible. But drug and alcohol issues are just an expression of Pisces, not the whole story.
Hi
You are right! I have got two $ $ where my eyes should be.
My son has Asc/Dsc like mine.
He got Mars in Virgo.
Moon and Saturn in Gemini like mine. His appearance similar to mine. Intellect is similar to my brothers.
He was born when North Node entered Gemini 08 Nov 2002 in Sydney at 6.28 pm. He got that in Gemini. As a year 6 student, he wanted to learn Japanese and go to Japan. Last year he fulfilled that too. One of his major subject in ATAR in Japanese.
Thank you for your posts detailed analysis. I love it. Cheers
Saru
Thank you Saru. This makes sense, looking at your chart. It’s good to have feedback about the Ascendant, or Rising Sign, in two charts – not just one.
This was fascinating, thank you. It turns out my business partner has their sun at the same degree and sign as my ascendant. So interesting!
Thank you so much.
Interesting. I don’t really understand my ascendant though. I always read about being in pairs in some way, like at work or with personal relationships, but I can’t find any pairing in my life at all. Lone wolf is a perfect description. What is it in my chart that is so opposite to my sun/asc signs which are all about pairing off?
The Ascendant is just your image, profile or reputation. What people know about you, or see first about you. It’s not really important beyond that, although you see quite a few amateur or beginner astrologers on Twitter who think the Ascendant is some huge concern! It also depends on a strictly accurate birth time, so if you have never been in a pair, duet, couple or partnership (or don’t really see why it’s part of who you are) I think your birth time is probably wrong. Try Virgo, the sign before, or Scorpio, the sign afterwards. You would be amazed at how many mothers mis-remember a birth time, or how many staff write it down incorrectly.
Thanks for this interesting insight. I have my Venus conjunct my guys ascendant in libra, loosely trine to my ascendant in Gemini and Saturn. Unfortunately we have Transiting Chiron directly opposing this at the moment and we just broke up! But the connection did seem significant. Once this transit is past might there be a chance of reconciliation? He is a Virgo sun.
He is looking for a way out of reality and he won’t really be a grounded or down-to-earth partner for you – he wants lots of ‘stories’ in his life – but not much to do with the real world. So this is not someone who rolls his sleeves up and does the washing-up while changing a nappy. I am not sure if you want to get back together with somebody who has such strong feelings (for or against children) but is also so far removed from the real world, when it comes to love and sex. You may prefer someone you can actually live with and build a life with. If you got too real for him he would have drifted off. Reality isn’t really what he’s after. He wants the escape. Of course if you would like an affair which takes both of you away from those pressing, practical concerns, he could be your man. It depends on how much he already knows about what you want and need. If he thinks you’re a real woman living in the very real world (and you can’t fool him) then I don’t think it’s possible; he wants a fairy princess in a pumpkin coach with glass slippers, thanks to these transits he is having.
Wow that’s a fascinating take on it and I think you’re probably right. He’s hung up on a ex who by the sounds of it was pretty awful to him and has dug lots of past issues. He’s started going to counselling and says he’s not ready for a relationship now and yes I certainly want more than affair, so that’s probably why it ended. Such a shame as otherwise we got on so well. I guess this is Chiron teaching me lots more lessons in love! Thank you for your amazing insight as always.
I am sorry this didn’t work out (this time around) but the cycles of time will roll on, and once Jupiter in particular starts changing signs around your chart, you will have a new opportunity for a much, much better relationship.