Your Ascendant

Alternatively, you could go to the Internet, as described in Chapter 2. That s the fastest, cheapest, and most reliable way to get an accurate birth chart. If going online isn t an immediate possibility, 1 recommend that you abandon the search for precision, at least temporarily, and make an educated guess. 

The Ascendant describes the surface of your personality. It s your image, your persona, your mask, your vibe. Or think of it this way Your rising sign is 

Regardless of your Sun sign, your ruler is Mars, the warrior planet. Its location by sign and by house (as well as the aspects it makes to other planets) describes your energy level and the nature of your desires. 

That made my I coude nought withdrawe My chambre of Venus from a good felawe. 

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Without an accurate birth time, you can never know what your Ascendant is (see Chapter 11 for more about Ascendants). You won t have trustworthy house placements for your planets. You may not even know your Moon sign because it changes signs every two or three days. Without an accurate birth time, interpreting your chart correctly will be challenging. And predicting the future will be close to impossible. 

Locating your planets Guestimating your Ascendant Discovering your houses Putting it all together to get your birth chart... 

The simplest system — well, actually the second simplest — was invented by Ptolemy almost 2,000 years ago. It s called the equal house system because it assumes that all the houses are the same size. In this system, if your Ascendant is 12°26 Leo (like Johnny Depp s), you have 12°26 Virgo onthe cusp ofthe second... 

Putting together a basic birth chart involves these steps Looking up the planets, figuring out your Ascendant, making the wheel of the horoscope, and placing the planets on the wheel. After that, you re ready for the true art of astrology interpretation. 

It occupies an angle — that is, it s in the first, fourth, seventh, or tenth house of your chart. It s especially powerful if it s within approximately 8° of your Ascendant or Midheaven. (See Chapter 11 for more on Ascendants and Midheavens.)... 

It makes a number of close aspects to other planets and, in particular, to the Sun, the Moon, or the planet that rules your Ascendant. 

Determining your rising sign p- Analyzing your Ascendant Considering your Descendant Discovering your Midheaven and I.C. 

A less powerful point than your Ascendant, the Descendant determines the approach you take toward marriage and partnerships. It describes the nature of those relationships in your life, and it indicates the kind of person you re likely to fall for. What s your type Your Descendant provides the answer ... 

If you have an accurate copy of your birth chart, you can find your Midheaven on or near the cusp of the tenth house at the twelve o clock spot. If you re using the material in this book to determine your Ascendant (see Chapter 3), assume that your Midheaven is in the same sign that appears on the cusp of the tenth house. Either way, your I.C. is directly opposite the M.C., at or near the lowest point of your chart. 

A quick glance at your horoscope provides an easy entry into interpretation — and all you have to do is count. First locate the horizon line in your chart — the line running from the Ascendant to the Descendant, as shown in Figure 14-1. (Turn to Chapter 11 for more on your Ascendant and Descendant.) If a large majority of your planets — seven or more — are above the horizon, you re an extrovert who looks to the external world for recognition and endorsement. 

After mulling over the large patterns of hemispheric division and overall design in your chart, you re ready to assess the signs and planets according to element and mode. Begin by counting the planets in each element (fire, earth, air, and water) and in each mode (cardinal, fixed, and mutable). Table 14-1 shows you which is which. If you know the time of your birth, include your Ascendant and Midheaven for a total of 12 distinct components. 

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