The Ascendant - who we are to others | The Main Axes Part 1
- The window to the soul - or just the tip of the iceberg?
What even is the Ascendant?
The Ascendant is the very first thing we notice about a person. Not only as astrologers, but also as people. It describes our charisma and the feeling we convey to others as soon as we enter a room. It is the very first impression we get of a person before they can reveal to us what personality lies behind the facade.
It is responsible for our "captivating aura" - or our RBF.
However we are perceived, it is a part of us that we cannot deny, change, or control.
To this day, I still hear arguments about whether the Ascendant or the Sun is less "personal". The opinion, that the Ascendant is just a "mask" and does not actually belong to us, I do not share at all.
Not only is the Ascendant technically the most personal aspect in our horoscope, considering that it shifts signs about every two hours, while the Sun takes a whole month to wander through a sign, but as I have already described, it is the very first version of ourselves that our environment perceives, the version that we cannot fake because it is so real, so raw, and so us.
From a technical perspective, the Ascendant is the sign that rises over the eastern horizon (that is why it is also called the ascending sign - ascendere in Latin = to rise) at the moment the horoscope is born, and in the case of a birth horoscope - when we are born. It rises into our consciousness, into our field of vision, and into our world at the same moment that we do as well. This is what makes it so personal.
But the Ascendant does not just float around anywhere in our chart, it is the tip of the 1st house. Whether one sees the Ascendant as a concentrated form of the 1st house or the 1st house as an extension of the Ascendant is a matter of taste. However, it should be noted that all planets in our 1st house have a similarly strong effect on our appearance and our impulsive behavior as the Ascendant. Some astrologers even claim that if you have a planet in the 1st house, it is as if you have the sign that this planet rules as your AC. Similarly, planets that are in close proximity to the AC also strongly influence its quality.
As you can see here, a chart consists of signs and houses. The AC is the start of the first house and always lies exactly opposite - so 180° - from the DC.
The AC and DC axis is an equivalent to our horizon, so here - for this person or event - Cancer is the rising sign and Capricorn is the sign of the Decendant.
(in this example I am using the Placidus house system. The AC and DC fall into the same degrees in every (western) house system, but are not always the tip of the first house, depending on the houses you use.)
Its significance in day-to-day life
Have you ever heard something like “you’re completely different from what I thought!” Or maybe someone tried to guess your zodiac sign and was completely off. This could be because that person has no clue about astrology, but is probably more likely because it is your Ascendant and not your sun sign that shapes how others perceive you, and this usually doesn’t get talked about enough.
Our Ascendant is how we look to others, as well as how we behave in stressful situations, or when we are just not consciously aware of it. It describes how we act and feel when we can’t overthink it. It describes all the things we do subconsciously and that feel natural to us.
Our facial expressions, our gestures, our speech. All this will shape someone’s opinion about us within milliseconds. Even the slightest movement gets registered and noted down by our counterpart. And so do we for others. Often we form our opinions about our environment and the people around us within seconds, even if unconsciously.
This actually has a very simple background. Our brain scans our conversation partner and has to decide within a few moments if we are facing a dangerous situation and should rather run away, or whether we can relax and engage in the conversation. What sounds very primitive at first is our body’s normal reaction, since by nature we can never be completely sure about new situations and events.
In a broader sense our brains not only scan for danger, but also in further steps for other clues that influence us from the outset. We decide quite quickly whether we find a person sympathetic or would rather avoid them if we can. Our own experiences and preferences play a major role in this, which I will explain in more detail in the next chapter (on the Descendant).
How do people perceive me?
As mentioned earlier, we are sometimes evaluated very differently than we actually are. You could, for example, have a Leo Ascendant, but all your other planets in Cancer! Then you would probably appear very self-confident and strong on the outside and tend to be trusted with more and bigger tasks by others. However, on the inside you are probably more sensitive and prefer to stay comfortable or hide away all day long. This, of course, is a very simplified example, but should suffice to explain how the Ascendant can work.
Here I would like to emphasize once again that many different aspects come into play when it comes to our appearance. This is only meant to be a small and simplified example to show you how your Ascendant could influence your first impression on others. It should be mentioned again that the first house and planets close to the AC also play an important role and the interpretation will of course differ. As always, it should be noted that an impersonal and generalized statement like this, which describes the general case, is no substitute for a personalized and professional consultation.
Fire: If you have a fire Ascendant, chances are high that others perceive you as confident and independent. You might stand out in a crowd because of your bold fashion and styling choices and the charisma you hold. People like you and are more likely to trust you with bigger tasks or will just naturally assume that you are very sure of yourself. If that is actually the case is a different question. You are funny and don’t mind being the center of attention, people will probably feel a pull towards you. In stressful situations you might tend to burst (look at your Mars here too!) and your straightforwardness can make people think that you are a bit full of yourself. Typical fire features are sharp and pointy, may it be their chin or their gaze. As well as warm undertones and often a lot of voluminous hair.
- a very good example for why you should not only pay attention to the sun sign, especially when it comes to physical appearance, is popstar Rihanna. Her sun falls into the sun Pisces, yet her face seems far from the typical description of that sign – a fiery skin undertone, pointy chin, often a very daring and seductive gaze. Therefore, it didn’t come as a surprise to me when I found out about her Ascendant. These are typical Aries features, and her Ascendant as well as her moon fall into that sign. Here the Venus in Conjunction with the Ascendant is also important. People with this constellation (found in many other celebrities) are often considered objectively beautiful. More examples of the powerful and confident Fire sign Ascendant are Lizzo (Leo ASC) and Elvis Presley (Sag ASC).
Air: If you have an Air Ascendant people probably perceive you as very social and chatty, even a little hectic and frantic at times. You know how to make people like you and therefore have a lot of friends. Air signs tend to get along with everybody because they care a lot about other people’s opinion and therefore have to be really attentive to their surroundings. They are smart and quick witted and are often recognized by being rather tall and slender. When these people are stressed, they might feel the need to flee or rationalize the situation. Because they are always in their head, they can come off as detached and aloof from time to time, yet they are the most social out of all the elements and can’t go a single day without contact to others.
- As I mentioned earlier when talking about Rihanna, a Venus at the Ascendant is often found in especially female celebrities, (Venus being the planet of beauty and femininity) because it is typically associated with being objectively pretty. Obviously, a Libra Ascendant works similarly (Venus ruling the signs Libra and Taurus). For example, Jennifer Lopez or Jennifer Aniston have a Libra Ascendant, Beyoncé a Libra Ascendant with a Venus in Conjunction, as well as a Pluto close, so it is safe to say that her appearance is especially powerful. Angelina Jolie has a Cancer Ascendant, but once again with a Venus in Conjunction. In this case, it is especially interesting since her IC (the Axis point of the roots, the heritage, family and also often symbolic for the name and its meaning and what it stands for) falls into the sign Libra. With her last name meaning ‘pretty’ or ‘beautiful’ in French, this is rather fitting. Whereas Libra Risings are often associated with very feminine features, Gemini Risings (in general signs and people ruled by Mercury) are often easily recognized by how androgynous they look (see Kristen Stewart).
Earth: If you have an Earth Ascendant people will tend to maybe get a bit frustrated because they can’t tell what is on your mind. These people usually seem completely unbothered and calm in every situation, which can make them look disinterested from time to time. These are typically more reserved people, and it can appear quite hard to faze them, but only on the outside. When stressful situations occur, they might shut down because they feel the need to keep a cool head, even if that makes them a bit stubborn and deaf to what others have to say. Especially Virgos and Capricorns like to make a plan or create a routine that will help them get back on track and ease their worried minds. These people are often built with quite a lot of angles and harsh lines. They often have a rather contoured face with very defined bones, therefore also their bodies are usually quite bony or square. They are robust and often you can recognize them by their hard stare.
- Another great example to always consider the whole chart is Timothée Chalamet. He is the perfect example for what a typical Capricorn looks like – very defined cheekbones and jaw, bony, lean and tall. Looking at his chart we will see that his Ascendant actually falls into Virgo. Whilst it is also an earth sign (and it might explain his rather boyish and slender appearance, whereas Capricorns are usually very mature and sophisticated looking signs – like Naomi Campbell) we might still wonder why he has these striking features. We won’t keep wondering for long when we look at his chart – five planets fall into the cardinal earth sign – three of them personal planets and one of them the sun. Therefore, a very dominant sign might heavily influence the physiognomy. More examples for Earth Ascendants are Zac Efron (Capricorn) and Josh Hutcherson (Taurus).
Water: If you have a Water Ascendant, others probably perceive you as sensitive and shy. Maybe people also think that you are more easily influenced than others. This is also because you usually wear you heart on your sleeve and people can easily see when you are sad or upset. In stressful situations you seek comfort, tend to get really emotional and cry it out. (also look at your Moon placement here to see how you handle emotions). These Ascendant signs are hard to pin down. Water is fluid and so are they. They adapt to new people and situations quickly and their appearance will often be a reflection of their mind and their feelings in the moment. Which is also why their entire personality might shine through more noticeably than for the other signs. Yet, in general you have a kind and warming appearance and people will probably trust you more easily with their worries and doubts than others.
- When looking at Water Ascendants we will find a lot of artists, especially with a favor or producing deep and meaningful art that has an surreal and dreamy feel to it. For Scorpio Ascendants in particular, we will recognize their polarizing but deep lyrics, that sometimes can feel a little taboo and their trance-inducing way of singing. Examples are Lana del Rey or Mitski. Nevertheless, they all share a huge sense of creativity. When we think of Pisces Ascendants we might think of sad, dreamy characters that have an especially melancholic vibe to them. For example, Billie Eilish, with her pale skin and droopy eyes that always look a little watery, this might not come as a surprise. Her quirky and energized nature might stem from the many planets in Sagittarius and Aquarius, which might be signs that are associated with her more quickly. When thinking about her recent languid, deep but very softspoken songs, the fact that Whitney Houston shares this Ascendant sign with her might not come as a surprise.
As mentioned earlier, these are only very generalized statements, as the signs within the elements themselves differ greatly from each other. To make an even more accurate statement here, pay attention to the quality of the sign at your AC.
Cardinal signs are particularly more likely to be trusted when it comes to making big decisions. They like to take the lead and therefore often appear very confident. (Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn)
Fixed signs often appear calm and are very difficult to read. Whether intentionally or not. (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius)
Mutable signs are usually very unpredictable and can sometimes confuse their environment with their constant back-and-forth. They are also the most creative of the signs. (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces)
Whether you can identify with these examples right away or not, I think it is important to become aware of how strongly our image of ourselves and the image that others have of us differ or where they may overlap. Just ask a few of your friends what they first thought of you when they met you! Maybe you will be surprised.
This way we can learn to accept and appreciate both sides. Even if we struggle to like all of them at first, it is important to recognize why we have difficulties accepting them and how or to what extent our self-perception differs from them and what this says about us.