Ascendant and Identity (10) Sagittarius Rising and Passionate Conviction

Element: Fire - Self assertion fuels identity focus.
Mode: Mutable - Self image is fortified through growing in intellectual complexity and/or cultural diversification.

Sagittarius Ascendant suggests that one needs to assert himself passionately, for what he believes in. Your words, actions, even the way you dress and carry yourself will be affected by your conviction - or the lack of it.

Passion is the keyword - For someone with this Ascendant to feel "right" about herself, she needs to believe in the truth of the words she utters, as well as the actions she chooses to perform. If you are a musician, you need to believe in every note you play, with ferocious passion - same goes with other forms of creative expression, be it acting, giving a speech, leading an organization or creating a business.

In order for your force of conviction to be well received by others, there needs to be a considerable development of knowledge and experience in the field you are in - otherwise your statement (artistic, political, academic or otherwise) lacks credibility, and people will not respect it. In short, the respect has to be earned.

Some examples:

• Actress Jodie Foster is a great example of the "passionate conviction" - many of her roles call for this, and we can feel the sheer force of her character's belief in herself.
• Musician Charles Mingus is an extremely opinionated and charismatic leader of his own jazz band, and his personality permeates all of his compositions (there is a recording called "Mingus plays Piano" wherein he talks between playing, and it is a delightful mixture of musical wisdom and strong opinions). Some other musicians with the same ASC: Jimi Hendrix, Elvis Presley.
• Late William Rehnquist, the former Supreme Court Chief Justice, also has Sagittarius Ascendant, and so does Patch Adams - the doctor who was portrayed by Robin Williams in the movie.
  

No matter what field we're in, Sagittarius Ascendant suggests that we need to communicate and act out our conviction - if we are not happy with where we are, we may need to ask ourselves "What belief am I acting out at this time? Does that empower me or hold me back?"

A Dose of Inspiration

My head is still buzzing from the excitement of the Newark seminar last weekend - it was simply the best place to be, with a master astrologer Noel Tyl and his talented students. My presentation went very well, and it felt like a significant milestone for me to be able to give a class that the advanced students enjoyed (I usually teach beginners.)

The seminar inspired me with a new direction for several projects I have going on - for this blog, I'm planning to finish up the series on Ascendant (about time!) and start one on the Reigning need of the Moon. Then I have a completely different project that is forming in my head, to be announced later.

It's That Time of The Year Again

Early tomorrow morning, I'm flying to Newark for Noel Tyl's annual weekend seminar. As always I'm looking forward to a full weekend of learning and inspiration.

This year Noel asked me to give a 45-60 minute presentation on Prince Naruhito, the first heir to the throne of Japan. Needless to say I'm very excited about the opportunity!

I'll try to blog from there if I can get decent internet connection.

Ascendant as a Point of Conflict

As the focal point of ego energy, Ascendant defines how we differ from our environment, for better or worse. We assert our individuality simply by existing - so some degree of tension is inevitable. This conflict, however, does not need to result in fighting - there are other ways to resolve the tension.

This is most apparent when a planet is conjunct the Ascendant: if Jupiter conjoins ASC, then one may feel bigger than the environment, and there may be a sense of wanting to impart energy or inspiration through some kind of performance, a grand-generous behavior. Giving of self, in other words, is the way to resolve the tension.

If Saturn conjoins ASC, then one may feel older, tougher, and more serious than his/her environment. Here the tension is released through accomplishment followed by genuine self confidence.

When Uranus conjoins ASC, a person may feel more progressive and modern compared to her environment - here the urge is to bring newness and excitement into the environment. The conflict with the environment may result in interesting change.

When Neptune conjoins ASC, one may feel to be in another world from the environment. His imagination or ideals must be allowed to be expressed within daily life. The conflict with the "real world" must be resolved by honoring the subtle aspects of life.

When Pluto conjoins ASC, one may feel privy to the deeper, more esoteric aspects of the environment. Then the urge is to bring the hidden part of the reality out into the open. The conflict is often resolved by challenging the superficial status quo, both within oneself and others.

If no planet conjoins the Ascendant, then we could think about its ruler to follow similar reasoning, although to a weaker degree (e.g. Pisces rising could have similar feel to the above description about Neptune conjunct Ascendant, since Neptune rules Pisces.)

Last thought: it may be important to note that these measurements usually do not correspond to the career one follows - we look to the midheaven and its ruler for that. Ascendant has more to do with how one can assert herself within the environment she is in. The conflict of ego and the environment always exists, and Ascendant and its ruler often offer the prescription for effective self assertion.

Being in the Right Place at the Right Time

Noel Tyl's recent one liner: Being in the wrong place at the wrong time simply suggests we are not being ourselves.

When a slower planet (Saturn through Pluto) crosses the ASC or MC axis through transit or Solar arc, it frequently brings the issues around identity, career, home (including relocation), or relationships into sharper focus.

If we're in the career that truly reflects our innate vocational potential, then Angular transit most likely will result in some sort of recognition, increased productivity, a promotion even (read: you were in the right place, and at the right time your reward has come.)

If we're in the wrong career or relationships, then the Angular event could signal a time of opportunity where you realize the falseness of the situation - then you may feel the necessity to change yourself or your circumstance, so that you will be able to become more of who you really are.

The question "What can we do to be in the right place at the right time?" is really the same as asking "What can we do to become who we truly are?" Your life (home, relationships, identity and career) needs to be a reflection of your authentic self.

I believe the universe wants to help us in this process, and during key astrological events (such as transits or Solar Arc to the Angles) it may make sense to consider your circumstance and ask "how is this situation making me more of who I am?" If we can honestly answer that question, then perhaps we're getting closer to being in the right place at the right time.