Ascendant in Vedic Astrology- A Guide to your Rising Sign

Hello Everyone! 

Hope you all are in the best of health and in high spirits. Today's post is all about your Ascendant i.e. The Rising star.

It gives me immense happiness to observe that this topic has not only gathered people's interest but also invoke in them the curiosity and eagerness to know more about it when it comes to comparing it with other dimensions of astrology such as Sun signs, moon signs, etc. Such that people are going beyond the superfluous zodiac signs and are keen to explore varied strata of astrology.

As I have already discussed in my previous blogs about different houses in Vedic Astrology in which I have mentioned about 12 houses in the natal chart and their respective significance. These 12 houses are considered a record of our entire life which I have already mentioned in my previous blogs. Out of these 12 houses, the house which holds the highest significance in one's life is the first house which is known as the Ascendant, the Rising sign or star, the Lagna. It represents the physical attributes of the person, overall physique, health, early life, childhood, character, complexion, vices, virtues, willpower, age, nature, basic inclination and approach towards different aspects of life, strengths, weaknesses, likes, and dislikes.

So what is ascendant and how to locate it in your birth chart?

At the time of our birth, the sign which rises at the easternmost horizon in that place is what is considered the Ascendant or the rising sign for the native. It is the astrological degree of the sign that ascends on the eastern horizon at a specific time and location of birth. Therefore the exact time and place of birth of the native are of utmost importance when calculating the ascendant and other planetary considerations of the concerned person. The Ascendant takes almost two and a half hours to move to the subsequent sign, hence it shows the specific personality trait which is specific to the person in the specific ascendant in a given social setting. 

Now as discussed in the previous blogs the sign in which the sun sits in the natal chart is considered our Vedic Sun sign. And same goes for the Moon sign as well (we will be discussing it in future blogs). While this phenomenon can happen in any house out of the 12 houses of a natal chart. But when we talk about the Ascendant, it is the constant that always occupies the first house. The Ascendant never shifts to subsequent houses, it always remains the first house occupant. 

The Ascendant, as well as the Ascendant Lord (planet ruling the sign), are considered important areas of analysis for the astrologers as it unfolds many key features of the natal chart and about the person in specific. It is an outer shield or mask of the person that is perceived by the world. It is the first impression one leaves on others. It is the amalgamation of both the inner and outer self of the person where one naturally and innately exhibits certain traits that become the personality of the person for the world to know and perceive. It is the spontaneous reaction we exhibit in a given situation. It is our outward style and approach towards different events and situations. This is how we deal in our day-to-day affairs.

Now let us quickly take an example of how to calculate the ascendant in a given birth chart.

In this image, as can be appreciated, the first house i.e. the center topmost house has no. #2 sign. Now as we all know that no. #2 stands for Taurus zodiac sign in astrology. This means that the Ascendant for this natal chart is Taurus and the ascendant lord is Venus( planetary lordship has already been discussed in the previous post). Consequently, the person appears to have a pleasing face, is affectionate, resourceful, self-indulgent, stubborn, and loves spending time in luxurious, serene, and beautiful surroundings. 

Likewise, every ascendant has its own traits and certain characteristics which make each one different and unique in its own sense. ( we shall be discussing each ascendant in future blogs ).

So guys that is it for today's post.

Take Care.

Live, Love, Laugh!!