posted September 09, 2006 01:47 AM              

I see the Ascendant as the point closest to us. The 1st house has to do with personal identity. I think it is primarily the way we see ourselves ie. a Leo person with a Pisces ascendant might feel as though they are very sensitive and cry at the drop of a hat.. while the general public would see them more like their MC (Sag)..

The Descendant could be the way we see *others*.. The DC stands for the sort of people we attract in our lives. It's a part of ourselves we might not acknowledge.. as it is the opposite of ASC (conscious self).. Therefore others play this part out for us.

The MC could be the way you project yourself to strangers and acquaintances (usually subconsciously). The way people see you on first impressions. The way you appear to the world and those people who don't yet know you.

The IC is the opposite of the MC so again (like the Ascendant) it's a more personal point. A ‘conscious’ point, that you would acknowledge. This is how you feel comfortable being around the people close to you friends/family and this is how they perceive you.

In short..

Ascendant – The way you see yourself
Descendant – The way you see others
MC – The way others (strangers, acquaintances, the world) see you
IC – The way your close family/friends see you

I don’t really agree with interpretations saying the Ascendant is the point strangers *spot* which disappears once people get to know you. I’d say my Ascendant comes across in equal amounts to strangers and people who have known me forever, alike.

posted September 09, 2006 04:15 AM              

I kind of agree that the descendant is the way you see others, or wish to see others. But I think it might be more of what you desire your other half to have.

The way I see myself is indicated by my sun however. I see my ascendant as just a facade I am hiding in (to protect my identity perhaps). But I am very true to my sun sign and that is what I really am.

posted September 09, 2006 04:27 AM            

To be honest I think I come off in a myriad of ways to different people.

posted September 09, 2006 05:23 AM              

I appreciate the effort to interpret it in your own words, I think that's important. Doing same, I'm up to you until you mention the MC the first time.

It may not be what you intend to say, but to me it sounds like you're saying if one person sees us we appear one way, and if there are a group of people seeing us, they see something else.

But then it goes on, and everything else is tight. What you say about the MC later seems more spot on.

The 1st House, to me, has more to do with how OTHERS see me, and NOT how I see me. This may be cz having no Planets in the 1st to sort of bring more light to me about it. But those are the types of arguments I'd look for.

A lot of times, people have Asc's they don't like, etc. Whatever they make of themselves, not even the MC can interpret what the "general public would see". That type of thing.

posted September 09, 2006 12:58 PM              

Ascendant(and 1st house) = self-image, which is composed of what the adults in your childhood said to and about you. They teach us what we "look like." It is more a matter of the impression that we make, than of physical appearence.

It is, in effect, what you were called, like "mamma's girl", little brother, princess/family heir, "the smart/dumb one", etc.

Descendant is--above all--the negative or "not me" part of the self-image. It shows what we think that we "are not" based on the same clues. Thinking of the Descendant and 7th as what we are not, we then project these qualities (sign and planets) onto others.

One way to see this is that the Ascendant can be seen in a mirror, but the Descendant is the back of us--the part that requires special effort to see.

I.C.&4th is "private image"....how we are "at home." The fourth house is the "nest", thus our original family. The IC and 4th are the underlying foundation of our life.

M.C & 10th is "public image".....how we appear in public. Literally it refers to our reputation. Also, being at the top of the chart, it is what we are reaching for--a goal, which includes our definition of success.

It is always well to use these in pairs noting that they are not so much opposites as two sides of a coin.

posted September 09, 2006 10:25 PM              

Hi AJ,

I didn’t mean there was necessarily a difference between one person and a group of people when it comes to MC. I meant the difference to be between strangers and close people (friends family). So what I’m saying is the way your close ones see you would be more like IC. The way strangers (which can include groups and the world at large as well as well as every day people you meet) see you is more like MC.

Rev Alice,

Thanks for that. I like your Asc/DC take, the Asc showing what you *are* and the DC showing what you are not (or what you feel you are not).

But when it comes to IC and MC.. that is the normal interpretation. MC – public..IC – private.. This wasn’t really what I was trying to say. I meant for MC to completely overtake the idea that the Asc is the face we show strangers. In my interpretation, the face we show strangers, on first impressions is the MC.. and the IC is what the people close to us see.

Though I guess a better way to put it would be, the people close to us, who know us well, see our Sun/Moon/ Asc *and* IC (personal points).. but definitely don’t see the MC.. They don’t *see* your DC side either. They *are* representing the DC in your life, by opposition, so they *are* the DC.

I’m not sure about this at all though.. just a theory, so I wanted to see if it suits people.

Though usually I find that most people are very ingrained in the idea that the Asc has nothing to do with their personality and it is just a face they show people… I’m not sure whether this is because they *actually* feel this way, or because having read this same interpretation time and time again they became convinced this is how it is.. no grey area..

posted September 09, 2006 11:50 PM            

Nephthys has said on two occasions that I seem Aquarian to her.

posted September 13, 2006 08:11 AM              

Ok I'm lying, I'm not *that* psychic lol

I think it’s the overall earthy vibe. I have a Cap Mars as well so I probably just get earthy vibes from an earthy Mars. My bf has a Virgo Mars.. Strangely I only pick Taurus though. Usually it makes me feel safe.