Your Sun, Moon & Ascendent

The Ascendant is often considered the mask one wears when meeting others. Perhaps it is most aptly thought of as the automatic responses to one's environment. The Ascendant shows our natural defenses and how we cope with day-to-day issues, our instinctual nature. The energies of the sign and condition of the Ascendant are most overt and obvious to others. The Ascendant shows an individual's first, natural reaction to new people and situations.

Ascendant in Capricorn

There's a seriousness to Capricorn rising people that is unmistakable. Even when they're joking around, it's of the deadpan variety. In fact, plenty of very humorous people have Capricorn Ascendants. It's all in the timing...and the fact that they don't giggle before the joke is over.

Capricorn Ascendant people project competence. They simply ooze it. They're generally very image-conscious people—the clothes they wear and their manner are a big deal to them. They want to appear successful, and they generally succeed!

Often the Ascendant persona is the one that was forced upon us by family conditioning. In the case of Capricorn Ascendants, these were the children who were considered the responsible ones. Sometimes, it was they themselves who looked around them and felt the need to be the structured, dependable, and responsible members of the family. So, often, Capricorn rising people adopted a strong sense of tradition, family, and responsibility at a very young age.
Capricorn rising people are generally big on family, and forever worry about security—for themselves and their dependents. They come across to others as hard-working, competent, and dependable people. What others may not see under that cool, even suave, exterior, is an inner struggle: they often ask themselves, "Am I doing enough?", "Do I deserve all of this?", "How can I make things better?" They worry a lot about the future.

If success seemed to have come easy to these folks, it hasn't. They just made it look that way with a patient, hard-working, driven personality. Some Capricorn rising people practice some form of self-denial. They know how to do away with the frivolous. Still, they'll spend money on the clothes they really want (the ones with the right labels, that is), and other status symbols. Although they're rarely showy, their quiet air of success is often a result of conscious effort.
More often than not, Capricorn rising individuals are success stories. Their childhoods may have been difficult, but they slowly but surely turn their lives around. Saturn rules this Ascendant - and this generally means a kind of backwards way of living—as children, they are serious and bear a lot of responsibility; and as they grow up, they age beautifully, learning how to loosen up.

Esoterically, mastery of the world of form and the ability to physically manifest and embody spirit is a key to your soul function.

A Spiritual Interpretation of Capricorn Rising

Your spiritual path lies in the blending material and emotional forces, and the material plane provides the catalyst for your spiritual development. One-sided material ambition cannot elevate you to a higher spiritual plane any more than one-sided emotional life can satisfy you completely. Together they form the foundation from which all future progress emerges. It is from this synthesis that you can move into the nest turning of your upward moving spiritual path. The hallmark of this rising sign is intelligent activity. Thus it is important for you to pay attention to whatever subjects you study and to go beyond the facts to discern the theory that governs your interests. Finally you will be able to use your skills to identify multiple solutions to problems. Then you can exercise spiritual discernment to identify the solution that best suits the situation and the individuals involved. Underlying the desire to find a workable solution lies the desire to work that solution harmoniously.

Another interpretation
Cautious, prudent, and rather self-contained, you are a person who approaches life realistically and who is not inclined to take foolish chances or get carried away by the overly optimistic or idealistic schemes of starry-eyed dreamers. In fact, you frequently have a jaundiced view of such things. You are rather worldly-wise at a fairly young age, even something of a cynic. Often the world doesn't seem like a safe, friendly place to you, and you tend to approach life in a guarded, conservative manner.

You are generally calculating and careful, and are rarely spontaneous, fluid, open, and childlike. You are pragmatic, shrewd, and an excellent strategist, carefully planning your moves for maximum effectiveness and advantage. You are willing to work long and persistently for what you want and you often do things the hard way. You do not expect others to take care of you and sometimes refuse or simply don't seek any outside help.

You are often very ambitious, but quietly so. There is nothing flamboyant or flashy about your approach. You are very responsible, conscientious, and very concerned with your duties to others and how you appear in society, your "rank" so to speak. To others you seem mature, serious, quiet, reflective, and emotionally detached. You dislike sloppy sentimentality and won't openly display your feelings, especially the softer ones. You like to always appear poised and in control and hate to show any weakness, vulnerability, or chinks in the armor.

You respect tradition and the time-honored way of doing things, and you feel there is much to be gained from studying history and also by learning from older, more experienced people. A wise mentor or father is often your guide in life, and you in turn develop a great deal of hard-earned wisdom which you like to impart to younger people. You have a stern, authoritarian, no-nonsense aspect to your personality. You expect much from yourself and may not give yourself enough room to experiment and make mistakes.You also tend to be rather close-fisted, to save and conserve your money and resources rather than spending, enjoying, or splurging with them. You spend money on things of quality and of lasting value, things which are good investments, but not frivolous, temporary pleasures. There is a bit of the ascetic in you. You have great self-discipline and self-control and can "do without" very well. Your tastes are generally understated and simple.

The Sun, the giver of life, represents our conscious mind in Astrology. It represents our will to live and our creative life force, we derive our life purpose from the Sun in our natal charts. The Sun is our ego. It is also our "adult"-- the part of us that censors our "inner child", that reasons things out, and makes final decisions. The Sun is our basic identity, and represents self-realization. When you are asked, "Who are you?", and you've passed your basic statistics and occupation, your answers will be a description of your Sun. The Sun also represents our overall vitality. The Sun directs us, and can be considered "the boss" of our chart.

The Sun shows what we are learning to be, while the Ascendant shows who we most naturally appear, or our instinctual selves. It is very important to remember that the Sun represents reason as opposed to instinct. While the Moon infuses the past into our lives through the feelings, the Sun is indicative of the psychological bias which will dominate your actions. You may think, dream, imagine, hope to be a thousand things, according to your Moon and your other planets: but the Sun is what you are, and to be your best self in terms of your Sun is to cause your energies to work along the path in which they will have maximum help from planetary vibrations."

When we are "acting out" our Sun, we are purposeful, directed, proud, and creative. On the negative side, we can be haughty, overly willful, self-centered, and judgmental. In the chart, the position of the Sun by zodiac sign represents the native's life purpose and the style in which they leave their mark in the world. By house, the Sun's position shows where our personalities shine. The areas of life associated with that house reveal the types of experiences which contribute to our sense of individuality and which shape our sense of pride. These areas of life are ones in which we seek to express and focus our Sun sign qualities.

Sun in Gemini

With the Sun in Gemini, the urge for self-expression is strong. These natives are often just as interested in collecting information as they are in sharing it. Curious to a fault, Geminis have a finger in every pie. Solar Geminis are flexible and changeable people. Their ability to adapt quickly to new situations generally gains them plenty of friends and social contacts. Usually quite clever and witty, Geminis enjoy intellectual conversations and they are easily bored if they are not getting enough mental stimulation.

Often quite adept at fitting in with others, Geminis easily adopt the moods of those around them. They are friends to people from all walks of life, and are not easily intimidated. Their ability to detach themselves can make Geminis very objective and observant, but a little difficult to get close to. Although they often have many friends, intimacy doesn't come as easily to Solar Geminis. It can be difficult to know what Gemini really feels at any given moment (even for themselves). They are often very impressionable and scattered. There is usually a nervous air to Geminis that can make more personal characters a little uneasy. It is not always intuitive to trust Geminis to be loyal or to keep secrets.

Geminis often flit about, moving quickly and keeping busy every step of the way. Many people with this position of the Sun have gained quite a bit of knowledge in their lifetimes, but they don't often possess specialized knowledge. This is because Geminis have relatively short attention spans. Restlessness is especially common with this position of the Sun.

Usually quite affable, Geminis enjoy the "light" side of life. This tendency to take things lightly makes them quite pleasing to be around; but it can be maddening to people seeking support on the deeper issues in life. Geminis are both interesting and interested. Their wit can be dazzling and their changeability dizzying. At the very least, Geminis will seldom bore you.

You were born with the Sun in Gemini and the Moon in Pisces. You seem to possess some excellent qualities. In one respect you are extremely intellectual and subtle. Your inner nature is one of reason. You are intelligent, astute, flexible, and versatile.

The Moon in Pisces definitely affects your personality or role in society, in which others see you in a different manner. You seem to be quiet and easy going, but somewhat restless. You are one of those persons who seeks variety, and you change your mind very easily. You will be criticized because you appear irresolute and sometimes cannot be relied upon. This comes about because you are rather easily discouraged. Your personality shows an inclination toward reading and all sorts of imaginative pursuits.

Your problem is, first of all, that you lack ability to make quick decisions. You are also very influenced by others. On many occasions you will feel a sense of despair, which will drain you of all the energy required to continue your projects. You should fight against these negative states of mind as much as possible. Your feelings are not in accordance with your actions. Internally, you have the ability to solve day-to-day problems, but externally, you are too emotional. You should try to harmonize these two traits.

The Moon, in Astrology, is the ruler of Cancer. The Moon represents our deepest personal needs, our basic habits and reactions, and our unconscious. Where the Sun acts, the Moon reacts. How do we instinctively react or respond to problems? What do we feel we need for a sense of security? Look to the Moon in your natal chart for answers.

The Moon is associated with the mother and with feminine energy in general. The Moon is both our inner child and our inner mother. It is responsive, receptive, and reflective. The Moon is our spontaneous and instinctual reactions. Just as the Moon circles the Sun, in a symbolically protective manner, and reflects the Sun's light, the Moon in our chart shows how we protect ourselves, as well as make ourselves feel secure, comfortable, and safe.

We can also think of the Moon as that which gives us animation. It rules rhythmic ebb and flow of activity and energy. The Moon is a mediator between the inner world and the outer world. While the Sun is rational, the Moon is irrational. Habitual behaviors and prejudices are ruled by the Moon. Prejudices may not be acted out, as our Sun may censor them, but the Moon rules our spontaneous reactions and feelings. For some of us, our Moons seem to drive our personalities more than the Sun does. This is particularly true if the Moon is in a water sign (Cancer, Scorpio, or Pisces). Thoughts that do often lie too deep for tears are the thoughts of your Moon's nature. The wordless ecstasy, the mute sorrow, the secret dream, the esoteric picture of yourself that you can't get across to the world, or which the world doesn't comprehend or value - these are the products of the Moon in your horoscope. When you are misunderstood, it is your Moon nature, expressed imperfectly through the Sun sign, that you feel is betrayed. When you know what you ought to do, but can't find the right way to do it, it is your Moon that knows and your Sun that refuses to react in harmony. With respect to the other luminary (the Sun), the Moon infuses the past into our lives through the feelings, while the Sun reflects the present or the "here and now". When we are "acting out" our Moon, we are imaginative, creative, intuitive, sentimental, adaptable, introspective, and protective. On the negative side, we can be moody, restless, and irrational.

Moon in Pisces

Lunar Pisceans are known to be dreamy and not always in touch with reality. However, though these people may not always show real-world savvy in day-to-day, practical affairs, they make up for this with remarkable intuition. They can put themselves in anybody's shoes with extreme ease. On the plus side, this endows them with remarkable compassion and love. The down side with this apparent ability to break down boundaries is that these people can easily lose themselves in the suffering of others.

Their sense of humor is delightfully silly and a bit odd. These are perceptive souls who seem to be in touch with all the nuances and subtleties of human nature. Often this comes through in a strong sense of humor that is more of the receptive kind than the type of sense of humor that would make people the "life of the party". It's generally pretty easy to get them giggling.

Moon in Pisces people may get tagged as "spaced out", but there's a lot more to them than meets the eye. They feel things out, and rely on their intuition. It just doesn't feel right for them to do otherwise. Their dreaminess can mean plenty of moments of absent-mindedness. These times of oblivion can land them in all sorts of predicaments with others who can too easily misunderstand these complex souls. Without plenty of space and time to daydream, Pisces Moons easily get overloaded with life. Give them room to be alone with themselves, and they're generally able to take on the world—even if their style when they do so is not always conventional or understandable.

Generally considered soft-hearted and sweet, Lunar Pisceans care about others and are easily touched by human suffering. This tendency gains them the reputation as suckers for sob stories. Although this may sometimes be true, many Lunar Pisceans learn, in their lifetimes, how to discern between sincerity and manipulation. Still, they definitely do have plenty of soft corners.

There's a delightful accepting side to Moon in Pisces that is sometimes mistaken for weakness. Pisces is the twelfth and last sign of the zodiac, and thus carries with it a little of each sign of the zodiac. As a result, they see themselves reflected in the behavior of others, giving them seemingly boundless compassion. Since the Moon represents our instinctive nature, Moon in Pisces seems to know how things feel without actual experience. For example, they may have never had sex, but seem to know all about it — even, or especially, the subtleties of it. The ones that aren't too shy make awesome actors and actresses. This ability to empathize even in the absence of experience gives them an open mind and heart. Most long to express this through writing, music (both listening and making), poetry, and art—in fact, the happiest people with this position do just that.

Though some are doormats, most Pisces Moon people instinctively know when they're due for a much-needed recharge. It's at these times that they retreat from the world (and its harsh realities) if only to gather strength to face everything and everyone again. Solitude is important to them, but they also need people, so their retreats will usually be short-lived. Pisces Moon individuals believe; and, let's face it, the world needs Piscean leaps of faith.