The human being arising to the world

Italian version

The Ascendant, serving as the germinal point and the first angular house of domification, embodies the awareness of human beings emerging in the world. It represents the ego principle, manifesting itself as the recognition of one’s figure, hence representing the specific way of self-expression in a particular form. It is what we most commonly define as personality and, from the external point of view, physical constitution.

Interestingly, the term “person” probably derives from Etruscan and originally referred to a “theatrical mask”. Later, the term came to denote “an individual of the human species”. This etymology provides a framework for understanding the role of the Ascendant in astrological interpretation. The Ascendant can be seen as the manifestation of an underlying essence that would otherwise remain imperceptible. This essence requires a “mask” or appearance to be made visible. However, our arrival in the world has a dual implication. We appear to ourselves and others, and these two images may not necessarily align.

When we observe our reflected image, whether through a physical mirror or the mind’s eye, we imbue it with meaning based on our egoic nature and formal covering. This composite aspect evaluates itself from a privileged position, smoothing out defects and enhancing merits to support an imaginary ego. The same game is played by other individuals, resulting in a twofold interpretation: either they will comply with a superficial judgment based on what we want to appear, as long as our deception is genuinely effective, or they will attempt to diminish us by exalting their central role. In both cases, a relationship is established between appearances that are challenging to break free from.

If the Ascendant is the physical manifestation of an individual’s appearance, its counterpart, the Sun, represents the Logos or principle of the self. The Sun’s seasonal subdivision into twelve distinct astrological signs provides the energy and tonality an individual uses to weave the weft of their destiny. As the germinal point of earthly manifestation expressed by domification, the Ascendant acts as an adapter of the Sun’s energy for use on the contingent plane. We need to find an agreement that allows for the integration of the Sun’s reference energy model with its earthly expression, the Ascendant, to ensure that the mask does not only serve as protection but also as a living expression of an individual’s interiority. Self-knowledge promotion is an effective way to generate harmony between diversities and to enhance differences, thus integrating them into the social organism. This will require the courage to face the demons lurking within.

Combining the Sun sign and Ascendant can generate 144 patterns. Some are considered more favourable than others, but the idea of positive and negative attributions in astrology is widely debated. Transpersonal astrology believes critical aspects express an energy that can be conveyed in an evolutionary sense. Since the Ascendant represents only part of the forces at play, a reading without considering its solar counterpart would be of minimal value. In general, favourable relations between the Sun and Ascendant (sextile and trine) help harmonise an individual’s primary destiny with their bodily and psychological tools to achieve it. These relations help bring out the inborn ability or spontaneity to carry out tasks reserved by nature for the individual. However, with critical aspects (square and opposition), one may encounter resistance and blocks from the family or social sphere in personal expression (square) and difficulties in being recognised for one’s role in relationships (opposition).

We must now examine the distinction between the Ascendant and the First House. Technically, the Ascendant represents the intersection to the east between the ecliptic and the plane of the local horizon, i.e. the zodiac degree rising at birth. It is a single point where the meaning of the rising zodiac sign manifests itself to the utmost strength. The First House is the longitudinal extension that follows the Ascendant’s cusp and ends at the threshold of the Second House. There can be three cases: the First House remains confined to the sign of the Ascendant, extends to the next sign, or incorporates a sign [1]. In the first case, the development over time of the personality follows the guidelines of the Ascendant sign, firmly adhering to the original traits: the evolution of the individual goes towards the improvement of the characters of the sign, or, in less favourable cases, their symbolic attributes are experienced as defects. In the second case, at a certain degree of their evolution, the individual ‘joins’ to the meanings of the next House and to the sign that hosts its cusp; here, the personality begins to resonate and identify with the environmental values ​​that are the basis of its material development and acquired certainties.

The third and final case is distinct. The zodiac signs inside the cusps are said to be intercepted, representing a silent symbolism that must be acquired for the full integration of personality. Otherwise, the individual’s fundamental values will not be fully developed. When examining the intercepted signs, it is essential to consider the couple present on the Ascending-Descending axis, which will constitute the background polarity on which the native will have to intervene. Take, for instance, the Leo-Aquarius intercepted axis in Houses VII and I. In this scenario, one should act on Leo’s self-centred excesses present in relationships before integrating into the personality the values of altruism, friendship, and intuitive understanding typical of Aquarius. It is essential to note that the interception of the zodiac signs is an aspect that can affect all sectors expressed by domification.

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