| All of us are mixtures of intellectual and emotional needs, talents, memories, desires, dreams, fears, and triumphs. These characteristics are streamlined and rolled into our personalities, the face we present to others, our masks. The first house is our social mask. This house, ruled by the ascendant, also governs our physical appearance and the general state of our physical health. The head and face are governed by the first house. When looking for health issues in a chart, always look to the first house, as well as to the sixth, and the eighth. In this house, the source of illness can be due to an inability to impact the world in the way or to the degree we want. Consider the following descriptions of your ascendant or the sign rising at the time of your birth as personality signatures. Ascendant through the Signs: Aries A need to succeed at everything they take on. Impulsiveness. Impatience. Drive. Fiercely independent. Decisive. Taurus Determination, patience, practicality, an appreciation of beauty. It takes a lot to anger them, but once they are provoked, get out of their way! People with Taurus rising are often physically attractive, identifiable by short, strong necks. Gemini They need versatility and diverse experiences. These people are mentally quick and perceptive. They are often slender, with long arms and fingers, and walk quickly. Cancer Their subjective approach to life and a drive to establish some sort of foundation or home base defines who they are. They are intuitive and capable of deep feeling. With Cancer rising, the face is often round. They tend toward stoutness in middle age. Leo Think drama, pride, and ambition with this rising sign. They have an excellent ability to organize and direct others, and understand children very well. Physically, these people are handsome and large-boned with hair that is usually thick and beautiful. Virgo They possess keen powers of observation and have a fastidious nature. They generally are dedicated to service of others, have a concern for health, and can be very intuitive. Slender bodies and oval faces with a certain softness and charm mark these people. Libra They define themselves through social relationships. They seek harmony and fairness in all they undertake and often are so concerned with being fair that they are indecisive. Physically, Libra rising often produces nearly perfectly formed bodies and physical beauty. Scorpio With these people, expect intensity, passion, strong sexuality, and a profound perception into the secret nature of life. They are deeply intuitive and possess the ability to drastically alter their personal environment. They tend to have dark hair that is wavy and thick and prominent brows. There is a physical intensity about them as well. Sagittarius An adventurous spirit, bluntness in speech, and deep independence: that is it in a nutshell. They have excellent foresight, a respect for all spiritual thought, and a love of animals. Their bodies are usually tall, slender, with a stoop to the shoulders. Capricorn They are concerned about status, self-discipline, and ambition. Impulsive activity is generally restrained. They are good at recognizing and defining the overall structure of a problem or challenge. Physically they can be thin and bony, with prominent features. Aquarius They are humanitarians, and also possess unusual or eccentric modes of self-expression. People with this rising sign tend to go against the established order and seek their own answers and truths. They have strong, well-formed bodies, with a tendency to plumpness in middle age. Pisces Few rising signs possess more emotional sensitivity and profound perception. They are often mystically inclined, impressionable, with multifaceted self-expression. They have exquisitely shaped hands and feet and usually have compelling liquid eyes. |