The Meaning of your Rising Sign
Have you ever wondered what exactly your Ascendant or Rising sign means? Your Ascendant is the exact degree of the zodiac that was rising up over the eastern horizon at the precise moment you were born. The degree changes every few minutes, making your Ascendant the most personal point in your chart. Your Ascendant speaks to your motivation for living and what you strive to be known for. It is the way you react to the physical world and the way you are perceived when first met. The planet that rules your Ascendant tells you what direction your life must take. Aries is ruled by Mars, Taurus by Venus, Gemini by Mercury, Cancer by the Moon, Leo by the Sun, Virgo by Mercury, Libra by Venus, Scorpio by Pluto, Sagittarius by Jupiter, Capricorn by Saturn, Aquarius by Uranus, and Pisces by Jupiter. Your Ascendant ruler is the steersman of the ship that is your life. It guides the way you respond to others and the circumstances in your life.
If your Ascendant is in Aries, Mars is the ruler of your natal chart. Your life’s direction is steered by passion, courage, and aggression. You are known for your ability to tackle difficult circumstances with energy and resilience. You have your own way of doing things, which can be determined by looking at your Mars sign. Take care to only direct your energy towards meaningful pursuits.
If your Ascendant is in Taurus or Libra, Venus is the ruler of your natal chart. Your life’s direction is steered towards the pursuit of love, connection, beauty, and pleasure. Taurus is ruled by Earthly Venus, meaning those pursuits are more material, and Libra by Celestial Venus, making those pursuits more idealistic. Your Venus sign will tell you the style you use to direct your life. You are known for being creative, gifted in the arts, and able to create harmony around you.
If your Ascendant is in Gemini or Virgo, Mercury is the ruler of your natal chart. Your life’s direction is geared toward being able to communicate, learn, distribute, facilitate, and deliver the information most important to you. Your Mercury sign tells you the way you do so. You are known for being intelligent, knowledgeable, and proficient. You shine by being a student and teacher of many different subjects and must remember to communicate with the world ideas that make you feel alive.
If your Ascendant is in Cancer, the Moon is the ruler of your natal chart. Your life’s direction is geared toward being able to reflect, emote, care, build bonds, and find ways to embody the power of your life’s purpose in all that you do. You are known for being sensitive, empathic, intuitive, and loving towards your friends and family. Your Moon sign tells you the ways you care for others. You have a terrific memory, but take care not to hold grudges by taking things too personally.
If your Ascendant is in Leo, the Sun is the ruler of your natal chart. Your life’s direction is geared towards love, laughter, and play. The world is the audience to the extravagant and dramatic performance that is your life. You have the ability to turn any situation into a comedy or a tragedy. You are known for being playful, spontaneous, and creative. Your pride is a virtue, but remember not to become too self-absorbed.
If your Ascendant is in Scorpio, Mars is the traditional ruler of your natal chart and Pluto the modern. Your life’s direction is geared toward exploring unknown territory and delving into the depths of your subconscious mind. You are motivated to get to the truth by tapping into immense reserves of emotional strength. You are known for being strategic, patient, perceptive, resilient, and powerful. You have a sexual magnetism that draws others to you. Remember that you respect your strength by allowing yourself to be vulnerable and only directing your energy towards meaningful pursuits.
If your Ascendant is in Sagittarius, Jupiter is the ruler of your natal chart. Your life’s direction is geared towards knowledge, inspiration, faith, and teaching. You are known for being creative, inspired, and optimistic. You are naturally lucky and will find an abundance of intuitive blessings in your life, just remember to listen to them, trust your visions, and only pursue experiences that involve learning about yourself and the world.
If your Ascendant is in Capricorn, Saturn is the ruler of your natal chart. Your life’s direction is geared towards responsibility and accomplishment. You are known for being self-restrained, hard-working, autonomous, and reliable. Like the mountain goat, you can scale incredible heights along impossible impasses to reach the top while tapping into immense reserves of emotional strength and wisdom. The placement of Saturn in your natal chart tells you the style you adopt when pursuing goals. The most important lesson for you to learn is how to remain kind to yourself amidst any challenge.
If your Ascendant is in Aquarius, Saturn is the traditional ruler of your natal chart and Uranus the modern. Your life’s direction is geared towards breaking free from the herd. You are known for your ability to understand the systems you live within and to innovate them for the betterment of all involved. You are unafraid to stand out and break rules. You are known for your clarity, certainty, and thoughtfulness. Like the water bearer who pours water representing truth into the earth, your life purpose involves sharing your truth with the world. Just remember not to become emotionally distant from others, as finding your truth requires bringing together thought and emotion.
If your Ascendant is in Pisces, Jupiter is the traditional ruler of your natal chart and Neptune the modern. Your life’s direction is geared toward sensitivity, compassion, creativity, and imagination. You are gifted with the ability to erode harshness whether in people, places, or boundaries like waves on rocks. You are constantly intuiting the emotional experiences of others and have a healing effect on others. Just remember to remain grounded and honour your own needs.
Your Ascendant is one of the three most important points in your natal chart, next to your Sun and Moon signs. Understanding its placement will help you better understand what drives you to live each day and how you navigate the unexpected surprises thrown your way.
