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The
Ascendant, ASC, or Rising Sign is often called
the mask that one wears, with the attendant
idea that the Rising Sign can block the qualities
of the Sun and Moon, which are more authentic.
I basically agree with this, but with one
addition. It is true that one's Ascendant
does not run as deep as one's Sun and Moon,
and one's ASC should not inhibit the expression
of one's Sun and Moon, but the ASC does have
some deep roots, and is more like one's face
than one's mask. The Ascendant is fundamental
and vital to one's psychology, and one must
integrate it positively into one's personality,
as well as one's entire being. One's face
is not the core of one's being, but it cannot
be taken off like a mask. The Midheaven,
or MC is more
like a mask that can put on and removed.
The Ascendant, ASC, or Rising Sign, is
the degree of the zodiac sign that was
rising on the Eastern horizon at the time
of one's first breath. As if the
soul comes in and immediately looks to
the East to determine who it is, the Rising
Sign indicates a predominant quality of
personality. The Rising Sign is known
for influencing the physical characteristics
of one's face and body (as well as the
Sun in Moon, in at least my opinion), symbolizing
that it is the "face" which one automatically
wears, regardless of whether this is similar
or dissimilar to other aspects of oneself.
As such the ASC is very automatic, or unconscious.
But the ASC is also a very, very conscious
part of oneself. It is conscious
in that it shows who one thinks one is,
as one tends to be very identified with
and consciously proud of one's rising sign
and/or the values and qualities of one's
rising sign. One then uses one's Ascendant
in relationships to put forward one's self,
saying to others, 'This is who I am.' As
such, it is a basic way of relating to
people initially, but also long-term as
well because the ASC is not purely superficial.
Some of the best soul-purpose detective
work in astrology can be done by probing
into the qualities of the Rising Sign,
and determining why the soul has chosen
to walk this path in this life. Which of
these qualities might the soul want to
gain from this life, and why? To me, the
Ascendant is a very significant and deliberate
choice on the part of the soul, and much
can be learned about the spiritual intention
of a lifetime through studying the Ascendant.
The Rising Sign, being the cusp of the
first house, has an affinity with the astrological
letter one. Our self discovery (first
house) first follows the path of our Rising
Sign. Our self-expression and self-projection
(Mars) are heavily colored by our Rising
Sign. And the Rising Sign is very
instinctual, automatic, un-self-conscious,
and subjective (Aries).
To study your Ascendant, go through the
first section of the tutorial (Using
parts 1 & 2 of the Course/Tutorial
Together) and consider the following
things about your Rising sign (or the astrological
letter corresponding to that sign):
I recommend going through the list twice:
1) On the first reading, think about how
this is the path that you consciously and
unconsciously walk in life. Realize how,
in always seeing reality through the perspective
and values of your Rising Sign, you have
a very subjective view of the world, a
particular view which is only shared by
1/12 of the population. Think about how
you project these qualities out towards
others.
2) On the second reading, think about the
positive qualities there are to gain from
this sign. By having this Rising
Sign for an entire lifetime, you have an
opportunity to experience these qualities
and bring them into a fully integrated
realization of yourself. You might even
say that these qualities then become a
part
of your soul.
Begin
here
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