New Moon on Monday Astrology

edward hopper

The Ascendant (or Rising Sign) is the very beginning of the chart.  It’s the window that we look out at the rest of the world from.  It colors our perceptions and therefore our reactions and therefore the way that the rest of the world sees us. 

The Sun changes signs every 30 days or so.  The Moon changes signs every two and a half days.  The Ascendant goes through all twelve signs in 24 hours. 

The Ascendant is the sign that is rising in the eastern horizon at the moment of a birth (or event).  If a person is born at sunrise, their Ascendant will be the same as their Sun sign.  If a person is born at sunset, their Ascendant will be in the opposite sign as their Sun. 

The Ascendant is our facade, but that doesn’t make it superficial.  It’s actually one of the very most (if not the most) important points on a chart.  The degree where the Ascendant falls determines where the other 11 houses fall in the chart.  That’s why it’s so important to know what time a person is born.  

Look at the chart below: 

You’ll see the letters AC at the right hand side of the circle, right where 9 would be on a traditional clock.  Those letters stand for Ascendant.  This is the very first point in the chart, where the chart begins. 

Our Sun sign shows what we do, our Moon sign shows what we need to do, and our Ascendant shows how we do it.  Remember, it’s the filter we look through, it has everything to do with how we see things.  

//AL