the ascendant and descendant
aries on the ascendant makes for a powerhouse of a native; they are feisty, straightforward and motivated. there is a sharpness to them, when it comes to their minds, tongues and even behaviours. they’re fast-paced and sometimes quite impatient, which can make them seem rude at times. aries risings are never intentionally rude, but their quick-wittedness mixed with their tendency to act before thinking can mean they come across pretty badly. aries risings have an interesting dichotomy to them, in that they are both extraordinarily motivated, driven and passionate, and very easily bored and disenchanted. they can pursue a project with unstoppable force, then just abruptly quit when it no longers serves them. with aries on the ascendant, their libra descendant has them searching for balance, peace of mind, reflection. aries risings are fiercely independent and driven, but they can lack patience and sticking power, losing interest and motivation quickly. they sometimes need a cheerleader, a supportive figure to encourage them and help them over the hurdles. it’s partnership that aries risings need, more than anything; an equal, someone who won’t hold them back but won’t just sit by and watch them go up in flames. aries risings do beautifully alone, but they can sometimes fall into thinking that they’re better off that way, that they aren’t able to deal with people, or love, or even family at times. but we all need connection in life, it’s just part of being human. the right people aren’t always easy, but they aren’t the explosive, uncertain bond that the native might be used to, either; they’re worth the fight to find a sense of calm that might feel quite foreign to aries rising. not every conflict has to escalate, and not every peaceful moment has to be empty or dull.
taurus on the ascendant brings an air of grace to the native; they are stoic, grounded and really quite charming. they aren’t the most social, despite being ruled by venus; taurus risings embody a different side of the planet of love. they are happiest at home, with their hands in the dirt or in dough. they love to pamper and be pampered, and love high-quality items that will last the test of time. they are romantic in an elegant, cool and nurturing way, and one of the most beautiful things a taurus rising does is hold space for their loved ones. it makes sense then, especially given that the natives have scorpio on the descendant, that in a partner they need to be able to share parts of themselves, and be shared with too. they can’t have a relationship where they give but don’t receive in return, it just doesn’t work that way for the native; there’s no intimacy without trust and exchange when it comes to taurus rising. in a sense, they are very similar to plutonians in relationships; trust, balance and intimacy are incredibly important to them, but they tend to be more reserved and calm than plutonians. taurus risings tend to be cool, whether that is through self-assuredness or stubbornness.
with gemini on the ascendant, the native is impish, restless and cerebral. they are very curious, whose minds are always whirring away in the background, making for a seemingly-scatterbrained individual at times. they are clever and intellectual, but can lack focus and discipline, flitting from one interest to another without really gaining ground with any one topic. gemini risings can be quite nervous sometimes, and are prone to anxiety and insomnia. they really struggle to be mindful, to rest. that being said, their energy is infectious, and they have a playful nature that can lighten the hearts of those around them. a real thinker, and overthinker, gemini risings are funny as well as fun, with a good sense of humour and a way with words. they have a tendency, like aries risings, to speak before they think, which can lead to being misunderstood easily; but they are quick to try and make amends when they realise they’ve hurt feelings. as a gemini ascendant, the native has sagittarius on the descendant, and so we see that they need focus, wisdom, devotion. while gemini wants to know something about everything, sagittarius wants to know everything about something. gemini has the intelligence, the energy, the curiosity and passion, but they lack certain skills for “staying power”; prioritising, discipline, patience, focus. they need someone to anchor and ground them, to support them through their journey, wherever it may take them; someone who won’t drag them down, as the native is sensitive and easily hurt at times, but someone who will help the native learn to pace themselves better. they need a mentor, in a sense, to help them figure themselves and the world out, and their place in it.
cancer on the ascendant makes for a guarded and sensitive individual. highly-attuned to the world around them, they are receptive and reflective. they aren't quick to act, despite being a cardinal sign; they are very protective of themselves and their loved ones, and so take their time more than their fellow cardinal signs. people gravitate towards the familiar, warm vibes they give off, often building intimacy much faster than the native. they are sensitive but not necessarily soft, owning razor-sharp tongues, a brilliant and almost-photographic memory, and a defensive nature. the native is maternal and compassionate, prone to melancholy and attacks of nostalgia. with their descendant being in capricorn, cancer risings seek out security, comfort and familiarity. they are happiest in a nurturing role, and look for more authoritarian types in partners. this isn't to say the native is a push over; in fact, they often grew up having to be a mother figure, and so they now just want a break from managing everything. they want a partner who will look after them and provide a safe and stable life. cancer risings, when they find their match, give selflessly and happily, and finally show their softer side.
leo on the ascendant brings power and grace to the native. they are often, ironically, a little clumsy with their words, being quite impulsive. but they mean well, and have an infectious enthusiasm for life that draws people to them like the sun in winter. leo risings are strong-willed, energetic, generous and creative. they can be hotheaded and a little jealous, especially when it comes to love. they can sometimes be quite dependant on external validation, but over time, they will learn to validate themselves and not rely on others to an unhealthy degree. there is a brightness to the native; they are often more intelligent than they first seem, they can apply themselves to almost anything, and are happiest when they feel great at something, and so are hardworking. when it comes to love, their aquarius descendant often won't settle for something dull or ordinary; they need a person who ignites the spark within, someone a little unconventional and a little intriguing. they love to feel part of something bigger than themselves, and their partner may introduce them to a community very different to their own. the native can be hot and cold in love, and crushes come and go, but true love is forever, and leo risings treat their lovers like royalty.
with virgo on the ascendant, the native is alert, sensitive and dedicated. they are highly-attuned to their environment and take stress very hard, in the form of somatic illness. virgo risings are often quite controlling of the people and things around them, which, at its best, makes for a good manager or leader; someone who can multitask and doesn’t neglect the details, someone caring yet professional. at its worst, this tendency to control can make virgo risings overly critical, tense, fatigued and irritable. they can lose the big picture for the details at times, and stepping back is a skill that takes time for them to learn. perfectionism runs deep with this placement, and they are highly self-conscious, veering into self-critical at times. with virgo on the ascendant, pisces is on the descendant, indicating that the native craves spontaneity and to be able to let go, to love without overthinking, essentially, to get out of their own heads and experience the world without worrying quite so much about what could go wrong without them there to fix it. virgo is a very loving placement, often being associated with ceres. but they aren’t really the romantic sort, and don’t go for big gestures. they will remember everything about their lover, will take care of them, will work their hands to the bone for them. they are highly dedicated, and really, devoted, though the native doesn’t always see it that way. deep down, virgo risings want to be taken care of the way they do the people in their life.
libra on the ascendant makes for a dark horse of a native. they are reflective, disarming and elegant. they love romance, and appreciate beauty in all its forms, often being quite artistic and cultured. they are cerebral and witty, and make for great conversationalists. they are generous and giving, a little flirty, and can be quite spontaneous (depending on the rest of the chart). there's a sense of looking in the mirror when you're with them; they rarely show you their true selves, and tend to reflect you back at yourself instead. this makes them very attractive, with an air of mystery about them and a pull toward unveiling what's underneath. the native can struggle with their own identity at times, as their reflective nature isn't a deliberate thing; it's a natural defence of theirs, and they can get lost in all the versions of themselves. their worst nightmare is having to combine different groups of loved ones, as sometimes the masks they wear don't mesh. in a partner, their aries descendant puts its foot down and tells them enough! it's time to be appreciated for who they are, not the version of themselves their loved ones think they see. libra risings need a partner that grounds them, lets them explore themselves without judgement or containment, sees past themselves and really meets the native where they're at.
scorpio on the ascendant brings fire and water to the native. they are intense, moody and guarded, but equally, they are steady, tender and open-handed. they put on a stern front to protect themselves, being owners of water sign sensitivity. they take a long time to warm up to people, and keep their circle small, preferring to be alone than to spend their precious time with people who don't keep them interested. they can be quite intense, especially when hurting, and aren't the easiest people to get to know. the natives are acutely aware and connected to the darker side of life, and can be melancholic and brooding at times. what they need is someone to help them step back into the here and now, and this is where we can clearly see their taurus descendant. these natives need stability and intimacy, trust and a steadfast person. scorpio risings can be tumultuous and chaotic, get stuck in morbid thought patterns and feel trapped and alone; they need a partner who can help bring some lightness and security to their lives, someone they can share these darker sides of themselves with. scorpio risings thrive on intimacy and connection, on sharing and being vulnerable. and they need a person who can prove their worth, and who can handle the intensity of the native. someone who won't be scared away, someone who loves them regardless.
with sagittarius on the ascendant, the native is explorative, devoted and witty. they are often quite big characters, with the ability to befriend almost anyone. opinionated but not without reason, sagittarius risings aren’t as hotheaded as other fire ascendants; they are less impulsive and tend to have a longer fuse, in general. there’s an interesting juxtaposition with sagittarius risings; they are silly, energetic, social and fun loving, while also being reflective, wise, escapist and studious. seeing both rulers of sagittarius - jupiter and neptune - work in tandem like this is intriguing, and displays beautifully the multitudes this placement contains within. the native is often a seeker of some kind, going on their journey with some concept in mind. they can be idealistic and escapist, fantasising about something more; they often find that religion, spirituality, travel or even academia are a deeply meaningful and transformative part of life for them. the native has the descendant in gemini, which means that in a partner, they look for people who are able to keep up. they want a partner who can be spontaneous, who can carry on the banter, who can woo the native a little bit. they need people in their lives who they can learn from, and who will learn from the native. sagittarius risings aren't as innocent as their descendant, but sometimes they neglect their love lives until later in life, and so they want to experience the things they didn't do earlier, and have those firsts. their partner needs to be okay with the fact that the native may have gone about life in an unorthodox manner, and might have done things in the "wrong" order. they need to be loved unconditionally and can't be held down or back in any way.
capricorn on the ascendant makes for an individual on a mission. they are studious, determined, driven. they can come across as cold and calculating, are quite elegant, and tend to be serious and somewhat stern. capricorn risings often bear the weight of their early experiences on their shoulders, which is why they come across the way they do. they have a softer side that they keep neatly tucked away, even from themselves. they are focus and hard working, but can prone to depression when life gets frustrating, leaving them stagnant. an often-unappreciated aspect of the native is that they are very creative; whether in the traditional sense of the word, or in that they are brilliant problem solvers and can think unconventionally when needed. they are often managers or leaders in their household, and sometimes grew up this way too. this leads them, and their cancer descendants, to need a bit of tenderness from their loved ones. they don't advertise their vulnerabilities, even shying away from them themselves, but there is a sensitivity to capricorn rising, and they subconsciously protect this side of themselves. in love, they need a slow, steady approach, and a partner who loves gently and unconditionally. tenderheartedness, emotional stability and an almost maternal affection are traits that cancer descendant loves in a partner. they don't want to be alone, but find it hard to open up, and it takes time to find their perfect match. that being said, the wait is worth it when they find unconditional love.
aquarius on the ascendant brings ingenuity and intrigue to the native. they are determined, brilliant thinkers, and a little kooky. they can be quite eye-catching, as they like to express themselves through their personal style, and aren't generally shy. they love people, though their love is a cerebral and hands-off kind. they are often part of some sort of community, whether through choice or through traits they were assigned at birth, and they are passionate about their communities. these groups are their home, their family and an extension of themselves, after all. aquarius risings are often very clever, think creatively and express themselves well. they can be a bit outside-the-box and some people find their sureness of self disconcerting, whether that's from projection or just surprise. the native can sometimes forget about love, feeling it isn't important as long as they have the love of their communities and the people they meet in life. but they are often thinking of something that bores them, stifles and changes them, when they think of love. in reality, love looks different for everyone, and with leo on the descendant, it really is an important part of life for the native. they need to be adored, given space to flourish and thrive, and challenged a little bit. they are generous and kindhearted individuals, and they need a partner who will let them explore but always lead them back home again.
with pisces on the ascendant, the native is ephemeral, delicate and absorbent. they are creative thinkers, but not always the most logical of people. they are incredibly sensitive, and like their sister sign, they are prone to somatising stress and powerful emotions. speaking of emotions, pisces risings are emotional creatures, with a deep well of love within them, that they draw from often. they can be quite romantic, but it’s a different kind of romantic to that of taurus or libra; pisces risings are soft and usually somewhat shy, with a submissive side that means unrequited love is very common for them. pisces risings struggle to organise themselves and can lack motivation, relying instead on bouts of inspiration, that can be as fickle as the native themselves. discipline is a skill pisces rising doesn’t naturally possess, though some overcompensate. pisces on the ascendant means virgo is on the descendant, and so they really need, and often crave, stability and security. they can live very interesting lives, with a lot of ebb and flow, as water signs do, but interesting is often overwhelming and exhausting, and they want to be able to come home to safety, sameness, those quiet moments spent recovering. they are very devoted people, but can neglect themselves and their home life in favour of loving everyone and everything around them; they need someone that holds and grounds them, an anchor so they can return to themselves when the world becomes too much.
