VIRGO RISING
With your Ascendant in Virgo, the mutable earth sign, you’ll be known for your ability to make the information you have access to useful. Practical. Applicable. Through the development of your skill, your Virgo Ascendant will be happiest when working on something meaningful to you. Never finished perfecting whatever you are fixated on in the moment, your ability to pinpoint what doesn’t work is mind-boggling to the rest of the world.
Virgo is exacting, critical, deeply introspective, intrigued with intelligent systems—especially ones that are healing, efficient, and naturally occurring. Your Ascendant is motivated to analyze, digest, and integrate the information that you acquire. Virgo is always in the process of putting things together and removing what isn’t needed. As such, it rules the small intestines, diaphragm, spleen, and bowels. This makes you adept at cleansing the physical, emotional, and intellectual system. A natural healer, health care provider, or medical professional, your Ascendant is motivated to find the root of the issue to bring healing to the whole.
Virgo’s symbol is the virgin, usually with a sheaf of wheat and bird to depict the double-bodied nature of this mutable sign. In the ancient world, the term virgin referred to those who belonged to themselves, not someone who had never had sex. Dedicated to discovering one’s own nature through disciplined devotion, the Virgin uses the practice of self-regeneration as a way to connect spiritually. This can lend you a style that others read as closed off, unapproachable, or aloof when really you are just internally busy.
What others may not understand is that Virgo is excruciatingly sensitive. Beneath the ability to critique is a deep desire to align. Virgo purifies and, in love, Virgo needs a partner who is willing to constantly process the material of the moment.
When Virgo is distorted, your exacting ways are turned inward. Your Virgo can find fault with so much that you either convince yourself you have nothing to give or that no one and nothing is good enough to pursue. You’ll need to develop a keen ability to intercept your own self-sabotage, self-loathing, or self-scrutiny and instead turn that energy toward work in service of something greater.
Affirmations
I am dedicated to serving what is sacred to me.
I am patient when others are still learning what I already know.
Reflection Questions
What about this description of Virgo resonates with you? What about this description motivates you?
Are you known for being a hard worker? Is overworking yourself second nature to you? Do you tend to overdo what you are working on? Do you tend to overanalyze things, and does that impede your ability to do the work you need to? Do you ever use work as a way to avoid intimacy, pleasure, or living some aspect of your life?
What do you tend to be overly critical about with yourself? What do you tend to get overly critical about with others? How does this impede intimacy in your life?
LIBRA RISING
Your Libra Ascendant is motivated to initiate relationships. This cardinal air sign has an uncanny ability to connect with anyone, anywhere, and at any time if it wants to. Even if you are extremely introverted, your Libra Ascendant will lean toward being sociable, pleasant to be around, and understanding of others’ ups and downs.
Ruled by Venus, Libra reaches out in ways that want to put others at ease. Your Libra Ascendant can most likely get others to do things for you without them even being aware. Mere suggestion is potent when delivered by someone who is so disarmingly likable.
Beauty and being inspired by art, design, and the delicate nature of harmony are high on your list of valuable assets. In most situations, you’ll be motivated to create peace and avoid unnecessary discord.
Libra’s symbol is the scales, and as such, you may feel obligated to balance out whatever situation you find yourself in. Libra rules the kidneys, the organs that balance the electrolytes in our system. What is out of balance can become a point of obsession. Plagued with the thought of making the wrong decision, your Libra Ascendant may well weigh a choice until the cows come home.
Libra intuitively seeks out ways in which it can make up for the lack in any situation. Flustered at the thought of anyone being upset, your Libra Ascendant may have you burdened with the false notion that it’s your job is to make sure that people are pleased. The endless pursuit of making sure everyone is content is a losing game.
Distraught by injustice, your Libra Ascendant will need to know every side of a situation. You may have a hard time drawing hard lines and you’ll have to be mindful of your ability to shop out your decision-making power. Never wanting to be seen as the cause of harm or disruption, your Libra Ascendant may try to position you as blameless, but there is no such thing. In order to be in the ring of life, you’ll have to be able to take a position. Otherwise, you end up nowhere.
Distorted, Libra can come off as insincere, fixated on aesthetic beauty, and unable to be direct. To counter this, you’ll most likely need to work on cultivating inner balance and self-love.
Affirmations
I am here to experience what balance might be like in any given moment.
When pursuing justice, I put myself in the equation.
Reflection Questions
What about this description of Libra resonates with you? What about this description motivates you?
Is it difficult for you to do things that you feel might disappoint others? Are you constantly weighing what you need to do against what others want you to do or want from you?
Are you driven to create justice, beauty, or connection between the people you love?
When you see or experience injustice, on any level, what happens to your body, mind, and heart?
SCORPIO RISING
Scorpio, the fixed water sign, is famous for its ability to penetrate even the strongest of surfaces, reaching far below the obvious into the unknown territory of a situation. Ruled by Mars, the warrior, the spear, the weapon, having a Scorpio Ascendant means that you’ll be motivated to get to the truth no matter what is in your way.
Most likely, you’ll be known for being strategic. Patient. Perceptive. Powerful. Able to wait until what you want makes its way to you. Your reserves of emotional strength are undeniable; they have to be if you are to carry out your mission. Immovable once you have made up your mind, your Scorpio Ascendant gives you the strength to never doubt your decision. Powerful enough to demolish anything that gets in its way, Scorpio energy is relentless in its efforts. No trial is too great. Its resilience is unmatched. Its intensity unwavering. This is, quite possibly, why you don’t make decisions impulsively. Once on course, good luck to anyone who tries to divert you. Stubborn doesn’t even begin to explain your staying power.
Ruling the organs of reproduction and elimination, Scorpio isn’t fazed by the kink of any imagination. Down to explore the possibilities of power and playfulness, Scorpio has a reputation for its sexual magnetism. But that kind of stereotyping generally misses the mark. Scorpio often acts like a portal of transformation for others. Because it is comfortable with discomfort, Scorpio isn’t afraid of the process of change. This intensity is alluring and alarming to others. Whether or not Scorpio is aiming to be, it makes a strong impression if nothing else.
Distorted, your Ascendant is capable of destructive and obsessive self-sabotage. You can turn your back on what you need most to prove a point. Unforgiving, Scorpio distorted would rather survive the harshest of conditions than give in to its opponent. To prove a point, you may notice that you aren’t afraid to suffer—perhaps feeling too comfortable doing so. Quite often, Scorpio becomes the repository for all that we fear, but really it is this energy that helps us challenge, work through, and ultimately overcome those fears.
Affirmations
I direct my energy toward the people and places that appreciate its power and impact.
I respect my strength by allowing myself to also be vulnerable.
Reflection Questions
What about this description of Scor
pio resonates with you? What about this description motivates you?
Do people tell you that you intimidated them when you first met? Do you have a mysterious persona that precedes you?
Are you constantly looking for the ulterior motive of a person or situation?
Do people often have emotional or cathartic experiences around you that they have a hard time understanding or that are profound for them?
SAGITTARIUS RISING
Sagittarius is the mutable fire sign that knows how to inject its goodwill into the world, no matter the circumstance. Ruled by the gas giant, Jupiter, Sagittarius knows not of understatement. On even the smallest of endeavors, with a Sagittarius Ascendant you will bring your full being, unbridled enthusiasm, and levity to the densest of dealings. Not known for its precision, your Sagittarius Ascendant will often have you setting off in the direction of your inspired desire rather than checking the map for specific directions.
But you’ll get there.
With seemingly unending energy, this fire sign motivates you to roam, wander, and wonder about what is over the next horizon. A double-bodied sign, the centaur is half-human, half-horse. Half-tamed, half-wild, you lead with as much insight as you do impulse.
Generous and swift with both criticism and praise, you’ll often end up in hot water for having said the thing no one else would. Swept up in the fever of your intuitive channeling, your Sagittarius Ascendant will have you famous for tearing through any and all filter placed on you.
As a child of the benevolent Jupiter, your Ascendant encourages you to leap into the unknown, assuming you will land fortunately. And usually that is true. It takes faith to have faith, and you have much to spare.
Ruling the legs and thighs, Sagittarius’s energy would rather gallop than plod along, making the consequences you come up against abrupt but quickly over.
When Sagittarius energy is distorted, it creates an insatiable gluttony. Gloating about the glory days, the gambler risks what it doesn’t have to play with. A greed for the next great high can consume you. To rectify this, you as the archer must aim your arrow at the truth and dedicate your whole being to boldly following its soaring release.
Affirmations
I am free to choose how I engage with my life.
I always know when to go, when to stay, and when to investigate further, and I honor the intuitive wisdom that guides me.
Reflection Questions
What about this description of Sagittarius resonates with you? What about this description motivates you?
Are you someone who brings optimism, opportunity, luck, and a generosity of spirit into your interactions with others?
Are you known for overdoing things? Are you known for being able to do things that others see as impossible? Are you prone to biting off a little more than you can chew? How do you manage when you do?
CAPRICORN RISING
With a Capricorn Ascendant, you will be known for your ability to put to use whatever is at your disposal. Your mascot is the mystical sea-goat: the goat scales incredible heights along impossible impasses, while the fish possesses the dexterity to accomplish any task. You are motivated to perform phenomenal feats and incredible accomplishments over long stretches of time.
Capricorn’s sharp sense of irony allows you to accept life on life’s terms. Unfazed by the latest craze, your Capricorn Ascendant can appear as a grumpy, gray-haired wise one to the world. Adolescence is an uncomfortable condition for Capricorn. This Saturn-ruled sign does much better with age. Youth has many an enviable quality, but time is a teacher that has no competition.
Capricorn is concerned with the kind of rigorous training that demands lifelong learning and, with this Ascendant, you’ll be known for your ability to age well. You are motivated to go after the pearls of wisdom that never fade in their luster. Your ability to focus on a goal and attain it is outdone by no one. Capricorn doesn’t need comfortable conditions to thrive. You don’t need special treatment, though you’re never one to turn down an accolade, certificate, or societal recognition of effort.
Sustained by an inner fire, your Ascendant wants you to realize your goals with a mixture of deep contemplation and an unwavering drive to get things done. The fish-tail donned by the sea-goat points to the emotional depths to which your rising sign will have you travel. Oceans symbolize ancient realms of knowledge. Known for your emotional self-containment, you’ll generally need to explore your own vulnerabilities in solitude. Ruling the bones and skin, your Capricorn Ascendant thrives when knowing the rules, boundaries, and shapes of a relationship.
When distorted, Capricorn is master of self-restriction, self-denial, self-rejection, and self-punishment. This is a sign that needs to remember how to let love, pleasure, and kindness in, especially when you feel that you have failed at a task.
Affirmations
I am here to accomplish great tasks and experience great love and affection.
I honor the time it takes to master what is most meaningful to me.
Reflection Questions
What about this description of Capricorn resonates with you? What about this description motivates you?
Are you known as someone who is mature and responsible? When has this felt like a burden or been taken advantage of? When has it helped you?
Do you often restrain yourself, feel it necessary to withhold pleasure from yourself, or go without what others would deem essential? What does this help you achieve, and what does it hinder you from experiencing?
AQUARIUS RISING
Aquarius isn’t convinced by sentiment. It isn’t held captive by nostalgia. It isn’t fooled by flattery. A fixed air sign, Aquarius has remarkable intellectual gifts. With this sign as your Ascendant, you’ll be known for your ability to understand the systems you live within and to innovate them for the betterment of all involved.
With this as the sign of your Ascendant, you won’t be satisfied to follow the herd. You define yourself by thinking for yourself. Unafraid to stand apart from the group or be ostracized for your ideas, your Aquarius Ascendant is socially conscious, but not at all interested in people-pleasing.
Since you don’t reach conclusions lightly, you aren’t easily swayed. Ruled by Saturn, Aquarius is able to separate fact from fiction. Saturn-ruled signs have a deep respect for logic, boundaries, and systems. You might not adhere to them, but you will be thoroughly versed in the rules of the game.
Wanting to be known for your clarity, certainty, and thoughtful perspective, you’ll need to demonstrate your fearlessness when witnessing the truth or telling it. The water bearer of the zodiac pours forth the libations that humanity thirsts for. Whether the world protests or not, your Aquarius Ascendant is sturdy enough to take any backlash offered without taking it personally.
The cleansing nature of Aquarius’s waters are universal creative intelligence brought into being. Though not a water sign, Aquarius does rule the circulation of blood in the body, as well as the ankles. Since Saturn is its ruler, the circulation in the body can often be restricted, adding a literal and physical manifestation of this sign’s notorious coolness.
Distorted, Aquarius is clinical in its perceptions. Logic divorced from the wisdom of the heart can only contain partial truths. Aloof and emotionally distant, Aquarius can lock itself away in an ivory tower of intellectual protection, but emotional intelligence should not be underestimated. Aquarius must learn that emotions have their own brilliance, leading us to the truth of a situation that logic alone cannot find.
Affirmations
I honor my need to be known for my intellect.
Vulnerability has its own wisdom.
Reflection Questions
What about this description of Aquarius resonates with you? What about this description motivates you?
Are you known for your intellectual clarity? How does this serve you? How does it hinder you?
Do you enter the world wanting to understand the systems that we live in, how to work within them, and how to
subvert, reform, or innovate them?
PISCES RISING
Perhaps the most mutable of signs, the waters of Pisces cannot be contained. Herding fish swimming in opposite directions should not be attempted by those who wish to use their energy wisely. Anyone who tries to control you will be met with an inconspicuous master of self-defense. Your Pisces Ascendant is motivated to experience life, not to control or be controlled by it.
A double-bodied water sign, your Pisces Ascendant is motivated to move in every direction, gathering influences from multiple sources and dispersing your energy in various ways. Often ending up feeling spent, one of your greatest challenges will be learning how to conserve your life force and direct it toward your aim.
Pisces permeates, seeps, spreads, and evaporates without a trace. You will most likely be known for your ability to erode even the most stoic and stern of people, places, and boundaries. Like waves on the rocks, the impact of your Pisces Ascendant on others is felt as unending compassion, kindness, and empathy—the kind that wears down those who refuse you for no good reason. A natural nurse, healer, and physician, your knowledge of pain and the cure (generally kindness) is a balm with endless applications. As the artist or poet, your Pisces Ascendant knows how to infuse any medium with its creativity, imagination, and emotional relatability.
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