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This series of essays that I have contributed to the fine Meta Arts website have clearly been designed to assist the holistic Meta-helper use strong points of astrology without having well-studied, thorough knowledge of astrology. -And I think we've done a pretty good job with it all! I've enjoyed the process of creating the techniques that will help you help others, starting rich conversations about development, salient concerns, etc.
There's yet another concept that you can incorporate into your awareness: Determing The Ascendant. The Ascendant is the computed degree of the Sign that is coming up over the horizon at the moment of birth, from the vantage point of where the birth takes place. -This is why the birthplace is so important in astrology: it determines the Ascendant.
The Ascendant is like the slap on the fanny the doctor gives the newborn baby! It is an impulse to breathe in and then to breathe out; it establishes a give-and-take with the rest of the world. The Ascendant combines with the all-important Sun and Moon positions (which we covered early on in this series), and the trio of measurements says much of who we are, what our image is for the world. The Sun is the energy we use to live, the Moon is the focus of the reigning Need that drives our behaviors, and the Ascendant is the image we beam out to others. The Ascendant can be articulate loosely as if a "second Sun" were in the Sign.
For example: Hillary Clinton as her Sun in Scorpio, her Moon in Pisces (the ephemeris tells you that) and her Ascendant in Scorpio as well (we'll see below how to determine this). This is a double dose of Scorpio: high energies with a keen focus on the control of others and the reorganizing her environment, all issuing from a tremendous need to see her idealistic sensitivities fulfilled.
He husband, Bill Clinton, has the Sun in Leo, the Moon in Taurus, and the Ascendant in Libra: tremendous energy for "kingmanship" to fulfill the idealized structures he sees as needed, and to focus all this through a persuasive societal projection (narcissism) of how great he is. And, of course, this can operate on the mega-population level or on the intimate plane of one-on-one relationships.
Princess Diana had the Sun in Cancer (enormous emotional security energies), the Moon in Aquarius (the need to help others and be unique), and the Ascendant in Sagittarius (the portrayal of ethical, enthusiastic, international, even philosophical rightness). Jackie Kennedy-Onassis had the Sun in Leo (Queen complex energies), the Moon in Aries (the over-riding need to be numero uno) and the Ascendant in Scorpio (to control her destiny, to hide her aggression, to refurbish her environment the way she saw fit; to manipulate others).
With any of these people -or any of the people you meet in your practice of helping, a discussion of these trio measurements leads into rich conversation. Punctuated with observations made through techniques already covered in this series, the appreciation of individuality is enormous, and some problematic concerns are invariably voiced in consultation discussion.
Determining the Ascendant Sign without a computer
There are twelve Signs, and twenty-four hours in the day. Each sign coming over the horizon at the place of birth will require about two hours to do so. In other words, at the latitudes of the United States, generally speaking, each sign spends two hours at the Ascendant.
Now, picture this in your mind's eye or, better, on a piece of paper: picture a circle, a clock dial with twelve equal portions marked off on the circumference. It's a pizza cut straight up and down, directly across, and two diagonal cuts straight through the center in two of the quadrants. Twelve pieces!
Now in your mind's eye or on paper, label the "point" directly to the left as 6:00 AM. This line crossing your clock dial from that point, toward the right, is the horizon. The 6:00 AM point connects far to the right, directly opposite, with 6:00 PM. This is Sunrise and Sunset.
At the very top of the dial, put 12:00 Noon, and directly below the noon mark, put 12:00 Midnight. So, you've got a perfect cross on the dial: (going clockwise up from the left) Sunrise, Noontime, Sunset, and then Midnight.
Clearly you can fill in the remaining marks: 8:00 AM and 10 AM ascending from Sunrise to Noon, 2:00 PM and 4:00 PM descending from Noon to Sunset, etc.
There's your clock, with marks all the way 'round at equal 2-hour intervals!
The Signs The twelve signs are always, always, always in this order -you probably know this, but you need to know it thoroughly in order, and that's all there will be to this: Aries ('), Taurus ('), Gemini ("), Cancer ("), Leo (o), Virgo, -), Libra (-), Scorpio (&Mac247;), Sagittarius (™), Capricorn (x), Aquarius (&Mac221;), Pisces (œ).
At a person's birth, depending on the time of birth, one of the time-mark sectors on the clock dial will be "clicked." For example, Bill Clinton was born at 8:51 AM. The sector for 8-10 PM will be clicked AT THE 10-MARK.
This is very important: AT THE 10-MARK. -Here's why, the only trick in this process: the signs are read going counter-clockwise. So, you have Noon to 10 am beginning at the top; then you have 10 AM to 8:00 Am descending to the horizon; then you have 8:00 AM to 6:00AM going still further down, all in counter-clockwise motion.
Clinton's birth time falls into the 8-10 sector, so you mark the 10-Mark point, labeling that area that includes the birth time.
Clinton was born August 19: his Sun is in LEO. Put Leo on the 10-Mark point and then think 'the next sign is Virgo, descending to the next mark before the horizon, and the next Sign is Libra, AT THE ASCENDANT.' -Clinton has a Libra Ascendant!!!!!
This takes a lot of words, but it is extremely simple: you must know the order of the signs, click off the correct birth-time mark, and know the Signs go counter-clockwise around the wheel. Your goal is to determine the sign at the 6:00 AM mark, THE ASCENDANT, from whatever time are the birth occurred.
Try this one: Johnny Carson was born on October 23, a Libran. He was born at 7:15 AM, just after Sunrise, obviously, so you market the point just rising above the horizon (clockwise), the 8 AM mark. [His birth occurred between 8:00 AM and 6:00 AM). So, if Libra is on the point marked there at 8:00 AM, his Ascendant, going counter-clockwise, is going to be in the Sign of Scorpio! --This would add a mysterious, obstinate, controlling dimension to his pleasant social energy and his Moon-in-Capricorn, making-things-happen, ambition need-drive.
Madonna is a Leo born at 7:05 Am. Immediately you know that the next sign is her Ascendant (going counterclockwise): Virgo.
Richard Nixon was born a Capricorn at 9:30 PM. Put Capricorn on the time-mark at 10:00 PM (remember, that mark is for the period 10 PM to 8:00 PM, containing the birth time). Figure out the Sign eight Signs away (16 hours): Virgo on the Ascendant! [There's a short-cut here if you know your Signs thoroughly: the sign opposite Capricorn is Cancer, i.e., Cancer is the mark at 10:00 AM. Then two signs further to the horizon counter-clockwise is Virgo!]
Now, this generality has some flaws in it that are caused by the curvature of the earth and some other technical considerations [only a computer can calculate it exactly]. But it's either one Sign or the one right next to it. Remember that and employ some common sense: with experience and with what you already know, you can tell an Aries Ascendant from a Taurus Ascendant, certainly! The Aries Ascendant has a flushed, energy-driven look about it, even a pointed chin (John D. Rockefeller, Barbra Streisand). The Taurus will be imperturbable and have the squarish muscular frame of the bull (Mubarak of Egypt, Dan Rather). -The Ascendant very often is reflected in a person's build, and flavors the Sun-Moon mix with dimensions similar to having the Sun in the sign of the Ascendant.
The Gemini Ascendant will normally be wiry, talkative, nervous (Michael Jackson, Michael Caine, Tony Blair of England). The Cancer, roundish of face, emotionally deeply sensitive to security concerns, fleshy (Robert Hand, Arnold Schwarzenegger). Leo, a mane of hair, a sense of self-importance and self-drama (Marilyn Monroe, Norman Schwarzkopf, Picasso). Virgo, features tight together, a beady sightline that cares about dotting i's and crossing t's, a sense of discrimination (the Vatican, G. W. Bush, Warren Beatty).
Libra will have that socially pleasant smooth look, being publicly pleasing (Clinton, J.F.K., DiCaprio, Jimmy Carter, Denzel Washington). Scorpio, a hirsuteness, a darkish mien, controlling things (Jackie Kennedy, Chelsea Clinton). Sagittarius, the long lanky, outdoorsy look, interests in opinions and ethics (Princess Diana, Arsenio Hall, Tom Brokaw).
Capricorn, an oblong face, an underlying sadness, the business sharpie (Jane Fonda, Lucille Ball, Dustin Hoffman, Queen Elizabeth II). Aquarius, reddish flush, idiosyncratic and pushy, ready-for innovation (Chirac of France, Jay Leno). And Pisces, soft of eye, the dreamy sensitivity (Jim Bakker, the evangelist).
Please work with this a bit. It becomes 'catchy' dinner-table talk, ingratiating airplane chatter, and support for serious discussion for the Meta-helper!
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