Rising signs part 2
Sometimes people decide that astrology doesn’t make sense because they know someone who doesn’t act like the description of their sun sign. This kind of judgment is like deciding that it is a waste of time to eat because fast food hamburgers taste bad. Sun sign astrology is like fast food, quick but not a good representation of the real thing.
(image:Zac allan via Wikimedia)
Real astrology does not try to reduce all the millions of people in the world to just 12 zodiac types. Astrologers recognize that individuals are complex mixtures of different sign and planetary influences which can be read in the natal chart. To continue using the food analogy, if you think of each individual as a dish made by mixing multiple astrological “flavors”, then one of the dominant seasonings comes from the rising sign, also known as the Ascendant.
One of the reasons the Ascendant is talked about less than the Sun sign is that to calculate the rising sign, you must know the individual’s exact time of birth. The Ascendant refers to the zodiac sign rising on the horizon when the person entered the world. In terms of astrological significance, it is often compared to a mask the person wears or the front door of a house. However, it influences not just how others see the individual but how she/he organizes a sense of personal identity.
In the previous entry in this blog, we talked about the rising signs of Libra through Pisces. This article looks at Aries through Virgo.
Virgo through Aries Rising
Virgo: You to hold yourself a bit aloof from most other people, often preferring to listen to others rather than confide your own thoughts and feelings. You have a strong consciousness of your body, both in terms of health and your physical needs and desires, which may be slightly unusual. You spend time analyzing matters which others take for granted. You have a finely tuned, Princess and the Pea type of sensibility about how things ought to be.
Leo: You are charismatic, tending to have all eyes upon you when you enter a room. You can be very warm, fun-loving, playful and generous. However, you may also be prone temper tantrums if you feel you are not receiving the respect due to you.
Cancer: You derive happiness from nurturing, whether you apply that to your friends, spouse, children, animals or plants. However, if you perceive someone as a threat, you armor yourself against them and may seek someone to protect you. Emotions and daydreams have the solidity of facts for you. You have a strong need for security.
Gemini: Whatever your hobbies and passions, talking about them matters as much to you as doing them. You have a natural manual dexterity which you tend to take for granted and you wonder why other people are not equally good at doing things with their hands. You have many talents and may have a hard time choosing one to develop into a career.
Taurus: You tend to be very centered and calm and have the ability to make others feel that way. You are capable of hard work and perseverance but you also appreciate the good life and may have tendency to put on weight. You are slow to anger, but can be implacable once aroused.
Aries: Most people need a few cups of coffee before they have as much energy as you do naturally. You dislike people who describe themselves as “laid back” because you believe life is meant to be lived full throttle 24/7. Some people are thrilled by your vibrancy, others react as if you were a radio turned up too loud.
