The Enchanted Tarot

Astrology

Enchantments

Alchemy

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The First House is defined by the Ascendant or Rising Sign
The First House of an astrological horoscope is about YOU. Every twenty-four hours, all 360 degrees of the zodiac (divided into twelve signs of 30 each) rise on the same point in the east where the Sun rises. At the moment of birth, the degree and sign of the zodiac which is rising in the east, the personal 'sunrise', defines the eastern point of the horizontal line of the horoscope. This is known as the 'Rising Sign' or 'Ascendant' (because it is ascending into the sky).

I know that whenever you've looked at a map before, 'east' was always on the right. Well, in astrology that isn't necessarily so. Let's think back to our ancestors, the first astrologers, as they sat under the night sky in the northern hemisphere looking up at the planets and stars. For most of the year, because of the 23½ inclination of the Earth's north/south axis to the plane that the Sun and the other planets travel through (the ecliptic or zodiac), to obtain the best view of the constellations of the zodiac and the positions of the planets that traveled through them , earlier astrologers had to be lying with their feet pointed towards the south.

From this perspective the planets rose from one's left (the east) and set on one's right (the west). Also, because one's feet were pointed south, the Sun was behind the Earth, which was behind one's head which was pointed north. The way we draw horoscope charts is a reminder of the origin of astrology itself!

Anyway, let's recap. The degree and sign of the zodiac that is rising on the horizon at the moment of your birth, as calculated for the place of your birth, is called your Rising Sign or your Ascendant. This rising degree determines the starting position of your First House. I don't want to make this any more complicated, but this is also known as the 'cusp' of your First House. Your First House occupies the first slice of the pizza below your First House cusp/Rising Sign/Ascendant. (These terms are interchangeable because they have the same meaning and I will use them that way to help you become familiar with them.)

The degree of the First House cusp is very important in understanding any horoscope. Its importance is only slightly less than that of the Sun and Moon. The Ascendant (same thing!) symbolizes how we project ourselves into this world. While our Sun sign describes how we look out on the world and our Moon sign describes our emotional patterns and habits, the Rising Sign (that's right!) describes how we appear to others.

It is as if we are each a movie projector. The Sun is the source of light, but the glass of the bulb is colored by the sign of the zodiac that the Sun was in at the moment of birth. The Moon acts as a mirror that concentrates the light, colors it again with the sign that the Moon was in at birth, and then reflects the concentrated light through the projector's colored lens, the Rising Sign.

A person looking casually at this projector will see only the picture emanating from and colored by the Ascendant, its lens, but if they stop and take the time to look inside, they'll see quite a unique and complex system. This is why I smile every time someone asks me if 'a ..... is compatible with a ......' You've got to take the time to look at all the interactions of all the planets in their respective signs and houses and then at how the two charts themselves interact.

Just knowing the characteristics of your Ascendant can help you better understand your interactions with other people. If your Rising Sign is very different from your Sun Sign, knowing your Ascendant will explain why people seem to think you act so differently from the way you think you're acting.

If you're born close to the time of sunrise, then the sign that was on the horizon will be the same as your Sun sign and you will be a 'double' Aries, Taurus or whatever sign you are. You'll find that you're not misunderstood as much (unless you're a Scorpio!) and people will realize quickly that with you, what they see is what they get.

You'll also find that the daily astrology column in the newspaper will have more actual relevance in your life than in those of your friends who aren't themselves 'double' signs.

Now you can see why the First House of an astrological horoscope is about YOU. Only you were born at the exact moment and place of your birth. Even twins are not born at the same moment and they have slightly different charts, although the main factor influencing their differentness is that they are two distinct people experiencing life from two unique vantage points.

So the sign on the cusp of, as well as the planets found in, the First House are associated with your appearance and especially your head and face; your personality; your outlook on the world; your abilities and your actions.

In Astrology, every house is 'ruled by', a planet and a sign of the zodiac with which it shares basic qualities.

The First House is ruled by the planet Mars and the sign Aries.

The North and South Nodes of the Moon		The Seventh House