The Ascendant is the degree of the ecliptic which is rising over the Eastern horizon at the precise time and place of an individual's birth.The Ascending degree and the Ascendant sign are the starting points in any astrological interpretation.
The Ascendant shows us as who we really are - as opposed to the Sun sign which represents our ego and how we would like to be.
The Ascendant Sign traits are those that emerge only to those closest to us, and who know us really well.
The Ascendant signifies the individual environment and conditioning that a person receives during his/her upbringing, and also the circumstances of their childhood.The ascendant also has a strong bearing on a person's physical appearance and overall health.
The Ascendant is considered to be of great significance in all schools of astrology because it serves as the filter through which everything in a horoscope is expressed. Most astrologers believe that the Rising Sign exerts an influence equal to or more powerful than the Sun and Moon.
Astronomically, the ascendant of a given geographic location at a particular point in time is the angle on the zodiac which is ascending over the Eastern horizon. There are exactly 30 degrees per astrological sign, and because 12 multiplied by 30 equals 360 which is the span of the ecliptic, all twelve signs rise and fall during the course of one 24-hour day. This exact rising degree forms the first house cusp of a horoscope and is therefore said to be of great significance in the interpretation.
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