#self insight

A lot of people don't identify with their ascendant. That's okay. And it might be because their Chart Ruler is steering their chart in a different direction.

The chart ruler is the planet that rules your rising sign (or ascendant). It tells you the moves you make in the world, underneath the style of your Rising.

Aries: Mars

Taurus: Venus

Gemini: Mercury

Cancer: Moon

Leo: Sun

Virgo: Mercury

Libra: Venus

Scorpio: Mars (and kinda Pluto)

Sagittarius: Jupiter

Capricorn: Saturn

Aquarius: Saturn (and kinda Uranus)

Pisces: Jupiter (and kinda Neptune)

(There's a lot of back-and-forth about traditional vs. modern rulerships, but that matters less for this post. We're going to go with mostly traditional, with modern rulers added on for a little flavor.)

Important Distinction

The Ascendant is the filter, the style, interface. It's how you move.

The Chart Ruler is the driver, the body, the animating part. It's the moves you make.

If your Ascendant is your "mask", the Chart Ruler is the person who picked it out.

The Ascendant might describe how you initiate your approach, but the Chart Ruler describes what you're actually trying to do.

Some Examples

You're a Taurus Rising but you feel restless, sharp and intense -- not slow, methodical and grounded? Check out where your Venus is in your chart -- it might be in Aries. If so, your moves might be careful, but the actions they take are a lot more intense than your Taurus Rising gives you credit for.

If you're a Aries Rising but you feel quiet, structured and methodical in your heart instead of brash and confrontational, check out your Mars placement. It might be in Capricorn. (In which case, congratulations, your Mars is exhalted.) You have a lot more stamina, forethought and resilience than your Aries Rising says you do.

If you're a Scorpio Rising but you're charming, bubbly and maybe a little bit scattered, maybe your Mars is in Gemini. That will change how your Scorpio tone plays out in lived reality. (Psst - check out what your Pluto is doing too. It'll show you how your Scorpio depth and intensity is directed and how it plays out. Maybe it's in Libra and you're the world's most amiable Gen-X Scorpio.)

The Ascendant is the hypothetical approach -- all else equal, how do you approach life compared to a different Sign on the horizon? The Chart Ruler is the actual reality -- how does your energetic approach actually show up in day to day life?

Conclusion

If you feel disconnected to your Rising Sign -- you're not wrong, and neither is astrology. You just need to look elsewhere on your chart for deeper answers. There's more to the story. Your chart ruler is you walking that story in your own way. Your Chart Ruler shows you how the Character in your Rising lives, moves and makes decisions.

'PICK-A-CARD' STYLE READING | FIRST QUARTER MOON

Take a deep breath, tune in to this moment, and use your intuition to choose an image. If you're drawn to more than one, that's okay too. Take what you need, leave the rest.

You may be faced with a critical decision that will have long-term implications, but you don't feel like you have enough information to make the 'right' choice. You can choose whether to postpone further and risk missing the opportunity, or you can push through your impostor syndrome and fake it 'til you make it. Something you are holding onto from your past leaves you reluctant to take a risk. For example, if someone has lied to you or played games in the past and now shows up asking for a commitment, you may not know whether to trust them or cut your losses. You may not trust your own capacity to remain faithful. You could also be doubting your skills, keeping your talents hidden, and leaving a potential career path unpursued. Spirit wants you to know that you have everything it takes and more to make this happen. Get clear on your vision and write out a plan so it feels less intimidating. Save money. Seek out mentorship or resources; you don't necessarily have to reinvent the wheel. Deepen your trust and commitment to a spiritual purpose and let that be your compass. If this is about entering a union with someone, it is a wise decision, especially for your financial future.

You are under the influence of someone or something that is causing you to make decisions that go against your nature. You're becoming aware of how much of your power you've given away, even unknowingly. Your throat chakra feels blocked, like you aren't free to express yourself. You've lost some of your voice and autonomy. Stress from being in this position could be causing you to escape into substances. Whatever choice you face now or soon holds real potential for a turning point in this situation. There is a new situation that allows you to become a collaborator in your lived experience, ridding you of the obligation to restrict your authentic thoughts, feelings, ideas, and desires. You can tune out the opinions of others and trust your intuition. There is a strong cloak of protection covering you. You are not alone as you move forward. There is supportive energy, both seen and unseen, in this next chapter. Whatever it is that you need, just say it. Spirit is listening.

You're holding onto something that wants to be released. Under the next full moon, write down what it is you've been carrying that pains you, in vivid detail, and [safely] burn it. Give it up to the Universe. Another way to release this is to speak about it. If you're grieving, it could really help you to talk with others who have been/are going through a similar experience or to write it in a journal or on a blog (if you feel comfortable). You just have to let it out in a safe, sacred space. Your pride may be causing you to keep things buried inside, but that is disrupting your future plans because you do not have the energy you need to pursue your goals. Your energy is too tied up in what you refuse to move on from. Lingering in the past, focusing on what you don't have, and self-isolating are blocking your path to success. Once you speak about what you're going through, you can receive the help you need. A supportive community is waiting for you to find it.

If you're interested in a personal reading, you can book with me here: https://sayarimoon.gumroad.com/l/one-question-tarot

or contact me at [email protected]

What is IFS?

IFS stands for Internal Family Systems. It's a psychotherapy model based on a core idea: People aren't just one unified personality. Each person is a whole system of inner voices, roles and reactions. Every part of you -- even the messy, ugly parts -- has a reason for being here.

IFS therapy is sometimes called "parts work." It's often used to address trauma, heal shame, and for deep emotional integration.

When I first heard about IFS, it resonated immediately. It's pretty easy to see its principles within yourself. For example, when you're facing a painful problem, one part of you wants to run away from it and another part of you wants to stay and fix it. Another part is still carrying related pain and trauma from five years ago. And yet another part of you is numb and tired of feeling anything at all.

The General IFS Structure

I said that IFS sees your inner self as a collection of parts -- but it also tends to organize these parts into three (very) general categories.

Exiles: The wounded parts. These parts of you carry your pain, shame or unmet needs. They often represent aspects of you that are young or frozen in time or development. They're scared -- and they can be loud or quiet about that. We try to avoid triggering these parts. (And yes, I mean "trigger" in the formal psychological sense, not the pop culture sense.)

Managers: The parts who try to keep things under control and manageable. They keep your system running. They enforce rules -- but they also overthink and micromanage. As with most over-functioning managers in real life, they're often exhausted.

Firefighters: The parts that reactively swoop in to put out the psychological and emotional fire when an Exile part gets triggered/activated. These parts distract and soothe -- but that soothing isn't necessarily calm. Sometimes it's chaotic and even louder than the Exile's reaction. They can self-sabotage and be impulsive (with a purpose). They will do anything to stop the pain.

In the center of this solar system of parts is The Self (sometimes called the "adult part"). They are calm, compassionate and grounded. When they're in control, other parts feel safe enough to let go and relax. This is you at your best and most "locked in."

In IFS, healing isn't about getting rid of parts, necessarily. It's about tending to and leading them differently.

How Does This Connect To Tarot?

When you look at your chart or a spread laid out before you and think immediately "That's me -- but also not me. But also so me." That's oddly close to parts work. To my mind, tarot is a parts system by its nature.

Cards can speak with different voices, and suits embody different desires and needs. The Court Cards act out different roles in a cycle or system.

If you've ever pulled a card and thought, "Ohhh, that's the part of me that's anxious about (thing)" or "This card feels like a protector" -- that's almost like a different dialect of parts work.

Mapping The Court Cards

The Tarot Court is already often interpreted as distinct people within the deck. However, we can look at them not as external figures, but as internal parts of yourself -- a cast of characters that inhabit your emotional / psychological / behavioral system and story.

Looking at the cards this way, The Page is the part of you that's still young, unformed, curious and learning whether to touch to stove to see if it's hot. The Queen is the part of you that manages emotion. Each court identity becomes something different: a protective strategy, a developmental stage, or a symbolic part of your internal world.

Important Note: This is not diagnostic. This is metaphor and resonance. It's a symbolic look into how our inner worlds move.

Additionally, court cards aren't being mapped 1:1 with IFS roles. They're mapped to types of parts or partial expressions of behaviour and internal unconscious strategy.

Fucking KNACKERED!