What Is an Ascendant – Rising Sign?
The Ascendant is the second most important feature in a horoscope
The Ascendant (abbreviation AC) is the sign of the zodiac that rises on the eastern horizon at the time of a person's birth , or more precisely: the intersection of the eastern horizon with the ecliptic. Due to the earth's axis movement, this sign changes approximately every two hours . Within 24 hours, the entire zodiac is passed through. Therefore, not only the exact place of birth but also the time of birth is needed to calculate the personal Ascendant.
Term Origin
The term ascendant can be derived from the Latin word "ascendere ". This means "to ascend ".
Therefore, the Ascendant is an essential point in the individual horoscope interpretation . Especially in connection with the sun sign, interesting statements can be made about the respective person.
Video: 10 things about the ascendant
In the video, you will find a short overview of the most important things about the Ascendant.
Video with music. If you click on the bottom right, you can enlarge it.
While the sun sign describes the ego, one's thinking, and personality, the ascendant stands for a person's reaction to his environment and fellow human beings. It says something about how a person affects his environment on the one hand and how he is perceived and seen by other people on the other.
The Ascendant symbolizes the abilities and potentials of a person and how they react to the outside world and deal with certain situations based on these qualities.
What Is a Descendant?
The Descendant is the zodiac sign that sets on the western horizon at birth
On the horizon axis, exactly opposite the Ascendant opposite, lies the Descendant (abbreviation DC). It is the sign of the zodiac that sets on the western horizon (the intersection of the western horizon with the ecliptic) at the time of a person's birth.
In contrast to the Ascendant , which describes our dispositions and shows how we react intuitively to situations, the Descendant rather describes what a person does not have, what he or she lacks. It shows how a person has to deal with things in everyday life that are too much for them because of their dispositions in the Ascendant. The Descendant symbolizes what the person still has to learn or how one's own potential can be better used.
The word descendant has its origin in the Latin language. It comes from the term "descendere ", which means "to descend " in English.
The descendant thus stands for the outside and the influences that affect and challenge a person. It can also become a projection surface for things that the respective person does not live out or would like to live out.
It is often described as a 'you point' in the horoscope.
It is particularly interesting to look at the Descendant within a partner's horoscope. It shows how one perceives one's counterpart, especially one's partner, how one deals with him, and what he still has to learn with regard to a happy partnership.
The Ascendant and Your Love Luck
It is, after all, one of the big questions that we are always asking ourselves: What expectations do I have of my partner, and who is really a good match for me? Astrology, or more precisely, the knowledge of one's ascendant, can help us here. Because if you know your ascendant, you also know your descendant. And this shows what qualities we expect from our partner.
The Descendant is exactly opposite the Ascendant, it is, so to speak, our "you" point in the horoscope. For example, if our Descendant is Cancer, a person with Cancer characteristics will make us happy. This doesn't necessarily have to be the zodiac sign Cancer; they can have Cancer traits in their moon sign, ascendant or similar.
In our article about the Ascendant and love, you can learn everything about your dream partner.
Rising Sign (Ascendant) FAQ
Calculate your ascendant - I don't know the time of birth!
Often the time of birth is written on the baptismal certificate, in the mother-child passport, or in the birth certificate. But if you can't ask your mother or she doesn't remember, then you have a problem. If an astrologer cannot find out the time, he usually takes noon as the time for the horoscope creation. But this does not help in the calculation because it changes every two hours. If you have no other option, you click through all 12 and see if one fits particularly well - or which is the closest choice. (A friend should also check the self-assessment... maybe he has an entirely different view).
I don't know the place of birth!
The place is also crucial, as is time. However, it is not so important if you know exactly where you were born. A few miles up or down do not change the result substantially. (Unless you were born exactly on the border of a time zone, you need to know exactly).
What is a house in astrology?
The "houses," also called "fields," divide the horoscope into twelve sections. Each house can be assigned a sign of the zodiac. In astrology, character predispositions are symbolized by the relationship of the planets to each other. The houses refer to the view from the earth.
Due to the earth's rotation, once in 24 hours, different projection images of the zodiac signs are obtained at other times. This projection of the zodiac signs onto the earth is captured by the houses. Accordingly, the apex of the first house is the rising point, the ascendant. The ascendant sign can be any of the twelve zodiac signs - depending on the time and place of birth.
I have another question!
We welcome feedback! You can either leave a comment or email us at [email protected].
Why is our ascendant calculator so good?
- Our calculations are correct ! Other ascendant calculators have problems considering, e.g., the daylight saving time and the time zone correctly, which can lead to a wrong result easily.
- Any location is possible - worldwide. In our international database are (pretty much) all places. Other calculators have, e.g., problems with places outside the USA. Or they have problems if the location name contains special characters like umlauts and similar.
- We calculate not only the ascendant but also the zodiac sign, the moon sign, or the complete birth chart for free.
- We offer help on frequently asked questions
- Visitors can ask us questions.
- The calculator is mobile-friendly.
You can contact us by e-mail if you have questions or suggestions for improvement: [email protected].
