You Were Born for This

by Chani Nicholas

  Some of us have an Ascendant ruler—a steersperson—that is efficient, empowered, and capable of moving our life forward (like a planet in a sign, it does well in its domicile or exaltation). Some of us have a steersperson who is a little more challenged, leading us down many different avenues that are both diversions and important departures (like a planet in a sign it struggles in—its detriment or fall). Some of us have a steersperson who is in a sign that it is fairly neutral in (any sign that isn’t its domicile, detriment, exaltation, or fall) and will operate in the nature of that sign.

  In this chapter, I detail each planet in its domicile, detriment, exaltation, and fall. It’s important to know the ruler of your Ascendant’s tendencies. Does it get off track? Is it especially empowered and maybe a little extreme? Is it going to help you receive some notoriety for its specialty? Or is it going to function in the style of the sign it’s in with little complication? Because the following guide is fairly thorough, you can also apply it to any other planet in your chart. For example, if you have Venus in Pisces, the sign of its exaltation, but it isn’t the ruler of your Ascendant, you’ll still benefit from the information given.

  Both Dr. Maya Angelou and Frida Kahlo have Leo rising. The Sun rules both of their Ascendants. When the Sun (or Moon) is also the ruler of the Ascendant, the emphasis on that luminary is noteworthy. As we have learned, the significance of both the Sun and Moon shouldn’t be underestimated, and when one of them is also ruler of the Ascendant, it’s doing double duty. With the Sun ruling both of their Ascendants, we know that how they shined (the sign the Sun was in when they were born) was not only significant in terms of living out their purpose (the Sun) but also spoke to the direction in which their life was steered (the ruler of their Ascendant). Because the ruler of Dr. Angelou’s Ascendant, the Sun, was in Aries (bold and daring), the sign of its exaltation, she was gifted with a steersperson that was able to do its job efficiently, even granting her fame and recognition. Kahlo’s Sun was in a neutral sign, Cancer, so the Sun steered her life in a way that was emotive, caring, and sensitive. Because the Sun is neither strong nor hindered in Cancer, we look to other factors to determine how easy or challenging it was to live out her life’s purpose, namely, the house that the ruler of the Ascendant is in and the aspects to it from other planets.

  Now it is time to choose your own adventure. Please skip ahead to the planet that rules your rising sign.

  SUN AS RULER (LEO RISING)

  If you have a Leo Ascendant, the Sun becomes its ruler. This gives you two planets to focus on (the Sun and Moon) instead of three (the Sun, Moon, and separate ruler of the Ascendant).

  When the Sun is the ruler of your Ascendant, your life’s direction is steered toward developing your sense of self and puts an added emphasis on the house that your Sun lives in and the area of life it is here to illuminate. With the Sun as the Ascendant ruler, the way in which you express yourself, demonstrate your courage, and exude self-confidence becomes central to your story and ability to live out your life’s purpose. Whatever sign the Sun is in will reveal your style for doing what you do. For more information about the sign that your Sun is in, please reread the description of your Sun’s sign.

  Reflection Questions

  With the Sun as ruler of your Ascendant, what do you notice about your energy when you spend time and resources developing your sense of self?

  How does the development of self positively impact, or intimately link to, your life’s purpose?

  Where in your life do you most want to be able to shine?

  What are you better able to serve when you feel acknowledged, witnessed, or applauded?

  MOON AS RULER (CANCER RISING)

  If you have a Cancer Ascendant, the Moon becomes its ruler. In a way, this makes your job a little easier, as you have only two planets to focus on (the Sun and Moon) instead of three (the Sun, Moon, and separate ruler of the Ascendant).

  When the Moon is the ruler of your Ascendant, your life’s direction is steered toward being able to reflect, emote, care, build bonds, and find ways to embody the power of your life’s purpose in all that you do. As the Moon reflects the brilliance of your soul’s purpose (the Sun), it does so through little daily rituals, activities, and everyday accomplishments. Finding your way to manifest your potential in this world, a little bit at a time, honors the potency, impact, and power of your life’s direction.

  As ruler of your Ascendant, the Moon will steer your life toward connection, familial-type bonds, daily and spiritual rituals, and practices that help you regenerate your energy. The sign your Moon is in will reveal the specific style in which your life’s purpose is lived out. For more information about the sign that your Moon is in, please reread the description of your Moon’s sign.

  Reflection Questions

  Where in your life is emotional reflection an integral part of your success?

  What do you find others are generally asking you to reflect back to them?

  How do you feel when you are able to help others?

  How is your success tied to being able to work through your own emotions? How is your success tied to helping others witness and manage their own emotions? How do you help yourself and others be more connected to the body?

  MERCURY AS RULER (GEMINI RISING, VIRGO RISING)

  When Mercury is the ruler of your Ascendant, your life’s direction is steered toward being able to communicate, learn, distribute, facilitate, and deliver the information most important to you. The sign that Mercury is in will reveal the distinct style in which you do this.

  You can honor Mercury by making sure that you have as many interesting things to learn as you do to teach. Mercury is a planet of duality; honor this by always taking in and giving out the information that you have acquired.

  The sign Mercury is in in your chart will tell you the specific style in which to move toward your life’s main aim. Remembering that not every planet has the same clarity, strength, or ability in each sign, you will want to know how well the planet that steers the ship of your life can do its job.

  Below are explanations of Mercury through the signs. Please read the description of your Mercury and answer any of the questions that resonate with you.

  At Home and at Ease: Mercury in Gemini or Virgo

  If the ruler of your Ascendant is Mercury and it’s in Gemini or Virgo, it has an easier time doing the job of steering your life, because Mercury is at home (in its domicile) in these two signs. Mercury’s currency is knowledge. In Gemini and Virgo, Mercury has incredible strength and is in many cases extreme in its intellectual abilities and pursuits. This is a “good” thing, but it won’t make life easy per se. It will, however, make your talent more obvious.

  MERCURY IN GEMINI

  In Gemini, its air-sign home, Mercury focuses on how best it can gather, interpret, and distribute knowledge. Reporting on the data that it has, this planet offers a stream of unfiltered information. Getting the message across with great speed is more important than sorting through what it is delivering. Mercury in Gemini is chatty. Able to give and receive information without getting too weighed down by the emotional impact of it. It is simply here to gather and disperse.

  MERCURY IN VIRGO

  In Virgo, its earth-sign home, Mercury analyzes, categorizes, and integrates information. Here, Mercury is both in its domicile and exalted (the only planet to be in its domicile and exaltation in the same sign). Obsessed with organizing and utilizing the information that it has, Mercury as ruler of Virgo cares more about correcting the information it gathers than amassing ever more of it (like it may in Gemini). Mercury in Virgo is thoughtful in its approach. Mindful. Critical. Exact. Analytical to the extreme. It is concerned with the digestion, assimilation, and integration of knowledge. It is concerned with the proper placement and categorization of what it gathers. It is precision personified.

  Magic and Mayhem: Mercury in Sagittarius or Pisces

  Mercury experiences difficulty in Sagittarius (its detri
ment) and Pisces (its fall), as both signs are more concerned with the big picture, not the individual strokes it takes to paint it. If Mercury is the ruler of your rising sign and is in Sagittarius or Pisces, don’t despair! Do learn how you may sometimes get lost along your path. Remember that the challenges in your chart are the places in yourself that you most need to develop and pay attention to. Doing so often gives you the skills that help you make incredible strides.

  MERCURY IN SAGITTARIUS

  Mercury in Sagittarius is in its detriment, which means it has to function in a style that is foreign to it. While Sagittarius seeks the ultimate truth, it can miss many of the details, facts, and foundational knowledge that it needs. Mercury in Sagittarius loves to go on great adventures to distant and far-off lands, but does it have the time, energy, and resources to complete its task? Along the way, Mercury discovers all kinds of interesting ideas, but it can often overwhelm itself with the sheer volume of information it acquires. Sagittarius always goes big. Mercury in Sagittarius will spout facts at you all day long if you let it. It will take you on grand informational adventures. It will go farther than it needs to, but that often means that it ends up halfway around the world when it only needed to go down the block. If your rising sign is Gemini or Virgo and your Mercury is in Sagittarius, it will be important for you to learn how to stay on track, completing the tasks at hand in ways that don’t waste too many resources.

  MERCURY IN PISCES

  Mercury in Pisces is in its fall, meaning that it struggles to be known, appreciated, or valued for the job that the planet is supposed to do. Planets in their fall are much like people who have fallen into disrepute. Mercury in Pisces isn’t going to necessarily be known for its clarity. Pisces tends toward the poetic. The nonlinear. The nonbinary. The impressionistic. The feelings. The ethereal. Here Mercury can struggle to collect facts, as they don’t necessarily hold its interest. Something doesn’t have to be true to be right to this placement. Pisces is a sign that lives in its own reality, creating worlds within worlds. Here, Mercury can struggle with keeping focus, but it will always find something interesting to swim away with. If Mercury is the ruler of your rising sign and it is in Pisces, you’ll need to find ways to channel your creativity and corral your energy toward your aim. Pisces wants to go everywhere at once, and as the planet that steers the direction of your life, this can make it challenging to focus your energy and attention on one thing. You may need multiple directions to pursue, but be careful not to expend all your energy in distractions.

  Mercury in All the Other Signs

  Mercury in Aries (bold and explicit), Taurus (slow and steady), Cancer (sensitive and intuitive), Leo (dramatic and illuminating), Libra (fair and just), Scorpio (deep and psychologically penetrating), Capricorn (pragmatic and strategic), and Aquarius (logical and thorough) is fairly neutral. Mercury in any of these signs isn’t particularly weak or strong. Mercury in any of these signs will, of course, relay and receive information based on the style of the sign it is in. For example, Mercury in Aries as ruler of your rising sign will direct your life in an independent style and have you speaking in daring ways.

  Reflection Questions

  What are you communicating about when you feel most alive, encouraged, or purposeful in your life?

  What has teaching, writing, or distributing information opened up for you in terms of your life’s direction?

  What are you drawn to learn about? Do you give yourself permission to do so? Do you take your need for learning seriously?

  What are you proficient at selling? What does this help you accomplish?

  Is your Mercury in a strong, challenging, or neutral sign? How does the style of the sign your Mercury is in speak to the ways in which you go about pursuing your life’s direction?

  VENUS AS RULER (LIBRA RISING, TAURUS RISING)

  If you have Taurus or Libra Ascendant, Venus is its ruler. When Venus is the ruler of your Ascendant, your life’s direction is steered by the planet that seeks love, beauty, and pleasure. The sentiment of your Sun or Moon might be contrary to Venus’s desires, but if the planet of love and connection steers the direction of your life, you’ll have to find ways to oblige.

  You honor Venus when you seek pleasure, beauty, and bonds. The sign Venus is in will tell you the specific style in which you pursue these things and ultimately feel fully expressed in your life. Like every planet, Venus does especially well in some signs, struggles in others, and is fairly neutral in the rest.

  Below are explanations of Venus through the signs. Please read the description of your Venus and answer any of the questions that resonate with you.

  Pleasure and Prosperity: Venus in Taurus or Libra

  Venus in Taurus or Libra has the power of its assets at its disposal. Venus is at home (domicile) in Taurus and Libra and will tend to lend you an adeptness at connecting with others as a way of fulfilling your life’s purpose. A strong Venus will also be able to bring different elements together to create a harmonious, comfortable, and enjoyable experience. Art, beauty, and adornment are second nature to Venus in these signs.

  VENUS IN TAURUS

  In Taurus, Venus as ruler of the Ascendant will be driven to grow gardens of generative abundance for friends, lovers, colleagues, and the world at large. Venus in Taurus captivates its loves with sensual pleasures that are undeniably satiating. With the ruler of the Ascendant in one of its own signs, the orientation of your life is clear and direct—to build through relationships, art, beauty, and pleasure. If Venus and its significations of pleasure, delight, and beauty aren’t part of the way in which your life is pursued, there won’t be much satisfaction in it. Like all planets in their own sign, Venus in Taurus tends to be extreme, as nothing impedes it. You can get comfortable in any amount of ease and will generally have a difficult time galvanizing yourself into action.

  VENUS IN LIBRA

  In Libra, Venus is the master of initiating relationships. With this placement, your life’s direction is pursued by being a captivating social butterfly who has the ability to connect to even the gloomiest of souls. You know how to make everyone feel witnessed when you want to.

  Relationships, art, beauty, love, connection, and the expression of creative and erotic energy can become the center of your world (usually unconsciously) and can tend to overwhelm other aspects of your life. Often we take for granted our strengths or allow others to do so. Venus in Libra is so social and so interested in what is pleasing that, as the ruler of the Ascendant, it may steer your life only toward what is easy.

  Gift from Goddess: Exalted Venus in Pisces

  In Pisces, Venus is exalted and will attract all manner of connections. This placement is strong, and as the ruler of the Ascendant, it grants your life’s direction some prosperity, luck, or an ability to attract what you need when you need it, usually through relationships with others. Like all planets that are exalted, Venus in Pisces will garner some kind of recognition or fame for Venus-like attributes.

  You may experience frenzy around you. Those with deep relationship wounds will often make you their savior, object of affection, or obsession. You may feel the need to give of what you have if you didn’t have to work at attaining this gift in the first place. Feeling confused as to why you have this power, you may have a hard time setting boundaries in relationships. But once you do, you can use this power of healing, compassion, and creative imagination toward untold ends.

  Intense Attraction: Venus in Aries or Scorpio

  In either Aries or Scorpio, Venus is in its detriment. Here, Venus has to steer your life’s direction in conditions that feel opposite to its nature. This creates a natural tension that asks for extra effort from the planet. Like a captain at sea during a storm, Venus is steering the life in a compromised situation. This might not signify ease in reaching your destination, but the journey will be anything but dull. You might be someone who challenges gender norms and goes against the grain in the area of life that it is impacting (both the house that it i
s in and the ones it rules). Venus in its detriment may experience difficulty building and sustaining relationships but, more than that, it’s important to remember that planets in their detriment tend to work harder than ones that are in their own domicile. So, while things may not be handed to you, your effort and contribution to achieving your life’s purpose will eventually open up the doors you need.

  VENUS IN ARIES

  Since Aries is a sign that loves action and runs hot, Venus in Aries may tend to, at least in early life, burn through relationships at a fast pace. What Venus in Aries really needs is a challenge in regard to romantic or creative outlets. As ruler of your Ascendant, this might work into the themes of your life’s direction and purpose. So too might the themes of being different from what society expects of you. There is a contrariness to this placement that is bold and courageous in its style. You may need to make peace with being the one who is going to challenge the status quo. Your job is to focus that energy toward positive ends for you. Aries causes conflict, and Venus wants pleasure. Sex requires friction, as do many important aspects of creativity. As long as you don’t stifle your energy, anger, or desire, this placement can make you a leader with great insight, but if you deny its power and your own need for healthy stress, the destructive tendencies of the placement can run you ragged.