Astrology 101: What is the Ascendant-Rising Sign?

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Hi, I'm Joni Petrie and welcome to my YouTube channel. Well, as all of you know, I'm a Vedic astrologer that practices the sidereal system of astrology, which is sidereal actually means star, so it's relative to the stars, whereas tropical Western astrology is relative to the sun and the seasons. But I wanted to give you just a basic understanding of what we're talking about when we talk about our rising sign, our ascendant. And in Vedic astrology we call it the Lagna because so many people have no comprehension and, and rightfully so, what we're talking about. So I thought I might inform you, sort of like the beginning of Astrology 101. So what is the rising sign? How is that calculated? What are we talking about here? Because most people know astrology as their sun sign. And the sun sign is when the sun every year goes through all 12 signs of the Zodiac, depending on the month that you're born, determines where your sun is. So every month the sun changes. So if we consider the zodiac, the zodiac is pretty much a 360 degree circle. Of course I use the square charts in Vedic astrology because it's definitely more ancient, a more ancient science from the Vedas that astrology is. So what is astrology? It's basically.

The planets as they are in relationship to the stars. So if you consider this the diagonal wheel which surrounds our Earth, there's 12 signs that surround the Earth, and those signs are relative to the groupings of stars that are in those portions. So let's take the 360 degree zodiac, and if we have 12 signs, then there's 12 divisions where this whole 360 degree circle is divided up into 12. So each sign constitutes 30 degrees. So what do we have 30 times 12? 360. So if we have this wheel, or could I say the stars, the backdrop that surrounds planet Earth, and I'm talking circular because our planet is circular. So this whole zodiacal wheel that surrounds the Earth, those portions, those 30 degree portions.

Are what the signs are. The signs meanings are derived from the stars in those portions. So when we come to the portion that would be Leo.

We have the lion. As you've seen, the beautiful depictions of the animals.

The creatures that make up our zodiac, when we go to the sign Leo, there is this depiction, and let me just say all of these.

Symbology of these animals that are depicted in the stars.

Were passed on down from the ancients. The knowing ancients gave us this valuable information. So if we're looking at the constellation of Leo.

The heart of the lion, is called Regulus, which is within that constellation, that sign and the meanings for that star, which is loyalty, which is leadership, which is kingship.

Are what give the meanings to the sign Leo. So once we have this zodiac, then we realize that the planets are what move across the backdrop of these stars, which are actually called fixed stars, because in a lifetime, they appear to not move, but in reality, they are moving. They move backwards one degree every 72 years. This is called precession of the equinoxes. So actually, from our vantage point on Earth, the stars stay fixed. But over a period of 26,000 years, the stars actually move backwards in the zodiac through all 12 signs. This is called precession.

Precession of the equinoxes, that the stars are, from our vantage point, moving, but we don't see it in a lifetime. But here's why I chose Vedic astrology, because it takes into account that movement of precession over the years and the reference point to where the zodiac begins has actually shifted backwards, almost a full sign. That's why you'll hear me say that these placements are back, almost a full sign. Remember I told you a sign is 30 degrees? Well, it has moved backwards in the zodiac 24 degrees. Not quite a full sign backwards, but almost.

But I want to talk about how your Ascendant is derived, because we always talk about those that don't know anything about astrology. You know, you look in the newspaper paper over the years and you've read about your sun sign. That means that everyone born within a particular month and Western astrology was basically from about the 21st of the month to the 21st of the next month, give or take a few days, that that was a sign. But in Vedic astrology, your sign will be from around the 14th of the month to the 14th of the next month, give or take a few days. But your sun will stay. The sun stays in a sign for about a month. There's 12 months. There's 12 signs. But did you know that all the planets, not just the sun, are spaced out in different patterns throughout the year? They're all moving. Mercury, Venus, Mars, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, Jupiter, Saturn, the Moon, they're all moving. And they move against the backdrop of these stars, which are the signs. So you see all the planets are going through these signs. But what sets up your birth chart.

In order to understand where these planets are relative to not only your day and year of birth, but your time of birth is what sets up your rising Sign. So let me explain what your rising sign is. It's the most specific thing to you because if you look out on the horizon on Earth, we're talking about the sun and the movement of planet Earth going around in a 24 hour period of time. So in a 24 hour period of time, we have the Earth revolve completely.

From, let's just say from the same time of day to the next next day at the same time, the Earth revolved entirely, completely on its axes to revolve back to where it was the day before.

So when you talk about your rising sign, you are talking about what sign. Remember we have that zodiacal band that circles the Earth and as the Earth spins, there's a different sign rising as that or as the Earth moves. As the Earth moves from sign that's rising throughout a 24 hour period. Now let me, let me explain this. So if we have the spinning earth.

In a 24 hour period of time, spins all the way around, then on the eastern horizon.

The sign always is moving because the Earth is moving. Okay? So the Earth is moving. And actually the rising sign in a 24 hour period of time will go through all 12 signs. And here's how it works. The zodiac moves one degree every four minutes as the Earth spins. So in a two hour period of time, one sign will rise from 0 to 30 degrees. So every two hours there's a different sign rising on the horizon. So it's constantly moving the Earth. And so if we have 12 signs.

Think about in a 24 hour period, 24, divide by two. Remember, every two hours we have a new sign rising. You come up with the 12 signs. So all 12 signs in a 24 hour period of time will rise on the eastern horizon. So from beginning a sign to the end of the sign, it's two hours. And if you want to see exactly the increments of the degree of your rising sign, remember from the beginning of the sign, every four minutes.

A new degree, same sign till you hit 30 degrees. Then it starts again at zero degrees of the next sign. So depending on your time of birth will give you that rising degree on the eastern horizon. And that's what sets up your whole horoscope, your whole chart. You see, your chart where all the planets were on your day and year of birth, plug in the time. So let's say that Scorpio was rising at the time you were born. Then that means your first house, you're rising. Your ascendant Lagna is Scorpio. So you see, it's based on your time of birth. That's why it's so important that we have what time you're born. And so once we set that ascendant, also called the Rising, once we set up that ascendant, then where all the planets are on that day, they will arrive in the houses. So let's say your ascendant, a Scorpio. That's what was rising on the eastern horizon. Then that's the first house. Then the second house will be the next sign in the natural zodiac. The second house will be the sign that comes after Scorpio, which is Sagittarius. So Sagittarius is your second house. Capricorn is your third house. Aquarius is the fourth house.

Pisces is the fifth house.

Aries is the seventh house.

On around. Let me see. So it's Scorpio. So let's start over. Scorpio, Sag, Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces, Aries, Taurus. Excuse me. Taurus would be the seventh house because Aries is the sixth house. So Taurus is the seventh house going on around. So here is the natural zodiac. It will always follow in that sequential order, which is Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces. So depending on where your rising sign is, then those signs will always be in that order of the 12 signs. And so once you have your chart set up with Scorpio as your ascendant, then wherever the planets are, they will go into that house according what sign they're in.

So the houses are your areas of your life, your activity. You hear me talk about the houses all the time. First house is you. The second house is money. Third house is communication. Fourth house is family. And fifth house is children. Seventh house, marriage. Eighth house, change, transformation. Ninth house, spirituality. Tenth house, your career. The eleventh house, friends. And the twelfth house is endings. So you see, the first house is your beginning into this world. Whereas the whole process of life comes to the last house. It's all these developments. So if you have a Scorpio rising, and let's say you were born in May and your sun is in Taurus towards the end of May, then that means the sun will be in your seventh house because Scorpio is the rising sign. So that would be Scorpio, Sag, Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces, Aries, Taurus. Your sun goes into the seventh house. Let's say Jupiter is in Sagittarius on that day. So if you Have a Scorpio rising. Jupiter would be in the second house. Scorpio, Sagittarius. So you see, the rising sign as to what is rising according to your time of birth sets up the entire chart, gives you your ascendant.

Your lagna.

And that's what makes you different than everyone else that's born during the same month.

Your sun possibly being in Taurus, you will be different because your sun falls in a different house and you have a different rising sign based on your time of birth. So I just wanted everyone, if you could follow through with me, to understand what the rising sign is, how it's set up on our planet, and how the planets all move relative to how the Earth spins and the stars, how they are the backdrop. They're the stage where the planets all move. But your chart is set up according to your Ascendant. And that is why you will hear me say, if your Ascendant is Scorpio, watch out for this. Take advantage of that, because it's not only where your planets were at your time of birth, but it's where they're moving, because the planets are constantly in flux, and they are moving relative to your houses, depending on what your ascendant sign, your rising sign is. The transiting planets, where they're constantly moving, are going through the different houses of your chart. And as they come in contact with the planets that are in your birth, natal chart, is how we make our predictions.

So I hope you were able to follow my vision of how the charts and the Ascendant works in accordance to our planet Earth. And if you want to take this a step further, don't forget I teach Vedic astrology. I have a very complete university.

Check it out. Join our community. Learn astrology. Learn. Learn the divine science of astrology. Go to my university website, which is universityofvedicastrology.com and remember, if you'd like to receive my free newsletter, go to my Galactic center website, which is Galactic Center Center.org. and there you can find where I have my beautiful jewelry, spiritual jewelry, such as my prayer malas, and reminiscent symbols of what reminds us of our spiritual truth here on planet Earth. So thank you for joining me with this Astrology 101. Thank you.