The Ascendant or rising sign is the moment of your birth. Your dawn. It describes how life dawns on you and on how you dawn on others. It is not necessarily how you see yourself. Often it explains the role you are placed in, in your family. The Ascendant is your façade, your receptionist, your style. The sign of the Ascendant describes your style of self-projection. It is the lens through which you see the world. Anytime you experience something akin to a birth, the qualities of the Ascendant are evoked. Knowing your “front door”, recognizing the mask that others see and react to, understanding how you appear to others, may make your life easier.
Let’s explore some archetypes for the Ascendant in each of the signs:
Ascendant in Aries – Adventurer, Go-getter.
Ascendant in Taurus – Comfortable Person, Sensualist.
Ascendant in Gemini – Inquisitive One, Communicator.
Ascendant in Cancer – Caring Individual, Moody One.
Ascendant in Leo – Big Hearted One, Performer.
Ascendant in Virgo – Polisher, Perfectionist.
Ascendant in Libra – Artist, Peacemaker.
Ascendant in Scorpio – Mysterious individual, Healer.
Ascendant in Sagittarius – Optimist, Philosopher.
Ascendant in Capricorn – Capable One, Achiever.
Ascendant in Aquarius – Individualist, Humanitarian.
Ascendant in Pisces – Mystic, Visionary.
While the Ascendant provides important clues to your way of being, the sign positions of the Sun, your core self, the Moon, your emotional center, & the other 8 planets in a birth chart may not echo its energies. You may have had the experience of hearing “You are so different from how I thought you were, when I met you!” Proof of the importance & of the benefits of knowing your Ascendant!